What are you adjusting to save yourself money?

[flyingdream]

I'm hoping we don't eat go out to eat as much as we do or order food in. It's just a really bad habit. But we can never stick with it it. Paying 8.50 for a pizza (12 inch from local takeaway) is a large amount and I'm ashamed it's taken recent price increases to make us think.

Also hoping we don't turn on the radiators as much as we do.

No coffees outside
Colour my own hair and get it v cheaply cut
Food bill already low as we don't eat meat or drink and everything from scratch
Shop at Tesco
DH and I rarely buy clothes or shoes as wfh
No car anyway as central London

Still holding on to weekly takeaway for now.

Not in the UK, but after shitting myself about money (needlessly) after DH died, here are a few things, though many were part and parcel of life before:

Only heat the rooms you’re in
Shut that door
If the heating’s on there must be laundry drying in the laundry
No takeaways, never as good as our own food
If it’s wool, it does not need washing after every wear; air it
Growing from seed for the veggie patch, cuttings for ornamental plants
Aldi for main shop

NOW: my first year of retirement so will see how it pans out. I live alone.

No more clothes or shoes, I have too many
Tightarse Tuesday for films
Use the library for books and DVDs
Cheaper utilities deals

Still willing to lash out on art/theatre, etc. but will review
Dog is fecking expensive due to skin issues

I’ve just reduced the temperature down on the heating while reading this, and also knocked off some of the times the heating comes on during the day. Dh will be happy as he has a red hot internal body temperature, I’ll dig out my jumpers….

Looking at using the eco cycle on the washing machine for bedding also.

We use Freesat for TV instead of Sky, though dh pays for Sky discovery only when his favourite programmes get aired, about £5 a month, then stops it. We shop at Aldi mostly now anyway, but do a Tesco shop once every blue moon.

I batch make soup for work lunches, just buy in the bread.

Takeaways have been reduced and I’ve bought some spices for meat to make chicken kebabs, with flatbreads and yoghurt and mint sauce, or I’ll make 2 - day portions of chilli/cottage pie/lasagne and they’ll last Friday through to Saturday, another sure fire way of keeping from buying takeaways.

I haven't needed to cut back yet but if I do the first thing to go will be charity donations unfortunately. Then probably my monthly nail appointment. I don't go to the hairdresser or buy many clothes anyway.

I've tackled the easy wins and big areas of overspend (except my husband who spends money like all over the place, I don't know how to stop that) so I'm now on small shifts:

• re-training my older DD to drink squash or water not expensive cartons of juice

- household cleaning with damp microfiber cloths (I know they arent environmentally friendly now, but when I bought them I didnt know).

• reducing meat content of meals and bulking up with beans and pulses
• eating local, seasonal fruit and veg as much as possible.
• changing towels less often just airing them on the line outside whenever it's fine enough.
• potty training my son to get him out of disposable nappies
• resisting working in the office as it costs money to drive there

I'm also planning for the spring planting season as I'll growing my own herbs and salad leaves again. Saves a fortune. A few years ago I grew sprouting broccoli which was insanely good value as you can eat the new leaves like cabbage too. And I grow the obvious things each year like runner beans (from my own seeds) and tomatoes and also 4 or 5 dwarf beans which in a good year will crop far more than we can eat.

My dd and I make our own birthday/anniversary/Christmas cards, it is a fun craft activity as we like things like that, and saves money.

I know when DD has birthday parties coming up so I make sure I've shopped in bulk/ ahead to get good deals.

We don't have a tumble dryer. We've stopped sky sports, given up virginmedia tv as didn't watch it, I don't buy takeaway coffees now as that was costing a bomb, we cut down takeaways to maybe twice a month.

We try to stay away from takeaways or eating out and we treat ourselves to that maybe once a month? Really a bad habit that incluences money and health, so better be an occasional treat.
Also I've been reviewing my subscriptions and cutting off those I don't need or use rarely. Looking for cheaper or free versions of various software is a lifesaver, too: I don't need the whole Adobe subscription when at least half the programs is never used and there are cheaper options like Clipify for video editing and Photoworks for photo editing, etc.
My problem is that I'm quite lazy and it's just easier for me to pay for something without looking for the alternative first which is clearly not a good thing.

@ICouldBeAnyone

We don’t go out to eat or order takeaways as it is. There isn’t anything we can adjust. We will just be at risk of racking up debts if things keep increasing.

Same here. We’re already buying budget food options and don’t eat out or have takeaways. Never buy coffees out. Only get new clothes when it’s vital. The only thing left to cut down on is fuel so I might have to start walking to work but that will mean leaving the house half an hour earlier every day.

I put laundry on the airer and switch on our floor standing fan next to it. Uses next to no electric and they are nearly dry after a couple of hours

I have to drive most places due to arthritis. Will be hoping that DC can gradually learn to walk home from school to cut down on short journeys.

Shopping in Lidl, where there are far fewer tempting distractions.

Buying Perfectly Imperfect root veg from Tesco, and making enormous pots of soup. Adding oatmeal to stews, etc, as per pp.

Making myself far more aware of our expenses and how the money dribbles away on unnecessary items.

Kids are now in giant jerseys after school. Thermostat turned down, and duvets over knees in evening.

Grow my own greens, sprouting.

I can’t believe the money some people spend on takeaways. They are so expensive, so cutting down is definitely a good idea

@MadgeRussell

I don't know how everyone manages to avoid using the tumble drier at this time of year. None of our bathrooms have windows and I'm concerned if I dried all of the stuff in the house it would just make it really damp (we don't have a lot of heating on, and have turned it down still further).

I feel the same ! With two young kids it turns the house into a laundrette when hanging everything off rads.

@VerandaSanta

Those saying cancel TV License, you need a license to watch ANY TV even streaming don't you? It's not just for BBC. How can you cancel that? It's a total fucking con!

I’ve cancelled mine. I called the licensing service and they confirmed that it was only bbc & bbc Iplayer. I never got the aerial reinstalled after house renovations and share a subscription for Netflix & Amazon prime so get those for free.

I've never owned a tumble dryer so it's possible to manage without one.

I've been using the Too Good to Go app if we want a takeaway / treat. Last weekend I got a bag from Greggs for 2.50 which had enough sausage rolls / yum yums / donuts for all of us for a treat snacky tea 🙂

We've got absolutely nothing we can cut down on. We have one takeaway a month which costs £15 and don't want to do away with it as it's our only treat, but if we have to we will.

We don't drive, I cut my own hair and DH's, DH is wfh so no fares, we've never been on holiday so no travel to give up, we only have the heating on for an hour a day if it's really cold (despite this our bill is estimated to go up by £510pa). I can't work because I'm disabled so we're living on DH's salary which is just under £25k.

I have absolutely no clue how we're going to manage. Things like going to the dentist are going to have to stop, possibly some prescriptions too.

Have stopped monthly pedicures albeit good for my stresses. Still having a manicure though plus body tissue rub. Health grounds I need the latter.

Have stopped a monthly toasted tea cake and coffee in our local cafe. Order weekly food online Asda to track cost better. Weekly pound shop Savers and Iceland without fail.

Haircuts no more salon prices for now. Paying £7.99 at walk in unisex dry cut barbers very popular place instead of paying £35.

No high end skincare any longer (Elemis) just middle price ie Boots and Liz Earle with a little Aldi and Superdrug thrown in. Skin just as good to be frank.

Stopping Sky at end of contract. Moving over to Now TV.

Stopping BT email £7.50 a month soon as my gmail address is free.

I got free solar panels this year on a govt funded energy offer for people on low incomes. Only 6 fit on my roof but I now try to only run dishwasher and washing machine when the sun is out. No tumble drier, no take aways. Our food bill is quite high but I do prioritise higher welfare meat and organic veg if I can. The kids activities are killing me - not just the cost of swimming lessons etc but the kit, gradings (ballet and kung fu) and petrol taking them too and from (football matches miles away). I don't want to take it away from them but I definitely compromise on my own extras (no nights out, no new clothes) to cover the cost.

@SoberSerena

Takeaways is a good one. They aren't even all that nice if I'm honest, except coffee which I prefer from a coffee shop . I've massively cut back on buying clothes and make up, which I've been doing for the past couple of years (since covid) really. That has saved me a lot of money. I'm walking to work to save on petrol and parking and I've stopped Netflix. I'm also selling things on Vinted and have made a decent amount on there over the past year or so

I noticed yesterday this has gone up to £6 in our Asda @SoberSerena still excellent value though for a drink, 2 pizzas and a voucher, round here it's a vue voucher so thats worth £5. The children always ask when are we getting "Asda takeaway" again! We haven't done this but I've seen for 40p extra they cook them for you. That might be cheaper than cooking at home?

Claire Fraser if you are disabled I hope you are getting your Personal Independent Plan entitlement (PIP). Can be very generous and is non means tested so you can have income and savings alongside it.

@Feelingthepinch22

Literally posted a thread there about cutting out the hairdressers. Our local salon has hiked up the prices to cover her overheads but I won't be able to cover my household bills if I keep paying 60 quid for a cut & colour. So that's one of my biggest ones cutting out the hair salon, unnecessary luxury. I used also buy my shampoo & conditioner at the hairdressers then changed to pantene, tried lidl basic colour range & can't tell the difference!

I use tigi shampoo sometimes bought from salon but feelunique do the huge bottles and are sometimes on deal.

We don't order takeaways really, haven't fit 2 years, it helps that there's nothing worth having delivered really (well Indian but I can cook it better). No alcohol sun-Thursday but that's more a weight loss strategy, no desserts when we go out

@CIaireFraser

We've got absolutely nothing we can cut down on. We have one takeaway a month which costs £15 and don't want to do away with it as it's our only treat, but if we have to we will.

We don't drive, I cut my own hair and DH's, DH is wfh so no fares, we've never been on holiday so no travel to give up, we only have the heating on for an hour a day if it's really cold (despite this our bill is estimated to go up by £510pa). I can't work because I'm disabled so we're living on DH's salary which is just under £25k.

I have absolutely no clue how we're going to manage. Things like going to the dentist are going to have to stop, possibly some prescriptions too.

Do not stop prescriptions.

We are currently spending money like water having our house refurbished. However a lot of this will mean we will save money.

All the electrics are being wired into a more eco tariff so we’ll save money. New rads and new windows. Better insulation.
Bigger dishwasher so only one load for the same energy than two.

@Clairefraser

I agree, do not stop prescriptions. If you have 2-3 a month, it’s cheaper to get a Prescription prepayment certificate.

PPC