Our expert Rebecca Gamble helps make your cash go further
READER QUESTION
Q I’ve heard people talking about ‘Will Aid’ – can you tell me what is it please?
A Will Aid is a fundraising campaign that runs each November, which makes it possible for you to get a basic will drawn up by a participating solicitor, who won’t charge their usual fee. Instead, they invite you to make a voluntary donation to Will Aid. The suggested donation is £100 for a basic single will. Donations support charities including Action Aid and Age UK. Find more details at willaid.org.uk.
Go green for less
Pay attention to how long your oven takes to preheat, so that you’re ready to start cooking as soon as it’s reached the required temperature.
3 easy ways to... cut back on your food waste
By reducing the amount of food you throw away, you’ll save cash and it’s better for the environment, too. Here’s how to do it
1 GET AHEAD OF THE GAME
Writing a weekly meal plan based around food that you already have in your kitchen is a sure-fire way to save cash and avoid food waste. And by batch cooking – making extra portions when you’re cooking and then freezing or keeping them in the fridge for another day – you’ll save time and be less likely to ditch your meal plan and buy convenience food if you get home late and you’re too tired to cook. Remember to date and label containers going into the freezer, so you know what’s inside them.
2 ENJOY APPY SAVINGS
Have you tried using Too Good To Go? It’s an app that enables you to buy surplus food from bakeries, retailers and restaurants. These ‘Surprise Bags’ of food typically cost £3-5 each, which will be around one-third of the original price. For more information visit toogoodtogo.co.uk. While with Olio, a sharing app for local communities, you can donate any food (along with lots of other items) that you don’t need to people living locally and you can look for items you’d like to get for free, too. There are more details at olioex.com*.
3 LOG YOUR WASTE
If you find that you’re still wasting food, keep a log of what you throw away and how much the food was worth. This will help you identify any patterns in what you waste – and remind you of how much cash you’re wasting.
19% OF ‘BUY NOW PAY LATER’ CUSTOMERS HAVE USED IT FOR ESSENTIAL ITEMS**
Top tip!
Prepare for any winter home emergencies, such as power cuts, by putting together a kit of
