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15 ways to save money
By Nathalie Bonney
Swapping used to be reserved for the playground; whether it was trading football stickers or 'top trumps' playing cards, kids have always loved trading something they didn't value that much for something they desperately coveted.
But swapping is fast becoming a popular pastime for adults too, as we endeavour to cut back on our spending. From holiday-home swaps to clothes and make-up exchanges, 'swap shops' today are a far cry from the old playground barter in comics and stickers.
It's not just about swapping unwanted goods, though; there are also plenty of everyday costs you can cut by switching to cheaper alternatives. So here we give you a few ideas to get you started.
1. Swap branded goods for supermarket own-brands
However, according to a survey by global brand strategists Dragon Rouge, 81% of consumers say they have remained loyal to a brand because they prefer the flavour of the products. Admittedly, sometimes there's a difference in quality, but often the extra cost is simply due to the brand name or packaging.
We might tell ourselves it tastes better, but is that simply because we've bought into the advertising spiel? The best thing to do is test out the own-brand versions; if you don't notice the difference, then why not switch?
2. Get on your bike
There are the added health and environmental benefits too. Alternatively, local transport is, by and large, a cheaper alternative to driving.
3. Swap the holiday villa for someone else's home
House swaps are an increasingly popular option - you get all the home comforts without the pricey hotel bill. And it means you have someone to look after your property while you're away.
There's usually a small membership fee to sign up to a house-swap website - around £30 - but in return you can browse through pictures and descriptions of other people's homes.
Once you've found a property you like, it's worth exchanging emails with your potential swap partners to check you have similar standards of cleanliness, for example, and that they're the sort of people you'd feel happy to have staying in your home.
Check out websites such as homebase-hols.com, exchangeaway.com and intervac.com.
4. Switch to a better mobile phone deal
However, the advantage of pay-as-you-go phones is that you know exactly how much you're spending, and provided you're not topping up your credit by £10 a week or more, they're a good way of staying within your budget.
5. Ditch Starbucks and make your own coffee
Meanwhile, a Morphy Richards 47001 coffee machine costs as little as £24.99, and if you add in the cost of coffee beans, a cup of home-brewed coffee could work out at just 5p a day, according to Kelkoo.co.uk.
6. Change your bottled water for tap water
Tap water in the UK is perfectly safe to drink, but if you're one of those who believes it has a strange taste, you can buy a water filter. Although a top-of-the-range filter can set you back £100-plus, a Brita Elemaris filter jug costs just £9.99.
7. Read your news online
But, of course, websites can't replace the in-depth information and analysis that specialist publications provide, so don't cancel your Moneywise magazine subscription just yet.
8. Grow your own vegetables
Five packets of seeds plus a bag of peat-free compost would cost you £12.58 at B&Q, and the DIY store estimates that savvy gardeners could save up to £740 a year after this initial minimal outlay, compared with buying the required "five a day" fruit and veg at the supermarket.
9. Bring your own lunch to work
Chunky homemade vegetable soup is another easy option - and especially cheap if you follow point eight and grow your own veg.
10. Do it yourself
If you don't fancy getting your hands dirty, though, consider a skills swap - that way, if you don't like cleaning, you could offer to mow someone's lawn or babysit for them in exchange for their services.
11. Ditch the gym membership
The Great Outdoor Gym company has also teamed up with local councils to fit out parks with gym equipment. Go to tgogc.com to find your nearest free gym.
12. Take a shower not a bath
For example, a bath typically uses around 80 litres of water, while a short shower can use as little as a third of that amount - although power showers are the exception to the rule and can use even more water than a bath.
Drying your clothes outside in the summer months could shave an average £15 off your annual electricity bill, according to the Energy Saving Trust. Go to energysavingstrust.org.uk, for more energy-saving tips.
13. Forget the nursery and share a nanny
The website nannyshare.co.uk helps you link up with one or more other families to share the weekly cost of hiring a nanny. For example, in London, this will be around £12 an hour, excluding national insurance contributions and taxes, compared with hiring your own nanny at £8 to £9 an hour.
14. Staying in is the new going out
Board games are growing in popularity, with Scrabble sales up by 12% and Monopoly by 8%, according to eBay.
15. Go second hand
Go to oxfam.org to find your nearest stores. Alternatively, take advantage of the many fashion swap shops featured in the box below, or arrange your own clothes- or book-swapping party. Finally, if you register with your local library, you can find a wealth of books or DVDs to suit most tastes.
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