From easy credit card trick to demon appliances – 10 ways to turbo-boost your finances and save £4,742 in 24 hours

HOUSEHOLD budgets can feel squeezed and stretched to the max in January.

But you can make some easy changes that will instantly put a lump sum of money back in your pocket .

Slash bills with simple steps in your everyday routine that you will barely notice.

These ten moves can save you thousands of pounds over a year.

Here is how to give your budget a big boost in just one day…

Move credit card debt – £1,533

If you’ve racked up a debt on your credit card moving it to a zero interest balance transfer card can generate big savings on interest.

Money saved can go towards paying off money owed helping you to become debt-free faster.

Some balance transfer cards offer up to 31 months interest-free.

Someone with an average balance of £2,916 could save £1,533 by swapping deal, according to comparison site TotallyMoney.

Chief executive Alastair Douglas says: “Finding out if you’re eligible for an offer doesn’t take long, and it could save you hundreds if not thousands of pounds.

“The longest offers will usually be made available to people with the best credit scores, so download a personal finance app and check yours for free.”

Once you transfer a balance, it’s a good idea to close or cut up the original credit card to make sure you don’t build a debt balance back up.

Move energy supplier – £79

Energy prices increased at the start of the month, putting a chill into budgets across the country.

It come after a 10% hike in October but the good news is that you can save by shopping around for a better deal.

Ben Gallizzi, spokesperson for Uswitch.com, said: The average household still on a default tariff could save up to £79 per year against the January price cap by fixing for price certainty. 

“Anyone who is worried about paying their energy bill should contact their supplier, which may be able to offer support.” 

Before switching, check exit fees and how long you will be tied in to the deal.

You can compare deals using a comparison site such as uswitch.com or moneysavingexpert.com.

You will need to give your address, current energy supplier, usage and how you wish to pay.

Switch broadband deals – £163

Moving broadband providers is one way you can cut bills quickly.

Plus, it’s easier than ever to move.

A new switching service called One Touch Switch means your new provider will handle everything for you, including cancelling your old contract and making sure the switch is seamless. 

“If you’re out of contract you’re likely to be overpaying,” says Ben Gallizzi from Uswitch.com.

“Switching to a new broadband deal after your initial contract has ended could save you £163 a year, and it’s never been easier to switch your broadband…

“There are lots of competitive broadband deals available, including with local and regional providers – with many committing to no mid-contract price rises.”

Use a comparison site such as MoneySuperMarket.com or Uswitch.com where you can look at the options available in your area based on price, allowances and provider.

Turn off standby mode – £45

There are simple tweaks you can make around your home to cut the cost of your energy bill.

One of the very easiest and most financial rewarding is to simply turn appliances completely off when not in use.

Banning standby mode at home costs nothing and will save an average of £45 on energy bills, according to the Energy Saving Trust.

There are more easy changes you can make to slice up to £356 a year off your energy bills.

Some may require a little bit of upfront investment, but the cost is usually quickly made back from bill savings.

Switch your mortgage – £300

For many of us, the mortgage is one of the biggest bills we pay each month.

Yet, if you are sitting on a Standard Variable Rate (SVR) mortgage locking into a two-year fix coud save you £300 a year or more, according to comparison site Moneyfactscompare.co.uk.

Mortgage expert from the site Rachel Springall said: “Seeking out a competitive mortgage deal can seem daunting, and those borrowers looking to remortgage need to give themselves enough time to refinance or risk falling onto an expensive revert rate.

“Getting advice is always wise to navigate all the different options, but also to ensure a borrower considers a deal that provides the best overall package.

“The lowest rate mortgages may not always offer the best value overall, so it’s vital to keep this in mind.“

An independent mortgage broker can give you advice about the best value mortgage for your circumstances.

Some don’t charge any fees you can find highly rated professional close to you through unbiased.co.uk.

Cut TV costs – £107

From Amazon and Netflix to Disney and Apple TV, the cost of different streaming platforms can start to add up.

If you are signed up to more than one or two, consider cutting the ones you use the least.

Ditching Apple TV, for example, could save you £107 a year.

You could also downgrade your package where possible. For example, switching to Netflix standard with adverts plan, from its standard plan saves £72 a year.

Uswitch offers a handy overview of the content available on each streaming service along with costs if you are struggling to decide which to cut.

Shorter shower – £310

If you’re on a water meter there are lots of easy ways you can cut back on usage to cut down bills by hundreds.

If everyone in a family-of-four shaved two minutes off their daily shower, the household could save almost £280 a year on water and energy costs, according to water ombudsman CCW.

Try putting on your favourite three-minute song on when you get in the shower and aim to be getting out when it finishes.

You could further cut bills by almost £30 a year if a family of four turns off the tap when brushing their teeth.

Switch to sim-only – £352

When you come to the end of your mobile contract you don’t need to get an upgrade if you are happy with your model and it is functioning properly.

But you should make sure you switch on to a sim-only deal to get the best possible price for your data and calls usage.

Ben Gallizzi from Uswitch.com says: “If you’re out of contract on your handset deal, keeping your phone and switching to a SIM-only deal can save as much as £352 per year.” 

You can use a comparison site such as uswitch.com or oneysupermarket.com to compare the best deals based on how much date you use.

Switch supermarkets – £393

Changing where you do your weekly shop can mean you save hundreds of pounds on groceries.

Aldi has been found to be the cheapest

According to the study, shoppers at Aldi saved an average of £393 over the year compared with customers at Waitrose — the most expensive alternative.

You can use a shopping comparison site to compare a basket of goods such as trolley.co.uk to find out where it is cheapest to do your shopping. Or pricerunner can show you the best place to buy individual items.

Switch to own-brand – £500

Supermarket own-brand products are usually cheaper than big-name equivalents.

Yet, supermarket versions can taste just as good – and sometimes even better – than the better known brand.

For example, in a taste test by consumer group Which?, Taylors of Harrogate Lazy Sunday Ground Coffee scored 68% while Aldi’s Alcafé House Blend Roast & Ground Coffee came in at 73%.

The former cost £1.65 per 100g while Aldi was significantly less at £1.01 per 100g.

By switching just 12 branded items to own-label goods you could save nearly £15 on each shop, that is more than £500 a year.

Avoid express supermarkets – £817

Frequently shopping in small metro and express supermarkets means that you pay more for your groceries by hundreds of pounds over a year.

If you bought a trolley of 75 items a week at Tesco Express, it would cost you £817.91 more over the course of a year than if you shopped at a Tesco supermarket, according to research by consumer group Which?.

The difference was £477.93 for a trolley of 69 groceries at Sainsbury’s Local compared with Sainsbury’s supermarkets.

Do shopping online if you are unable to reach a larger supermarket, and you can then also stick to a shopping list.

Cut subscription costs – £143

Now is a good time to do an audit of recurring subscriptions and question whether you really need them.

For example, if you’re paying £11.99 monthly for music from Spotify can you switch to the free version with advertising to save more than £143 a year.

Many of us download and subscribe to all sorts of apps, even just cutting off one £2 a month subscription would save £24.

Open the Apple App Store or Google Play apps and click on ‘account’, then ‘subscriptions’ to see what you are paying for.

Cancel any you don’t want or need.