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Putting money aside can be very difficult, especially with Christmas just around the corner.
Let's be honest, it can be tempting to forget about our savings account, and just enjoy ourselves at any time of the year.
However if you’re hoping to build up your money then Lara Joanna Jarvis, has revealed how she saved £25,000 in a single year.
The mum of two, shared five tips on her YouTube channel, which helped Lara and her husband save enough to purchase their first home together.
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Wait 30 days
Lara suggests waiting a whole month before buying an item that you’ve got your eye on.
Lara says: "I live by this rule. When I did my no-buy year for 2019 it was the foundation for changing my money mindset.
"If you want something then put it on your wish list and if you still want it after 30 days have passed you can allow yourself to buy it.
"It stops that impulse spending. Often we’re not thinking things through.
"And I found that I never actually wanted to buy that thing at the end of that time."
Plan your meals in advance
Lara has cut her food bill in half by simply planning ahead when it comes to mealtimes.
"Meal planning not only alleviates the stress of trying to find something to eat, it saves you time, it saves you money, it makes you more organised.
"I do it backwards, so I will look at what I’ve already got and I will then think of the recipe that will work for those ingredients.
"I will then meal plan, working out what we need for each day and write my shopping list accordingly.
"I have cut my food bill in half doing this."
Avoid using your card
According to Lara paying with your card "devalues money".
"Handing over a crisp note from the bank is so much more effective than just tapping your card, or even worse, tapping the app on your phone.
"It just devalues money so much, cash just makes it a bigger deal."
Take a photo of your favourite outfits
We’ve all been there: a wardrobe full of clothes, but absolutely nothing to wear. This situation can have many of us quickly reaching for our phones and doing a next day delivery clothing order.
Lara’s advice is to have a plethora of photos on your phone of outfits you do like. So next time you like your outfit, take a picture, and then when you think about wanting to buy a new outfit, you can refer back to these pictures.
"This is directed at people who like wearing nice things. Take a photo of yourself when you like what you’re wearing.
"Whenever you feel like you haven’t got anything to wear you can look at your photos and pick out an outfit."
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Remember your reasons for saving
Having your goal at the forefront of your mind makes it easier to stay on track.
She said: "We started this journey as a deposit saving journey and it was a reason to keep going when things were hard and you have to say no to going out with your friends or buying something.
"Know your why, write it down and always keep a look on it and congratulate yourself.
"Celebrate the little wins along the way and just keep your why in your vision because otherwise you’ll lose your way a little bit."
Find more money-saving tips and life hacks on her website,larajoannajarvis.com .
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