Saving money always sounded like a punishment.
Give up takeaways. Stop buying coffee. Cancel your fun. Download three budgeting apps and feel bad about yourself.
But that’s not what I did. And I still saved over £500 in just one month. With a toddler. In the UK. Without changing my day-to-day life.
Here’s how — and how you can do it too.
🏦 1. Switched to Annual Billing on Subscriptions (+£86)
Netflix, Spotify, Microsoft, Amazon Prime — we were paying monthly for all of them.
I checked if switching to annual payments would save us money. It did — in one click:
- Amazon Prime saved £21/year
- Spotify Family plan paid upfront saved £16
- Microsoft 365 gave us 2 months free for paying yearly
If you can afford the up-front cost, it often works out 10–20% cheaper overall.
✅ 2. Claimed Forgotten Cashback & Loyalty Points (+£123)
I’d completely forgotten we had over £60 in cashback sat in a dormant Quidco account. Add in:
- £25 in unused Tesco Clubcard points
- £20 in Boots Advantage
- A random £18 Nectar offer from a Sainsbury’s petrol trip
That’s real money. Sitting there.
Tip: Spend 20 mins checking every rewards scheme and cashback platform you’ve ever used. Search your inbox for terms like “points” or “cashback”.
🛒 3. Switched Supermarket Brands (+£64)
We didn’t change what we ate — we just changed the label.
- Tesco own-brand passata instead of Napolina
- Aldi cheese instead of Cathedral City
- Own-brand cereals for the toddler
It all tasted fine. We literally didn’t notice — except the final receipt, which came to £16 less per shop.
Over four weeks: £64 saved
☕️ 4. Took Advantage of “Intro Offers” Again (+£75)
This month I:
- Signed up for a free trial of Readly instead of paying £9.99 for magazines
- Got 2 free Pret coffees using their free app trial
- Used a new email to claim a second HelloFresh box at 60% off
Yes, it’s a bit cheeky. But it works. And companies expect it — they factor it in.
Hack: Keep a spreadsheet of intro offers you’ve used and revisit them every 6–12 months.
🛎️ 5. Cleared a Forgotten Direct Debit (+£12.99/month)
Turns out we were still paying for a toddler music app we hadn’t used in months.
I spotted it while scanning my online banking for subscriptions.
Cancelled it in 30 seconds. That’s £155.88/year back in our pocket.
Lesson: Once a month, spend 5 minutes scrolling your bank statement for surprise leeches.
📱 6. Sold Stuff I’d Been Meaning To Get Rid Of (+£125)
The cot our toddler outgrew. A duplicate gift. A set of dumbbells I swore I’d use.
All sat gathering dust.
Sold on Facebook Marketplace and Vinted. No faff. Cash in hand.
This stuff isn’t junk — it’s delayed money. Get it out of your house.
⏳ 7. Delayed Three “Nice-to-Have” Purchases (+£72)
I had a moment where I was about to buy:
- A new beard trimmer
- Fancy socks
- A cordless screwdriver
Did I need them? No.
I hit pause — added them to a wishlist. 30 days later, I didn’t miss any of them.
That’s £72 not spent, and still no regrets.
📈 Final Tally: £500+ Without Sacrificing Anything
| Method | Estimated Saving |
|---|---|
| Annual subscription switches | £86 |
| Cashback + loyalty points | £123 |
| Supermarket swaps | £64 |
| Introductory offers reused | £75 |
| Cancelled DD | £12.99 |
| Selling unused stuff | £125 |
| Delayed impulse buys | £72 |
| Total | £508.99 |
💪 It’s Not About Sacrifice. It’s About Awareness.
You don’t have to budget like a monk. You just have to:
- Check where your money is quietly dripping away
- Set a timer and do a monthly money MOT
- Use what you’ve already got before buying more
No guilt. No spreadsheets. Just smart, lazy wins.
This is what The Sorted Dad is all about: saving money without losing your mind.
The Sorted Dad 
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