Saving Money tips by not using the gym, bus, walking, payment protection and extended warranties!

16 – The Gym

Do you pay a monthly fee to a Gym, do you actually attend, and what do you actually do? Can you justify spending £40 a month to use a running machine, when you can run on the street for FREE. Is the stepper worth the honour of staying in one place, rather than running up and down the stairs at home for 10 minutes. Riding you bike can often be more enjoyable than stuck in Gym looking at the same wall. Push-ups, sit-ups can all be done at home for FREE.

If the Gym has a swimming pool, sauna of facility you do not have at home and you attend regularly (twice a week every week), it is value for money. Remember though it is not just about what you spend in the gym, you may also spend allot in the bar afterwards, not only spending money, but undoing all that valuable exercise you have just spent the last hour doing.

Drop a £5 note in the park on a windy day once a week, you will exercise more and loose more calories trying to get it back, and it is cheaper than a gym membership.

Some useful links:

17 – Walk / Cycle

Walk or cycle to the shops, work to friends etc. It may a bit too much hard work, but it is free. Walk to the shops on Sunday morning to get the newspaper, cycle to work or to the train station. The five minute cycle ride can save you allot in petrol, car parking etc. and is good for you!

Some useful links:

18 – Bus

Get off the bus the stop before you need to, not only saving the valuable pennies but getting a good dose of exercise. Walking to the shops and catching a bus back is another good way to save the pennies.

Some useful links:

19 – Payment protection

Banks and other loan providers including your credit cards are charging you allot of money for payment protection. Payment protection ensures your minimum payments are made if you are made unemployed.

It only covers your minimum payments, you still have to pay interest on your loan. It only covers you if you are made unemployed, not if you leave your job. The payment protection is only for a limited amount of time usually 6 months after the first claim.

Is it really worth it? Use the money you have been paying for payment protection to pay off your debt faster. Put the money in a savings account and start your own payment protection scheme, then if you do not claim it is still your money, with interest!

Some useful links:

20 – Extended Warranties

By law all electrical items are covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, for reasonable use (remember keep receipts). So why pay a second company for a service you will get anyway!

OK, there are exceptions a very expensive top of the range computer for example, but even then you are paying for a service you should get anyway?

I have allot of electric items and if it hasn’t broken in the first few days, it has usually worked years, with no problems. The money I have saved would easily pay for a new TV.

Some useful links: