A thrifty mum has revealed how she has already begun saving money for her 2024 gas and electric bills by using a simple trick – creating "contingency pots".

Heidi Ondrak, 51, from Plymouth, is making it her mission to try and help others manage their bills, having recently hit the headlines after sharing how you can cook 24 meals for less than £20.

The mum has 36,600 followers on TikTok (@duchessofthrift) and 302,600 likes across her videos, where she reveals her top tips for cutting down on costs.

In one of her most recent clips, Heidi reveals that she has already begun saving money for her 2024 gas and electric bills by using one simple trick.

In the clip, the mum reveals that through the neo bank Monzo, she is putting away £1 a day for the next year to help her pay for heating in January 2024.

Through the company's app, she has set up personal 'pots' – with one entirely for her heating bills.

By putting away £1 a day, which is equivalent to a packet of crisps, Heidi will automatically have £365 to spend on bills come 2024.

"I just woke up and thought I want a heating buffer for next year for when it’s cold," Heidi told NeedToKnow.online.

"It’s the price of a Walkers grab bag of crisps and I don’t notice the £1 leaving my account.

"It has rained for days and even with the dehumidifier, the air felt damp and I thought I wish the heating wasn’t so pricey.

"The house feels like it needs drying out so I thought I will prepare for next year better.

"I want to be able to pay for heating during freezing weeks like the one we had a few weeks ago.

"It was tolerable but very uncomfortable and frankly quite an ordeal to get through without heating, but I didn’t want my monthly direct debit to be any higher.

"This way I have the money upfront and I can use it here and when I need, paying Eon every time I use the heating by using the smart meter.

"No debt and no increase in direct debit."

Heidi also explained why it is so important to think ahead when it comes to paying our bills.

She continued: "Planning is key to adapting and it has been really hard to get my bearings in the cost of living crisis with things going up weekly.

"I am planning ahead with contingency pots so I know that, if we have another freezing cold week next year, I have a buffer and I can use the heating and I won’t be retrospectively paying for it.

"I can pay it directly to the supplier that month."

Heidi's £1 tip has gone down a storm on TikTok, with many people admitting they will use the hack for their own bills.

"What a fantastic idea," one person wrote.

Another person said: "I've set up a Mexico pot....optimism is high." [sic]

"I like this idea," said someone else. Heidi replied: "You don't miss a quid do you x." [sic]

Another person said: "I am addicted to watching you now, great idea, thank you for all your ideas, I just got a Monzo card myself today all thanks to you"

"What a great idea, I'm going to start this. I hate sitting in this bloody cold there's nothing worse," one person wrote.

ENDS

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