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Original poster

Money saving tips for the new year

281 replies

MushyPeace · 28/12/2012 00:45

New year, new start and all that... Anyone have any fab money saving tips?

Just due to everyday costs I have somehow managed to run up £5k debt and am so embarrassedHmm. I don't budget well. DP and I have been taking about having a baby soon (not getting any younger) and I just can't go into it knowing I have this debt. AF was three days late until today and while i would be so happy to be preg I am also relieved I am not. Hmm

So what's your top tip?

I am so far trying the budget supermarkets Smile and it will be packed lunches from now on. I will also eBay anything and everything!

OP posts:
HellesBelles396 · 02/01/2013 16:08

mushy get yourself a flask or one of those ceramic kidded mugs that look like takeaway cups and supply your own coffee.

Piemother · 02/01/2013 16:54

Joining Grin
Check if you are entitled to warm front or green deal. I have just had the loft insulation done in my Victorian terrace. It's actually amazing I've turned the heating down to 1 and its plenty warm enough without a jumper Grin

Hydrophilic · 02/01/2013 20:01

I stay in hotels a lot for work and always "liberate" nice teabags, coffee and the odd pen or hundred pens.

Obviously I wouldn't do this in small hotels and I take a couple a day so it looks like I'm drinking them.

Hydrophilic · 02/01/2013 20:08

Also don't ever buy ready-made breadcrumbs again!! Nip down to Waitrose just before closing (mine is at 8 so is convenient) and pick up huuuge bagettes for 50p or less! Leave a couple of days and then whizz up and freeze.

You can also get some bargains. I got two tuna steaks for TWO POUNDS the other night. They were gorgeous.

SoftKittyWarmKitty · 02/01/2013 20:36

Mushy You're doing really well! With regard to your lunches and coffees, if you're spending a total of £21 per week on these, multiplied by 48 weeks (am assuming you get four weeks' holiday) that's a total of £1008 per year just on soup and coffee! As a poster above mentioned, could you make your own soup and heat up in the microwave at work? Or take in leftovers from the night before and heat them up. Failing that, a home made salad or sandwich will be cheap and cheerful. I always take a packed lunch to work and to avoid a rush in the morning, I make it the night before.

I rang Sky last April and gave them a made up sob story about having my wages cut and negotiated free line rental for twelve months. I'm going to ring them again in the next few weeks to see if they'll knock anything else off. I'm out of contract so I'm more than willing to switch to Freeview if they won't reduce my bill. The trick is, if you don't get any joy from customer services ask to be put through to disconnections. In the Sky office they're known as Retentions and their job is to keep you as a customer, so they have more power to give you discounts than customer services do. If the worst comes to the worst and they won't budge (unlikely) but you don't actually want to cancel Sky, just tell them you need to think about it and double check your budget and will ring them back later. Then ring back and try again with a different person later on.

13Iggis · 03/01/2013 00:10

Do Sky not get wise to people phoning up to cancel? Just a bit worried they might call my bluff and I'll end up without mumsnet broadband or telly!

Original poster
MushyPeace · 03/01/2013 00:35

Yes I did the maths after I posted Soft. That's a lot on lunch and coffee! Shock

I'm going to make some soup at these weekend!

And I MAY have one of those thermos things for my morning coffee...

I'm already sensing I need to be more organised...

OP posts:
bluecarrot · 03/01/2013 00:58

I really really really wanted to cancel sky ( went tv-free) and the retentions folk were V persistent! Before I got cross and kinda shouted at the guy Blush he was offering me 6 months free inc movies and sports and no contract.

And in the last 8 months the offers through the post have been even better. DP wants it when he moves in at Easter so unless I get more convincing we will have his mega big tv screen in the house with a bazillion channels telling us about all the products we "need". I hate advertising!

For mobile phones, check out bill monitor. If you have a contract phone it will analyse your bills for you and in the few weeks leading up to your contract end it will email you with best deals.

My O2 super deal ended a few weeks ago and bill monitor showed me a three deal at £7 a month that meets my needs- that's £5 less than what I was paying last year with O2. ( O2 retentions team seem to offer great things unless you have already done your research!)

I use cashback sites and made about £600 in last few years. One actually made my broadband and landline pay me to have them and my three contract will technically cost me £4 a month average after cashback.

Food wise, the resourceful cook is a good place to help newbie meal planners. Also google "budget bytes" it's a lovely blog. Haven't cooked anything from it yet as been eating pre-made from the freezer since I discovered the site, but it's gonna be a major resource for me in the next few months.

My biggest money saver is that I have a list of my goals on the back of a cupboard door- this reminds me daily of my goals ( have more kids and to be a sahm for a few years) to do this I have to be financially savvy. I try to daydream about it too so its heavily ingrained in my mind. ( NLP trick)

mathanxiety · 03/01/2013 06:29

Re soup and coffee at work make your own soup I recommend lentils added to make it more filling -- or bring leftovers (insulated bag needed so you don't get food poisoning) and get a good insulated mug and make your own coffee to bring with you. A french press is the cheapest option or if you could try instant that would be cheaper still.

I like the idea of going on a clothes freeze.

BoffinMum · 03/01/2013 07:31

An aside, but I've just been tinkering with the account for my Austerity Housekeeping ebook on Amazon, and I have conquered the technology and managed to make it free for one day, if you want to download it. You don't need a Kindle as it's iPhone/iPad compatible, or can be downloaded onto a PC. Might be helpful for some people.

If anyone felt up to writing a short review or rating it, that would be good too, as last time I looked there weren't any yet.

As you were. Grin

MinimalistMommi · 03/01/2013 08:30

Mushy try and get a ceramic lined flask think for your coffee, stainless steel or worse plastic changes the taste of hot drinks slightly.

MinimalistMommi · 03/01/2013 08:31

waves at bluecarrot!

Original poster
MushyPeace · 03/01/2013 08:31

bluecarrot- Sky is great for missing the ads! Just watch everything 20 minutes after it starts (by recording or pausing at the start) and then you can zoom straight through them.

If you watch on demand there aren't any ads at all. Smile

OP posts:
BoffinMum · 03/01/2013 08:34

I didn't know you could get ceramic flasks. Where do you get them from? DH takes a flask to work and it tastes pretty dire, so he might like one for his birthday.

Right, update re: free book download. Apparently I have not quite conquered this as it works on Pacific Time plus a few random Amazon hours, so I would recommend checking at lunchtime if you want to do this. If you have problems just PM me and I'll see what I can do behind the scenes.

Scootergrrrl · 03/01/2013 08:34

I paid for the book the day before yesterday Boffin and it was definitely worth it. Will write a review for you when the little ratbags give me three minutes peace!

MinimalistMommi · 03/01/2013 08:34

Flask think? I meant flask thing! :D

MinimalistMommi · 03/01/2013 08:36

This is a glass lined flask by Thermos: www.amazon.co.uk/Thermos-Eclipse-Glass-Lined-Flask/dp/B004ULPCBW

And I know you can definitely get ceramic lined thermal drinking cups too.

BoffinMum · 03/01/2013 08:37

That's great Scooter. I have now sold 12 copies!! (Including one to DH LOL) If I sell 30 more I will have covered the costs of paying the man in Pondicherry to code the HTML for me!! Grin

MinimalistMommi · 03/01/2013 08:37

If anyone has a Waitrose near them with a cafe, get a Waitrose card which is free, and you can sit in the cafe or have free hot drinks to take away! You can have up to one a day. I have never seen our Waitrose cafe so busy...

MinimalistMommi · 03/01/2013 08:38

Sorry link again www.amazon.co.uk/Thermos-Eclipse-Glass-Lined-Flask/dp/B004ULPCBW

MinimalistMommi · 03/01/2013 08:39

After a very quick google here is a ceramic travel cup : www.amazon.co.uk/Creative-Housewares-MGR2542-CERAMIC-TRAVEL/dp/B005DKHDMK
I'm sure there are other styles out there.

MinimalistMommi · 03/01/2013 08:40

Going off line now, I'll pop back on tonight, love this thread!

bluecarrot · 03/01/2013 09:39

Mushy - it's not ads for me, it's DD. I'm fully capable of ignoring them but she just gets sucked in!

Wolfcub · 03/01/2013 09:46

Thank you boffinmum I've ordered your book and will post a review once I've read it. Sainsburys basics chopped tomatoes can e turned into a really amazing (and super cheap) tomato soup with a little carrot, celery, onion, stock and a spoon of sugar and splash of balsamic vinegar.

BoffinMum · 03/01/2013 09:53

Out of interest, has anyone actually managed to download the sodding thing onto a Mac? Mine can't seem to manage it ...