Three saving tips, tricks and funds for 2022

The New Year is all about new starts. Our New Year resolutions commonly include eating more healthily, losing some weight, exercising more regularly and taking up a new hobby. But it’s also a great time to make some money resolutions – resolutions you can quickly and easily put into practice from the comfort of your sofa while you contemplate the couch to 5K….

“Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving.” — Warren Buffett

Three tricks to help you save money

Saving money doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming. And every penny saved, soon adds up. Here are three simple tricks to get you started:

1. Turn a bad habit into a good habit. Bad habits usually make us feel good: treating ourselves to that bar of chocolate or binge-watching a new series at the weekend. And they can be hard to break. So instead of cutting expensive habits by going cold turkey, you could create a new, ‘better-for-you’ habit that also makes you happy – this is called ‘substitution.’ For example, every time you make dinner vs. ordering a take out, put £5 into your savings.
2. Get visual with your savings. Psychologists have found that imagining yourself hitting a goal can help you actually turn that goal into a reality. Try making a vision board or putting a picture of what you’re saving for in your wallet or as a screensaver on your devices. That way, you’re reminded of what you really want every time you go to spend on something else.
3. Unsave your cards from your devices. Sure, being able to order something from Amazon without having to re-enter your details every time is incredibly handy but think about the financial advantages of having to stop and think about every purchase while you dig out your wallet and enter your credit card number. It’s time to consider how important the purchase really is.

Three funds to start your investments off on the right foot

“Work smarter, not harder” doesn’t just apply to how often you swipe your debit card. If you’re new to investing, start small. Choosing an investment fund can be a tough decision but getting it right (or wrong) can have a huge impact on your money. So, you might want to have a quick look at our short guide on how to choose a fund.

But if that’s just too much for you on top of your new exercise routine and meal-planner, you could simply opt for a multi-asset fund and let the professionals do the heavy-lifting for you. Multi-asset funds invest in all kinds of things giving you good diversification. They are categorised by the amount of equities they can invest in, meaning no matter your tolerance for risk, there’s a fund out there for you.

Ninety One Global Income Opportunities, for example, invests conservatively around the world in a diverse range of equities and bonds. The final portfolio typically comprises 80 equity holdings and 80-100 fixed income issuers. Co-manager Jason Borbora-Sheen tells us more about the fund in this recent podcast.

Liontrust Sustainable Future Managed fund aims to deliver capital growth over the long term through its own sustainable process and by investing in a combination of global equities, bonds and cash. The managers use a thematic approach to identify the key structural growth trends that will shape the global economy of the future.

TB Wise Multi-Asset Growth sits in the Flexible sector, which means the manager is afforded a significant degree of discretion over asset allocation and is allowed to invest up to 100% in equities. Turnover of underlying funds in the portfolio tends to be very low.