Having officially hit that point in January where many of us are looking at the calendar and wondering how long it is until payday, and with living costs seemingly moving ever upwards, we're all looking for ways to save money on essential shopping.
But while there are lots of good ideas out there, many of them seem to involve big changes or a lot of effort.
I like the idea of saving money on my weekly shop but working from home and a life dictated by school run timings and after school clubs, I don't really want to swap my regular grocery delivery for a trip round Aldi or Lidl trying to improvise a week's meal plan as I go depending on what's on the shelves.
READ MORE: Aldi is officially named the UK's cheapest supermarket
We all know the saying 'if you look after the pennies the pounds look after themselves' but at the same time modern life is so busy it's not always possible to really focus on that while dealing with the day-to-day grind of getting everyone where they need to be on time and (hopefully) wearing clean clothes.
I made one simple change to how I shop online several years ago and was surprised when I checked my account settings recently to see it's saved me almost £1,700 without me having to alter any other spending habits, although I have started making other changes as energy bills continue to rise.
Most of my shopping is done online. I know it's not ideal but since covid somehow going to the shops in person is a bit of a rarity, with shopping something to be ticked off a to do list, usually done on my phone at night while I watch TV.
I'm always keen to get the best deals and shop around to find the sites with the best prices, but once I know where I'm going to buy something Quidco has been a game-changer.
Quidco is one of the UK's biggest cashback sites and, while I've tried others, I've found the interface and ease of use such that it's the one I've been able to incorporate into my online shopping routine, not least because with 4,500 companies attached to it, pretty much everything I need to order can get some kind of Quidco cashback.
You can sign up for Quidco for free. It works by referring customers to a wide range of online shops. If these customers make a purchase Quidco earns a commission, some of which is then passed back to the customer themselves.
As well a straight percentage cashback, lots of companies also work with Quidco to give additional offers throughout the year meaning you can get bonus cashback for ordering at specific times or buying particular kinds of products.
This Christmas I was able to get an additional 25% cashback on some Nintendo Switch games on my children's wish lists with Game, plus the Boots 3 for 2 on gifts and even an ASOS party dresses.
The cashback doesn't arrive immediately so it takes some patience but as I make sure I'm only making purchases I was going to anyway, so in my head it's a bit like a time-delayed savings account.
When it appears on my earnings balance it can be withdrawn via Paypal, bank transfer or gift cards for many of the shops involved.
Quidco is totally free to use, although if you get on with it and find you're accruing cashback well you can opt into their Premium service which, for £1 a month, earns you cashback via higher commission rates and the opportunity to get boosts on the money you withdraw for gift cards.
Training myself into checking Quidco before I buy anything online has got me £1,683.75 back since I opened it, with £79 waiting to be withdrawn as holiday spending money for the summer. Last year I cashed out £483 which I used to cover school holiday trips out.
You can withdraw it whenever you like once you've made £1 worth of earnings but I've found it really handy as an extra chunk of 'bonus' money to cover treats or unexpected outgoings when I've been feeling short.
I've also previously cashed my earnings out as Amazon vouchers - getting an extra 2% on top - to help cover Christmas shopping. They key is remembering to use it every time you shop online.
I've even added a plugin on the web browser on my laptop that automatically lets me know if a site is on Quidco so I can be sure to claim my money.
Often it's made up of small amounts but it definitely comes back to looking after the pennies.
A Domino's takeaway might work out at 30p cashback but, so long as I remember to go via Quidco first, by the time I've picked up some some second hand workout equipment on eBay, picked up some new school shoes at M&S and done my regular discount toiletries and dishwasher tabs order at Savers it all starts to add up.
The most I've got in one transaction was £150 for Sky when we signed up as new customers having moved house. Getting a new mobile contract from Three got me £60.
A British Airways flight got £19 and a host of lower price Travelodge and Booking.com staycation nights away with the family have given me between £5 and £11 a time.
When we first started my husband was a bit dubious but in the end he signed up for an account too and, while he doesn't tend to shop online as much as me (he has no need for Bronze Age outfits for six-year-olds), he's picked up a few hundred pounds along the way through choosing a new broadband provider for the house and buying white goods from AO.com.
Of course the easiest way to save money online shopping is to not do any.
It's important not to get drawn into buying stuff you didn't intend to anyway and cashback is still money you have to spend up front.
But as the person in our household who organises the weekly shop, the birthday gifts and a host of other things all ordered online, signing up for Quidco and using it regularly has been a great and simple way to get a chunk of the money we spend back with minimal faff.
Do you use Quidco or any other cashback sites, or have any money saving tips you'd like to share? Have your say in the comments below.
READ NEXT:
- Boots ex-employee reveals top tips for shopping 70 per cent off sale
- Ninja Air Fryer price slashed by £100 in QVC January sale
- 'I tried the natural menopause supplement currently 25% off and it reduced my hot flushes'
- Aldi 17L air fryer hailed 'best thing ever' at £30 has just been restocked
- Aldi brings back its baby and toddler event with complete set for less than £150
