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Cost of living

Stretching your budget? Share tips and advice to discuss budgeting and energy saving here. For the latest deals and discounts, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

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

515 replies

PlateSpinningAtAllTimes · 30/06/2013 11:38

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.

OP posts:
bushbabyblues · 01/07/2013 18:33

My best money advice is to aim to earn more.

People get so over-excited over saving pennies but don't realise all the time they've spent chasing bargains could have been spent learning a new skill or supplementing their income.

If you can clean, iron, garden, babysit, file papers, use ebay etc you've got a skill that busy people need and will pay for. These jobs are often cash in hand (so shoot me George) and therefore better paid than the stacking shelves/bar work roles that are now so hard to come by.

Or take courses so you can add more professional strings to your bow and charge for them. I know someone paying for their PhD by doing mobile manicures at the weekends.

And be aggressive about chasing pay rises. Be the indispensible go to girl and take on responsibility. Know your worth in the marketplace and be prepared to keep moving in search of opportunities.

If you're a high earner in an industry that relies on recruitment consultants, always ask for a minimum of 10% increase at your annual review, because your company will need to pay at least as much as that in recruitment commission. A lesson I only learned myself a few years ago.

Set aside a weekend every year to sit down with your OH and work out where the money is going. Two heads are better than one and it makes you feel and act like a team on your financial objectives, not fall into the roles of "the spender" or the "saver". DH and I discuss things like our mortgage/pensions/holidays/big one off purchases. It sounds geeky but it means we never argue about money because we both know the score and what we're aiming to achieve in the forthcoming year. Companies have an annual review, so should you.

Finally, keep a list of what you've spent each day on your phone and then email it to yourself. Makes accounts and expenses so much easier to keep track of, so you minimise "leakage".

frankie4 · 01/07/2013 18:35

I went many years going without any presents for myself - ie me and dh did not give each other birthday presents, and if I was given birthday money by my dps I spent it on practical things. Always regift/recycle gifts when you can, your own presents or those your dc are given that you know they won't play with.

I do tesco club card exchange every Christmas, where the vouchers are worth double. I bought most of my presents for my dcs, nephews, nieces etc with this, so bought most of my Xmas shopping for free. I do a lot of shopping in tesco, always looking out for offers.

Buy some practical things to add to your dcs Xmas stockings that you need to buy them anyway. Eg this Xmas I bought my dc a cartoon duvet cover, slippers, baseball cap etc.

Keep some cheap bottled drinks and food in a box in the car boot for those times when you are out and don't want to buy expensive snacks and drinks.

Only drink water at home, fizzy drinks etc are just for treats.

Buy a sewing kit for repairs to clothes.

Buy cheap birthday cards in the supermarket and keep a stock at home so you never have to spend £2.50 on a card!

redrubyshoes · 01/07/2013 18:44

Minimalist

As a student I lived in digs in a Victorian house and believe me a double thickness curtain keeps a room warmer and a £1.99 roll of insulating felt around doors around doors and windows cuts out a hell of a lot of draughts.

quoteunquote · 01/07/2013 18:57

Those of you on water meters, who own your own home, look into grey water flush,

I have 2,000 gallon tank, well two IBC 1,000 gallon tanks,(£30 each), we use it to irrigate the garden and it provides all the water for flushing the loos,

1.6 to 4 gallons is used every time even for the most modern loo, on a 1.6 flush ten times a day, is 5,840 a year.

researchmaniacs.com/Calculate/HowMuchWaterDoYouUseFlushingToilet.html

I don't drink out of my loo, so I think rainwater harvest is fine for flushing away poo and wee.

YoungBritishPissArtist · 01/07/2013 18:58

Glad the things I do have already been mentioned; cutting into tubes to scrape out the dregs Blush and using teabags twice! Fine for me as I like my tea like gnat's piss, it might not work if you like strong tea...

I've stopped shopping as a leisure activity. I don't window shop or browse (both in actual shops and online) I buy when I actually need something and I've established the difference between need and want.

Retail therapy, pampering and treating yourself - marketing people trying to get you to spend money, don't be fooled!

YoungBritishPissArtist · 01/07/2013 18:59

Can anyone recommend a good money saving website or app?

ghosteditor · 01/07/2013 19:15

Watching with interest and things will be tight when we move next month.

I've already switched phone contract and contact lenses, and at work I reduced to only buying lunch out one day a week, and have now stopped entirely. Trying to persuade DH that meal planning is the way forward but our lives are a bit chaotic due to his job so it's difficult.

Quite amused by some of these: save money on air freshener? Open your windows and stop buying stuff that gives me headaches Grin.

I also read that you can save all the seeds from flowers in your garden and do a seed swap with keen gardeners, including vegetables - so next year you don't have to buy any!

Wash tinfoil and reuse, or better yet, use Tupperware instead.

Reduce your thermostat to 18 at the very warmest and wear more clothes - we have ours at 17 now and lots of people even lower.

If children are given lots of presents, hold some back for a few months so they're exciting and new and you don't end up buying anything else.

I also advocate a mooncup!

YoungBritishPissArtist · 01/07/2013 19:18

Agreed, ghosteditor Plug-in's particularly are toxic! Angry

I reuse sandwich bags and tinfoil :)

FairyPenguin · 01/07/2013 19:19
  • meal plans
  • go shopping and stick to the list and/or do online shops
  • get a Tesco Clubcard credit card (if you pay it off each month). You earn points for all spending on card, more if with Tesco. You can cash the vouchers in for cinema tickets, days out vouchers, restaurant vouchers, Eurotunnel tickets, other holiday vouchers.
  • sell unwanted clutter on Facebook selling sites
  • only buy books in the Kindle sales (eg 20p or 79p books)
  • use the library - it only costs me 60p to reserve a book, otherwise free if in stock
  • swap books with friends
  • walk where possible
  • cut down on alcohol
  • cut down on meat
  • cut down on snacks
  • stop buying newspapers and magazines - I read BBC News online
  • carry water bottles with you and resist going into coffee shops
  • buy household goods in bulk when on offer, eg washing powder, toilet rolls, shampoo
  • try supermarket own brand toiletries
  • buy school uniform when on offer and stock up for rest of year
  • if eating out and not using a Tesco Clubcard voucher, check online for any voucher codes before buying
  • same with any online purchases, take a few minutes to search for discount codes
  • this one sounds counter-intuitive but stop buying cheap clothes, buying good quality pieces lasts longer (I only buy classic styles rather than trendy so I know I won't go off them)

That's all I can think of right now!

Fluffycloudland77 · 01/07/2013 19:29

google vegan brownes, they are very cheap and lovely.

ghosteditor · 01/07/2013 19:30

Ooh! Also, learn from MN and go 'no 'poo' - no shampoo! Bicarb and apple cider vinegar all the way Grin

ghosteditor · 01/07/2013 19:36

And another: don't let bread go moldy or throw it away. When it's getting stale, blitz it into breadcrumbs and freeze it. You can then chuck it into dishes when required from frozen Smile

NumTumDeDum · 01/07/2013 19:48

Ok mine are child entertainment orientated.

  1. Arts & crafts materials cost a lot. You can get very cheap materials at The Works and Poundland. I save all sweet wrappers from tins of sweets if we are given any and foil wrapoppers for sticking and gluing. I use a lot of pva so I buy a massive bottle at a diy store rather than silly weeny bottles in craft shops. Newspapers are kept and ripped into strips ready for paper mache sessions. We keep yoghurt pots, milk bottle lids, milk cartons, boxes etc for making things.

I melt down broken and stubby crayons in the oven to make new multi coloured crayons.

We make playdough and salt dough.
Main ingredient is flour and basic bags are 50 pence or thereabouts.

Childrens parties: decorations are paper chains using strips of newspaper, bunting from coloured paper. Make up 'happy meals' in a paper bag decorated with each chold's name. Then you know exactly what they will eat so you waste less food and don't over cater. Make the birthday cake.

redrubyshoes · 01/07/2013 20:00

My Tescos £10 pencil skirt has lasted longer and washes/cleans better than my £90 Hobbs dry clean only pencil skirt. I was stunned!

redrubyshoes · 01/07/2013 20:10

In Tescos a free range packaged chicken costs over £10. Go to the butchery counter in Tesco and the same bird is £6. I asked the butcher if it was the same kind of free range and he just shrugged and said "Yep - same farm, free range but without the plastic packaging"

I go there every time now and he gives out off cuts for free on spare ribs etc

redrubyshoes · 01/07/2013 20:15

Minmalist

It was a huge shower head (think cauliflower head) size and I used to stand under it for AGES luxuriating. I switched to a water meter and cut my time down to 3 mins. My water bill went from £40 a month to £9 a month!

quoteunquote · 01/07/2013 20:18

take your bath panel off,

if someone has not stuffed rockwool insulation (the horrid itchy stuff that goes in attics) all the way around it and underneath, then make sure you do, it always on offer somewhere and very cheap, wear old clothes, mask and gloves,

It means when you have a bath, the water stays hot for far longer, great if you like a soak, or are washing multiple children, cuts down on topping up.

If you are trying to heat a house, never let the bath water out until it has gone cold, as you might as well keep heat you have already paid for.

Yama · 01/07/2013 20:18

Another one just occurred to me. We bought an Eco Egg at the Ideal Homes Exhibition.

Cost us £20 but apparently we'll get hundreds of washes out of it so will save £££ over the next few years. It works fine so far.

quoteunquote · 01/07/2013 20:19

and it stops everyone hearing people moving up and down the bath, as a bonus.

ChipsNEggs · 01/07/2013 20:22

I cleared terrifying amounts a lot of debt in the past, now I've decided to get my savings up so have been perusing the tips for more advice Grin. I'm determined to build up a fund as I never want to go back to those dark days again.

My biggest tip is to enjoy it, set yourself challenges and keep your eye on the main goal. When I was younger and saving to go travelling it was easy as I had my reward in mind. Get into the mindset now, its not scrimping or depriving yourself, you're setting yourself free. Nothing is too small every penny takes you closer. When I got into that mindset I really smashed my debt down and I'll always remember the day I phoned HSBC and paid off my big loan early. I was so relieved I cried and the lady on the phone was cheering me on!

The phrase 'look after the pennies' is bang on. Note every penny spent at the moment it is spent and you'll be amazed at where the waste is occurring.

Pay in cash, you have to keep track at the supermarket if you only have £40 to pay with.

Buy a couple of those sealed tins from Home Bargains. One is for £2 coins, every time you get one stick it straight in the tin. The other is for small change at the end of each day. In my last year of debt busting I saved over £700 out of my budget this way. Christmas paid for and a chunk off the debt.

You've got to look into every area of your life and find what works and fits for you, nothing is one size fits all. If you work out of the home charge your mobile/laptop at work if allowed. I work from home and invested £25 in a decent thermos jug, I mainline tea and cut my electric bill dramatically due to not constantly boiling the kettle.

Once you get in the swing you'll be obsessed!

quoteunquote · 01/07/2013 20:23

Get washing powered in the farmers merchants, along with anything you normally buy for the garden, mole valley farmers is a charity so they are not looking for big profits,

got a hotel size box in there on offer £15, I won't be buying washing powder for months now.

meat is good value, as it straight from the farmer, no chain of extra profit.

Beechview · 01/07/2013 20:30

Get a Tesco credit card, set up a direct debit to pay it every month and do all your purchases on that. You'll get credit card protection on purchases plus club card points which you can then use for days and meals out.

I agree with the poster who said to go out as much as possible.
You can do so much that's free. Play in the local parks (tennis, football, Frisbee, kites), go out for walks in nearby woods and country parks or a beach.

See what goes on at your local library and museums.

See if your local cinema does a kids club on Saturday mornings where films are around £1

If you intend to do a few train trips get a family railcard.

Try to keep a few things in your cupboards that you can just grab and take out with you if you get a nice day and decide to go out for a picnic. I keep juice cartons and crisps. I usually have sandwich stuff and fruit.

definitely keep up to date with Money Saving Experts voucher deals. Theres often deals for Pizza Express and other restaurants.

Life doesn't have to be dull if youre saving :)

PlateSpinningAtAllTimes · 01/07/2013 20:37

Just looked at the eco egg link- very tempted! Or farmer's merchant (need to see where my nearest is) or homemade laundry gloop...
Tesco's credit card sounds good- I don't earn many clubcard points as I tend to shop at Asda (click and collect- no delivery charge, no impulse buys!).

OP posts:
ghosteditor · 01/07/2013 20:44

I've never heard of a farmer's merchant; how would I find my nearest one?

AudrinaAdare · 01/07/2013 20:45

Fairy it costs 60p to reserve a library book? Shock I've been doing it lots in the last few weeks and there's nothing on the Elan website to suggest a charge.

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