Emma, from Sheffield, has explained the methods she uses to save money – and make money
Neil Shaw Assistant Editor
08:23, 06 Mar 2026Updated 11:21, 06 Mar 2026
Emma grew up watching her parents budget carefully
A woman who used simple rules and side hustles to pay off her mortgage in two years says she plans to retire in her 50s. Emma Jackson says she saves money through little habits like taking two-minute showers and only using the dishwasher once a week.
Emma, 32, from Sheffield, says she gets her money-saving mindset from her parents. Her dad worked in a factory and her mum had a number of different jobs, so there wasn’t much cash spare growing up.
“It taught us how to save, and my brother is very similar to me,” she said. “We were very aware that our parents didn’t have a lot of money. My dad would work extra shifts at the weekend and my mum had a big budget spreadsheet. I would sit there and watch her fill it in.
Emma is thrifty with her electricity and heating
“They would go to car boots on the weekends or work extra shifts and I absorbed that. So when I went to university to study sports development, I did every job I possibly could; I worked as a cleaner, lifeguard, personal trainer.”
Working in higher education by day, Emma runs a blog on the side – beemoneysavvy.com – which can double her salary. She now earns around £2,140 a month but makes between £2,600 to £4,000 before tax on her website.
And on top of that, every month makes between £100 to £200 from side-hustles like market research and saves £500 a month in a stocks and shares ISA. At 25, she bought her first home, which was a one-bedroom flat near Sheffield, which she purchased for £80,000 using a £36,000 deposit. She used money from a Help to Buy ISA and income she had earned from previous jobs, securing a two-year fixed-rate mortgage at 2.16 per cent and managing to pay it off within the two years. She now rents the flat out for £600 a month.
And this month she made £500 in extras; £175 from switching bank accounts, £135 from filling out online surveys, £125 from a Santander offer, £67 in free birthday treats from Greggs, Costa, Morrisons and others plus £30 from shares and savings, she explains on her Instagram account.
Emma makes half of her income from side hustles
Emma’s top money-saving tipsI only have one subscription and that is for all the data on my phone at £1 a month. I don’t subscribe to Netflix or Amazon Prime, I don’t have a TV licence or pay for Spotify or Audible. If I want to watch TV I will go on Channel Four On Demand. This saves me hundreds of pounds a yearMy water bill is £15 a month. That seems to shock people, but it is just normal to me. I have two-minute showers, put the dishwasher on once a week and try not to do too many clothes washes. I just don’t use much water.I spend around £50 a month on gas and electricity, which is an amount I sustained throughout the winter. I put the heating on no more than 18 degrees when I need it, and the rest of the time rely on my electric blanket. I don’t leave lights on or TVs blaring, I spend most of my evenings on the laptop working or being creative, and I use an air fryer to cook.My partner and I don’t live together, but we spend most of our time together, and will spend around £50 a week on food by planning our meals. Usually it is less, more like £30 or £40. And I am signed up to a website that does cashback rewards, so I use that as regularly as possible. And I use food waste app like Olio to pick up free sandwiches and other goodies.We like to treat ourselves with fancy coffees, but we get coffee vouchers from Octopus energy, so they cost us nothing.
Emma details her money saving tips on her blog
Being thrifty is no hardship for Emma; she sees her money-saving practices like a treasure hunt. “If we go shopping in town, I am probably one of the few people who comes back with more money than I started with,” she said “If my partner wants to go into Boots, I can usually do a mystery shop while I am there, or I will be hunting for discounts and freebies. I come home in a really good mood when I’ve managed to save or make a bit of extra money.
“The way I grew up massively impacted my money mindset. I now see time as more of a precious commodity then money. There’s nothing I crave, such as having new clothes or tech. I’m just not bothered by it.
“I can’t even remember the last time I bought new clothes. I have a capsule wardrobe. I think I bought a pair of trainers a year ago. But that stuff just doesn’t excite me. I would rather look forward to my early retirement,” she said.