'I save £1,500 every month and don't even need to ditch my take-out coffee'

A clever woman has shared her secrets to slashing £1,500 off her monthly household bills with a few easy hacks. Pernia Rogers had reached the end of her tether, finding herself penniless at the close of each month despite her best budgeting efforts.

The 30 year old Londoner knew she needed a change. She decided to shift her mindset and make cutbacks in areas she wasn’t willing to before. Now, she’s saving a whopping £1,500 per month on her household bills.

"I knew that I could do better with my personal finances," the chartered accountant told Absolutely Business.

"I owed it to myself and my future to balance enjoying the present with financially planning ahead. So I optimised my own spending."

Here’s Pernia’s top penny-saving tips – split up into key money-guzzling categories.

It's all too easy to get swept up in the hype of new phone releases each year, thinking you absolutely must have the latest model. But Pernia, who used to feel the same, changed her mindset and managed to reduce her monthly contract from £42 to a mere £16.

She advised: "The main thing to remember is that you don't have to have the latest iPhone every year. I kept my last phone for several years until it literally stopped working. Just understand what you really need and stick with the package and phone that works for you. Use comparison sites to find different quotes. And remember, haggling is allowed."

Financial guru Pernia has also shared her savvy insights on how to beat the pesky hikes associated with phone contracts amid the soaring cost of living in the UK. She suggests a shrewd negotiation tactic: opting for a SIM-only deal directly from your chosen provider, as these tend to cost less over time compared to contracts that come with a phone.

Pernia also recommends a proactive savings approach if you're eyeing a brand-new handset, advising, "If you really need or want a new phone, then save up to buy it outright instead." When scouting for contracts, she urges consumers to hunt for extra perks. She says: "See what else you can get included, too.

"For example, these contracts often include a package deal to get a certain number of months free with a streaming platform. With my contract, I get Disney+ at no cost for six months."

Pernia also says to look at contracts where the plan includes working abroad, rather than on a usage basis. Her biggest tip, though? Start your contract in April or May to avoid any sudden price increases that happen each new tax year.

As Britain grapples with a roaring cost of living crisis and relentless increases in household bills, Pernia steps in with simple but effective strategies to keep personal finances on track. But Pernia has a few simple tricks to ensure there’s money left in the pot to enjoy life.

She said: “Where there is no competition, such as with water, the only thing you can control is how you use the commodity. For example, switch off power to electronics when not using them – especially overnight.

“Full laundry loads on a lower temperature work wonders, as does letting them hang out to dry. Open or close curtains depending on the season and doors, too, to keep heat in and the cold out. And take short showers over baths. I play a song and give myself the length of it to shower.”

Pernia’s saving roughly £30 each month on her utility bills using these tips alone.

The finance expert says that most supermarket layouts are made to make people spend more money than they need to. Stressing the importance of staying on track, Pernia advises to shop with a purpose "It's the same with supermarket discount and loyalty schemes; it's all about money making.

"Go shopping with a list that maximises ingredients for the meals you need, which will prevent any distraction. Include bulk cooking lunches and dinners."

"Heat these up in the microwave, which is more energy efficient than using the oven and hob, and this will reduce any craving to order takeaways as you've just got to simply reheat and eat. It also stops going to local shops for treats where the prices are typically higher. And utilise bulk buying discounts on non-perishable goods."

The finance whizz estimates she's cutting down her weekly grocery spend by £20 and saving over £37.50 by avoiding eating out at lunchtime.

In an era where there seems to be a subscription for everything, costs can add up quickly. So how does one squeeze more value out of these recurring charges given the price increases?

For Pernia, it's all about being selective. "Nobody needs the super expensive top-of-the-range subscription deals. If I’m honest, these are the real budget killers. I reviewed mine and cancelled the ones I wasn’t using often enough to justify the spend.

“Along with my husband, we optimised these so we only had one or a family plan instead of two individual plans. I still get to use Netflix, Apple TV, NOW TV, Paramount Plus, Disney+ and Amazon, for a fraction of the price.”

In total, she’s saving an eye-watering £84.94 per month. "And don't be afraid to go for the lower ends deals that have ads included." she added. Pernia pointed out: "It's no secret that these platforms use the tactic of releasing series or episodes over a long time period instead of all at once to keep the subscription active."

“Just wait until all the episodes are out, watch them and then cancel. And look to rejoin when deals are in place like on Black Friday.”

When it comes to gym memberships, keeping fit without breaking the bank is key. "There's no need for a really expensive gym membership with a spa and other luxuries."

Instead, she proposes hitting the pavement or doing free, bodyweight muscle-building exercises at home. "In reality, just run in the great outdoors and use your own bodyweight for muscle building exercises that don't cost a penny.

"But if you do want to go to the gym, then look at how to do this in a savvy way. Use the 'bring a friend' discount, which often works out to less than a £1 per workout.

Alternatively, she recommends investing in home equipment with what you'd spend on gym fees. "Or save up the money you'd use on a membership and buy exercise machines to use at home."

Pernia now uses her money-saving expertise to help others through her social media. Not only that, but she writes a weekly newsletter, creates e-books and courses, and offers 1:1 calls to get people’s finances back on track.

She added: "A lot of people's ability to save all comes down to mindset. Can you avoid hype purchases and the latest tech for example?

"Everything nowadays is just a trend; don't get swept up in it. You can still buy a coffee out and have avocado on toast without breaking the bank.

"It's important to balance doing the things you enjoy with optimising your spending on them, rather than cutting out all the fun."