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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.

Please come share you frugal living tips!

60 replies

ErrorError · 04/09/2013 00:08

Trying to save money on general household things, so just want to share a few ideas I've implemented in my house, and any other tips would be most appreciated if you'd like to share. Some require a small about of investment that hopefully will save me cash in the long run and eventually pay for themselves.

  • bought a toothpaste squeezer to get the last bits along the edges, rolls up tight for easy disposal.
  • bought a 'sticky buddy' roller thing for cleaning up pet hair/lint etc so not to waste time faffing with the vacuum and also electricity too.
  • only use a pea sized blob of toothpaste (this is what a dentist recommended, you apparently don't need a huge slug of it across the brush like in the adverts.)
  • use a pea sized blob of handwash and lather it well first.
  • saving money in other areas means I can afford the luxury toilet roll, which actually lasts longer as you use less, instead of the cheap 2ply loosely rolled scratchy ones, which are a false economy.
  • through some trial and error, managed to measure the exact amount of powder needed for a full washing load, which is less than the suggested amount, leaving it clean and fresh but without that residue-y feeling you get.
  • buying cheaper cat meat and mixing biscuits in to bulk it out, cats don't care and will eat anything, but I was spending a fortune on those pouches before.
  • batch cooking and freezing individual portions in those little plastic takeaway trays. usually soup so just have to throw everything in the pan and not have to pay too much attention to it.

Considering investing in a steam cleaner to eliminate the need for chemical products which can be pricey and harmful. Any recommendations/opinions on these?

A friend does a lot of couponing, and I'm not that dedicated timewise to trawl the net and print them off etc, but will try to use a few that I happen to spy in magazines.

Please feel free to share yours! I'm sorting my life out, decluttering, recycling, becoming more organised, and shaving costs in all directions. Makes me happy! Smile

OP posts:
madasa · 04/09/2013 07:57

Oh yes...forgot the bread making. I make bread and you are right it is delicious. Only problem is it goes too quickly in this house

Nancy66 · 04/09/2013 08:01

you only need to shampoo the roots of your hair - not the whole thing.

visit a big supermarket 20mins before closing and you'll get up to 80% off fresh produce, great if you're not nervous about going a day or two over use by dates.

SirRaymondClench · 04/09/2013 08:04

I make my own washing gloop.
Have done for ages. DH has chronic excema and this is the only thing that doesn't knacker his skin:

250g soda crystals
1 bar grated unscented baby soap (or any soap you like really)
you can also add a couple of drops essential oil

Add to a large pan of water and heat up and stir till it all dissolves.
Put the mixture into a bucket and add more boiled water.

Allow to cool it will form a blancmange consistency.
Use a scoop and add to the drum not in the drawer!! < v. important that.
Whites will occasionally need a booster

You can use this as stain remover too just add a bit of gloop to the stain and rub in.

It makes a massive bucket which lasts us (family of 5) 2 weeks and I do more laundry than Widow Twanky.
Costs about 50p.

Take that Persil (snaps fingers)

SirRaymondClench · 04/09/2013 08:05

Oh and as someone said upthread vinegar in the drawer or bicarb soda make an ace deodoriser of clothes

ref. 2 stinky teenagers

flaggybannel · 04/09/2013 08:34

I have just started using soda crystals and half my usual amount of laundry gel , works brilliantly.

I use a stiff handbrush to do rugs and stairs carpet, prefer this to the Hoover so saving a little in electric

in winter I layer up and have a huge stock of thick blankets and throws I pick up in summer from second hand shops. I wash well and use a few drops of essential oil in a water spray bottle before storage . cosy and comforting !

invested in an electric heater and just warm the room I Am using for half an hour. its gets switched off after that or its too hot to breathe .

I buy complete dry dog food and use it to bulk out cheap tinned dog meat . dogs seen to enjoy the texture and I believe they are getting all the nutrients they need. I keep it in a huge tupperwere bucket with a lid and add more complete dry food when it gets low . depending on offers and finances I will buy different ones so dogs don't get bored.. they have not complained so far ! ditto tins .

I make flaplacks instead of buying biscuits and do different recipes all the time. ginger ones , sultana etc etc

big jug of ready made dilute orange always in the fridge , never trusted ds to make his own sensibly - he is 17 ! Grin

I freeze two for one bread and milk. farmfoods is very cheap for these

microfibre cloths for everything ! go in the wash and re- use

Decant huge cheap bottles of bath foam into pretty ceramic handwash dispenser in bathroom

love zoflora disinfectant , you dilute and make loads out of a capful

there are probably loads more but been doing them so long I don't think of it as moneysaving anymore and its just the way I do things

oh , I don't buy branded bleach or toilet cleaner . bleach is bleach . cheap stuff I chuck down drains and the toilet is still bleach. poundshop do two for a pound . willko sometimes have bleach for 45p

ErrorError · 04/09/2013 09:50

Wow thanks for all the tips so far! I do a few of them already. I eat 80% veggie so don't buy meat often, but when I do it's lean from the local butcher, not burgers and sausages.

My hair is really long at the moment so shampoo and conditioner use is a problem area, I will be getting a haircut soon so that will also help me use less.

I like the price-matching/monthly budget idea rather than spending loads of time looking for bargains, and will certainly check for the offers on essentials like loo rolls etc. I sometimes get biscuits when I see them on offer but will try to stop that because if they weren't on offer, I wouldn't have bought any biscuits, so it's a bit of a sneaky ploy and not a saving.

Re: the toothpaste squeezer, myhands are perfectly fine to do the job, but many a time I've noticed the new one opened before the old one's fully finished, and sometimes the not quite empty one has been binned before I have a chance get to it. If it's on a squeezy roll from the start, everyone can't ignore it when it's hanging up on the tiles.

Some fab tips though and will read through again properly later as have just scanned. There is no Starbucks in my town, I'd probably make my own coffee anyway, but as it happens I do have one of their re-usable mugs.

OP posts:
hardboiledpossum · 04/09/2013 10:02

I imagine conditioner is fairly important to most women. I have pretty fine hair but find it almost impossible to brush without conditioner. It also looks considerably better after being conditioned.

towerofjelly · 04/09/2013 10:11

Home made beauty products. Egg and honey hair mask is fab for fine hair also sugar and olive oil in Tupperware kept in the bathroom is the best body exfoliater ever. I but essential oils in lovely fragrances and add a few drops which lasts for ever. Also buy bags of wax from craft shop and add nice oils for oil burner in replacement of those expensive wax tablets means you can combine your favourite fragrances.

Forgetfulmog · 04/09/2013 10:13

Agree re the conditioner, I rarely use it for my hair (only for shaving Grin). Buy your toiletries from Home Bargains too.

FoundAChopinLizt · 04/09/2013 10:20

Here's my tip. It's a big one.

Don't read magazines or watch adverts, get off Facebook, keep away from shopping. We are being brainwashed to buy stuff we don't need, mainly by making us feel like we will somehow be less of a person without the latest shiny shit. The advertisers are like hypnotists, some of the cleverest most creative people are trying to play with your brain to extract your money, and they're very good at it.

Honestly, just try it, it's the best way to save money, and you'll feel better when you're not bombarded with messages telling you'll be crap, unpopular, smelly, uncool, ugly,fat, old without product X 24/7. Honestly, it's like having a playground bully on your shoulder calling you names, nicking your dinner money.

Grin
MummytoMog · 04/09/2013 10:25

Meal plan. I am embarassed by the way we used to shop until a couple of months ago. Would go to our local co-op and just buy stuff for dinner every night. Now I use the slow cooker loads (batch cook at the weekend, one big meal a day) and I buy exactly what I need to cook the meals I've planned and stock the freezer back up (with bread and milk). I also bake brownies a lot rather than buy them, but I'm not sure I've saving much money that way, they are nice though. We're spending about £60 a week on food instead of over £100. I also make OH drink from supermarket box wine, rather than buy bottles. We buy a box every three to four weeks (and it does give a kick to sausage stew).

LaurieFairyCake · 04/09/2013 10:34

Don't go shopping as a leisure activity.

Only do online shopping for food etc - if you go to supermarkets you will get sucked in to spending more. Meal plan at home, then shop online.

Decide what your 'treat' is - mine is going out for lunch/coffee and cake once a week - costs a fiver but makes me feel as if I live luxuriously.

Use the library for books you can't afford to buy and a Kindle for cheap/free ones.

Buy expensive stuff from EBay - you're almost always better buying more expensive clothes second hand rather than supermarket clothes. 2nd hand Brora cardigan cost me the same price as a new Tesco cashmere one.

Have less stuff - if you manage this tell me how Grin as I'm a maximalist.

PeachesForMe · 04/09/2013 10:34

Identify the areas where you spend most money and analyse them.

Clothes: haul out your wardrobe and drawers and take a good look at the clothes. There will be some things that don't fit, some you have never worn ever, some which you just don't like much. MEND the things you are not wearing because the zip's bust or whatever. Ebay what you don't like/doesn't fit - invest the time in this - and take the money to spend on two or three items which you can wear with the things you're not currently wearing for no good reason.
Then pledge: no more clothes or shoes for a while, I can and will make do for a year with this lot. Reassess after a year. Meanwhile get a good mending kit together.

Food: do a two-week meal plan: fourteen separate dishes, some will be leftover-based. Stick it up on the fridge and keep to it for the fortnight, then see if you can face it again. All it means is that you can shop properly in advance, which saves money as you're not going out for 'bits' which add up to more than they should.

Ditto cooking in bulk. Also, without getting too distracted and buying stuff you will never use, buy BOGOFs in bulk and have an area in your house for storing them (we use the boiler cupboard). Top tip from MN in years gone by: aim to have bought enough for three weeks of the month, so that the last week you are only going to buy bread, milk, and a bit of veg. Try to save that last week's shopping money for emergencies.

Another way is to very deliberately alter the family's diet to include more pulses etc (which you can buy in bulk) and far far less meat. It really does save money. The adults can be on a diet for a while. No extra sugar or cheap carbs. Double benefit. No alcohol. Cultivate a taste for hot water with lemon or plain water or something Smile Drink more so you are less hungry. We should all be doing this anyway I think.

Each person in the family gets to choose a hobby-related outgoing, but that's all they get for now. So the kids might get their sport lessons but no magazines, I get a book but absolutely nothing else (magazines at £4 or £5 a pop are my weakness). Get rid of Sky etc and get everyone involved in using the library and if one of you has a good reading voice then have a reading aloud session a couple of times a week (I love doing this).

If you like primping your house, have a few weekends of going round each room and touching up paintwork and making it lovely and clean and rearranging the furniture etc. This way you don't get distracted by wanting to do things like buy a new butter dish or winter cushions or any of that superficial crap. Make your home your perfect nest with everything it has in it at the moment. This only really applies to people who like that sort of thing :) and is more psychological than anything. Also maintaining it easily while you are not well off will save you bills later on. Make part of it painting the windows before winter and getting them properly insulated if you need to (the squishy tape at £10 a roll is great).

Basically: stop spending money on as much as possible! Maintain what you have, get rid of junk (for money if possible) and entertain yourselves.

FurryDogMother · 04/09/2013 10:35

Don't have central heating, invest in a very warm onesie :) Works for me!

chocoluvva · 04/09/2013 10:36

I cut open the tube of toothpaste when it's nearly finished. This doesn't make me popular but it gets another six or ten uses out of it.

NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 04/09/2013 10:42

OP your money saving strategies seem to involve buying gadgets! Grin We live v ery frugally....I'm going blackberrying this week to make lots of jam...will make enough to last for eons....we batch cook too and we take packed lunches everywhere....I never buy new clothing for myself...only second hand...I manage this by visiting charity shops in affluent areas where the clothing is hardly worn or sometimes new and always good brands. One shop is always stuffed full of designer brands and good high street like Boden and Jane Norman.

I cut all our hair too...

RichManPoorManBeggarmanThief · 04/09/2013 10:59

The time I bought less stuff was when I had no cards (lived overseas where debit cards didnt exist and I couldnt get a credit card). Amazing how much less stuff you buy when you have to divert to the cashpoint to get the money first.

monikar · 04/09/2013 10:59

My big tip with regard to not spending money on groceries is not to go to a food shop. I have been horrified at the amount of 'little' top-up shops I have been doing each week in addition to a main shop at the weekend. As others have said, the key is to meal-plan and stick to it. I do this to a certain extent, but sometimes find I have run out of say, potatoes so will pop to the supermarket and buy a load of other little bits, so the potatoes will have cost about £30! What I do now, is to look in the cupboard/freezer and consider what we could have instead - so I would cook rice or some pasta.

Another thing which really helps is using the freezer more. I freeze vegetables which would otherwise fester in the fridge and then be thrown. I also freeze cheese - I buy a big brick and then grate the whole piece and then freeze it flat in freezer bags. If we want a little for the top of a soup or chilli then I just take out what we need. It is so much less wasteful.

Also, learn to like frozen peas - they are cheap and there is no chopping or waste, and they cook really quickly.

PeachesForMe · 04/09/2013 11:03

Once the spending is cut and the plans are made/meals are shopped for/etc, the next thing to do is to work out what makes you tick, what makes your family tick, how much you are spending on fulfilling empty desires and is the money worth it?

I really like the posters who have said they completely enjoy a coffee and a cake and they have found ways to make that work more cheaply. I love magazines but when I analyse it: they make me want more, they sit around unlooked at for most of the time, and they end up in the recycling. They are not paying their way Grin and the amount of superficial enjoyment I get from them isn't worth it. I need to find a way to make them work.

On the other hand my hobby (reading) is one I love, I can do it for nearly free (library) and I am in a book group and have my own (free) blog about reading. OK so hardly anybody reads it, but by doing it I have learned tons about coding and made connections with people, plus I love the tinkering to make it aesthetically pleasing [shallow] This is something that really makes me tick.

What I'm trying to say is that it shouldn't all be frugality and denial, but instead finding out what you love, and what gives you a good money-to-value ratio.

ErrorError · 04/09/2013 11:03

Haha, I do get seduced by a few gadget ideas, must stop watching shopping channels that make me think this stuff will improve my life. My toothpaste squeezer arrived in the post today though and seems to work really well. I will promise myself no more gadgets and employ some more of the MNers tips! Grin

I go to charity shops as well, sometimes you have to trawl for a while but it's worth it for one good quality piece. I'll treat myself to a charity shop book every now and then but donate it back to help reduce clutter. Using the library more than I used to now too. I had this idea of getting out cookery books from the library, typing up my favourite recipes from each, so I always have them rather than having to buy the book or get it out again. Other people must do that one.

OP posts:
PeachesForMe · 04/09/2013 11:07

Also, maintain a ruthless Christmas and birthday list Grin
In my family at least, people are SO pleased when they can ask for a few general ideas, and increasingly they are even better pleased by an Amazon link.
That way you can have some luxuries and make people happy because they don't have to over think what to get you Grin

BiddyPop · 04/09/2013 11:42

Not having read all the replies so far, I am sure there will be overlaps, but some of mine are:

Use supermarket reward cards. But not just 1, get them all. So you don't feel guilty about "shopping the offers" in the best one each week, while getting the rewards as you do. (You can go around a few stores if you have the time, but often the savings in money on groceries are wiped out by losses on petrol and time, I find at least). Also, make friends with your butcher, and fruit and veg shop, and fishmonger. You can get cheaper cuts, bones for stock, often they will do value deals, may keep good things for regular customers (e.g. if they know you love lamb breast and they only get 2 in, may keep 1 for you), and I often get "use quickly as at the end of useful life" veg on good reductions in F&V shop - which can easily be used fast or frozen. I also have a list started every week by getting everyone in the house to write up what they have finished (or preferably, have noticed is almost gone - it's usually when gone though!). Asian supermarkets are also great for cheaper ingredients, especially spices, rice, and tins like coconut milk and tomato paste.

Plan ahead - write a rough weekly menu (take into account the diary and days you need fast meals, and days you can spend time on 1 days meals and prep ahead for others). Check the SM offers as you do this, and look in cupboards to see what you already have as well. Use this to write weekly shopping list. Also, when looking at offers, if you have spare cash, buy ahead on storecupboard staples when they are on offer IF YOU USE THEM ANYWAY. And try to buy things in season as they will be cheaper (and you can freeze lots of fresh things to enjoy later in the year).

Find out where you have a good shoe mender and someone who mends/alters clothes. Buy good quality classic items for you and look after them. They will be well worth that extra initial spend as they will cost you pennies per wear over their lifetime compared with many cheaper items. (And look in the sales as many of these can be reduced a LOT but classics won't date). Keep shoes polished to protect them, and mend small items as you go (buttons, small rips, hems down etc). (I have a sewing machine but I am not confident for many clothing repairs so get those done professionally - but will do hems, buttons etc myself and make lots of home furnishings etc for a lot less than buying them).

Make sure the house is well insulated and sealed to reduce energy bills. Have as energy efficient a heating system as possible, and use low energy using appliances where possible (if buying new fridge, for example, get an A or B rated one). Put a thermostat control into the house to turn on heat only when it gets below a certain threshold you set - this means you can keep it at a comfortable level but not use the heating unneccesarily on warmer days. And don't heat the house very warm and wander round in t-shirts: wear a couple of layers and heat to comfortable temps (about 17-20 C is plenty warm enough). Thermal vests are readily available and very thin and discreet now, so you can still be well dressed professionally if need be but warm enough for the season. And don't forget to change the heating settings as the seasons change (so it stays warm enough as autumn and winter arrive, but not too hot as spring warms into summer).

Use linings on curtains to keep heat in. Blackout linings tend to keep heat in better, and there are heavier thermal linings available (especially useful on north facing windows and single glazing). Open curtains in south facing rooms to capture heat during the day.

Try to use the car sensibly - plan routes to get lists of jobs done with fewer trips and less driving between stops (so do the library, supermarket, menders, F&V shop, and dropping in to see favourite aunt for cup of tea - in one trip and in an order that reduces overall distance). Save up non-urgent jobs for days when you can do other things in that area (menders near coal merchants and charity shop means you can drop off to charity shop, collect mending and buy coal all in 1 trip rather than 3 seperate ones).

Use vouchers for tickets, outings etc. Look for free or cheap outings in your area - lots of local authorities run events in parks etc, stately homes type places can have free or cheap events, and often have cheap admission but loads of free space to have pcinics rather than use the coffee shop etc. We often bring a picnic on an outing, and then go to the coffee shop for "afternoon tea" rather than lunch - a hot drink and bun instead of a full meal. I tend to make sure I have a mix of healthy and treat foods suited for picnics/school and work lunches etc in my cupboards - fun sized or snack sized choc bars, multipacks of crisps, multipacks of cans of fizzy drinks, snack packs of jellies or cookies, individually wrapped flapjacks; different sized sandwich bags and plastic tubs to bring snacks of sambos, raisins, fresh fruit, homebaking etc with us; and a couple of travel mugs and flasks to bring hot drinks on days that they are more needed.

I tend to buy multipacks of cans of fizzy drinks, as bottles go flat in our house - so we can have one when we want it but not waste the rest (or feel we HAVE to drink the rest). I use clippit type closures for big bags of crisps, nuts, popcorn etc (pour out a bowlful to share and then close the bag). I often buy bulk size packs of things and decant what we'd use into smaller containers that are easily accessible in the kitchen with the rest of the big pack on top of the cupboards out of sight.

I grow some veg in the back garden (pocket hankerchief size). Cherry tomatoes in a hanging basket, dwarf french beans on toilet windowsill (surprisingly prolific!!) and lettuce and sring onions in pots and among the flowers. 2 courgette plants between flowers gives enough courgettes all summer for us, and other individual plants that give a good return for space used are broad beans, brocolli and brussels sprouts (all amongst flowers), climbing beans and climbing beans (I grow those against the fences behind the flowerbeds and they just melt into the background and make the garden feel larger with the greenery!). And a couple of pots of herbs are great to add flavour and keep the costs down compared with supermarket packs.

While I tend to buy a lot of classic items for my clothes, for DD I am more of the "lots and cheap" variety. I don't buy the cheapest, but I don't tend to spend huge amounts on individual items for her (no uniform, so lots of tracksuits needed). As she's now not growing as fast so lasting longer in size in clothes, I am buying decent tracksuits and jeans for her (H&M, M&S, still some Primark). But I also have a supply of patches for jeans to iron onto holes in knees, and have made jeans with knees gone beyond use into shorts for summer wear.

We use the library a lot (free here, was a small fee annually where I grew up), for borrowing books, cd's, audio books, dvds etc. Handy to try out new recipe ideas or learn practical skills too as lots of different options.

I do buy a lot of books too but I use a reward card in the main store I use so get some reductions. (And other reward cards are very useful - Boots is good, my local chemist has a 10% reduction card they give to regular customers that is not advertised, my GP also has a similar scheme (we pay the Dr here), and there are cards which get stamped for lots of places we use - coffee shops, mini golf, indian takeaway - if you go there any way regularly, they do all add up and keep bills down). And the local card shop near my office does a "clear out" of old stock a couple of times per year - I always browse that well and re-stock my supplies, which means I am usually ok if last minute invites come up and it saves me money sometimes on other events I know are coming up. I also buy ahead, if I have money to do so, in the sales for birthdays, Christmas, and other occasions and to keep a stock of "emergency" presents for any occasion (present for a friend inviting us to dinner, "Thanks for minding the cat", "under the tree" presents for the neighbour who sometimes calls with a gift and for a glass of wine at Christmas etc). And I research a lot of my purchases online ahead of time - to get what best suits the need (whether a gift or household item) and also to compare prices.

This is probably long enough so I will stop there.

BiddyPop · 04/09/2013 11:48

Oh, one last decent saver from me - if you have a satellite dish, why not try just using freesat rather than paying for Sky or other subscription. In the UK, it's probably easier as I think you have lots of channels on freeview that you don't need a dish for. If you DO find the family NEEDs a channel only on paying satellite, try to get a package that has that channel but not loads of extra add ons. And see if the channel is because of a single programme - is that available over internet options (streaming). We only have freesat here and pay ?6/month for netflix - loads and loads of options and a LOT less than sky subscription.

QuacksForDoughnuts · 04/09/2013 11:52

Take your own coffee to work, either a jar of instant if you have kettle access or a flask of whatever you normally use if not. (NB this works best if you like black coffee, carrying milk around is a faff.) My working life is pretty nomadic but I can usually find a kettle or hot water tap at some point each day. I worked out that a jar of decent instant costs about three quid, a cup of basic black coffee from the cheapest cafe around my work is £1.50 so the instant pays for itself in a couple of days.

Batch cooking means you can make your own frozen readymeals. It means investing a bit of faff on a quieter day in making a busy one less of a hassle.

Food that's in season tends to be cheaper.

Tesco Value tinned tomatoes are more watery than non-discount ones, but it only takes a dab of tomato puree to remedy that.

You can train your hair to need washing less. Washing it every day strips off the oils each time and sends oil production into overdrive so the grease is back with a vengeance if you skip a day. Mine is now down to getting washed once a week and being disgusting after ten days.

If you're fussy about brands, wait for a special offer and stockpile. I couldn't afford my favourite shampoo or deodorant at full price but both are frequently less than full price somewhere.

YoungBritishPissArtist · 04/09/2013 11:54

ErrorError I get cookery books from the library and scan the recipes I like Grin

My favourite pastime is going to the theatre, which is prohibitively expensive! Hmm So I happily make savings in other areas, always take a packed lunch to work, take a flask so I don't buy a coffee out, walk two miles to save a bus fare, so I can buy a cheap theatre ticket once a month. I also ask for theatre vouchers for Xmas/birthdays.

Can we get this thread moved to Frugal Living? Some good ideas worth hanging onto.

I always ask for vouchers for Xmas and birthday