Post here to join in money saving thread

[stropicana]

My other thread is not working.

I am planning to try and save a smuch as possible, if you want to join me with new ideas and support then do!

I am going to keep a running total.

[stinkypants]

a great idea. i'm totally useless. please give me lots of ideas!
ummmm... a massive MOT has put a downer on the start of the xmas season... so ...was planning to think to hell with it and spend like mad!

[twolittlemonkeys]

Um yes I'll join you.

My tips aren't very original - budget, budget budget is the main one.

Shop around for everything (I do my food shopping in several places each week to get best bargains)

Homemade Christmas presents instead of buying tat which they won't use.

I really need to save money as I predict that our car will need replacing sometime in the next year (about to hit 100K).

I'm thinking I need to advertise my music lessons and get myself a bit more work.

[stropicana]

Hello Sp and TLM.

I am having difficulty posting on here so testing!!!!

[stropicana]

Oh for goodness sake I don't know why this topic will not post some of my messages. Grr.

i have bought reuseable wipes at 22 pounds for the kit, should pay for itself in 2 months I reckon.

[stropicana]

Right here goes. Testing.

[stropicana]

I really need to budget, that is why we have such huge overdraft and credit card.

meal plan - lots on mn about this - must read and DO

cut down on takaways, meals out, DH meals at work etc

I'm going to go down a brand on food shop with exception sandwich meat (can't eat meat thats been formed yuk) and toilet paper because DH moans about his delicate bot being sore unless he has the good stuff.

Walk more, defintley to school/nursery and back

Cancel bin cleaner

Use half washing powder and half soda crystals

Make cakes, biscuits, bread and pizza dough

Grow my own herbs and veg Everything I've attempted to grow has died so far

I have already:

Changed my internet and phone from bt/aol to talktalk and saved around £50 per month

Advertised baby things on netmums

[stropicana]

Also I have started meeting with other a group of mums(in our houses) instead of going to toddler group- saving £3 per week

[stropicana]

Oh I'm on a roll now

I have advertised myself for work and may have a job coming up

Ideas needed ladies

[stropicana]

Yes cat thats a good idea, will think about doing that.

[stinkypants]

i like the graph idea, did that when i needed to lose weight and it worked brilliantly. trouble is, with the internet, i have access to all accounts and can jiggle money too freely so any we've saved gets sucked back into spending account when we run short.
did try just paying for everything with cash for a while sticking to a tight budget and it REALLY worked, but got fed up

[Belle03]

I've just posted on your other thread but will join this instead!
I've been getting rid of tat on ebay- have made £80 this month
Meal planning is definitely a good idea & also shopping at Lidl for basics- I go there first & see what I can get.
We were buggers for doing a weekly shop & then 'nipping to Asda' 2 days later & spending another £20 on rubbish, that's stopped, if it's not on my list, we don't buy it. Also, saving every last scrap of food- even a small portion of bolognese gets put in the freezer & then pretty quickly I have a couple of meals for the DCs

[LizHF]

It is a good idea to shop around on good deals and is worth swapping to providers for utilities if you can such as your internet/ electricity provider. I recently shopped around and changed my phone provider and saved more money. I also changed my supermarket after several years of shopping at the same supermarket, and I found the cost of my shopping was less than normal.

I have looked to different places to shop than I normally do which will help me in the long run.

But most of all organisation is good for helping to save money. Meal planning is ideal so you don't have to rush out and spend money last minute when you are likely to buy things on impulse. These days I like to do my research online before I go out and buy anything. That way I can source out the best deals before I head out and can compare prices to find the best deal.

Liz :)

[halfcaff]

Sometimes you might have to spend to save, e.g. the reusable wipes, cloth nappies, etc. Will be worth it if you stick to it.

Make big batches of soup/stews etc and freeze portions - great for lunches alone, packed or at home.

Shop at Lidl/Aldi every other time and stock up on cheap staples there, like fruit juice, tinned toms, cereal, muesli bars for packed lunches.
Buy reduced stuff which you can freeze (esp meat if you buy it) then plan menus around what is cheap. Always worth visiting the cheese/meat.fish counters in the supermarkets as they often have half-price reductions.
Make your own bread, cakes etc. Use your breadmaker/slow cooker etc.

Bills: We replaced our microwave recently and got a combi oven - we have hardly used the big one since and must be saving loads of leccy. It may be expensive to buy one specially, but if you have one, use it. Also never iron or use tumble drier!

If you do eat out ask for a doggy-bag - can't believe how many people I know never do this! We always do, and the kids and dh especially always leave something. (Not me!)
I have managed to save up about £2000 a year to either put in an ISA, or spend on a skiing holiday, and we are only average earners, so it must be working!

[RMCW]

Hello!

OK, how do I cut down more? I am a SAHM with 2 dc.

I shop at the lowest price supermarket.
I bake.
I dont go out - unless you count the dc activities.
I dont drink.
I dont smoke.
I colour my own hair.
I sell stuff on amazon and e bay that I no longer want/need.

HELP!!!!!

I spent far too much at xmas but we own my car (dh's is a campany one) and we have no unpaid cc although I do owe a bit on my NEXt directory from getting the dcs summer stuff.

I cant cut down on petrol - I would dearly love to! - as my dc go to school in the next village (no buses) where my bank and gp is too. Its only 5 miles but it adds up each day!

I am planning to put £300 aside for xmas this year and thats my budget for everyone....I am planning to make some gifts myself.

I am just not sure what we could cut out? We are on the lowest tariffs for energy/car ins/house ins etc already. We do have virgin media but its our only luxury (and its our phone and internet provider too)

sooo.....what can I do?

ps: how can you never iron or use a tumble dryer???????????? Are you very creased???

[victoriah3]

get a mobile hairdresser - much cheaper. I used to visit a salon @ £35 for a cut and blow. My mobile charge £13 for the same. However you do have to sweep up the hair and wash it yourself .... it depends whether you like the pampering or can make do

[halfcaff]

Hi RMCW, only slightly crumpled, but I do generally buy clothes that don't need ironing. I iron a few cotton tops a few times a year, also lucky dh doesn't need to wear ironed shirts for work etc. School uniform just hang up and 'reshape while damp'! Don't own a tumble dryer and am a bit of an eco-warrior (ok the skiing doesn't really fit with that I know).
Is there anyone you could lift-share with for school runs?
Our car sits on the drive usually 4 days out of 7 as we both cycle to work (hubby cycle/train) and kids walk to school.
[slightly crumpled emoticon]eco-warrior not envious of owning tumble drier!

[richestorags]

Ooooh I need to join in with this As you can see from my name

My plan at the moment is to actually meal plan as advised on here and to shop more in Lidl. I used to go there for cheap basics (pasta, tins etc). Also I found their washing powder really good and much cheaper. I think it has a Good Housekeeping Institute award thingy!

Selling dvds on Music Magpie raised me a bit of xmas money recently.

I suppose we should all be keeping a spending diary?

Watching with interest.

[halfcaff]

Ooh yes and I changed my mobile provider and saved about £12 per month after years of staying on the same tarriff through inertia/laziness. My phone is 3 years old, out of contract, but I only pay £10 a month with an O2 sim-only contract which gives me all the minutes I need and unlimited texts.

[LaurieFairyonthetreeEatsCake]

I am doing the 'staring at the bank account' online thing since pay-day last week. DH's account is 1800 overdrawn and I'm trying to get it down as it's supposed to have a 500 'surplus' every month once the direct debits have come out

I am also not driving apart from once a week when I leave the house to go to work (mostly I work from home) - this has already saved me £100 in January.

And I'm also on the Times education job site to try and get dh a job closer to home so we can go down to one car - this would save us £5,000 a year.

I'm trying really hard not to buy stuff I don't need - this is a lot harder than it sounds for me. I appear to like buying stuff for the sake of it

[RMCW]

halfcalf eco warrior...like it!! I wish I didnt have work shirts iron but sadly I do (humpf) and my 2 dc are both filth wizards - I am too embarrassed to tell you how many washes I do per week...its mad

hmmm...I do have a clothes horse (somewhere) maybe time to dig it out?

Sadly no one else on our village goes to the same school as ds1 I would love to car share as before we walked and never used my car - like you, it sat on the drive for days sometimes!

[RMCW]

...that is something I am going to do when my phone contract is up...I am going onto a tesco own brand £15 PAYG phone! That will save me £30 a month!

[halfcaff]

Yes kids' activities can be really expensive. Brownies/guides etc is quite cheap except for some of the trips! We do swimming and gymnastics at the local leisure centre and have found a great drama group for dd - 3 hours a week for £7.50 a time. Anyone seen how much Stagecoach charge?!

[RMCW]

My 2 dc's activities amount to £140 per month....ds1 does karate, swimming and beavers and ds2 does swimming.

Its a lot of money but they love the classes and now that the free swimming for kids is ended/ing I may as well pay for lessons.

This week I also shelled out for swimming lessons with school for ds1 [hmmm] @ £45 and then a beavers trip @ £20. Expensive week!

I do try to budget but then something unexpected (see above) comes up and its ruined for another month!