Cut the cost of living: 25 easy saving tips for cheaper energy bills and more

We’re all trying to tighten our belts due to the cost of living increase, but it can be hard to work out which saving tips will have the maximum impact on household bills.

To help you save, we’ve gathered our best cost of living vouchers into one handy page and pulled together 25 of the Internet’s best and easiest saving tips. So, if you’re one of the millions of Britons wondering how best to reduce costs, you can make a start today!

• 5 instant energy-saving tips
• 5 ways to save money on food bills
• 5 tips to find the cheapest broadband deals
• 5 ways to save money on your mobile phone
• 5 ways to save money on fuel

5 instant energy-saving tips

You'd have to be living under a rock to miss the fact that a record energy price cap rise has hit the UK, causing the average annual electricity and gas bill to hike by around £700. While cheap gas and electricity might be a thing of the past for some time, here are five essential steps you can take to cut your costs down to size.

1. Set the washing machine to a 30-degree cycle and swerve the tumble dryer. In fact, why not wear your clothes more often until you toss them in the laundry? A little less washing will make your outfits last longer too.

2. Stick to a four-minute shower. According to those in the know at The Energy Saving Trust, if everyone in a family of four shaved one minute off their daily power shower every day, they could save up to £60 per year on energy bills as well as £60 worth of water.

3. Install a smart thermostat. Is it really worth getting a smart thermostat? Absolutely! Research by USwitch.com revealed that turning your thermostat down by just one tiny degree could reap the reward of up to £80 per year.

4. Get DIY draft proofing. If money’s tight, forget professionally upgrading your insulation for now — a bit of DIY draft proofing magic is one of the quickest routes to cheaper energy bills. Focus your efforts around doors and windows with draft-excluding strips like Stormguard Self-Adhesive foam from Amazon. If you can stretch to it, these Blinds Direct thermal blinds and curtains make a huge difference to heat, while a cheap letterbox plate and a trusty under-the-door draft excluder from Wayfair will help to keep that breeze at bay.

5. Say no to stand-by. Sure, you might know about this one, but do you put it into practice? It’s all too easy to flick the TV onto stand-by or close your laptop at lunchtime. Make it a priority to save electricity by switching off all appliances that aren’t in use and you could save up to £55 per year. If you’re wondering how to reduce your electricity bill fast, this should be your number one step.

Which is the best comparison site for energy? When you need to sign up to a new provider, you’ll want to compare the best deals through stellar comparison sites like Compare the Market and Money Saving Expert’s Cheap Energy Club, which comes with sage Martin Lewis energy advice. Plus, you’ll find some of the cheapest gas and electric deals from leading brands on our vouchercloud energy page.

5 ways to save money on food bills

1. Supermarket own-brand products are your friend. Lidl, Aldi, Asda and Tesco were recently named the cheapest supermarkets. But choosing own-brand products is an excellent money-saving strategy when you’re meal planning on a budget.

2. Sign up for supermarket loyalty schemes. Earn money back every time you spend? Sign us up! Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Lidl offer some of the best supermarket loyalty cards with the highest rewards. Just the thing to reduce food costs.

3. Check out our top supermarket deals before every weekly shop. With cashback coupons and supermarket discount codes on tap, you could shave significant cash off your average grocery bill.

4. Ditch the meat and fish. These traditionally pricey items should take a back seat when times are tight. Why not try some deliciously cheap vegetarian meals? With spicy curries and flavoursome pasta dishes to choose from, you might just find you don’t miss meat at all.

5. Plan and prep. Plan budget family meals and you’ll never buy more ingredients than you need. With the average family wasting around £700 worth of food per year, there are definite savings to be made.

5 tips to find the cheapest, fastest broadband deals

1. Don’t pay for any more than necessary. You can run a quick broadband test to check your current Internet speed so you don’t accidentally choose a pricey plan you don’t need and can opt for the cheapest broadband plan possible.

2. Go long with a 24-month contract. While shorter contracts offer more flexibility, you’ll nab a better deal if you sign up for longer. BT, EE and Vodafone are a few providers who offer this kind of plan.

3. Look for a new customer offer. When your contract ends, don’t be afraid to shop around as the best broadband offers are often aimed at winning new customers over. Take a peek at our best broadband discount codes for top names like Virgin, BT and TalkTalk before making any decisions.

4. Haggle with your existing provider. If you’re serious about finding cheap WiFi deals, you’ll want to chat with your existing provider before you jump ship — it’s very likely you’ll be offered a sweet deal in return for your continued custom. Bear in mind that the retentions department (the one that handles cancellations) often has access to the best deals.

5. Bundle your needs. The best broadband, TV and phone deals usually come as a package — purchase a bundle from the cheapest internet provider you can find to save yourself a packet.

5 ways to save money on your mobile phone

1. You don’t need the latest model. While it’s tempting and all too easy to snap up a premium smartphone these days, you could find yourself filled with regret when faced with the hefty monthly bill. Our top tip? Spare a thought for the mid-range smartphones — we were wowed by the iPhone SE and the Samsung Galaxy A70, and the prices are much more wallet-friendly.

2. Switch to SIM Only. If you’re happy with your handset, you’ll find a cheap SIM Only deal will save you a small fortune over even cheap mobile phone contracts.

3. Know your usage. Again, this is a case of making sure you don’t pay for more than you need. Log into your mobile network account to monitor your monthly data usage so you only consider cheap mobile phone deals that are the right fit for you.

4. Pick a refurbished handset. If you need a new phone but don’t have much money to spare, consider cheap second-hand phones from a reputable seller like GiffGaff or O2 Like New. Make sure you choose one with a decent warranty to protect your purchase.

5. Cap your spending. Keep yourself safe from accidentally going over your data limit and incurring extra charges by installing a data cap. You can usually do this by logging into your network account or through your Settings app.

How to save money on fuel

1. Check local petrol prices. Petrol prices today are soaring, so make sure you do a quick petrol price comparison with a fuel price checker before filling your tank. PetrolPices.com lists the best places to buy cheap petrol in your area and covers approximately 8,500 stations across the UK.

2. Check your tyre pressure. Motor experts Kwik Fit advise keeping your tyres topped up to reduce drag on the car and improve fuel efficiency. Have a dabble with this Kwik Fit tyre pressure search tool to find out the correct pressure for your vehicle.

3. Stay smooth. Another smart way to prevent gas-guzzling is to stay in the highest gear you can comfortably drive at and avoid sharp acceleration and braking. Your passengers will thank you for the smooth ride too.

4. Explore ride sharing. It’s better for the environment and will help you save money on fuel too.

5. Check for cheap garage deals online. Keep your motor in tip-top, fuel-efficient condition with the latest money-saving discount codes on vouchercloud.

In fact, we've sourced a whole host of cost of living vouchers designed to help lighten the load. Live more, spend less and weather the storm with vouchercloud.