Can we have a 'best money saving tip' thread please?

[PlateSpinningAtAllTimes]

Myself and DH have decided that we really need to have a frugal couple of years to start properly saving some money. I think the MSE website is good but can be a little overwhelming- so much info! What are your best tips for curbing spending?

My tip: meal plan, cook in bulk, freeze individual portions. Lasagne and pasta bake seem to freeze well and are cheap to make.

Two things that I have just done and have made a huge difference:

1. Do a total blitz on all your bank accounts, utilities and so on. Make sure you're on the best rate for everything (best interest rate for banking, lowest rates for insurance etc). This might involve unexpected changes (£100 a month in my ISA was earning me hardly anything - but in a non-ISA savings account it earns me 6%, and I don't pay interest anyway because I'm not working). Move debt around if you need to, using things like zero interest balance transfer cards (but be v v strict about paying them off!).

1. Make an annual budget, then divide it up monthly. I used to find that I thought I had more money to spend than I really did, because I would forget about various sorts of expenditure (e.g. car repairs, oil bills), and when the bills came in I would have to go overdrawn to pay them. Go through a year or two's worth of bank and credit card statements and factor in EVERYTHING (use an average for unpredictable things like car repairs). Then, set aside enough money every month in a dedicated account to pay for ALL bills, and DO NOT use it for any other spending. Put aside some other money (if you can afford it!) into savings. Only then, treat what's left as 'spending money'.

All this takes hours of your time, and will require you to be extremely boring about money (my husband now rolls his eyes whenever I mention the word budget ). But it works!

It may have been mentioned earlier but I have found the resourcefulcook.com meal planner really good. It is free, easy to navigate and provides a printable shopping list. I have lapsed in recent months but when I was using it (I've only tried the vegetarian plans), I shaved loads off our grocery bill.

Oh dear. My first shot at a link looked so promising but it doesn't seem to work.

Don't shop at the Co-OP. just bought a loaf of bread, 4 rolls of toilet paper and black bin bags = £7.00. Delightful.

It's a shame that these threads always seem to be in Chat and disappear, but the Credit Crunch board on MN is pretty good too and there is a long thread with more tips which has been recently bumped. Worth checking

Here's your link to The Resourceful Cook meal plans Stereolab: Looks Good

Thank you for the technical assistance!

You are very welcome but thank you for the site!

I've used resourceful chef for years - can highly recommend it for saving money and also for some unusual mealtime inspiration!

This is from the BBC website today:

Three-quarters of British households overfill their kettles, wasting a total of £68m each year, an Energy Saving Trust (EST) report has suggested.

The study of 86,000 households also found the average shower lasted seven-and-a-half minutes. A minute less and £215m would be saved, the EST said.

Washing clothes at 30C and filling kettles to the required amount were among ways to save money, it added.

DH believes that if you're making one cup of tea you should heat the water up (in the cup) in the microwave as that would be cheaper than boiling a kettle. But I have never found a way to verify this!

Scripsi, you can buy plug in electric monitors for measuring how much an appliance uses, I got mine in maplins. I shaved the cost of using the washing machine from 8p a cycle to 2.5p. Saddo that I am.

I asked mnhq to move this to credit crunch yesterday and they said they will, which is probably why olivia did a tennis ball post up thread.

Fluffy what a brilliant idea. I shall have hours of fun ...

Great thread.

I use Stay Fresh Longer bags from Lakeland and they are brilliant. I rarely throw out veg these days. I rinse the bags out and reuse them many times over, literally until they accidentally get a hole in them. Must have saved me a packet over the years.

I'm wondering about buying this product, Radflex radiator heat reflectors You can buy it on eBay. Has anyone bought it and has it saved you any money?

Buy a flask! Coffee brewed at home lasts hours and costs a fraction of the price you pay in coffee shops.

Book 2014 activities now and make the most of early bird discounts- especially good for family holidays.

Spend a day sorting your finances - you can definitely get interest on savings and old ISAs by shopping around on sites like money supermarket

Buy Xmas presents in the summer sales or better still make your own. I have a roll of white paper which DD has printed trees and stars on with potato prints- no shop bought wrapping paper for us!

Have a money saving completion at home- turn the lights off and think about your energy consumption. The government has an initiative to pay for loft or cavity wall insulation which saves a lot in the long term on increasing fuel bills.

Resist the temptation to buy another pair of shoes and have a clothes swapping and accessories swapping party with friends- one item in one item out rule and everyone goes home with something new for something they don't use!

Bake cakes don't buy them- ditto biscuits and treats- freeze squash in plastic lolly kits !

Giffgaff sim - I just got one for £7.50 a month and kept phone - 200 mins, texts etc...can't remember the details but its cheap

When I was really really strapped for cash I used to freeze bread in batches as a few people have said.

Local newspapers for free events over the summer and discount vouchers.

Thanks fluffy - you beat me to it!

Not running a car saves me a small fortune. I live in a town centre and walk and cycle around town and my kids do the same. I use the city car club if i really need a car for some reason. One of their cars is on my street so its very handy.

Know your active ingredients eg Sodium hydroxide = caustic soda and mr muscle drain unblocker. Ones cheap, ones not but as long as the product you buy contains the active ingredient the result is the same.

Cold vinegar in the kettle for an hour descales it, you can reuse it too.

Cheap painkillers, same as branded according to the chief scientific officer of the royal pharmaceutical society (who probably knows about drugs) same for non branded thrush tablets, anti histamines. What's worse with painkillers is that some of the brands (nurofen I'm looking at you) market the same drug as being specially for migraines in one box and specially for period pains in another.

Baby oil shifts eye make up in one go, I'm still using the same bottle from two and a half years ago.

The family planning service do free condoms, as does your gp. I've worked in clinics with family planning and the staff are very liberal, it's not just basic condoms now. Some positively pride themselves for the range of flavoured and ribbed varieties they offer. Femidoms are available too though why on earth you'd want to with all the rustling sounds they make

I do the following:
-avoid using tumble dryer
-reuse tea bags
-don't have any spa/beauty treatments as much cheaper to buy products and do it myself at home
-get products when on offer and make use of Boots points and vouchers
-hair cut only 3 times per year (long so can get away with it)
-cut open products like hand cream to get last bit out
-walk if possible to save petrol (and get some exercise)
-avoid paying parking if possible by parking further away from high streets and walking
-have a present bag/drawer so you can get gifts when on offer e.g. in Jan
-buy cards from card factory
-buy Christmas cards, crackers etc when reduced after Christmas and keep for following year
-for a good value date night DH and I use a restaurant voucher e.g. 2 for 1 mains to cut the food bill, just drink tap water to save on drinks (this makes a big difference). I usually have a glass of supermarket wine at home while getting ready to avoid the feeling of wanting a glass when out so I don't feel hard done by!
-instead of meals out with friends take it in turns to meet at each other's house for dinner
-make things when possible (e.g. party cakes)
-take food when going out for the day
-exercise at home with dvds/ weights
-borrow outfits/accessories for special occasions as they are expensive and don't get worn frequently (my sister and I borrow from each other)

The next thing I must master is meal planning as I'm sure we could cut our shopping bill if we were more organised...

I forgot, if you only watch catch up tv you don't need a tv licence. Same for Netflix and lovefilm.

I cancelled mine in January, filled a form in and got my refund.

People will tell you iplayer needs a licence but that's only for live broadcasts, tv licensing explained it to me and its all legal.

if you plan the meals you're having for the week it saves money when you go to do the shopping, we've been saving at least £20 a week as we dont over buy and dont end up having to go out for top up shops because we forgot to get for one night etc

Oh Christ, have just remembered how helpful I used to be to DH's grandmother when we went to stay by throwing away teabags left out and filling up the bowl with hot water and w/up liquid to wash two or three things.

(Mind you, DH never corrected me. He has been known to drive three miles to a different supermarket if he can't park as close as he'd like)

This was three or more years ago and I wouldn't dream of doing it now in my house or anyone else's. I just didn't know the habits of people aged ninety who had fought in the war. My parents are profligate baby-boomers and my Dad gets through a bottle of Fairy Liquid every week on his own compared to my three months for a family of four!