Help need your money saving tips to help survive - you guessed it - the credit crunch (and can anyone think of another name for the credit crunch while we're at it?)

eat a someone elses house

Supermarket saving schemes. Tesco and Morrisons do saving stamps and also Tesco do a christmas saver where you can top it up at the checkout with your clubcard.

use freecycle

Scottish wool, not Scottish Gas. It's the new black.

IKEA bumper packs of candles - saves electricity and smell nice, too.

Spend nights out learning a new, fun skill in an evening class rather than a wine bar - sewing, quilting, crocheting and knitting. Learning skills forms a new way to turn a few coppers or make lovely gifts, too.

Bored a Saturday afternoon or morning? Head for boot sales, charity shops, estate sales and auctions rather than the mall.

Drop the gym, a pair of hiking boots or MBTs are cheaper, especially on Ebay (broken in, too). Saves on petrol as well.

Vegetarianism isn't just for weirdos, and has added green points as well.

Instead of perfumes, try essential oils - mix your own. Lasts longer, too.

Drink at home - no worries about thugs in taxi ranks or going over the limit.

I sometimes use 'the buggering economy'
HTH

Meal plan.
Buy cheap vodka.
Stop feeding the children such healthy nutritious food, they stop growing, you save a fortune on clothes and shoes.
Don't put the heating on, put a jumper, socks, a hat and a poncho.
Watch more television and socialise less.
Oh and cut your own hair - go on I dare you.

Then post pics on mn.

x post with spandex re saving stamps

Pay as you go mobile and use only in emergency

Forgot we also do christmas club at ~£50 a month so makes £600 payout at end of october so christmas presents and food sorted plus get £10 a month in car tax stamps so when car tax due we have 70% of the money available

Have £10 a month deducted from salary that goes into staff account and that pays for the dd's birthdays presents in september and january!

also bulk buy if you can esp 'dry' stores.

don't use the oven unless it's full as dad keeps telling me.

lids on pots when boiling, oh and also close the curtains early in the winter (mine are thick so keep the heat in as it's not double glazed), door curtains as well.

only boil enough water in the kettle for the cups of tea you want. oh and use boiled water for veg - it's cheaper to boil the kettle first than use cold water & wait for it to heat up.

Eat less meat,I've found cooking with pulses and vegetables so much cheaper

Reduce any luxery outgoings -

we have reduced our Sky package form £42 a month to £19 main thing we lost was sports but still loads of channels

also both our mobile phones were on high tarrifs, kept mine as it is as I use all free minutes and have unlimited texts (need mobile for work) and use instead of landline and reduced dh to minimum was was £9 a month so equilivant as if he had payg.

Capped all energy prices

Go shopping with cash and no debit/credit card amazing how much you pay attention to prices and make your something come in on budget.

We've also stopped using debit cards and get a set amount of cash out each week and we have to make it last (£50 for dh and £60 for me but I put petrol in the car, get odd bits of shopping and pay for dd's activities out of that)

I mean 'monthly direct debits with statements viewed online' of course

If I know The Sunday Times, and I do know The Sunday Times, their key money saving tips will involve massive outlay. I would lay odds on them including 'solar panels' or similar

I don't know if it's still possible but fixing fuel costs is a good bet.

Go on to monthly direct debits online for as many utility bills as you can. You do pay less.

Cut down on buying meat - go for cheaper cuts and cook longer, Bulk out casseroles, soups and stews with pulses and vegetables. Shop around and buy local produce in season.

DR - we were the same - we had gas fires in every room, I distinctly remember having blankets & sheets (no duvets) and taking it in turn each s with DB to have dad's sheepskin coat over us on a night - the other one had mums long one but it wasn't so warm!

re use all food - apparently you can fry veg up for brekkie the next day and serve it as bubble n squeeke - ingenious idea!

george - count it yourself & take it to the bank - then saves you the cost of the machines.

use the library instead of buying books (fantastic as DS is finding out!)

capp! I used to live in XH's fluffy socks from the market - 3 pairs for £5 can't be bad! nice & thick as well!

do a xmas clubif you can.

saving stamps in the PO each week can help pay towards road tax/other bills.

walking instead of the car. in my case the train as it works out cheaper to use that than petrol plus parking - also means I carry less = spend less

No heating until Christmas Day (will be a nice treat then)
As children we never had heating, we all wore lots of jumpers

And remember don't get too obsessed re saving money
Sometimes it is easier to try and bring extra money into the monthly kitty rather than decreasing outgoings
Look at second jobs, selling old stuff you don't need, offering services to others.

By Gobbledigook on Wed 17-Sep-08 18:07:05
And my favourite for this week in the gobbledi household - re-sole last winter's boots instead of buying a new pair My mother will Diiie when she hears I've done that!

I heard on the radio that a busy cobbler is a sign of an imminent recession.

I'm buying a roll of stuff to shove down the gaps in my floorboards

yes Twig fleece

from Ikea tho not White Company

and big fluffy socks from Matalan, who cares if your dh can't stand them

Gobbledi you need a milk frother

and Starbucks coffee is bitter anyway

did you see that article about buying yourself a £200 Gaggia coffee machine to beat the credit crunch, there was a thread about it

and I can't believe that you have never resoled your boots! my god! I spend more at Timpsons than I spend in shoe shops!

Get intelliplugs for TV and Computer Systems: they automatically turn everything off rather than leaving them on standby.

Supermarket meats are often reduced when nearing sell-by dates. Stock up on slow-cook meats like braising and stewing steaks and mince and freeze them.

All the middle-classes are moving to Lidl ... you can't move your trolley for hitting a yummy at the moment. Parmigianno and Cornichons dahlinks (and their Prossecco is OK too).

Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Belgian Dark Chocolate beats Green & Blacks, particularly for mousses and brownies. And it's 99p a bar.

(you did say The Sunday Times didn't you Justine)

Invest in some fleecey blankets and snuggle down in front of the TV, you don't need the heating on ... quite yet.

Grocery shop online, stops temptation in the aisles.

Compare the prices first via mysupermarket, check for voucher codes for extra money off, then use a cashback site click through for the actual purchase. 3 lots of saving in one go.

Use click through sites for as many purchases as possible - they might pay pennies each but it all adds up.

If saving change, count it and bag it yourself. Why pay a machine 7% to do it for you?

Utility companies - Sky, broadband, telephone - keep an eye open for deals and see if your current suppliers can match or beat the offers .... if you don't ask, you don't get...