'Three small changes to my weekly routine save me £1,500 each year'

A money-savvy mum has shared how making three 'small' changes to her weekly routine helps her to save over £1,500 every year. TikTok user @mumonabudgetuk is a mum-of-two who regularly posts about her life and finances, sharing videos explaining how her family saves money and sticks to their budget.

In a new post, @mumonabudgetuk revealed how making a few lifestyle changes each week has helped her save money, as the seemingly small expenses quickly add up. She explained: "Here are three things I stopped buying during the week to help me save over £1,500 per year.

"I'm sure a lot of you can relate to this one, but first up is takeaway coffees. This used to cost me about £10 per week, so I invested in a travel cup and now make sure I take one with me every morning, which saves me about £500 a year alone."

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The TikTok user added: "On top of coffees, I would also buy a £4 meal deal nearly every day, which adds up to about £1,000 per year. Finally, I made sure I stayed away from lunchtime shopping as I could easily spend £4 or £5 on a candle every week. These small cuts have saved me £1,500 a year."

In her caption, the savvy saver added that her tips weren't centred around restricting her spending but rather about being more intentional with her spending. She explained: "Not about going without, just about being intentional."

The video gained thousands of views and hundreds of likes, with comments praising the tips in the comment section. Someone wrote: "Mad how much meal deals can add up to without realising," and the content creator replied: "The saving definitely outweighs the convenience."

For those who enjoy takeaway coffees and lunches, it's worth shopping around for deals and offers to save money. Many cafes offer lunchtime deals, or you could pick up a discounted meal toward the end of the day.

Money Saving Expert advises: "It's always worth trying your luck at restaurants and cafés near closing time – for example, half an hour before Itsu closes, all of its sushi and salads are often at half-price.

"There's no discount code to claim, it's more a case of whatever's left at the end of the day needs to go and the pricing is at the discretion of each store. Wasabi also runs a similar promotion called 'No time to waste', again with 50% off towards the end of the day.

"Another alternative is First Table, a restaurant booking platform which offers 50% off your food bill when you book the first table at breakfast, lunch or dinner at participating restaurants.

"It's available in most big cities (including Brighton, Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester, Edinburgh and Liverpool to name a few) and participating restaurants will list their first tables up to seven days in advance. Note though, there is often a booking fee between £4 and £8."