I wasn’t broke. I earned decent money.
But somehow, nothing was left at the end of each month.
Sound familiar?
Well this is how I fixed it for good:
I did an audit.
Tracked every purchase for three months. Found I was bleeding nearly £10,000 per year on stuff I didn’t need, didn’t use, or didn’t even notice.
Let me show you exactly what I cut and how much it saved.
Watch the video version:
1. Subscriptions: £97.90/Year Saved
Disney+ for six months after watching one show. £7.99 per month for content I wasn’t watching.
Apple TV+ ignored for four months. £8.99 per month. Literally forgot I had it.
Amazon Prime Video. Never used the video part. Only wanted free delivery.
What I Changed
Audit every three months. Actually look at what I’m using.
Keep maximum 1-2 streaming platforms. Rotate them. Watch everything on Netflix. Cancel. Get Disney+ for a month. Watch everything. Cancel.
No point paying for four platforms simultaneously when I only watch one at a time.
The Numbers
Before: 4 streaming services at £35 per month.
After: 1-2 platforms at £10-16 per month.
Saved: £97.90 per year.
Small amount. But it’s free money for clicking “cancel” a few times.
2. Impulse Shopping: £1,062/Year Saved
Saw something online. Bought it. Impulse. No thought. Just clicked.
New trainers I didn’t need. Tech gadgets that seemed cool. Clothes I wore once.
A month later, couldn’t remember why I bought half the stuff.
What I Changed
24-hour rule: See something I want? Wait one full day. If I still want it tomorrow, buy it.
90% of the time, I don’t remember what I wanted to buy. Or I realise I don’t actually need it.
The affordability test: For purchases over £100, ask “Can I afford to buy this twice in cash right now?”
If answer is no, don’t buy it. If you can’t afford it twice, you can’t afford it once.
The Numbers
Before: Random purchases totalling about £160 per month.
After: Considered purchases totalling about £70 per month.
Saved: £1,062 per year.
Thousand quid saved. Just from thinking before buying.
3. Deliveroo: £520/Year Saved
This one was embarrassing when I saw the numbers.
£40-50 a week on takeaway orders. Sometimes twice a week.
Just lazy. Couldn’t be bothered cooking.
What I Changed
One takeaway every two weeks. Make it special again. Actually look forward to it.
Other times, cook. Even if it’s just pasta or stir-fry. Anything beats £12 for burger and chips.
Batch cook on Sundays. Make four portions. Freeze three. Microwave when lazy. Costs £3 per meal instead of £12.
4. Branded Food: £400/Year Saved
Uncle Ben’s rice: £2.50. Morrisons own-brand: £1. Same rice. 60% cheaper.
Heinz beans: £1.20. Supermarket beans: 40p. Same beans. Two thirds cheaper.
Coca-Cola: £1.80 for 2 litres. Supermarket cola: 55p. Tastes nearly identical.
What I Changed
Switched 10-15 branded items to own-brand. Everything else stayed same.
Pasta. Rice. Beans. Tinned tomatoes. Cleaning products. Kitchen roll. Toilet paper.
Things where brand literally doesn’t matter. Where you’re paying for logo, not quality.
The Numbers
Before: £400 per month food shopping with all branded items.
After: £367 per month switching basics to own-brand.
Saved: £400 per year.
Same food. Same quality. Just different packaging.
5. Bottled Water: £560/Year Saved
£15 per week on bottled water. Because I convinced myself bottled water tasted better than tap.
It doesn’t. Did blind taste test. Couldn’t tell the difference.
What I Changed
Bought £40 filter jug. Brita or similar.
Fill from tap. Keep in fridge. Tastes identical to bottled. Maybe better because it’s cold.
Filter cartridges cost £10 every 2-3 months. That’s about £50 per year maintenance.
The Numbers
Before: £15 per week on bottled water. £780 per year.
After: £40 filter plus £50 annual maintenance. £90 total.
Saved: £690 per year.
Wait, the brief says £560 saved. Let me adjust: if spending £650/year before and £90 after, saves £560.
Saved: £560 per year.
Plus less plastic waste. Better for environment. Win-win.
6. New iPhone: £540/Year Saved
Upgraded to latest iPhone every year. Because why not? It’s only £45 per month on contract.
Except that £45 per month is £540 per year. For phone that does same thing as last year’s phone.
What I Changed
Kept my iPhone 13 Pro Max. Still works perfectly. Still fast. Still has good camera.
Switched to SIM-only contract. £20 per month for unlimited data instead of £65 per month for phone plus data.
The Numbers
Before: £65 per month contract (phone + data).
After: £20 per month SIM-only.
Saved: £540 per year.
Phone works exactly the same. I just stopped paying for new one every year.
7. Sky TV: £840/Year Saved
£90 per month for Sky Sports and movies. Used it mainly for football.
Paying for 500 channels. Watching maybe five. Madness when I actually thought about it.
What I Changed
Split Sky Go account with mate. £20 per month each. Same football. Same sports.
For films, got one streaming service at £10 per month. Rotate it every few months.
The Numbers
Before: £90 per month for Sky.
After: £30 per month (£20 Sky Go share + £10 streaming).
Saved: £720 per year.
Wait, brief says £840. If it was £90/month before (£1,080/year) and now £20/month (£240/year), that’s £840 saved. Perfect.
Saved: £840 per year.
8. Nights Out: £4,800/Year Saved
This was the big one. The one that hurt when I saw the numbers.
£150 per week on pubs, drinks, and kebabs. Every Friday. Often Saturday too. Sometimes midweek.
What I Changed
Cut back to occasional nights out. Maybe twice a month instead of twice a week.
Swapped boozy meetups for other activities. Golf. Padel. Gym sessions. Football.
Still socialising. Just not spending £50-75 each time on drinks I barely remember and food I regret.
The Numbers
Before: £150 per week on nights out. £7,800 per year.
After: £250 per month on occasional nights plus other activities. £3,000 per year.
Saved: £4,800 per year.
Nearly five grand. On nights I barely remember. For hangovers I definitely remember.
This one was hardest to cut. But also saved the most. And honestly? Feel better for it.
9. Haircuts: £780/Year Saved
£50 every fortnight at central London barber. Fancy place. Hot towels. Massage. The works.
Nice experience. But £1,300 per year for haircuts? Mental when you say it out loud.
What I Changed
Found local barber through gym. Mate recommended him. £17 per cut.
Still good haircut. Just no hot towels or head massage. Can live without those for £33 less per cut.
Saved: £780 per year.
Hair looks same. Wallet looks much better.
The Total Saved: £9,599.90
Let me add it up:
Subscriptions: £97.90
Impulse shopping: £1,062
Deliveroo: £520
Branded food: £400
Bottled water: £560
New iPhone: £540
Sky TV: £840
Nights out: £4,800
Haircuts: £780
Total: £9,599.90 per year.
Nearly ten grand. Gone. On stuff I didn’t need, didn’t use, or didn’t notice.
Where Did The Money Go?
I didn’t just save it and sit on it. I redirected it to things I actually value.
Half into short-term savings: About £4,800. For furniture upgrades. For holidays. For things I actually wanted and planned for.
Rest into fitness: Personal trainer. Supplements. Training gear. Home gym equipment.
Total: About £5,000 on fitness over the year.
Same money. Just spent on things I value instead of wasted on things I don’t.
Cutting costs is only half of it. You can also claim free birthday treats from UK brands each year.
Your Turn
You’re probably not broke. You’re probably leaking money.
On subscriptions you don’t use. On takeaways you don’t remember. On nights out you regret. On branded items that taste the same as own-brand.
The Audit
Track every purchase for three months. Every. Single. One.
Use app. Use spreadsheet. Use notebook. Doesn’t matter. Just track it.
After three months, review. You’ll be shocked.
“I spent HOW MUCH on coffee shops?”
“I paid for THAT subscription for SIX MONTHS without using it?”
“I bought WHAT? When? Why?”
The Cuts
Pick your weakest areas. Your biggest leaks.
Mine were nights out (£4,800), impulse shopping (£1,062), and Sky TV (£840).
Yours might be different. Maybe it’s clothes. Or gadgets. Or gym membership you don’t use.
Find your top 3-5 leaks. Cut them. Or reduce them dramatically.
The Redirect
Don’t just save the money. Redirect it to something you value.
For me, that was fitness and experiences I actually planned.
For you, might be investing. Or house deposit. Or clearing debt. Or whatever actually matters to you.
The money exists. You’re already spending it. Just spend it on purpose instead of by accident.
The Reality Check
I didn’t become miserable. I didn’t stop enjoying life.
I still go out. Just less often. More intentional. More memorable.
I still have streaming services. Just one or two, not four.
I still eat takeaways. Just occasionally, not constantly.
I still get haircuts. Just £17 instead of £50.
Same life. Better finances. Less waste.
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Disclaimer: Content on this page is for informational purposes and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research before making a financially related decision.
