Happy 2020! Looking at your bank account after the holiday season can be a little daunting. This makes January the perfect month to start reconsidering your finances.
But, did you know you can save money and follow the latest lifestyle trends at the same time? We've done the research and found the six top trends that will help you cut down your expenses and save money in 2021.
1. Healthier habits
Over the last few years, the percentage of adults who smoke has gone down drastically. Especially with the continuing increase in cigarette prices, it's not a shock to see that many people have started giving up their smoking habits. A smoker who stops buying cigarettes can save an average of £250 per month!
Another trend we noticed is the growing popularity in Dry January, where people give up alcohol for the first month of the year. Switching from a beer to a soda can save you an average of £50 a month. No need for this to be kept to January though! Why not cut alcohol out for a week a month? Making the little steps will help you save tons over the course of the year!
Learn The Top 6 2021 Lifestyle Trends To Encourage Positive Change!
2. Meal prepping
If you're on Instagram, you might have heard of the Meal Prep trend. This food hype is seen all over the internet. People prep their weekly meals in microwavable boxes in order to save money, time and make healthier food choices. It's typically all done on 'Meal Prep Sunday' every week so you don't have any last-minute headaches during your working week!
Instead of buying that £3 meal deal every single day, you can bring your own lunches to work and easily save £40 a month. To learn more about Meal Prep, you can read the beginner's guide to meal prepping here.
3. Reusable coffee cup & water bottle
The war on plastic was one of the big topics in 2019 and is not giving any signs of being any less significant in 2020. One way to help the environment is by reducing your own plastic waste. You can get a reusable coffee cup and water bottle to make a start. This is not only a win for the environment, but it's also a win for your wallet.
Your favourite coffee shops usually give a discount for using your own cup (Starbucks gives 25p off, Pret a Manger gives you 50p off and Cafe Nero gives you two stamps on your loyalty card instead of one), but bringing in your own coffees can save you an extra £35 a month.
4. The Adult Scoot Commute
Adult scooters are slowly becoming more and more popular. Maybe it's time to finally invest in that kick-scooter you’ve had your eyes on for months. January is all about New Year’s resolutions, making it a perfect time to combine your fitness goals with your desires to save money. You can get a Swifty adult scooter from as little as £36/month with divide-buy.
The SwiftyZERO is the adult scooter designed for fitness. The scooter is lightweight, which allows it to quickly transfer your energy into speed. Save money on a gym membership and transport at the same time. Gym memberships can cost anything between £30 - £100 a month, and won’t leave you with a scooter to keep.
More in the Journal: FIVE WAYS SCOOTING WILL HELP YOUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS
5. Meat Free Monday
You may have heard of the rising popularity of Veganuary and Meat-Free-Mondays. Both organizations try to inspire people to eat less meat. You don’t have to go fully vegan or vegetarian, but swapping your steak for a less carbon-intensive protein, like eggs and beans, a few times a week can save you about £40 a month.
Meat is probably one of the most expensive items on your grocery list, so swapping it for a cheaper alternative in January is a great way to start exploring what other food options there are out there.
6. Investing in quality products
There has been a shift in mindset when it comes to buying products that may be a bit more expensive but are better quality. Cheap stuff breaks, a lot! Replacing broken items can add up to a massive amount of money. Usually, even more than an item with higher quality would've cost you in the first place.
Thinking ahead and investing in a good product can save you tons of money in the long run.