I saved £10k in seven months – here are my top money-saving hacks

1) Solve your money traumas, 2) Pay bills and savings first when you get paid, 3) Delay impulse purchases by at least a week, 4) Avoid shops that trigger unnecessary spending, 5) Check your bank account daily, 6) Prioritise experiences over possessions

Mary, who sells sewing machines and lives in Saint Gallen, Switzerland, previously had the mindset that money is scarce and expected it to disappear. This led her to max out most her salary each month on travelling and impulse purchases - such as a £5,927 Honda motorbike. Now, Mary says she saves £250 a month making her daily coffees at home, £350 from eating at home - instead of eating out, and £700 a month by not clothes shopping or making impulse purchases. She says she now saves at least £1,500 a month - and has put away £10,000 in the last seven months. Across the following slides, she shares her top tips for saving money. (Photo: Mary Jablonski/SWNS)

1) Solve your money traumas

1) Solve your money traumas, 2) Pay bills and savings first when you get paid, 3) Delay impulse purchases by at least a week, 4) Avoid shops that trigger unnecessary spending, 5) Check your bank account daily, 6) Prioritise experiences over possessions

Mary once believed money was evil - through the attitudes of the Christian community around her. She said: “I think that’s actually a super common belief, that rich people are greedy and money is negative. But from reading books and listening to YouTube, I learned money is not evil. It’s neutral. It just amplifies who you already are. Reframing that belief changed everything. If I think money is evil, then trying to become financially free makes me feel like I’m a bad person. Once I changed that, it opened a whole new world. The first step is to recall your first money memory as a child. That could be your money trauma or something you heard a lot growing up. The second step is to expose the belief, write it down and recognise it. The third step is to rewrite the belief into something that serves your financial goals. And the fourth step is to repeat the new belief. It took me months because the old ones are subconscious." (Photo: Mary Jablonski/SWNS)

2) Pay bills and savings first when you get paid

1) Solve your money traumas, 2) Pay bills and savings first when you get paid, 3) Delay impulse purchases by at least a week, 4) Avoid shops that trigger unnecessary spending, 5) Check your bank account daily, 6) Prioritise experiences over possessions

She says: "The first step to financial freedom is to save money. If I have £6,000 saved, that’s six months of freedom where I don’t have to work a nine-to-five. Now that I’ve saved £10,000, I feel more free. The first thing I do is pay my fixed bills and put money into savings. Then I live off the rest." (Photo: Mary Jablonski/SWNS)

3) Delay impulse purchases by at least a week

1) Solve your money traumas, 2) Pay bills and savings first when you get paid, 3) Delay impulse purchases by at least a week, 4) Avoid shops that trigger unnecessary spending, 5) Check your bank account daily, 6) Prioritise experiences over possessions

Mary said: “If I want something, I delay the purchase. I wait a week or sometimes longer. If I don’t buy it in the moment and resist the urge, I usually realise I didn’t need it in the first place.” (Photo: Mary Jablonski/SWNS)

4) Avoid shops that trigger unnecessary spending

1) Solve your money traumas, 2) Pay bills and savings first when you get paid, 3) Delay impulse purchases by at least a week, 4) Avoid shops that trigger unnecessary spending, 5) Check your bank account daily, 6) Prioritise experiences over possessions

"One big tip is just not buying things on the go. I don’t go out to eat. I cook at home," Mary said. "I spend money on groceries, but I eat very simple. If there’s an event I want to go to, I calculate everything - the train ticket, drinks, food. I plan it. I don’t go anywhere near clothing stores. It triggers you to want something you don’t need." (Photo: Mary Jablonski/SWNS)

5) Check your bank account daily

1) Solve your money traumas, 2) Pay bills and savings first when you get paid, 3) Delay impulse purchases by at least a week, 4) Avoid shops that trigger unnecessary spending, 5) Check your bank account daily, 6) Prioritise experiences over possessions

Mary also checks her bank account daily to stay aware of her finances. She said: "I know exactly how much money I have. Knowing that stops me from buying things I don’t need. Money means freedom to me now. I will carry on saving and every time I do I will feel more and more secure." (Photo: Mary Jablonski/SWNS)

6) Prioritise experiences over possessions

1) Solve your money traumas, 2) Pay bills and savings first when you get paid, 3) Delay impulse purchases by at least a week, 4) Avoid shops that trigger unnecessary spending, 5) Check your bank account daily, 6) Prioritise experiences over possessions

Mary prefers to spend money on simple experiences. She said: “I like doing things instead of buying things - like inviting my sister for lunch, spending time with friends, going on hikes - those are the moments that make life important.” (Photo: Mary Jablonski/SWNS)

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