Raising money to put away into a savings account is no easy matter these days. If your loose change is not in the bank, you’ll probably be tempted to spend it!

If you’re really serious about some money, you’ll need to put the cash into a savings account, this will help you build the savings that you really need for some future purchase such as:

  • House or Flat
  • New Car
  • Holiday
  • Family
  • Rainy Day Fund

The advantages of a savings account, especially an online account, is that it is sometimes possible to open it with as little as £1 and many offer the chance to set up a direct debit to make regular and one-off payments into it, say like an amount from your wages! If you choose the right savings account, you might even get a competitive rate of interest, but don’t get too excited it won’t be much these days, unfortunately.

As you see your savings steadily building, you may be less tempted to spend all the loose change that is burning a hole in your pocket. I know that putting the money in the bank has saved me the most in a year.

There are always ways to raise some extra cash for your savings account if you are really determined.

Here are five money-saving tips to get you started

1: Recycle your old mobile phone.

This is an old and trusted tip, but still, many mobile phone recycling websites still pay between £10-£450 even if the phone doesn’t fully work. You just have to visit a mobile phone recycling website and they generally have a click box type form where you tell them the following:

  1. Make 
  2. Model
  3. Memory Size
  4. Colour
  5. Network

You then get a quote for it’s worth, if you accept it most site even pay for the postage,  it really is that simple! Here is a previous article “A guide to mobile phone recycling“.

You might get more for your old phone if you sell it privately, perhaps advertise it for sale on your Facebook wall, car boot sale or even a phone application like Shpock. This is the same for things like:

  • Clothes
  • Furniture
  • Flat, House or Room to Let
  • Pets

Remember: PUT THE MONEY INTO YOUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT!

Rent Your Driveway

If you have an unused space on your driveway during the day, then think about renting it out! You could get up to £300 a month, depending on the postal area in which you live. For people needing a space to park near their work, it could be cheaper for them to park on your drive than to buy a season ticket for a multi-storey car park. Maybe you have a garage or loft you don’t use?  Again this has a value and can be rented out.

Remember: PUT THE MONEY INTO YOUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT!

Online Surveys

Completing online surveys in your spare time can net you £1 – £5 each.  They normally take only between 15-20 minutes each – and once you become an expert at doing them you could carry them out in the evenings while watching television. Some of the surveys don’t pay out money but enter you into a draw to win something, cash normally. My Mum always thought this bit of it was a waste of time until she won £250 this month. Get in MUM……

Remember: PUT THE MONEY INTO YOUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT!

Mystery Shopper

If you are a shopaholic you would surely be in your element when registering with websites which offer you the chance of becoming a paid “mystery shopper.” When your services are needed to check on a certain store in your area you are told what to buy and from which store. Before you know it you could be getting paid for embarking on one of your favourite pastimes!

Remember: PUT THE MONEY INTO YOUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT!

Car Boot Sale

Last, but not least, why not have a clear out of your loft and garage in preparation for a car boot sale this summer?  Although you will have to pay around £5 for a pitch you could, depending on what you have to sell, net as much as £100 in just a few hours.

Remember: PUT THE MONEY INTO YOUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT!

In no time at all your online savings account could be looking a lot more impressive than you had dreamed would be possible.