your top tips for money-saving and a more frugal life..

[amigoingmadhere]

Right - having until now led a relatively good lifestyle, am about to be single with 3 young dcs and very little money (not going to go into background here as it's depressing and will only get me down on this sunny morning).

Rather than sit here terrified, I would like to gather the collective wisdom of MN to see how I can immediately live a more frugal life and preserve any little money we have for a house and the dcs' future.

So, here's what I can think of to start with:

• get a new Boots card (old one is connected to my stbxh's email account)
• get Tesco clubcard
• get Nectar card
• always scour the internet etc. for vouchers / codes etc. (do this anyway but in a more random way)
• only ever buy presents in sales
• when moving house, try to get as much as possible from charity shops / freecycle etc.
• use library more
• see if Surestart still exists (a while since I used their services)
• start looking for any local free/cheap gym / sports facilities

There must be more that I'm not thinking of.. would be grateful for your ideas! - shopping / cooking / kids' activities / house furnishing etc.

I'm starting afresh on a new and wonderful life.. but it's going to be hard.

thanks :)

If you like magazines, you can salvage them from the paper recycling wheelybins - if, like me, you're not bothered what anybody thinks if they see you rifling through the wheelybin!

I read all the glossy supplements each week this way without shelling out for weekend papers.

Learn to sew, even if only by hand, as said by posters above.

I was when a guy in work paid ?5 per button at lunchtime to get 2 buttons sewn on his coat - I keep a needle and thread in my desk drawer and would have done it for him for nothing.

Badvoc come over to the arts and crafts threads, we won't laugh at you for wanting a sewing machine! ( I have 3 )

We are 2 about to become 3 and I am making sure I become more thrifty to save before little onecomes

The biggest thing I have done to get more frugal is if you go to the supermarket take a calculator. If I see as I go round how things are adding up then I know if I am overspending. If we dont do this then our bills are a lot more expensive.

I also do coupons. All the supermarkets have magazines that have coupons, and you can print a lot online too. I only get the things that I need. I had some dettol coupons yesterday so the big spray bottles worth £3, I only paid 50p for.

I can only say lovely things about Martin and money saving expert, I have learnt so much from that website, and got lots of bargains

My SILs and I do secret santa at christmas and easter and have a limit for spend so that helps when there is a lot of you. Although now, DH and I wont get presents only baby. Card Factory has been mentioned a lot and they are brilliant. I always use them. I also use the Studio catalogue too, they have good things at good prices for christmas

I have a present drawer too. Things that I find on sale, things we have been given and its not us, or things we have won on raffles or competitions. Its all in there, and that saves me a lot over the year and I always have something to give.

also thankyou OP for this, I have learnt a LOT from this thread!!

I found another one out, I have to thank Pigletjohn for this one, I didnt think of it.

Apparently one red padded water tank jacket isnt enough to keep all the heat in (my airing cupboard was suspiciously (sp) warm when we moved here) you ideally need two. I'm ordering another one off ebay.

Secondly, a water tank should heat up in 20mins, ours is a bit older but I gave it 20min this morning and the tank was as hot as if I had left it on for an hour so I need to rethink how long I leave it on for. It's only a small tank not a huge one like at the last house. Heating water is really expensive.

I have wiped £30 off our bill since last month though just by turning the tank thermostat down.

can i just add - i am nearly 6 months into being a single parent. i did a very itemised and anally retentive budget when it first happened because i was so bloody scared i wouldn't cope.

maybe this isnt the same for everyone but i've been able to relax mine quite a bit now.

things that ended up being cheaper if you haven't done this already:

council tax - you might get the single discount
mobile phone bill - mine dropped by £20 a month post separation and i'm about to negotiate a new tarrif.
food shoppping - my £65 a week budget scared me until i realised i dont eat that much!
gas and electric - down by lots and was able to set and stay within a monthly direct debit amount. exp couldnt be in the house without a tv/radio on - i adore quiet. more to the point exp was allergic to leaving the house whereas i am either out doing things with dd or at work while she is at nursery so we are cutting our bills that way too.
water - i have been in credit the last two quarters! dd always gets showered at the swimming pool which is twice a week and i dont bath/shower every day - never realised how wasteful exp was with gallons of water - his obsessional washing up was partly to blame though.
i got a tax rebate too - make sure you are getting all the tax credits etc you are entitled too.

meanwhile....i take dd a lunch box wherever i can get away with it - i actually eat out quite a bit ubt i haven't risked ordering for her off a menu since the split. i know its a bit pikey but shes so fussy its always wasted. otoh she will eat all sorts of leftovers out of little pink tubs. this worked well with a 2 year old - i bought lots of really funky plastic tubs (asda had a rainbow stack for 3.50) so her lunch box is always appealing. that and those chiller things you put in the freezer were worth the money. same goes for pretty plastci drinks bottles - if its a longer day take two!

if you want to sell on baby/kids stuff see if there are local selling pages on facebook. i would always use these and ebay as a last resort because of the fees. also much easier to sell items needing collection too. the city im in has tons of selling pages from kids to wooden furniture etc etc.

keep up to date with offers for lone parents. i have just discovered the local zoo has a single parent discount day every week thats nearly half price!

yearly membership of local attractons has saved me a lot and dd gets to go whenever - worth checking those out for cheap days out.

now i am on top of the money situation being in control isnt scary anymore its really bloody liberating!

crackcrackcrack - I did that "OMG, how will I survive?!" budget too. I think I allocated £200 a month for food for me and DS (previously been spending about £300 a month when exP at home so basically knocked a third off).

However, I'm actually spending way less. About £150 a month, including booze, household things and the occasional treat. I never realised how much exP ate! I used to order a jar of peanut butter and a jar of Marmite a fortnight . Now it's more like a jar of peanut butter a month and I've had an unopened jar of Marmite in the cupboard for months. I'm way less fussy about food than exP too. I'll batch cook something and live off it all week, or throw together a random meal from whatever needs eating from the fridge. My portions are a lot smaller too, I used to match my (hefty!) exP, now I eat to my own appetite. I'm losing weight too!

It might all change when DS is no longer being fed by nursery 5 days a week but I'm saving my pennies for now.

And I agree, it is bloody liberating being in control of your own money. Not that I wasn't before, I dealt with lots of the household finances but now it's all mine. If I make cutbacks, I can stick more in my savings or if I fancy a splurge (a very small splurge!) then I can do it without anyone being sniffy about it.

yes quite, born, i'm not quite sure what happened with our joint finances but we seemed to spend extortionately (exp does earn a lot) but have nothing to show for it. now its just me (and i can breathe again after the initial panic) i can buy everything we need and consequently the house looks great and dd and i have perfectly good wardrobes :-) i guess its a bit of look after the pennies logic

I used to earn a higher wage than I have now. I have no idea where it went either, It's not like we ate out every week or had holidays.

I earn a hell of a lot less now and yet I have more money in the bank.

Chocolatemedals - I have just done boots online it's fab! Free delivery over 30 quid do I've ordered all the nb stuff I need to get the points - was just nappies and maternity pads mostly but I got the points and saved the petrol yay!

I use washing up liquid to clean everything - unless it's the flier then I use laundry detergent - its an amazing degreaser - powder even better I learned that in here
I am about to buy a dishwasher funded entirely by a tax rebate, premium bonds dividends and Tesco club card voucher exchange

Plan as much as you can. I only go in to the town centre if I really have to and I have several errands to run - once a fortnight is too much! I spend a lot less now I don't browse and don't miss it. I feel better about not dragging dd too.

It used to be boots that got me into the mall but now there's one with a car park close to work - godsend!

Learn to find things to watch online - cheeky I know but blockbuster is long gone for me. I bought the leads you need to show laptop stuff on the telly in Tesco for under £20 - paid for themselves v quickly.

Saving money when you're single is about being able to make the economies that you don't mind but someone else would object to, I reckon. I'm happy to walk a few miles rather than use the car, wear jumpers rather than putting heating on, have no TV, don't buy booze or tobacco, cook to freeze and eat lots of veggie food - exp wouldn't tolerate any of those things. Exp, I'm sure, saves money as he is prepared to wear any clothes (I tend to spend a fortune bit more on them), lives in an area with cheaper shops/ public transport, builds and maintains his own computers, will do plumbing jobs himself, and eats hotdogs, has no pets - none of which I'm willing to do. It's like a lowest common denominator of what you're both OK with when you're part of a couple.

Hi there,

• may I suggest www.approvedfood.co.uk Not involved with them other than being quite a loyal customer. It has lots of food, toiletries and some gifty things that are either out of best before date (not gone off but the best before date), have changed packaging or in bulk. So for example, for DD's birthday and a camping trip with loads of friends I bought 48 baker boy cakes, each individually wrapped for £1.99.n Obviously this is not a weekly buy but has done me well in a time I 'm nbot able to bake. DH is very keen on pickles, crisps and uses fizzy drinks for a throat issue and I buy these in bulk at very cheap prices.

Anyway, particularly good for store cupboard things and treats. be aware of weights. I got 5 tins of tomato puree for like 19p each. When they came they were MASSIVE, like catering things... but it froze well :)

• meal planning around bargains found last week and frozen

• do not be afraid of saying "Sorry, we can;t do that as money is tight... could we do..." etc. I was super doper skint about 5 yeas ago, pre recession and I feel in some ways it is easier to say that to folks now as they understand. Saving money is the GOOD parenting thing to do :)

• Agree with ironing, friend of mine was in difficult (similar to yours possibly) and she earns a mint doing ironing... and she loves it, can do it while looking after kids etc.

• enjoy free stuff :) and things you have to do - like making lunch: How ever young, put covering on floor, give out bread, small plate with a little butter, cheese, ham etc on it and see who can make the best sandwich / be chefs / waiter etc. taking older kids to nursery/school - nature walk on way back. We filled a whole morning walking to corner shop, buying come value choc for 50p, going home and making crispy cakes, decorating them then playing 'cafe'. Not always easy but I suppose what i mean is see the chid's enjoyment....

• prepare for winter now while stuff is cheaper. Have one room (lounge?) that is your warm room and buy hot water bottles, cheap blankets/sheets etc, boil kettle and leav in flask for hot drinks, warm soups etc.

• just remembered this site www.lastminute-auction.com which you can choose a group e.g. kids toys, books, housey stuff adn it will show you the latest stuff on ebay that has only a shoprt time to go and/or is very very cheap...

• Soups are your friend.

• Find a chidlcare buddy. someone who will have tyhe kids in energency etc and for whome you would do the same.

best of luck - you are in a better situation now. Being poor must be beter than your previous situation.

mumblecrumble - http://www.lastminute-auction.com/uk/ might be best for UK bargains

I turn off oven for last 10 minutes of cooking
Shower gel is put int a pump dispenser
Always tesco online, never in store. I would pay about 125 quid in store, maximum 80 online

School uniform second hand always
Boot sales for christmas and birthday presents. I find lots of stuff that is BNIB for a quid. I haggle like hell too.

Put raw pasta in boiling boiling water, turn off heat, leave for 11 minutes. Cooks fabbly and saves on gas

Socks in bed when its cold. Hat too in winter. (can you tell i am single?!?)
Kids always share a packet of crisps or organic apple

Make all cakes and biscuits. Gorgeous square cake tin, massive 8 egg cake. Cook, quarter it and freeze in quarters for lunch boxes

Get school shoes resoled for extra wear

Ebay for cheap curtains ... Make into throws, table cloths, storage bags, covers for things

Nick stuff whenever possible (joke)

Have not read all the posts, but you can save a bit of money on using washing machine, by washing your smalls in the bath when you take one, and then spin them in a salad spinner (always seen at car boots and charity shops)!

Join swagbucks.com and earn points by watching videos, doing surveys etc and then exchange for vouchers. You can easily earn £15 a month ( or more) in Amazon vouchers by using this site. I joined in May and have cashed in £50 worth already and have enough for another £10 so far. Got it off themoneysavingexpert website.

There are also loads of other survey sites if you have the patience with them.

I also use topcashback and nectar.com depending on what I am buying online.

Good luck op. :)

amigoingmadhere- I'm in the same situation....newly single 3 kids under 6. Good luck and wish you all the best. I've bought a red cashbook and am writing down what I am spending to work out what is going where and budget realistically (and keep an eye on my overdraft). I've joined the local carclub instead of having a car- sometimes can work out cheaper than the bus. I've got to agree with those that recommend Aldi- not just for food but also in the run up to Christmas last year I actually got lots of stocking fillers/presents from there without spending too much. I do an online shop for the things I can't get from there with Ocado (I'm a lactose intolerant vegetarian!) and it is easy to see how much you are spending.

i get free samples from sensereach - maybe i heard about it on here. in exchange you have to fill in a questionaire but its v short. lately i got a big bag of washing liq capsules and a big bottle of softner - not massive but probably saved me £5. they were nice products too it made me happy

Re: booze. I make elderflower 'Champagne' in the summer; elderberry/sloe gin in late summer. The Elderflower fizz is so lovely - it's a real treat with a splash of sloe gin and made for the price of a bag of sugar (about 10 litres). A foraged Kir Royale!

Use half the amount of laundry liquid etc recommended. Wash on cool unless really dirty.

Assuming you're not vegetarian, try cheaper cuts if meat that go further so stewing steak, belly pork, pork shoulder and bulk up meals with root veg which are cheap.

If you can get Delia's frugal food book out of the library it has some great ideas (it was in shops when I was on maternity leave and looking to save money and u used to flick through in supermarket before buying!).

So much good advice on here is worth doing to get in the habit if as even if you have more money there are always better things to spend it on than overpriced crap.

Oh and if your kids waste apples by not eating down to core cut them up and share. One apple does my 2 younger ones this way or they would both waste about half each.

Haven't had time to read whole thread, so sorry if repeating.

See if your library has joined the Library Elf scheme - free to sign up to for the basic level of service. It sends email reminders to you 4 days before library books are due back and has saved me a fortune in library fines.

Also, don't buy birthday or Christmas cards - get the DCs to make them. Craft activity and saving all in one. If they're really into it and you have the time and patience they can make the wrapping paper too - printing on a long roll of paper by dipping biscuit cutters into paint is one idea I've seen (but not tried yet) or using hands or feet. Or wrap presents in newspaper - can look quite stylish and is environmentally friendly as well as cheaper.

Hand draw mazes, write coded messages and print free activity sheets off the internet rather than buying kids magazines. My DS (5yo) would rather have a new free sheet every few days than one magazine a week and our house doesn't fill up with the plastic tat off the covers.

Eating a mostly vegetarian diet will save you an awful lot of money. I'm not a vegetarian but my DP is and so my diet (mostly out of laziness) is 95% vegetarian. Anytime I buy meat I notice that the grocery bills shoot up.

Like others have said, you can make brilliantly healthy food quite cheaply so long as you set aside time at least once a week to cook and freeze batches. Passata and tinned tomatoes can be bought so cheaply in Lidl/Aldi, as can pasta; do up a huge pot of tomato sauce with e.g. garlic, onion and courgettes and chilllis. Buy cheap sandwich bags and freeze in individual portions. You can use the sauce for pasta, on pitta breads with cheese for a quick pizza, or as a topping for baked potatoes. Red lentils are also brilliant for soups and stews and freeze well. Buy discounted bags of almost-overripe fruit in the supermarket (pears are particularly good), take them straight home and cook them down into purees. Add to breakfast cereals or just about anything that needs sweetening.

My DP and his siblings were raised by their mum alone, on a solely vegetarian diet. They had almost no money and it was a real struggle for their mum but they ate incredibly well - she had loads of vegetarian cookbooks. They never once went hungry and had a brilliant childhood. It just takes a lot of planning and thriftiness. You can do it, OP :)

And do treat yourself occasionally - just do it wisely. I find a decent takeaway coffee feels like such a treat and it's not something I'm willing to completely eradicate. So now I do it once a week. Only buy your coffee from a company that you have a loyalty card with, and if your kids are with you, bring a lunchbox of special home-baked muffins (for example) and pick a nice sunshiney day so that you're all happy to be in the open air. That way you'll not be tempted by the menu or by the stack of shiney scones on the counter and the kids get a treat so everyone's happy.

Oh, another thing: any time you find yourself with an enormous loaf of bread, immediately slice it up and freeze it rather than letting it hang around for a day or two and not get fully eaten! A loaf of Lidl sourdough is really lovely and is lasting us for ages.