Your number 1 money-saving tip

[PupInAPram]

What is your number 1 tip that saved you the most money on regular household spending?

The things that make the most difference for us are cutting right back on eating out, second hand clothes for the kids and doing the odd ‘dry’ months. A bog standard pub type tea out can easily be £60-70 so it’s a big saving to plan a nicer thing to cook instead as a weekend treat. Second hand kids clothes- eBay and Vinted are awash with stuff, saves a fortune. And the dry months - even averaging a bottle of wine and a few beers per weekend it’s probably over £50 per month. These are the things that make a noticeable difference to us.

Be careful about 'Buy Two, Get One Free' type offers. If it's something you regularly buy that will always come in - great. If you only intended to buy and use one, it's not a saving to get three for the price of two.

Throw another dog on the bed

Is it ok to use a random one from the park?

No 1 is if you don't need it, don't buy it. Yes it is incredibly dull only spending on essentials but it is money saving. Do it for a fortnight/ month, however long you need. Put off the purchase until payday/ next week/ next month and you'll find you probably don't want it after all. I do this with online shopping all the time, fill up the baskets and then close app/ website.

I have an ingrained careful streak.

Take packed lunches to work.
Have coffee and milk at work rather than buying coffees.
Use cash rather than a bank card (much easier to see what's left)
Whilst I buy in bulk to save money - I transfer to small cartons/packages because there's something about eking out a little bit rather than adding an extra scoop of powder because there's loads in the box.
Turn heating down to 15/16 (we've always done this) and have a fire in the family room.

Sorry that's more than 1. Overall, I'd say using actual cash because it's easier to see what's left and avoid over spending.

Download and use the YNAB app.

Loads of YouTube guides in how to get the most of it.

If you’re a smoker, seriously try to replace smoking with vaping. You will save an absolute fortune. And it helps if you can’t just quit.

I’ve read on here (so it must be true !) that doing fast washes in the washing machine and dishwasher uses more water and power.

The Too Good To Go app is excellent. All end of date stuff but you can freeze it or batch cook with it. Olio is another good one.

@EdgeOfSeventeenAndThreeQuarter hot water bottle is now on my shopping list. Getting a rescue dog was going to be part of my retirement planning as I have always wanted one, but being a single working parent and now just single and working it's never seemed sensible. I've put it in the category of 'want but shouldn't do'.

I agree about taking packed lunched to work.

Also the tip of wait until tomorrow!

My kids have the mattress covers from Dunelm that are teddy bear on one side and cotton on the other. They have the teddy bear side in winter and they say it keeps them warm, then swap to the cotton side in summer.

Brushed cotton sheets for the colder months.

Stock take the cupboards and freezer before shopping. Shopping list and meal plan.

I have all the loyalty cards, (I don't use physical cards, I have the Stocard ) sometimes there are discounts.

I do all my spending on cashback credit cards that nets me about £140 a year.

I agree about not getting a dog, they can cost a fortune.
Like pp said, ‘borrow’ one from the park for a night 🤣🤣

@GeneLovesJezebel

I’ve read on here (so it must be true !) that doing fast washes in the washing machine and dishwasher uses more water and power.

I'm so baffled by this. My energy efficient washing machine takes forever to do a regular wash. How is that using less energy? 🤔 Some 'sciency' explanation I guess.

Know exactly where your money goes.

It sounds silly but being on top of it all is 90% of the money management/reducing spend aim won. Saving a fiver a week by not using the tumble dryer is a drop in the ocean if you waste ££ elsewhere.

How much is your mortgage payment? What's the total debt you owe? How much is in your bank account right now? How much does it cost you every time you use the tumble dryer instead of hang on an airer? How many meals worth of food do you have in the cupboards right now?

If you don't know, find out. Do a cupboard audit, make lists, write a meal plan, create a spreadsheet or set up a Monzo account with pots.

It doesn't really matter how you do it because different things work for different people.

You just need to be on top of it and know everything about your money, spending and costs - because only then can you make good choices with your money.

@TheirTheyre

If you’re a smoker, seriously try to replace smoking with vaping. You will save an absolute fortune. And it helps if you can’t just quit.

Or, if that's not possible, rolling your own is much cheaper than buying them in packets, especially if you bulk-buy papers and filters online.

Have a subscription clear-out.

When I was made redundant in 2019 the first thing I did was go through my bank statements and cancel all my non-essential subscriptions. Sky, Netflix, magazines, charities, gym membership, veg box, newspapers. The lot. I was amazed by how they had accumulated over the years, Most of it, I didn’t miss at all and I saved hundreds of pounds a month. The only things I re-subscribed to after I returned to work were Sky, gym and a couple of charities.

Stop spending on unnecessary stuff...to which most things are tbh.

We are a family of 6 and spend a lot on food
I was finding I was spending about £120 a week on a big shop split between aldi and Tesco but then popping to Tesco another 3 times a week and spending another £80 odd.
Now I try to meal plan better and if I run out of milk or bread or something I just go to our local shop. Obviously more expensive for a single item but that's all I buy

Don't go shopping (in person or online) as a leisure activity.

Learn to love your bank statement and seeing the balance increasing.

For food shopping - Meal plan, use a shopping list and stick to it. No impulse buys allowed.

I don't smoke or drink but I could definitely cut my grocery bill by stopping ready meals for dinner on a week day and batch cooking on a Sunday. It is my one luxury as I walk to work and back every day and work in a full time busy job. I worked, shopped, cooked tea and washed up every night for two decades as a single parent with no support. Ready meals are an unnecessary indulgence though 😔

Don’t smoke or drink. Total waste of money.
Meal plan by looking at your cupboards first and including items you have already
No coffee / lunches out, my goodness the cost is insane
Walk / cycle wherever you can
Avoid top ups shops. Usually you can just do without that single item and it stops you spending another £15-20
Know where your money goes. Spend it on what you value.
Prioritise education, training, ambition in your children. Not through money but through aspiration.

Don't follow the latest trends: fashion, cars, etc

Have 'measured' treats: if you go to the restaurant, go to cheap one; when flying, shop around for cheap flights.