A single mum has saved €21,539 in three years with the help of two online apps that analyse your bank accounts.
Nasreen Brittain took control of her finances by using free apps, Snoop and Plum to monitor her spending. The NHS worker could see how much she was spending at certain retailers each month, so you have a much better idea of where your money is going.
The app will also remind you when certain subscriptions are due for renewal, so you can remember when to search for a cheaper deal. Nasreen, who is in her 50s, said she was horrified after Snoop showed her she spent €2992 on Amazon in just one year - prompting her to reign in her spending, reports mirror.co.uk.
Read more: Dublin professor concerned for young people as vaping promoted on TikTok
“My bills have dropped by thousands of pounds a year,” said Nasreen, who says Snoop has saved her €7180.00 in total since she downloaded it in 2020.
“Snoop breaks my spending down into categories, which can be really surprising. I cancelled phone contracts. I was paying €95 a month and switched to a €12 a month SIM only deal.
“I cancelled Sky which was €125 a month - that’s over €1,435 a year that I was spending. I spent €2990 on Amazon in one year. I thought this was disgraceful - how on earth have I spent that much?
“The other thing I have done is reduce my Netflix subscription. Snoop informed me that Netflix was upping my deal to €19, so I reduced this package to €8.”
The other app Nasreen uses to manage her finances is Plum. Plum will recommend how much you can afford to set aside every few days based on your current earnings and outgoings.
Since downloading Plum three years ago, Nasreen says she has saved up more than €14,360. Of course, the amount of cash you can save through an app depends on how much you're currently spending and how much you're able to save.
Nasreen says the cash she has saved will come in handy as the cost of living crisis continues to hammer the finances of UK households. Supermarket inflation rose by almost 10% last month, pushing up the prices of the average weekly food shop.
Energy bills are also rocketing at an unprecedented rate - with experts predicting another steep rise in October when the Ofgem price cap could hit €1,4360 in the winter. This is up from the current price cap level of €2358.
“I’ve gone from paying €83 to €247 for my gas and electricity. It is going up again to €388,” said Nasreen. "I bought a brand new Fiat 500 in March and to fill it up then, was €42 - it now costs €96.”
Nasreen says she has had to make some lifestyle changes to help bring costs down.
“I take four minute showers. I saw that tip on Snoop, about how to reduce your costs. I’m getting ready quicker but it also means water and electricity is much less.
“In terms of car travel, I have thought more carefully about journeys. I’ve turned down going somewhere because of the petrol costs. I’ve always cooked but we don’t get takeaways anymore. I’ve knocked all that on the head. I went through my bank statements and I was spending €120 a month on takeaways.
“If I make a curry, I make a bigger portion so we can freeze it. It might take longer but you’re using less energy compared to cooking it all from scratch. I look out for yellow stickers as well and I buy more tinned stuff.”
- Irish holidaymakers heading on late summer trips to Spain warned of stormy weather
- Customers rave about Dunnes Stores Nike Air Force dupes that cost €100 less
- Jedward put name forward to host ITV Big Brother 2023
Dublin influencer shares top tips on how to save thousands on long distance flights
Inside Amy Huberman and Brian O’Driscoll’s €1.8million dream Dublin home
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.
