The nation’s top 25 money saving tips

Thrifty money saving efforts are boosting people's finances by an average of £530 a year.  Vouchers, money-off apps, packed lunches and home cooked meals are popular money savers together with shopping around for insurance and reducing energy use to shrink bills.
 
But, while 70% of us are happy to share money saving tactics with friends and family, 27% of those surveyed kept their coupons and other money saving tips to themselves.   
 
The research, commissioned by Gocompare.com, revealed that 95% of people are always looking for ways to save money.  Favourite money saving tactics include:

Rank - Favourite money saving tactic %

1 Use vouchers, coupons, money-off apps to get discounts 57
2 Take a packed lunch to work 50
3 Shop around for insurance 49
4 Turn the thermostat down to reduce heating bills 49
5 Use loyalty and cashback schemes 49
6 Cut down on takeaway meals 46
7 Do more home cooking and batch cooking 41
8 Keep a coin jar and save change 41
9 Take your own treats to the cinema 40
10 Plan meals, make a shopping list and stick to it 38
11 Cut out takeaway coffee/coffee shop treats 38
12 Don't impulse buy - sleep on it 37
13 Switch energy supplier 35
14 Buy second-hand instead of new, use sites like eBay or Freecycle 31
15 Never grocery shop on an empty stomach 30
16 Draw up a budget and stick to it 30
17 Don't use a tumble dryer 29
18 Review your satellite or cable subscription or cancel it altogether 27
19 Switch to a cheaper supermarket 26
20 Leave the car at home and walk or use public transport 25
21 Review your mobile phone contract or come off a contract altogether 25
22 Cut up your credit cards 23
23 Transfer all credit card debt to a 0% card 22
24 Review your gym membership or cancel it and train outdoors 21
25 Only use cash - not cards 20

The survey also revealed that women are thriftier than men as 97% of women, compared with 94% of men, said that they actively use money saving tips.  And the survey found that women were much more likely to use certain tactics listed in the nation's favourite money savers, for example:

Use discount coupons, vouchers or apps - women (68%), men (45%)

Take a packed lunch to work - women (57%), men (42%)

Turn the thermostat down to reduce heating bills - women (54%), men (44%)

Never buy on impulse - women (39%), men (34%)

Buy second hand or new, use eBay or Freecycle - women (37%), men (24%)
 
When asked why they look for ways to save money, over half (54%) of those surveyed said that they hate spending money unnecessarily, 47% genuinely needed to make savings, 35% just had a money saving habit, a third were on a tight budget, while 11% said that they were just a bit tight.
 
Claire Peate, customer insights manager at Gocompare.com, commented: "Rising prices coupled with static incomes mean that many people are having to find ways of making their money go further.  And, as our survey demonstrates, whether it's cutting food or energy bills or making savings on financial products, people are embracing a wide range of money saving tactics.
 
"Switching products and services is one of the biggest money saving areas.  Simply changing the supermarket where you do your weekly food shop or switching to own brand products can help to reduce your grocery bills, while using a comparison website to shop around for a better deal on your energy, insurance policies, credit cards and mortgage can save you hundreds of pounds."