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.

We have cancelled some life insurance policiesxas discovered we were paying a small fortune for not a great amount. Have reduced so we have enough to pay off ( small) mortgage and be buried with a wee bit left over. Saving 100 quid a month

@Lightning020

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.

I applied a few years ago but they said that I didn't qualify. I have rheumatoid arthritis and on some days I can't get out of bed the pain is so awful, but they said I was able to walk from the bus stop outside the building they interviewed me in with a stick so had no issues with mobility. The RA has destroyed my feet so that's clearly bollocks. Also I don't need help with dressing/cooking every day, just most days. I'm considered disabled enough for a free bus pass so I don't know how they work it out, I really don't.

Re prescriptions, DH and I have two or three a month each (I have weekly injections for my RA but I don't pay for those). The takeaway will go before the prescriptions go, I just hope there's a way we can do both!

It’s really not pennies to run. I’ve stopped using mine after realising it’s on almost all the time and costing £600 a year. 8p an hour sounds great. Then you realise that’s £698 a year. Obviously a little bit less than that as that assumes 24 hrs a day every day of the year but no exaggeration that it’s on a lot when you’ve a family and all clothes are adult size.

This was a response to the heated aired costing pennies to run by the way!

Tbh we have never really spent much that doesnt need spending. We are on a high income but both have a natural tendency to frugality, so we already cooked from scratch, have the heating at 19 max, share bathwater etc.

Probably our biggest unnecessary spending is the tumble dryer (but it's a super energy efficient heat pump one) and membership of a private gym with a pool. The latter we have because we are in a bit of a black spot for public pools and I couldnt get DS into swimming lessons any other way. We are out of contract so if I needed to cancel it tomorrow I could.

It's depressing that people are having to resort to cutting out even basic treats in order to save because of all the huge rises we're facing. Very fortunate that utilities are included in our rent, but I try to do a few things to save.
Stopped getting my eyebrows done, just tidy them up myself. Don't get nails or eyelashes done. Dry haircut for £20.
Clothes are usually from charity shops, supermarket etc
Don't drink or smoke which saves
No sky packages
Don't have a car (not that I have a licence anyway)
Shop in Aldi, lidl etc

@MNHQ nomination for classics please. Absolutely shocking this sort of thread is needed in 2022 but equally there's some fab advice on here

Water for me. I was appalled in December that our direct debit was going up to £55/month (apparently higher end of average for a household like ours though). Was mainly a shock because I used to be on a shared metre paying £20ish and used water like it was going out of fashion (lots of of washing, daily bath up to the over flow, running the bath tap the whole time i cleaned the bathroom) it was really shocking I feel bad now for my old neighbours probably paying for my excessive usage!

Anyway I’ve just this morning shaved £6/month off the direct debit by:
-running a basin for morning ablutions
-using a bowl of water for cleaning
-mostly showers and baths very shallow when I have them (I actually find this a lot better than I thought I would)
-using water left over eg. From nighttime water glass to fill kettle
-only doing the washing up when there is a reasonable amount to do (this was a tricky one, I hate watching it pile up!)

I cut my kids’ hair myself
Shop in Aldi not Tesco
No takeaways
We don’t really eat out any more

I do have Prime but I can't really do without it. It's essential for days when I can't get to the shops/need something urgently.

DH doesn't have a phone and mine is a three year old cheapie one which is on its last legs, so I'll have to replace it soon (it acts as me and DH's joint phone and is our internet access so can't do without it). I'm on giffgaff and pay £8pm so no trimming to be done there.

Reading this thread has made me realise how out of touch I must be because virtually all the tips mentioned are things that we have been doing for ever. I had a very middle class upbringing but at the same time my parents were very practical and I think that their upbringing in the war and post war period made them extremely conscious about waste or needless expenditure. DH is cut from the same cloth so these have always come as second nature eg heating barely on (woolen vests, scarve, blankets as standard), v rare takeaways (although we are v rural so no deliveries which means no temptation) and I'm obsessive about food waste.

I'm not trying to criticize btw, and am well aware that I am considerably more fortunate than many, but I have just found it interesting that so many things that others view as sacrifices are perfectly normal to me. Sometimes I think that I need to let rip but it goes against my nature and genuinely I sometimes wish that I could spend money without so much angst.

@Dianaofthelakeofshiningwaters

Reading this thread has made me realise how out of touch I must be because virtually all the tips mentioned are things that we have been doing for ever. I had a very middle class upbringing but at the same time my parents were very practical and I think that their upbringing in the war and post war period made them extremely conscious about waste or needless expenditure. DH is cut from the same cloth so these have always come as second nature eg heating barely on (woolen vests, scarve, blankets as standard), v rare takeaways (although we are v rural so no deliveries which means no temptation) and I'm obsessive about food waste.

I'm not trying to criticize btw, and am well aware that I am considerably more fortunate than many, but I have just found it interesting that so many things that others view as sacrifices are perfectly normal to me. Sometimes I think that I need to let rip but it goes against my nature and genuinely I sometimes wish that I could spend money without so much angst.

Heating isn't a "needless expenditure" and this post is patronising. My grandparents are also from a war generation but they don't sit around in scarves and layers without the heating on, because they can afford not to. If you can afford heating but choose not to have it on and sit around in layers - that's just silly martyrdom.

I was expecting a pile on - and I didn't actually say that heating was a needless expenditure but some pps mentioned that they were turning down their heating to 18. They therefore made a choice to have it higher than that in the first place.

And it's not martyrdom to wear layers - it's better for the planet, but, as I said, I am increasingly aware of being an outlier in my views on 21st century lifestyles.

@Dianaofthelakeofshiningwaters

Reading this thread has made me realise how out of touch I must be because virtually all the tips mentioned are things that we have been doing for ever. I had a very middle class upbringing but at the same time my parents were very practical and I think that their upbringing in the war and post war period made them extremely conscious about waste or needless expenditure. DH is cut from the same cloth so these have always come as second nature eg heating barely on (woolen vests, scarve, blankets as standard), v rare takeaways (although we are v rural so no deliveries which means no temptation) and I'm obsessive about food waste.

I'm not trying to criticize btw, and am well aware that I am considerably more fortunate than many, but I have just found it interesting that so many things that others view as sacrifices are perfectly normal to me. Sometimes I think that I need to let rip but it goes against my nature and genuinely I sometimes wish that I could spend money without so much angst.

I agree with @Waxonwaxoff0 that this post comes across as condescending, particularly on a thread where so many have real concerns. Also agree that a warm home isn't a 'nice to have, particularly if you have health issues or are on medication where being cold causes real problems.

Isn't just a 'nice to have, that was meant to say.

Fair enough- I'm off - and I apologise for offending anyone. Please don't make assumptions about my life - fyi I have a disability and rarely leave the house so am well aware of challenges that this brings.
Was just bringing an alternative viewpoint but was wrong to do so. Good luck to all struggling with their finances.

I've also tried to find better ways of still having the things i like.

someone above mentioned coffee. I was buying a take away coffee pretty much every day before work (and at £2.80 s go that's a lot - albeit nice coffee).

i found out that the local coffee shop where i go does a coffee subscription. so signed up for around £60 for 6 months. a bag of ground coffee (for my french press) is now delivered every 2 weeks. £60 would have bought me around 17 days of coffee i think in the shop. a bag lasts about 2 weeks. so whilst i am still spending on a luxury, i'm saving an have found abetter way to do it. i also spent money on a nice travel mug (contigo) which keeps coffee hot until i get to work, and also doesn't leak in my bag.

[quote MyNameIsAngelicaSchuyler]@shinynewapple22 that’s up to you. I can’t bear bear a dirty house, it takes me six hours to do it myself and I run my own business so it makes no sense to lose almost a full day of pay - or a weekend day, when I want to spend time with my family - to cleaning. Alcohol, on the other hand, makes me fat and anxious. I know where I’d rather spend my money but appreciate an in a privileged position to actually make that choice. I feel a great sense of responsibility towards my cleaner too- If everyone sees her as an easy cut back she will be screwed.[/quote]
@MyNameIsAngelicaSchyfer

Agreed. My cleaner is the last coat I’d cut back on, and also agree for her as well as me.

There isn't much I can cut back on. I'm going to cancel spotify and go back to playing cds, but that's about it. I've cancelled prime. Contemplating cancelling my tv licence but reluctantly. I'm trying to keep the heating low and wrapping up in a blanket. I rarely order takeaways, but will try not to order any now.

Try not to fill kettle more than you need and keep a Flask by your kettle, anyway and ad any extra boiled water to that for later use.
If you are cooking in the oven and are not batch cooking put a pyrex bowl of water and use the heat to heat that water up also .. ( use for washing up or into your flask).

@Dianaofthelakeofshiningwaters

Fair enough- I'm off - and I apologise for offending anyone. Please don't make assumptions about my life - fyi I have a disability and rarely leave the house so am well aware of challenges that this brings. Was just bringing an alternative viewpoint but was wrong to do so. Good luck to all struggling with their finances.

@Dianaofthelakeofshiningwaters

I think most people will realise you didn’t mean to be patronising. And you are right that the situation with the planet means we’ll need to make some of these changes anyways…

But, lots of people are facing a really shit time, or already in the shit and facing worse, so you’d probably have been better to start a separate thread.

I'm currently job hunting after a career break to care for elderly parents. It's not going as well as I'd hoped (have had some great interviews but no takers) and I'm starting to really worry.

I've had a little bit of inheritance to fall back on but if I don't start working in the next 6 weeks I'll be screwed.

So...no takeaways or eating out (the latter was rare anyway, takeaways not so much )

Religiously switching lights off...tbh I'm not keen on the dark so had leds and often went to sleep with the TV on which I've stopped. Bedroom TV no longer on standby all the time either.

Not working with the laptop plugged in

Dropped my Audible subscription and reduced my other subscriptions.

Trying to walk rather than drive short distances

Running down the contents of cupboards, fridge, freezer etc before buying more food.

Buying a whole chicken, jointing it, then boiling the carcass for stock and 'pickings' rather than buying expensive chicken breast fillets, bulking out meals with frozen/cheap veg and using less meat.

I don't have a dishwasher or tumble dryer and being in a terrace the house stays fairly warm, which is something to be grateful for.

DD is currently having driving lessons and we have uni open days in June. XH has made it clear he's not interested in contributing practically or financially so have to find the money for those somehow as I'm determined she won't be affected.

Luckily she has a decent part time job and is very good at organising her own money so she covers a lot of her own regular expenses (gym, clothes, toiletries, mobile phone etc) which many 17 year olds probably don't.

I have always used 60deg for washing bedding and towels ( they are not dirty dirty usually).. am now thinking that I should go 40 deg ( though it feels a bit wrong, but I now think that I may have been a bit over the top previously.. ).. Also reducing the time to 50 min wash...
Everything thing else is 30 deg or under

I have also turned the heating off, as DH is away atm, but I probably wont get away with it when he's back .. I have turned it all down though so that should be ok.. its easier to be frugal on your own!

Waves to Ememem84