A MUM has revealed how she got debt free by following eight steps which made a “fundamental difference” to her financial situation.
Vicky Smith now gives advice to other people who are struggling to keep on top of their finances without having to give up on the “fun stuff.”
She urges people to be “frugal” with their money, which she believes helps when it comes to saving money.
Vicky, who has over 11.3k subscribers on her YouTube channel @TheMummyBubble, says: “No matter how big or small your income is, no matter what your expenses are.
“These simple frugal habits have helped to transform my financial situation and balance my budget and I think they will make a difference.”
She also says that “frugal, doesn’t mean boring.”
Vicky continues: “I’ve learnt it’s actually about embracing the real joys in your life and giving yourself freedom from debt.
“Freedom to make choices about the type of life that you want and the freedom that comes from the peace of mind of knowing that I can cover all my bills.”
The mum of two believes that everyone should first look at their finances, consider their financial priorities, and make a plan that’s realistic.
She says: “The next habit is to stop being wasteful.
“This applies to food, buying new stuff and energy usage.
“To be honest you can apply it to pretty much anything in your life that is costing you money.
“With food you need to make a plan to use up every little thing.”
Vicky believes that meal planning should be a top priority because once you “have made that plan you’re not going to waste the ingredients that you’ve bought.”
They want to keep your regular business so it’s well worth trying to do so
Vicky Smith
It’s not just dinner that you can get out of your food shop, but lunch too.
For energy usage, it’s about switching off stuff that you’re not using.
She says: “We’re not using vampire devices like your TV that if you leave on standby, that’s going to be draining power, or lights in rooms that you’re not actually in.
“A tumble dryer is going to be much more expensive to use than a dehumidifier or you can always line dry your clothes outside which will cost you nothing.”
Her next tip is to question whether you can get it cheaper or free elsewhere.
She says: “For example, I recently switched from getting my hair coloured at the hairdresser for which the costs just seem to be going up and up, I’m now doing it at home.
“This is saving me hundreds of pounds a year.
“You can also try haggling and researching cheaper alternatives for your utilities and your subscriptions.
“For example with Sky TV, I once saved us 40 per cent on our regular bill just by ringing them up and saying I don’t think this is good value for money for me.
“I’m thinking about leaving. All of these companies have customer retention teams that want to keep you.
“They want to keep your regular business so it’s well worth trying to do so.”
Vicky also recommends doing repairs around the house yourself “wherever possible.”
She says that there is a YouTube video “for pretty much any household job that you can think of.”
Vicky has got many fans who regularly log into to follow her videos and comment their thoughts.
One wrote: “I love how you break down the tips and don’t pad your videos out with useless information.
“All of your habits are things that anyone can implement in their lives.”
Another added: “Great tips!”
For more easy tips, follow Vicky on her YouTube channel where she regularly posts money saving content.