Recently, Wonga published an informative (and quite extensive, you’ve been warned…) guide of 40 tips to help you save money by cutting bills, changing workplace habits and more. These money saving tips are an interesting and valuable read but if you’re short on time and just want to know a handful of the most effective – keep reading.

Whether you’re a student sick of eating cold pizza for breakfast or a 20-something chasing a mortgage deposit.

here are five excellent tips to save money

1. Buy a Flask!

Taking a hot flask of coffee with you to the office or school is one way of bypassing those expensive designer coffees which soon add up. However, buying a flask can do more than help you save on these weekly expenses.

Most kettles require a minimum amount of water to be in the kettle before boiling to ensure safety. For those who live alone or as a couple, this amount of water is usually much more than needed, resulting in water being boiled to then be left to cool. Instead, keep this hot water in a flask ready for the next cup of coffee without having to switch on the kettle again!

2. Lead a Healthier Life

Cigarettes, fizzy drinks and alcohol are all bad for your health, but they are also bad for your wallet. These are another small weekly purchase that may seem like nothing at the time, but over a lifetime they are significant costs. After all, the average smoker is estimated to spend over $20,000 on cigarettes in ten years.

If you lead a healthier life by quitting smoking and swapping sugary drinks for water, you can save money for life.

3. Always Make a Grocery List

When it comes to grocery day, you probably don’t feel like planning out every meal that you will have in the next seven days. Yet, if you do plan ahead and make a grocery list, you can stop buying foods that get thrown out and avoid expensive lunches throughout the working week. This is not just good for your bank balance but also great for reducing food waste.

Making a list stops us from buying random items that are not needed or will not be used. They also help us make healthier decisions!

4. Make a Home Cinema

Lots of families head out to the cinema for a day out, but it is not just the price of cinema tickets that make it expensive. Popcorn and drinks are all insanely overpriced because there is no other option for cinema-goers.

Until now! Some sites such as Amazon and YouTube are offering users the chance to rent movies that are currently out at the cinema. From the comfort of home, you can watch the same movies in the cinema as a family without high costs – and a better view.

5. Car Sharing

Cars are one of the biggest household expenses because of their maintenance and the rising cost of fuel. They are also one of the biggest contributors to the global carbon footprint. Many social apps and workplace initiatives exist to help people going the same way share a ride and half their fuel costs. Get involved with these to start saving more on fuel.

Try to make these types of changes and see another change in your disposable income, quickly!