‘I save hundreds a month by giving up little things like coffees and manicures’

A woman has managed to save £400 a month by cutting out takeaway coffees, clothes shopping and regular nail appointments. Lauren Napper, 30, from Luton, Bedfordshire, has always been mindful about saving money, a habit instilled in her from a young age to avoid frivolous spending.

After purchasing a house in September 2021, Lauren found herself living from pay check to pay check, with no savings to speak of. By December 2023, she realised that her lifestyle needed an overhaul. She made several changes to save money, including shopping at charity shops, avoiding eating out, and doing bulk shopping.

Since making these changes, Lauren, who earns £39k a year working in marketing, has managed to save between £300 to £400 a month. She plans to use these savings to travel around Asia and Australia in 2025. Reflecting on her past spending habits, Lauren said: “It was always drilled into me at a younger age that I should not be frivolous with money.”

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She added: “As I got older, I realised you don’t need to spend so much money on clothes, make-up and home stuff. You realise the hype you get buying it dwindles.” Lauren has also cut back on “girly things” like getting her hair cut and nails done, opting for appointments every few months instead of every few weeks.

She said: “It is a lot of money to spend every month. I will get my nails done occasionally if I go on holiday, it’s my birthday or Christmas. Every couple of weeks it would set me back £40.” Lauren also said she gets her hair cut ‘every few months’ and avoids expensive extras like highlights.

Another way Lauren saves money is by shopping second-hand through places like charity shops, Vinted and eBay. Lauren will now spend between £50 to £100-a-month on clothes – but previously would spend £300 to £350.

She said: “I was a bit of a shopaholic. It has been a conscious decision for me to cut back and think ‘actually I don’t need that’ or ‘I have other clothes I can make work’. I have started shopping second-hand – I shop a lot on Vinted, it is amazing. You can find things that are brand new things on there and it is a great way to shop.”

Lauren’s top tip for other people looking to save on clothes is to invest in ‘something you really like’ instead of ‘trend pieces’. When it comes to going out, Lauren is not a massive drinker but said she loved to go out for meals with friends. Another significant expense was coffee- working in London, she would often buy a coffee on the way to work and will now make her own at home to take with her.

She said: “Every weekend I would go out for dinner or breakfast with a friend – once or twice a week. I used to spend £200-a-month on eating out but now I have really been thinking about cutting back and using the food in my freezer.” Now, Lauren prefers to go to a friend’s house for dinner or a barbecue instead of spending on meals out.

She also opts for ‘cheaper brands’ to save money on her weekly shop. Lauren said: “Food shopping is a thing where a lot of people spend money that they don’t need to spend a lot of money on. I will spend around £120 to £140 a month on my food and opt for cheaper brands and alternatives.”

Lauren’s monthly spend

• Bills: £185
• Phone: £46
• Going out drinking: £0
• Meals out: £70
• Food shop: £120
• Clothes: £50-100

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