If you’d like to save a little more money but don’t know where to start, you’re not alone. It can be hard to navigate the multiple money-saving offers, discounts, benefits, tips and hacks out there, especially if you’re a busy public sector worker. Luckily, we’ve put together a handy guide with everything you need to know to start saving money today.
The Advantages of Working Overtime
It may seem like an obvious solution, but working a little extra overtime can make a real difference to your finances. Deciding to work just a few extra hours per month will mean you’re earning a little extra, can save a little more, and it might also help you accomplish more during the day.
The Disadvantages of Working Overtime
Working overtime is an easy way to make a little more money, but it has its downsides. You’ll have less time for social and family life, which could take a toll on your mental health. If you take on too many hours, you could also be at risk of burnout. We recommend finding the right balance, and only taking on overtime if you feel your health and happiness won’t be significantly impacted.
Use Your Blue Light Card or NHS ID Card to Access Discounts
Aside from earning more through overtime, making the money you do have go a little further is one of our best money-saving tips. One way to do this is to take advantage of all the offers and discounts available to you as a public sector worker. If you work for the NHS, for example, you can access an NHS Cashback Card, or get discounts via Health Service Discounts or key worker discounts, which will give you access to thousands of deals from hundreds of big brands.
Read More in our blog: Money Saving Tips for NHS Staff
To take advantage of the many discounts available to you! In most cases you simply need to show your Blue Light Card or NHS ID card when checking out.
Best NHS Discounts
There are thousands of discounts available from many different retailers, and these are constantly updated. Here are just a few of the latest discounts for NHS Staff:
Mobile Discounts
Some of the best discounts for NHS staff are deals on new mobile phone contracts. EE, for example, has a deal for a brand new iPhone SE for just £29 per month with 40GB of data and unlimited minutes and texts.
Supermarkets
Even if you don’t plan on updating your mobile, you can still save every week on your supermarket shop. Not only do many supermarkets open early exclusively for NHS staff, but many have constant deals and discounts available too. ASDA currently has a voucher scheme, which would give you savings of up to 15% off your standard shop. Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons, M & S and Ocado also have savings available, with some offering up to 50% off.
High Street Shops
You can also get NHS discounts on fashion, jewellery, toys, electricals, gifts and other high street goodies. Some of the latest high street deals for NHS staff include 25% off homeware at Oliver Bonas and 10% off kids clothes at JoJo Maman Bebe.
Travel
If you’re trying to save money, a well deserved holiday may seem out of the question. Luckily, there are plenty of NHS worker discounts available for some of the best UK and international breaks. EasyJet currently has a holiday deal to the Canary Islands from just £255 per person, while TUI will give you an extra £25 off on top of all their current offers. If you’re worried about international travel during the current climate, there are plenty of deals to look out for on some of the best UK breaks too.
Food Chains
Popular restaurant chains like Las Iguanas, León and Pizza Express all offer great discounts for NHS and public sector staff, along with several others. One of the best current deals is offered by Nandos. As a way of saying thanks, Nandoes is offering a 20% discount for police, fire service staff, ambulance service workers, and NHS staff.
Childcare Vouchers
One of the biggest expenses for many in the public sector is the cost of raising a family. Affordable childcare isn’t something that’s freely available to a lot of people, but there is a government scheme for parents that may be available to you. You could get up to £2000 a year per child towards childcare costs. You could also be entitled to 15 hours of free childcare for a 2 year old and 30 hours for a 3 and 4 year old, as well as extra support while you study.
Aim for the Next Pay Band
Concentrating on career progression is a great way to secure your financial future. The public sector has a very clear promotional framework, usually based on payscales or bands, which should give you a clear path of progression. With each step you take in your career, you should not only improve your prospects but also have a little more money to put aside for savings.
Keep Track of Your Expenses
The last of our money saving tips is an effective, but often overlooked method of saving. Keeping track of your finances will help you identify any bad spending habits that you could eliminate to help you save more. It could also help you create a budget, plan for your future and stay disciplined with your spending. There are many ways to keep track of your finances, from setting up a budget to taking stock of your statements and using a budgeting app. Whatever you decide will be a great step in the right direction for your financial future.
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