Fatten Up That Wallet

There are many ways that you could make yourself some money: win the lottery; dream up a game changing piece of technology or find out you are legitimately due inheritance from a long lost relative who was Nigerian royalty.

If you find yourself unable to check off any of the above boxes, you could always try some of the more straight forward and likely methods of fattening up your bank balance. Some do more fattening than others, but in the end up, you’ll be financially better off if you practise any of the following methods.

Analyse Your Spending

Even if you think you are already quite financially savvy or even frugal, there are likely ways that you can cut down on your spending even more. Take lunches for example. Do you buy your lunch every day? Why can’t you buy in the stuff you like yourself and make pack lunches? Coffee is another big one. As a country, we spend £6.3 billion a year on takeaway coffee! That is ridiculous. So, invest in a travel mug and start buying your own coffee. You’ll be surprised at how much you can save.

Monetise a Talent

There is probably something that you’re good at, right? Singing, dancing, drawing – everyone usually has a talent or a hobby, and the possibility of turning this into a paying gig is higher than you’d think. There are websites out there that encourage such behaviour, such as Fiverr. Fiverr will let you promote yourself and your talent and/or service, and allow you to make money from it. So whether you’re a writer or a designer, have a look online, there is always a way in which you can make yourself some extra cash from this.

Upgrade

Okay, this one will require you to spend some money first, but it’ll be worth it in the end. Unless you live in a brand new, state of the art house or flat, chances are there is at least one thing you can do to improve your home. And this improvement isn’t just going to make the place look and feel nicer, it’s going to increase the value on your home and give you a return on your investment.

Alternatively, if you’re renting at the moment, you’d be surprised at how much money you can save on paying a mortgage as opposed to paying rent. Yes, you’ll obviously need a deposit to buy your first home, but there are help to buy ISAs out there that can help you with this. Perhaps upgrading to homeowner from renter is the smartest upgrade to make.

Get Healthy

There are a few ways in which getting healthy will do you well. If you drive (and it’s possible) maybe walk or cycle to work. You’ll save money on petrol in return, you’ll get fitter. You should also cut out the junk food. All of these overpriced treats, whether it be a takeaway or confectionery, while tasting good, aren’t good for you. Generally speaking, buying healthy food is a lot cheaper than buying brand name junk. So, if you cut these out you will again be saving yourself money, while doing your health a favour at the same time.

These are obviously just a few ways of tightening up your spending and putting more money in your pocket, but there will always be more ways. Anything that you're paying for, things like electricity and gas bills, for example - there's always a good chance that there is a cheaper option out there.

Look at what you're spending, and where. With a bit of research, and a bit of thought, chances are, you'll be able to save some money in some manner - one way or another.