subject: Do You Really Need Everything That You're Paying For In Your Life? [print this page] Living in the UK can mean you're living in one of the most exciting and interesting parts of the world. Made up of 4 separate countries, the UK is brimming with bustling cities, stunning scenery, masses of attractions and enough opportunities to suit everyone.
The problem with life in the UK, though, is that it can be extremely expensive.
Yes, you can live a particularly meagre lifestyle, particularly if you separate yourself from most and are devoid of a lot of technological advances such as mobiles phones and broadband internet, but for most people, we are somewhat forced into leading an expensive lifestyle.
If you're struggling to keep on top of your monthly bills or you're simply at a point in your life where you want to start getting a grip on your finances, fortunately, there are various steps that you can take to make your life one that is more financially sound, without having any major detrimental effect on your way of living.
And the primary way to do this is to look at your outgoings and understand not only what exactly it is that you're paying for, but whether you actually need to be paying for them.
There are some obvious outgoings that you don't have any particular say over, such as your mortgage or rent and Council Tax, but for anything that can't be considered a basic necessity or legal requirement, you will generally be able to look at reducing or removing the cost.
Take a gym membership as an example. Costing you a few hundred pounds a year at least, you might feel that you're getting the benefit from working out regularly, but when you realise most of the exercises you can actually carry out at home and the fact you could save yourself money the equivalent to a holiday abroad, the membership fee doesn't seem so much like money well spent anymore.
Aside from luxury items, it's also worthwhile looking at items and services that you have always had but which you don't necessarily need.
Home phones are a prime example. We grow up thinking that home phones are something which all houses should have and therefore when we move out of our parents and into our own homes, one of the first things we do is get a home phone installed.
But if you've got a mobile phone that has a lot of inclusive minutes, do you really need to be paying the 15 pound a month line rental for home phones, when you're just as contactable - if not more so - on your mobile?
We go through life paying out money for bill after bill, sometimes not even realising what we're being charged for. Although some people may not have any inclination to look at their finances just yet, if you want to get a grip on yours, sit down, look at what you're paying out and ask yourself whether you actually need the product or service that you're paying for - you might just be surprised how much you don't actually need.
by: Cathy Butler
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