Super-saver mum-of-three reveals how YOU can save £400-a-month… from highlighting your bank statements to finding the best bargains on Facebook
One of Ashleigh Swan's simple tricks saved her £400-a-month
THIS thrifty mum-of-three is using her expertise to help other Brits save hundreds of pounds every month, and insists it doesn't have to be at the expense of your social life.
Money saving expert Ashleigh Swan became an online sensation when , after falling on hard times when she lost her job.
The Newcastle lass was not alone. One in five Brits have no savings to speak of and face retirement poverty, according to worrying new research from earlier this month.
Ashleigh's top tips include liking Facebook pages which post daily offers and freebies, getting 241 cinema tickets through Compare The Market and going through her credit card bills with a highlighter.
The 28-year-old claims the final trick has saved her £400-a-month.
Ashleigh's top tips
- Highlight your bank statements: This will really open your eyes to how much money you waste on a monthly basis.
- Overhaul your policies: Check if you can get your home insurance, car insurance, satellite TV and internet for cheaper elsewhere.
- Use Facebook pages: Companies and brands are offering deals and freebies every day. Her Facebook page ‘Ashleigh Money Saver’ posts more than 60 bargains every day.
- Be savvy about going out: Use voucher codes, happy hours or check the restaurant’s Facebook page for a special offer. Get 241 cinema tickets for a whole year simply by buying a policy through comparethemarket.com.
- Enter competitions: Enter every competition you can find – someone has to win so why shouldn’t it be you?
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Ashleigh, who is mum to Jamie, 10, Katie, six, and step-son Simon, 14, told Sun Online: “I think people following my tips could save on average £300 a month, maybe more if they haven't done a check on their finance for a while.
“Which could see savings of over £3,500 in just one year - that could get you a holiday.
“Personally I think I've saved well over £10,000 since I started keeping an eye on my finances.
“I'm no longer in debt and I try not to pay full price for anything. Nine times out of 10 that works.”
She added: “When I was made redundant, we had more money going out than we had coming in.
“It was a difficult time - we found ourselves at breaking point and had to decide which bills to pay that month.
“So we went through our bank statement with two highlighters. We highlighted all the bills that we needed to pay each month and the rest that we could get rid of.
“We managed to cut our outgoings by £400 per month just by doing this simple thing.
“A takeaway here, a magazine subscription there – we didn’t need any of those things.
“It really opened our eyes to our spending habits and helped us get our finances back on track.
“Start putting that saved money into a good savings account and watch it rise.”
Ashleigh, who posts more than 60 deals-a-day on her Facebook page, insists people can still eat out when following her advice - but should do so with voucher codes and taking advantage of Happy Hours.
She added: “There’s no excuse – you might think you can’t afford to save but a a few minutes going online can help you slash your outgoing costs.
“Putting money aside doesn’t mean sacrificing your social life or eating at home every day.”
The competition queen said: “In the past I have won meals out, a family holiday, cinema trips and even had my lounge decorated.”
If you found Ashleigh's advice helpful, you may also want to check out these top tips - from flying instead of taking the train, to praising brands.