Tenner Week Feb 2020: Day 3: A quick look down the back of the sofa

I was going to call today’s activity ‘many a mickle makes a muckle’ but decided that’s far too obscure for most people, so in the name of being more accessible it’s called ‘A quick look down the back of the sofa‘ instead.

So what’s it all about? Most of us lose little dribs and drabs of money here and there on a semi-regular basis, and it does all add up, especially over time. Once you’ve put a stop to larger drains on your finances such as unwanted direct debits (which we did yesterday) and overpriced utility bills (which you can do this weekend if you wish), you can spend a small amount of time to good effect rounding up those small spots in your budget where money might be leaking away from you.

What could you look for?

Coins under your sofa cushions
Coins in your coin jar – spend them or put them in the bank (don’t leave it sat there inertly)
Cash hiding in coat pockets or a bag you haven’t used in a while
That weird drawer / dish / side table / spot on the windowsill where your other half dumps his change at night (or is that just in my household?)
Unused store credit (i.e. your own money from refunds)
Unused or partially used gift vouchers and cards
Supermarket, chemist or Nectar points you could convert to groceries or gifts
Cashback you’ve earned but have forgotten to get paid out to yourself
Money owed to you by family or friends
Work expenses you can claim back
Savings accounts with a couple of quid in them you’ve forgotten to close
… and whatever else you can think of

Pay particular attention to any inactive accounts you might have, as they can sometimes attract the attention of fraudsters. Close these accounts properly once and for all just to be on the safe side.

Any other money, points or credit you can find today is yours to enjoy, even if there’s only a tiny amount of it. Every little counts, as they say. It doesn’t count towards your £10 discretionary spending budget for the week so you could use it to cut your grocery spending or get a tiny treat of some sort.

Let me know about the weird and wonderful things you uncover or rediscover today. Who’s got the strangest or silliest find?