For some of us, heading out to the day job is a means for ensuring that we can pay the bills and live our lives. We head to work, we earn our money, pay the bills and that is the end of the matter. We then hope that we will hopefully have enough leftover to enjoy what life has to offer with our closest ones and family. But, a paycheck is fixed, so what you have left is always going to be similar from month to month.

Would you believe that many of us are not making the most of each paycheck? That actually making some changes to our usual habits could be the answer for making our money go further. There are many ways we can ensure that we are stretching that income as far as it can, while still enjoying life and not sacrificing on what we have right now.

So If I could share with you what some of those things are would be interested to hear them? Some of them are actually quite obvious, but others will be so simple but yet you probably might not have ever done it. Here are a few top tips to help you get started.

Meal planning

It is time to get serious and, of course, if you are interested in saving money and making your disposable income stretch further than your bills are the best place to start. Would you believe that your food bill can be one of the biggest outgoings you have after mortgage or rent payments?

However, one of the best things about this bills is you have complete control over how much you spend. So a great way to reduce the food bill is to start writing a list and planning your meals. Like any habits, It takes a little time at first but once you get into the swing of things you will instantly see the savings you make. It enables you to only buy what you need, rather than what you think you need.

Doing this can help you in other ways. It can stop you wasting food which of course means you are less likely to waste money. Another way to save on the food bill is to actually change where you shop, and to choose supermarket branded items instead of big name brands.

Using coupons for everyday things

There is no hiding from the fact that we need to buy certain luxuries in our lives, and this can be anything like electrical items to replace other gadgets and also things like clothing. This is when cashback sites and coupons can really help to reduce your outgoings.

Some of them can give you a big percentage off, or cashback can build up over time as you start to use the website to make your normal purchases. You could also take advantage of loyalty cards and build up points that can then equate into money off vouchers.

Paying off your debts

Debt can be a huge chunk of your monthly outgoings each month, but if you don’t manage it right, you could be paying more than you need to. Maybe now is the ideal time to really take notice of your debts. Having balances on different credit cards means that you are paying more interest on different cards.

This is when looking into things like emprestimo pessoal online as a loan can be a great way to consolidate your debts and pay less out each month and only one interest payment. This also gives you a plan for paying it off once and for all. Giving you more disposable income as well as being free from debt in the future.

Ensuring you get the best deal on your bills

Many people don’t think about their current bills to be honest, and why wouldn’t you, you need to pay them each month anyway, but they just let them leave their account each month. Loyalty doesn’t pay when it comes to a lot of your bills including your energy bills and any insurance you pay out for. So why not get the best deals by switching companies?

More brands will offer new customers a great deal and this can provide you savings on those bills without the loss of anything. Extra money in your bank account each month. Many people are put off by doing this, as they think it is more hassle than it could potentially be worth, But a lot of these companies handle all the hard work for you, so there really is no excuse to be paying more than you should.

Checking your bank statement regularly

Let’s be honest, when was the last time you checked every debit from your bank account? Probably not for a while that is for sure. So why not take the time to print off three months statements and go through them one by one.

People can end up signing up for things over the years, and what you may think has been cancelled might have been leaving your account month after month. That includes things like gym memberships, magazine subscriptions and such. There could be money to be saved simply by just checking out your current financial situation.

Only use cash to make purchases

Finally, it can be all too easy to pull out a debit or credit card and make those unnecessary purchases. A cheeky lunch here, a take out coffee there, a top up shop during the week. So try and use cash for things like food and clothing and these small purchases you make each day.

This means you have to physically part with the money and can lead you to make better financial choices. When it’s on a card, you are less likely to think that you are spending as it is a card payment, but cash means you are more aware of the amount. It’s all psychological.

I hope these tips will help you on your way to stretch your paycheck further.