How do I reduce my household expenses?
Working through household costs in order of size, and the ones that respond to a single afternoon of effort.
beginner2 hr2 min read
Saving Money
Where the savings actually are.
19 guides in Money & Practical
How do I spend less on food?
Where a food budget actually leaks — waste, convenience, unplanned shopping — and the changes that reduce cost without reducing quality.
beginner1 hr2 min readHow do I cut my subscription costs?
How to find every recurring payment you have, decide which to keep, and stop the ones you don't from renewing quietly.
beginner1 hr2 min readHow do I build an emergency fund?
Starting from nothing, choosing a realistic target, and keeping the money somewhere you will not spend it.
beginner1 hr2 min readHow do I spend less without feeling deprived?
Reducing spending by changing structure and defaults rather than by willpower, so the savings persist rather than lasting three weeks.
beginner45 min2 min readHow do I get more for my money at the supermarket?
Unit pricing, own brands and the layout decisions designed to increase what you spend.
beginner30 min2 min readHow do I spend less on getting around?
Reducing transport costs — running a car more cheaply, and working out whether you need one at all.
beginner1 hr2 min readHow do I avoid fees when using money abroad?
Which card to use, why you should always pay in the local currency, and the fees that are easy to avoid.
beginner30 min2 min readHow do I reduce my mobile phone bill?
Separating the handset cost from the airtime cost, checking what data you actually use, and switching without losing your number.
beginner40 min2 min readHow do I work out what something costs per use?
Dividing whole-life cost by realistic uses turns arguments about whether something is expensive into a number — and exposes the cheap items that are the worst value you own.
beginner15 min3 min readHow do I choose a savings account?
Matching account type to when you need the money, and the terms that quietly reduce the rate you actually get.
beginner30 min2 min readHow do I save for something specific?
Turning a vague goal into a monthly figure, and structuring the saving so it happens without willpower.
beginner30 min2 min readHow do I cut spending on treats without feeling deprived?
Reducing frequency rather than quality, and protecting the spending that actually matters to you.
beginner30 min2 min readHow do I cut household waste and save money at the same time?
The overlaps where reducing waste genuinely saves money, and the places where it does not.
beginner45 min2 min readHow do I reduce the cost of having children?
Where the money actually goes, what genuinely needs buying new, and the support that often goes unclaimed.
beginner45 min2 min readHow do I check what a subscription actually costs per year?
Finding every subscription you have, converting them to an annual figure, and the ones that quietly rise.
beginner30 min3 min readHow do I do a no-spend month sensibly?
Setting rules you can actually keep, what to exempt, and using it to learn rather than just to save.
beginner30 min3 min readHow do I sell things I no longer need?
Choosing where to sell by what it is, pricing so it actually sells, and the listing details that make the difference.
beginner1 hr3 min readHow do I send money abroad without losing money on fees?
Where the cost of an international transfer actually hides, the details that decide whether it arrives, and the checks that protect you against transfer scams.
beginner30 min3 min read
Going deeper: ToolFoundry
Interactive calculators — quantities, conversions, costs and sizing — rather than prose.