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Big and Small - what are your best money saving tricks?

41 replies

Moonopoly · 30/01/2022 08:02

Just wondered what your best tips are for cutting pennies off a household budget?
Looks like we could all do with some if the current cost of living issues continue!

OP posts:
Moonopoly · 30/01/2022 08:03

Or pounds too!

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Mull · 30/01/2022 08:05

Meal planning and buying off a shopping list for said meal plan. It’s fucking dull, and I HATE doing it, but it works!

Svara · 30/01/2022 08:07

Turning the heating down one or two degrees, you adapt.

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WillowySnicket · 30/01/2022 08:08

Only buying black socks so when when sock gets a hole in it (ALL THE TIME. HOW??) I don't have to Chuck the pair away but just redeploy the non holes one!

halfsiesonapotnoodle · 30/01/2022 08:11

Use a cashback website for online shopping. Topcashback is excellent.

WeeFae · 30/01/2022 08:14

Whenever I look at my online banking app, I send the spare pennies to my small savings account. So for example, I check my balance and it's £845.67. I send the 67p. Check another time and it's £713.51, so I send the 51p. It is very small but it adds up and I don't notice it.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 30/01/2022 08:27

If you have dc small enough to still be going to lots of parties, bulk buy Asda/Argos type 3 for 2 toys.

Never go out without a bottle of water, thermal mug of tea/coffee and snack. I probably buy a coffee shop drink less than once a year.

I never have the heating on during the day. Even when I’m working from home, it’s jumpers, socks and fingerless gloves.

Meal plan, and cook from scratch.

I buy only buy multipurpose wrapping paper that can do for kids/adults/birthday/Christmas. Plain silver works well.

Check fb/eBay/charity shops before you buy anything you need.

TrueBuys · 30/01/2022 08:32

Take a packed lunch to work and spend no money during the week, helps that I work long hours so more wages and no opportunity to spend!

FindingMeno · 30/01/2022 08:33

Thermal vests make SUCH a big difference to keeping the chill off, plus always wear slippers at home.
Try to buy on special offers. Forego something else for a week to buy, for example, a couple more jars of coffee on a good discount. Eventually you can do at least 50% of your shopping revolving round special offers.
Have a week where no one has a choice other than to eat the stuff lurking around in the freezer that are always overlooked for nicer options.

Newnormal99 · 30/01/2022 08:44

To good to go app. Yesterday for £4 I got 2 burgers, park of meatballs, 2 salmon fillets and tandonri chicken thighs from muscle foods. Bread, bagels, milk an orange and lemon, asparagus and dairy free cream. That was from
One of the places that do the order groceries and bring it round on a moped so may depend where you are as to whether you have them available. But we get from plenty of other places as well.

I also get cashback for everything I can. As well as quidco/ TopCashback I used airtime rewards which is fewer providers but linked direct to your bank card so works in shops as well and doesn't clash with the other ones. So sometimes on one purchase I might get .5% from cc, 1% from TCand 2% from airtime rewards.

user1497207191 · 30/01/2022 08:55

Buy extra non perishables (tinned/packet foods, toiletries etc) when on offer so you don't have to buy at normal prices.

Go to different supermarkets each week so you can buy whatever they've on offer that week.

Most big brands will be on BOGOF, 3 for 2 or other offers somewhere as they rotate their offers through the supermarkets, and the offers tend to last 2-3 weeks so if you rotate 3 different supermarkets week by week, you should see all offers over the three weeks and can buy extra at offer prices.

If you set up the online shopping apps for the major supermarkets you can compare prices/offers at home and plan your shopping/meal plan around which stores have offers that week, so you can go to the shop prepared with a shopping list taking full advantage of offers.

Meal planning saves a fortune in avoiding wasted food.

TeacupDrama · 30/01/2022 08:57

Do not impulse buy anything even at supermarket, shop from a list, if you notice burgers are much cheaper than sausages or reduced take something off shopping list , take meal plan with you so it can be adjusted with offers rather than them being extras, unsubscribe from all retail apps notifications if you really need to buy something you will easily find them. Ask yourself before purchases 1,) do I really need it? 2.) if I didn't have it what would I use instead?, if the answer if yes to first and i dont have substitute that would work for the second then ask is this the best value for money ( not necessarily the cheapest ). If you think you want need something put it on a wish list or in amazon type basket and leave it a week or a month and see if it is still neededand is it affordable . Do not buy any item of clothing that doesn't match at least 3 items you already have,

Daisy829 · 30/01/2022 09:00

I’ve got an oodie and that’s amazing for keeping me warm at home without putting the heating on.

I like the no spend in the week idea. I’m terrible for buying a ‘bargain’

Etinoxaurus · 30/01/2022 09:02

Avoid shopping! Sounds so obvious but delete eBay and PayPal apps. Don’t take money if you’re walking the dog! Meal plan and never pay for supermarket delivery. Bulk buy essentials when they’re on offer, I’ve never paid full price for loo rolls, clothes wash or dishwasher tablets. Dress appropriately and warmly rather than put the heating on! Have regular no shopping weeks and eat the freezer 😂
Biggest easiest win saving money was going vegan- easy if you don’t have tiny dcs and no nipping to the shops for milk +++ is a game changer.

user1497207191 · 30/01/2022 09:11

Not money "saving", but certainly money raising.... We sell virtually everything we don't use anymore on ebay or preloved. Especially bundles of low value individual items like books, DVDs, computer games, clothes, toys, etc.

Postage costs make selling most books unviable, but put 4 or 5 in a bundle with a single postage cost of £3.20 and you'll usually sell for a tenner, leaving you with a fiver or so after costs. Same with clothing, both adult or childrens, put on a bundle of 5 t shirts or 2 or 3 pairs of shorts etc and you'll clear a fiver or a tenner. My OH lost a lot of weight and we sold a load of his used work shirts, trousers, etc.

Same with DS's toys, as he grew older, we'd sell the prior year's birthday and christmas presents that he'd stopped using. We keep the boxes/instructions so you can usually get pretty good prices for games, construction toys (Lego, mecanno, electric kits etc) if they're boxed, complete and have instructions! He also had a phase of model railways and we sold most of that at a profit as prices rose, especially on some models which quickly became rare (such as Hornby Thomas the tank engine where we bought a particular engine for £70 and sold it for £250!, but only because it was pristine condition and we'd kept the box etc). Just sold a Lego robotics set for £300 that we'd bought for £250 about 5 years ago.

I've sold most of my older dresses, leather jacket, coats, etc., but again, kept in excellent condition, not much usage, stored properly (coat bags etc).

We also sell furniture, carpets, etc rather than putting them in a skip - lots of people want it when moving or kitting out at bed to let and some are even happy to take up a carpet or dismantle a wardrobe so we don't even have to do the "dirty" work ourselves.

By selling older stuff, we can "churn" the proceeds into newer stuff.

For the really cheap items, and things that have been well used, etc., we go to a car boot sale once a year - we've never come away with less than £100 after pitch fees and sometimes manage nearer £200. That's just selling loads of things for a pound or two each, such as a bundle of comics, or used unbranded clothes bundles, or even surplus rolls of wallpaper, partly used bottles of perfume, etc

user1497207191 · 30/01/2022 09:17

For clothing, we literally only buy things when discounted/in a sale, except for basics like underwear or T shirts etc.

Most places will have sales/discounts at some time of the year. We just wait and buy things then. Until then, we make do with what we have in our wardrobes.

When clothes "shopping", we never go out to buy a specific item. We just go and look around to see what's reduced and if we think we'll need it, we'll buy. (Although we do most of our browsing online these days after we get an email with a discount code etc).

HelebethH · 30/01/2022 09:52

If you shop weekly stretch it to every eight days. 365 days ÷8 = 46 shops so you gain 6 weeks extra housekeeping money a year. We use this for christmas

languagelover96 · 30/01/2022 10:01

Meal plan effectively. Buy games at Christmas instead to save money etc. When going to the theater take your own snacks, and drinks.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 30/01/2022 10:50

Am dram panto has entertained our kids for years without going to a professional production.

Moonopoly · 30/01/2022 11:06

All great ideas. We do meal plan and I use Monzo for round up. We do have the heating on a lot though so an Odie or similar each sounds good.
Think I need to get better at re-selling our stuff. Used to be good but now just send it all to reusable at local tip for convenience. Car boot sounds a good idea - older kids would probably enjoy that too.

OP posts:
Moonopoly · 30/01/2022 11:07

Going to look in to airtime rewards

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fuckyourpronouns · 30/01/2022 11:11

We use hello fresh and gousto. We have a box for 4 and there are 2 adults and 2 kids at home. 1 st nursery and 1 in reception. Youngest eats at nursery do just has a small portion for dinner. Eldest has improved Eating drastically. Occasional mt mum will also eat with us. We always have enough for at least 1 lunch for the next day. At £50 a week when not on offer it's cheaper than our weekly shop. I only buy milk bread and breakfast stuff now. Miles less wastage.

SnowfallSnowball · 30/01/2022 11:22

Use money saving apps such as Chip and/or Plum. It’s connected to your bank account and saves money for you. Plum does round ups on a weekly basis, you can set an amount to be taken on your payday too and will save pounds here and there. You can pick a really low % if need be. Really easy to use.

I use store rewards which you can upload shop receipts and you can get an Amazon gift card or payment into your PayPal account, takes a while to build up but what else do you do with your receipts? Smile.

As someone else mentioned, TopCashback is also great.

McScreamysGhostPants · 30/01/2022 11:30

"Have a week where no one has a choice other than to eat the stuff lurking around in the freezer that are always overlooked for nicer options."

We call this yummy crummy, my kids said it was their favourite dinner ever 🤷🏼‍♀️.

For me it's really helped to reduce the shopping bill by accepting that simple meals are in fact variety five. Nothing wrong with egg and beans on toast. Or a cheese toasty and bowl of soup. Pasta witha simple tomato sauce ( passata, basil, oregano S&P) , Even French toast is a perfectly acceptable and quick meal. So we have three/four evening meals a week that are cheap but satisfying and filling. Normally have a salad for lunch so we are still getting lots of nutrients. And yogurt and fruit/nuts for breakfast.

Newnormal99 · 30/01/2022 11:30

@Moonopoly let me know if you want a welcome code - I think they have an offer at the moment.

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