Follows these tips from Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert to help your family survive the crippling cost of living crisis

MONEY saving expert Martin Lewis says the cost of living crisis is the worst he’s seen since he became the nation’s financial guru over 20 years ago.

As many families face heart-breaking choices, Martin’s team of money wizards have put together a list of ways to help your family stretch the budget.

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Last night, Martin urged Boris Johnson to stop dithering on the crisis as millions face soaring household, fuel and petrol bills.

In an interview with he warned that if Boris and his cabinet do not take action “there will be some families who will have to choose between freezing and starving, and may face both”.

He added that the poorest Brits are already doing all they can and no belt-tightening can substitute proper help from government.

He said: “The people I can’t help are the people who have already done everything on the lowest incomes and they have no wriggle room, and those are the ones I’m worried for most at the moment.”

As prices soar, millions are looking for ways to cut their household costs or earn extra cash.

Here are 15 of the best tips from Martin’s MoneySavingExpert site to help your family survive the crunch.

Mobile and Broadband

Martin says we should always be looking to ask: “Can I do it cheaper and the same way?”

With most people still on older contracts still paying the full whack, the Money Saving Expert (MSE) website shows that new deals on your mobile phone and broadband can save more than £200 per year.

You may even qualify for a broadband “social tariff” if you are on lower income which means you would only be shelling out £15 per month.

State pension

A staggering 800,000 people qualify for a state pension top up, which could be worth thousands of pounds per year.

Not only does it help retired people on low incomes, it can help make you eligible for council tax discounts, free TV licences for over-75s and more.

Here’s how to check if you qualify for Pension Credit.

Switching banks

Ever heard the saying change is good?

Martin says that switching banks is an easy way to get some free cash in your pocket.

MSE has compiled a list of providers that pay £100 or more to switch to them which include HSBC (£175) and Nationwide (£100).

Be sure to check the terms before switching to see if you’re eligible though.

Childcare savings

Raising a child isn’t cheap, and in a cost of living crisis, many families are struggling.

Yet masses of working parents are missing out on thousands of pounds of help.

We’ve previously looked at all the help that parents can get with childcare.

Martin helps break this down with his handy childcare costs guide that covers all the available schemes to suit your needs.

Recurring payments

Martin says we should constantly ask ourselves: “what can I reduce?” 

This could be recurring payments, direct debits and standing orders which let money leak from your account each month without your approval.

While you may have forgotten for that subscription you signed up for a couple of months ago, your bank account hasn’t.

Go through your bank statements and analyse your spending. If you don’t need it, scrap it.

Check out six ways to cut the costs of all your subscriptions.

Council Tax discount

You could be eligible for a council tax discount if you live alone, with students, have a severe mental impairment, have a live-in carer, receive pension credit or have a low income.

These range from 25 to 100% depending on your circumstances.

Check out the discounts you could get, including who’s eligible and how to claim.

Sell unused items

The money saving expert urges people to question “what they really need”.

Check what you have in your house and if you haven’t used something for a year, sell it.

for selling on online markets including ways to make money from crisp bags, empty jam jars and wine corks.

NHS prescriptions

In 2021, more than a million people in England would have been better off using an NHS prescription prepayment certificate rather than paying each time they need medication.

The one-off “season ticket” covers all your prescriptions for either three months or a year.

If you buy more than one prescription a month, it’s likely to save you money.

30C wash

According to the Energy Saving Trust, using your washing machine on a 30-degree cycle and drying your clothes outside rather than in a tumble-dryer saves about £28 per year on your energy bill.

Granted its not always sunny in the UK, but make sure to take advantage when there is decent weather.

And when there’s not, using a heated clothes airer is a cheaper alternative to your energy-guzzling tumble dryer.

Wrong tax band

Martin says that over 400,000 homes are in the wrong band due to the way properties were valued when the council tax system was launched in 1991.

This could mean you are in too high a council tax band and paying too much. See where you match up with his council tax check ‘n’ challenge online.

Mum-of-one Melanie Garraway told The Sun how she managed to save HUNDREDS of pounds on her council tax bill by challenging her band.

You’ll need to do your research though, and be warned it could be decided that you’re in too LOW a council tax band, which could mean your bills (and your neighbours’) go up rather than down.

Halve dishwasher tablets

It may seem simple but cutting your dishwasher tablets in half can make your savings go a long way over a year.

Martin’s household hacks do not stop there though.

Other top tips include cutting open toothpaste to get the last bit out to saving wrapping paper from opened gifts.

2-for-1

Don’t want to stop going to the cinema and eating out, but hoping to save costs?

With the “meerkat trick” there’s a way to get a year of two-for-one deals for just £1.

This handy trick gets you a discount at cinemas on Tuesday or Wednesday, as well as thousands of restaurants from Sunday to Thursday.

To get it, you just need to buy an insurance policy – for example, a one-day UK travel insurance – which can cost as little as a pound or two.

Recycle old clothes

You might know you can recycle clothes – but did you realise you can get paid to do it?

A large range of high street stores are offering incentives for recycling old clothes and beauty containers.

You could receive £5 for any leftover clothing. So if you don’t wear any items, it’s time to recycle!

We recently reviewed a Clueless-style wardrobe app that can help you stop shopping and work out which of your clothes you aren’t wearing.

Yellow sticker reductions

Last but not least, Martin advises people to get savvy and know the best times of day to get the biggest “yellow sticker” reductions.

A must for bargain hunters, yellow stickers are slapped on items near their best-before dates that supermarkets reduce in price.

But while most people are fully aware of this, the key is to make a move at the perfect time.

The money saving expert has gathered insider info on when stores want to offload stock.

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