With council tax, rail fares and national insurance rates set to rise in 2022, now is a great time to re-evaluate your finances and look for ways to make and save money where you can.
To help, Which? has rounded up 22 tips on how you can make and save money on travel, shopping, going out, and more.
From swapping your old shoes for vouchers to getting dinner discounts for four months, read on for ideas on how to boost your finances this year.
Shopping
1. Recycle your old clothes
Some retailers have schemes where they will reward you for recycling a bag of old clothes.
H&M will give you a £5 off voucher (to be redeemed against a £25) shop if you recycle a bag of unwanted clothes or textiles in any condition.
You can get £5 off a £35 Marks & Spencer shop if you donate items to Oxfam – however one item needs to be from M&S (either clothing or soft furnishings) and they must not be damaged or soiled as the items will be resold.
Recycle any old pair of shoes to Schuh and you will receive £5 off a £25 spend as part of its ‘sell your soles’ scheme.
2. Recycle empty toiletries
If you’ve just used the last of your favourite face cream, check if it can be recycled before throwing it away. You can be rewarded for returning empty beauty products to stores.
John Lewis, for example, offers a BeautyCycle scheme to receive £5 off your next purchase when you bring five or more empty beauty products to one of its branches and show your John Lewis card.
Lush offers a Bring It Back scheme which allows you to return empty Lush products and receive 50p off your next purchase. Some Lush stores also continue to run its existing ‘Five for a Fresh Mask’ scheme which will see you receive a face or scalp mask in return for five empty Lush pots.
Boots has a recycling scheme that will take old makeup and empty toiletries and give you 250 free Advantage card points, which are worth £2.50. Double points are on offer in December and January.
3. Sign up for supermarket loyalty schemes
Loyalty schemes are no longer just about points – they can also unlock big discounts and other exclusive rewards.
Tesco now features deals on everyday items exclusive to Clubcard members, Lidl will allow you to unlock more vouchers the more you shop and with a My Waitrose card you can receive a free newspaper if you spend more than £10.
4. Try a grocery app for discounts
Rapid grocery delivery firms …….
Source: https://www.which.co.uk/news/2022/01/22-ways-to-save-and-make-money-in-2022/
