Almost one year ago I wrote a blog post about how we managed to save £315 per year on our TV and broadband in the space of five minutes.  One of the ways was by cancelling our TV licence that was costing us £147 per year.  We barely watched live TV anymore and never used BBC iPlayer.  We decided we could do without normal TV and any BBC catch up services and save ourselves this money each year, especially as we had already signed up to Netflix and couldn’t justify the cost of both.  So, Netflix won and we have been very happily working our way through their offerings for just over a year now.

I love reading Netflix hacks online to get more out of my subscription and today I’m going to share with you the ways you can get Netflix cheaper, as well as a clever way to access the US Netflix library. 

Image

Try Netflix for free

First things first, your first 30 days with Netflix are free by signing up for a trial directly through their main website.  There’s no commitment and you can cancel whenever you like.  Even if you don’t think you’ll want Netflix, you might as well try it out for free to see.  Straight away you’ll save money as you won’t need to pay anything for the first month.

Share a subscription

The best way to reduce your Netflix subscription fees once you’ve signed up is to share the subscription between 2-4 people.  Currently the most expensive package is £9.99, so you can split this between four people, share the login details and be able to watch on one screen each. 

Choose the cheapest package

If it’s just you watching and you have no one else to share the subscription with, then simply choose the cheapest basic package to keep costs down.  At only £5.99 per month that’s just 20p per day to be able to watch thousands of films and shows on one device.  I’ve seen rumours online that suggest Netflix might be introducing a cheaper mobile-only plan, but until then choose the basic package to keep costs down.

Use a VPN to access US Netflix

It’s possible to unblock Netflix with a VPN so you can watch all the shows that are available in the US library too.  There are almost twice as many shows in the US Netflix library, so you can almost double your content. 

Buy discounted Netflix gift cards

Check out online discounted gift card websites and marketplaces such as eBay to buy other people’s unwanted Netflix gift cards.  When you add a gift card to your Netflix account they will use your available gift card balance first, before taking any payments from your bank account.  You can also save a search on eBay for Netflix gift cards so you don’t miss out.  Just after Christmas is a great time to check if people are listing unwanted vouchers they got as a present.

Ask for Netflix gift vouchers as gifts

As well as searching for discounted Netflix gift cards, you can also ask friends and family for Netflix gift cards for your own Christmas and birthday presents.   It’s much better to get something you can use and want for you birthday, plus this will save you some money too as you’ll not have to pay your subscription fees yourself for a couple of months or so.

Download your fave shows to watch offline

If you love to watch shows whilst travelling, using your mobile phone, then this can get quite costly using mobile data or having to pay for WiFi in certain places.  Instead, download your favourite shows to watch offline.  Simply store them on your device and watch them without any internet connection wherever you are!

Netflix can be a surprisingly cheap way to watch all your favourite shows!

More ways to save money:
Click here for a free trial of contact lenses
100% renewable energy with Bulb, £50 credit & cheaper tariff than Big 6
How to get free money

Mustard Car Insurance Comparison Promises to Beat Your Cheapest Online Quote
Today I saved BIG on my car insurance and MOT. Here’s how…
How to earn cashback on things you already buy

Where to get affordable family travel insurance for a pre-existing medical condition
How to save time and money on your laundry with Ecoegg
3 tips for cheaper car insurance

Do you remember to compare energy suppliers every year to get the best deal?  If yes, then bravo - you are making sure you save the most money every year.  If not, then you could be spending hundreds more than you need to! 

But even if you do check every year, isn’t it time-consuming?  Wouldn’t it be so much easier if someone did it for you each year to save you the time and hassle?

The unfortunate fact is that most people don’t bother to switch energy suppliers for cheaper deals.  Most people are paying way more than they need to. 

In 2018 only 18% of people switched their energy and around 57% of people are on an expensive standard variable tariff. 

Look After My Bills take the hassle out of switching energy suppliers

Let me introduce you to Look After My Bills.  LAMB is the new alternative to energy comparison websites.  They take the hassle out of comparing and switching energy suppliers by doing it all for you – every single year.  They're an auto-switching service that will switch you to the best deal.  Isn’t that amazing?

The company was launched as the two founders were frustrated by big companies taking advantage of everyday people with high energy prices.  Being a loyal customer in the energy world sadly doesn’t pay.  Staying faithful to an energy supplier, especially the big six, means you’re often put on an expensive tariff as they know you’ll often not bother to compare the market and change suppliers.  It’s cheeky isn’t it?

You may have already heard of LAMB as they were on Dragons’ Den where they scored a record investment and even had offers from every Dragon.  If it’s good enough for all of the Dragons, then it’s good enough for me!

Super speedy sign up

I’ve just signed up myself and the process was so straightforward.  It states it’s a two minute sign up and it really is.  Well, the longest part was me trying to locate my annual kWh per fuel on my existing statement.  It was right there in front of me and I couldn’t see it for love nor money! 

Make sure you’ve got that information handy so you can get an accurate comparison and you’re off.  The sign up could even take less than two minutes if you’re a whizz on the keyboard.

I entered a few details such as my annual usage, my current supplier and tariff, name, address and also that I’d only like renewable energy.

Save money for free

Now they’ll compare my tariff every single year for me at no cost.  They’ll simply take a commission from the energy supplier if I choose to switch. 

The best bit is they’ll check each year.  There’s no need for me to remember as they’ll remind me, as well as do a comparison for me.

If LAMB find an energy supplier that is £50 or more cheaper then they’ll begin the process to auto switch my energy supplier.

Do LAMB switch me automatically?

Here’s what they said to me when I asked if the customer has any say in the switch decision:

“We email customers when we are about to compare the market, then once we find a deal we switch automatically (this is so the deal doesn't vanish) then we email all the details over and you have 14 days to review/cancel. 

We only switch you when there is at least a £50 saving.  On average people save £251 and some people have even saved £400.

We only work with suppliers who meet our customer service standards and we keep the service free for customers by getting a flat rate payment from the suppliers. We're completely impartial and we're working with all the suppliers that we want to!”

It’s a no brainer

I can’t find any reason why you wouldn’t want to sign up to Look After My Bills.  They’ll do the comparison for you every year and let you know if they find a deal that’ll save you at least £50 a year.  You then have 14 days to review the new supplier and tariff and can choose to cancel the switch if it’s not right for you. 

Click here to save money on your energy bills: www.lookaftermybills.com

More ways to save money:
Click here for a free trial of contact lenses
100% renewable energy with Bulb, £50 credit & cheaper tariff than Big 6
How to get free money

Mustard car insurance promises to beat your cheapest quote
How to earn money on things you already buy
How to cut household expenses with renewable energy

How we saved £315 per year on our TV and broadband in 5 minutes
Save money on family days out with Kids Pass
How to save money at the supermarket with Shopmium

Live in Yorkshire? Sell your home for free!
The cheapest ways to get Netflix UK

Welcome to my latest blog giveaway!  The prize is a £10 UK Amazon eGift voucher to spend on whatever you like.  Good luck!

Almost every week I like to give back to my readers and blog supporters by giving away a £10 Amazon voucher!  It's usually on a Wednesday, but simply check the giveaways tab regularly to see the newest prizes and giveaways.  It takes only a few moments to enter and there are lots of entry options so you can choose the quickest or the options that you like best.

It's the ultimate prize as you can choose whatever you like with it.  You can also pop along to my Giveaways section for lots more chances to win vouchers.  I try to post a new giveaway once per week so do bookmark my website.  I've had a few lucky entrants win more than once, so it is possible!

So, thank you very much for taking the time to come and read my blog.  I hope you find lots of great ways to save money and to make extra cash from home.

I really appreciate your support :)

Great blog posts to save and make money:

One of the entry options is to read another one of my blog posts.  Here are some great suggestions.  You can also discover my top blog posts in the footer of my website or visit my main blog page to read my latest blog posts.  You can find an archive on the side bar to see all recent titles and lots of great blog posts in my menu about making and saving money.

Click here for a free trial of contact lenses

Save time and money with Look After My Bills

Get 100% renewable energy with Bulb, £50 off your first energy bill and a cheaper tariff than the Big Six

5 tried and tested ways to make money as a UK stay at home mum
Easily make money from home by testing websites with Whatusersdo
Get paid doing simple tasks from your phone with Streetbees

Earn cashback on things you already buy
Not sure about Matched Betting? Make £40 now to see if it’s for you!
Make money online with OhMyDosh!

Make money at home from receipts with Receipt Hog and Shoppix
Make extra money online with YouGov
How to make money from your phone with Roamler
20 ways to make and save more money in 2019

How I made £35000 from home  in 2018
Make money at home searching the web 
Make money at home with Prolific Academic
Make money online with Crowdville

Enter here:

The full terms and conditions are below, but simply enter using one or more of the entry methods in the Rafflecopter widget below and remember, if you win your delivery address must be in the UK.  The entry options are really easy and range from following a Twitter account to reading a blog post.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and conditions:

• There will be one winner

• The prize is a £10 Amazon eGift card

• The prize must be claimed within 28 days of the first winner's notification email being sent.

• There is no cash alternative

• There is no limit on the number of entries per person, follow the instructions to enable multiple entries

• Winners will be notified within 28 days

• The winner must claim their prize within 28 days or it will be forfeited

• All entries must be received by the date and time specified

• The winner will be picked at random by Rafflecopter & notified by email

• Giveaways are open to the UK only

Not a day goes by where we aren’t reminded of the damage we are causing to our planet with the words eco-friendly and sustainability all around us.  We are the first generation to understand the devastating impact our decisions and lifestyles are having on Earth, the planet we call home.  As much as this is shocking and depressing, it should also inspire us to make changes and accept responsibility for our actions.

The world of consumerism is changing

In some ways I really feel like the world is heading to a better place.  There has been a huge rise in veganism over the past two years with many changing their diets for environmental reasons.  Renewable energy sources are becoming the energy of choice too.  There are numerous recycling schemes nowadays with local councils collecting recyclable materials and even food waste from our doorsteps.  There’s a focus on minimalism and less so on consumerism which should stop the mass producing of unnecessary goods such as throwaway plastics.  We’re becoming more aware of our everyday choices and I believe we are making better decisions.

One area of our modern lifestyles that we are just starting to take notice of is the consequences of fast fashion and accessories.  Constantly updating our wardrobes with the latest looks and throwing away perfectly useable clothing causes hundreds of thousands of clothing items to go to landfill every year (300,000 tonnes in 2016).  Not only is this terrible, but textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of water after agriculture.  Our constant demand for the latest trends at affordable prices is polluting our environment on an enormous scale.

Shifting the future of fashion

Repair, reuse, reduce

We need to stop our love of fast fashion and throwaway trends and move to a more sustainable fashion future.   We need to learn to love our clothes and buy pieces that we will not get bored with in a few weeks.  We need to start buying better quality clothing and accessories that are built to last and stand the test of time. 

The problem with many cheap fast fashion items is that they are made from poor quality materials that aren’t built to last.  Instead, we need to move back to perhaps paying higher prices for quality luxury items that will last a lifetime, or can at least be repaired if they do break.

Of course we can’t all afford to buy ourselves a brand new Rolex watch whenever we need a timepiece, which is why to be even more sustainable we should always look into buying second-hand watches and clothing items as our first choice.

Learning to love preloved

Buying quality clothing and accessories for their longevity is one step closer to a more sustainable world, but an even bigger step is to stop the ongoing production of new items when there are so many perfectly good unwanted pre-loved items available to us. We need to stop our desire for only wanting new things and change our opinion on second hand goods.

There has definitely been a rise in the trend of thrift stores, upcycling and vintage goods in the last few years and I hope it’s not just a passing trend, but something that is here to stay and continue. 

Here are a few reasons why it’s time to start buying only second-hand luxury items:

·         They’ll last longer

Firstly if we start shopping for quality items that are made from high-grade materials then they will last longer.  Seeking items that are made with craftsmanship instead of mass produced goods that are churned out of factories for pence will ensure the items are fixable and won’t fall apart in a few weeks.  This is true for clothing, accessories and pretty much everything we buy in the household.

·         You’ll find something unique

The best thing about preloved stores is you’ll never know what you’ll find.  And, when you do find something you love it will probably be the only one.  It’s not like buying the latest fashionable jacket from a cheap clothing store and then all your friends buying the same.  Finding items in second-hand stores means that you’ll likely find something that none of your friends have or will be able to find.  You’ll be unique.

·         It’s more affordable

You might never have been able to afford high-quality or luxury goods like Rolex watches when they were new, but buying second-hand means your budget will go further.  Those items you never thought you could afford are now at a much more appealing price.  Even if you can afford to buy luxury goods brand new, there are plenty of reasons discussed here for why you shouldn’t.  Everyone, no matter what their budget, should choose second-hand as the first option for the love of the planet.

·         You can support a good cause

Many second-hand stores are charity shops so you’ll be supporting a good cause when you buy from them.  Even if the second-hand stores you shop at are not affiliated with a charity, you’ll still be supporting a company that is doing good for the environment by recycling and reusing goods instead of producing more new items constantly.  Whether it’s a charity or not, choosing to buy preloved goods is always supporting a worthwhile cause.

·         Save the planet

The best reason of all to choose second-hand watches and goods is to help save the planet.  The constant over production of mass goods in factories around the world is causing pollution to our air, water and more.  Poor quality synthetic fibres are adding to the plastic pollution problem and non-organic cotton farming is killing our wildlife and damaging soils due to chemical pesticides.  Clothing production is even causing deforestation.  It’s got to stop. 

We need to learn to reduce, reuse and recycle more than ever and this can start with making second-hand shopping the norm.

Related blog posts:

7 ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle
3 Important Reasons to Choose Organic (other than your personal health)
13 eco-friendly ways to start saving money in the kitchen
Get 100% renewable energy with Bulb and save lots of money (over £250)
How to shop more ethically and sustainably for clothing

Images from Canva