Every Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the United Kingdom knows how valuable it is to make your money grow. Our salary in the UK is significantly higher compared to our peers in the Philippines but we’re still feeling the effects of inflation in our day to day living. We’ve listed some helpful tips for Filipino nurses in the United Kingdom on how to save money wisely.
Claiming Tax Relief
You can claim tax relief on your membership fees. If you are a member of Royal College of Nursing, you can claim 20% off on membership fees or about £40 per year. You may also be eligible for tax relief on Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) registration fees, uniforms, and laundry cost for your uniform. You just have to notify HMRC by calling them on 0300 200 3300 or you can check their website for detailed information.
Free Legal Advice
If you are a member of Royal College of Nursing, you can apply for a free 30 minutes legal helpline service. Although it is only for general advice, they can pinpoint you to the right course of action and whether you need a specialist solicitor for your case. You can access this service by completing an online form in the RCN website.
Health Service Discounts
You can join this benefit provider platform for NHS employees for free. They offer exclusive deals from different retailers and give discounts on insurance, shopping, travel, and utilities.
Supermarket loyalty schemes
Joining supermarket loyalty scheme provides a member with personalised offers, exclusive discounts, and freebies. You can sign up for the scheme at the supermarket you usually shop at.
Tesco: Tesco Clubcard
Sainsbury’s: The Nectar scheme
Morrisons: The My Morrisons app
Waitrose: The My Waitrose scheme
Lidl: The Lidl Plus app
Asda: The Asda Rewards app
Cut back on your spending
- Reduce take-out orders. Food delivery orders can quickly add up and take a big chunk out of your disposable income. Meal prepping days ahead or cooking in larger batches and freezing it can ensure you’re eating healthier meals.
- Clear out your wardrobe and sell pre-loved clothes or items on Vinted app. You’ll be surprised at the amount of items you don’t use anymore that just lay in the cabinet and gather dust.
- Buy essential items in bulk to save money in the long run. If you buy larger quantities of canned goods, soap, toilet paper and cleaning products, it will save you some money and you’ll have fewer shopping trips. Check expiry date and make sure they have a long shelf life.
- Take advantage of free apps like Olio and Too Good To Go. Olio is a food waste app where you can get free food and non-food items. Too Good To Go is an app where you can buy “magic bags” from grocery stores, restaurants, or coffee shops at a reduced price.
- Walk or cycle if you can. Take public transportation instead of taxi service if you’re not in a rush. National Express coaches offers 20% off extra discount online for NHS workers through Health Service Discounts website.
- Layering up on winter is a cost-effective way to keep warm at home instead of racking up the heating. You may also keep a hot water bottle when the temperature really plummets at night.
- Have a holiday-free year. This is easier said than done given that we are working thousands of miles away from home and we want to spend some time with our families. If we stick to local venues for a year, we’ll be able to save a significant amount of money that can go towards house deposit or for other investment schemes.
- Shop at cheaper supermarkets like Lidl and Aldi. In order to reduce food waste, Lidl offers a 5kg box of fruit and vegetables for £1.50 near the checkout area. These items are nearing their expiry date but otherwise still good to use.
- Sign up for a Blue Light Card which costs £4.99 for a two years access. It is a discount service that offers amazing deals from retailers like restaurants, shops, and venues. Always check if a shop offers NHS discount. Some shops do not always advertise that they offer NHS discount but when asked, they said they do.
Look for a side hussle
Once you have your Indefinite Leave to Remain status, you can look for a side hussle by registering at Fiverr or peopleperhour website. It is an online community where companies or individuals post projects and you can put a bid for your service.
Investments
Allocate at least 20% of your salary towards savings. Do your own research on which type of investment suits you best. There are four types of individual savings account in the UK to choose from: Lifetime ISA, Stocks and Shares ISA, Cash ISA, and Innovative Finance ISA. You can learn more about basic Stocks and Shares ISA investing on this link: https://thepinkscrubs.com/stocks-and-shares-isa-investing-for-filipino-uk-nurses/
Learn to say no
Part of the toxic Filipino culture is sending financial help not just to immediate family but also to relatives and friends. We can send remittances every now and then as a gift but not to the point they become heavily reliant on it. We need to find the right balance because we have financial needs as well. Giving too much fosters dependence and irresponsibility.
Be open to explore local food products and ingredients
Imported Filipino foods can be really expensive in local asian stores. We can use other local food alternatives that are cheaper and somewhat similar in taste for the ones we currently don’t have. Some examples are listed below:
Pillows – Lidl crownfield choco hazelnut pillows /Kellogs Crave Cereal/ Weetabix
Chocolate melts / Viva hazelnut pillows (Polish)
Jack N Jill Pretzels- Flipz
Chiz Curls- Wotsits
Tinapa-smoked mackerel/smoked salmon
Lady’s choice mayonnaise – Winiary Majonez Decoracyzny /Heinz Sandwich spread / Real Mayo by Sainsbury’s
All purpose cream- Carnation Thick cream/ Double cream
Eden cheese- dairylea cheese /any mild cheddar cheese
Tomato sauce – Tomato passata
Lemon Square cheesecake – Madeira cake
Dewberry biscuits- Jammy Dodgers
Potchi candy- Percy Pigs
Bopis ingredient- Haggis
Malunggay- Spinach/Watercress
Upo for misua- Courgette
Graham cracker for Graham cake-Digestive biscuits
Lumpia wrapper-Tyj spring roll wrapper from Tesco
Cream cheese- Soft cheese
With these tips in mind, you can make the most out of your money. We can cut down unnecessary spending without depriving yourself of simple comforts or feeling like we’re missing out.