PRETTY PENNIES
Savvy mum who put away £25k in a YEAR shares easy budgeting tips for 2021 so you can too
A SAVVY mum who managed to save £25,000 in a year has revealed her top tips for budgeting in 2021 so that you can do the same.
Lara Joanna Jarvis, who is known for her budgeting tips and tricks, sharing them on her YouTube channel, committed to a “no buy” year in 2019, only spending money on essential purchases.
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And with husband Stuart also taking part the pair were able to save £25,000 to put towards their first home together, and in a new video, Lara has revealed how to budget so you can do the same in 2021.
Speaking in the clip, she explains: “I’m so passionate about helping you get out of debt, buy that house, buy that holiday, pay for that new pair of shoes.
“Whatever your goals are, I’m here to help you.”
Here we reveal Lara’s top tips for budgeting in the new year…
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WHY
Do your finances need a bit of work? Do you spend more than you can earn? Do you want to save for something special? Do you know what you can afford? Do you have debt to pay off?
If any of these are a tick box for you then budgeting is definitely for you.
If you spend more than you earn, as soon as you get paid your money goes on your debt, and you start again and you borrow to fill the gap of what you haven’t got to spend.
It’s a massive snowball that will become really unmanageable in the future.
HOW
Start off by going through your bank statements, and your receipts so you know exactly what it is you’ve spent your money on.
Be accurate and honest with yourself, it’s only you that you’re lying to.
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You need to know exactly what’s going in and out of your bank account every month and you need to account for every penny as well.
You also need to know exactly what is in your bank at any one time because if anything comes up that you’ve not budgeted for you need to know that you’ve got a buffer.
START SMALL
Don’t go cold turkey and say ‘I’m never spending any money again’ because the chances are, you’ll fail.
You have to allow yourselves those rewards and cheat days.
SELL, DON’T BUY
This will help you by making money but also it will help you by not having too much clutter in your house.
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LOOK AT OVERSPENDING
On the things you can compromise on.
Nails, getting your hair done or having a really expensive TV package, they might be something that bring you so much joy that you can’t compromise.
But there are ways of compromising such as not getting your hair done every six weeks, or swap an abroad holiday for a UK one.
Shop at budget food shops and buy second hand clothes, you can still get these things without spending the money you would have done.
PRIORITIES
Write down your priorities of what you would spend in a month and then work out what is actually a priority.
Don’t waste the money on the things that don’t enrich your life.
Lara's new year spending habits
- Ditch impulse purchases - always sit on a purchase for 30 days, you will never still want it
- Take a food inventory before you do your shop - you probably already have it
- Shop your wardrobe - You have plenty to wear in your wardrobe
- Meal plan - Meal plan, meal plan, meal plan!
ASK YOURSELF THIS BEFORE SPENDING
As Martin Lewis says, ask yourself these five things before buying something.
- Can you afford it?
- Do you need it?
- Does it bring value?
- Will you use it?
- Can you get it cheaper elsewhere?
I always say sit on purchases for 30 days, it always makes me think ‘do I actually need this?’ If in that time you do, then go buy it but for me I never ever needed it in the end.
For more information on money saving tips and home life you can follow Lara on or , as well as checking out her blogs for further details at
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