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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.

Tell me your best money saving tips please!

149 replies

SevenOnwardsAndUpwards · 06/10/2013 13:21

DH is going down to a 4 day week soon, it's intentional as he works over 50 hours and is finding it too much, but it does obviously mean we'll have less coming in than before. On paper we should easily be able to afford it, but we don't seem to have much spare cash and nothing in savings Blush though I don't know where it all goes tbh. We don't spend loads on going out and don't have sky so no obvious savings to be made there. I've already thought we need to cancel experian, switch phone away from BT and drink less Wine. What are your best and easy money saving tips so cutting back doesn't come at the expense of a worse quality of life for the DCs? They're 5, 22 months and 5 months if that's relevant.

OP posts:
flipchart · 07/10/2013 12:48

My boys used to be into brands such as Qicksilver, Animal and Billabong.
They often sell these tee shirts at TK Maxx.
I used to wait until autumn when they had them in the clearance sales and buy the next years ages for the following summer. I've had loads of those shirts for £3- £5 The boys don't know on summers design from another.

I still occasionally buy our ski stuff in the clearance as well for the following season.

plummyjam · 07/10/2013 13:10

Switch mobile provider to giffgaff when contract's up - £10 per month for 500 mins, unlim texts and internet. I was paying £35 for same.
Shop around for car insurance - obvious really but I saved £500 this year by switching company.
Shop at lidl - nappies and fruit and veg are really good and cheap.
Only buy free range meat - you'll eat less of it and save money in the long run.
Learn to cook. Don't forget store cupboard items like pulses, tinned fish, pasta etc can always be used to whip up a quick meal rather than have a takeaway.
If you're pregnant find out the sex of your baby. We hardly had to buy any clothes (apart from vests and babygros) as people bought clothes as presents for aged up to 1 year (even before baby was born) - we didn't do this intentionally btw I'm not that cynical about saving money but it was a definite positive bonus in hindsight!
Take cash out at the machine every week and use that as a way of budgeting. It's too easy to lose track of spending with a card.

SevenOnwardsAndUpwards · 07/10/2013 13:47

Wow thanks some great advice, alarming how many of them are food- related. We're trying to eat healthier so trying to use more pulses and less meat, I have a squash and lentil curry in the slow cooker, £1.40 for a big squash that'll easily do two meals :). We used to meal plan, I'm not sure why we stopped really, will definitely start again.

We don't usually have holidays anyway, we're having a UK one next month which will be our first in six years. I'm already on giffgaff, but I could definitely spend less on clothes and sell old stuff on eBay, I even have an old iPhone in the cupboard. I keep meaning to check out Aldi , that'll be our trip out somewhere this week then. I've bought DH beer making equipment for Christmas so he can make his own.

OP posts:
yonisareforever · 07/10/2013 14:07

Loving the fleece blanket on curtains tips!

OnTheBottomWithAWomansWeekly · 07/10/2013 14:08

If you work in an office do you wear your work shoes on the commute? Swap to runners, carry the shoes (or leave them under the desk) - one year I spent €65 on re-heeling boots.

Since I started wearing runners in, no shoemending needed at all.

Duvets - I spent €50 on getting the duvets dry cleaned as they were looking a bit grubby. I discovered this year that a thin duvet fits in the washing machine (I have those two part summer/winter ones) - no need for dry cleaning.

Are you changing your car? Go for same size or smaller engine in diesel if you have petrol at the moment. Saving of about 40% on fuel (really, I went from €250 per month to €165). Also newer cars are more efficient (I went from 2002 Polo to 2007 Fiesta).

Am doing the fleece curtain lining thing this year. Also I have a big curtain and a €5 pole from IKEA to put up over the front door (it's 35 yrs old and a bit drafty but I can't afford to replace it). I'll also be insulating the attic (myself) in a couple of weeks when I get a loft ladder installed. My brother did it himself on his house, cost €200, they reckon they saved it in heating costs in one year.

Put your heating on timer NOT putting it on when you feel chilly. If I put it on manually in the evening, it ends up on for hours, as the timer is in the kitchen and we are in the sitting room with the TV. Make sure that you have nice throws in the sitting room so that if you get a bit cold sitting still watching the box, you cuddle up under the throw rather than putting the heating on again. (I make quilts so I have a nice one on the sofa that looks lovely when not in use for warmth). If it's not a nice throw/quilt it will annoy you, you will put it somewhere out of sight, and then forget about using it.

TV - freesat? about €100 for dish and decoder, maybe another €50 to get it attached to your house. Only TV cost that I have now is the licence.

Netflix - you can have 5 devices on one account. Can you share with someone (€7 pm) - I share with my sister (prob not allowed officially though).

Totally agree with packed lunches. I'm a v plain eater for lunch (comfort!) - I freeze bagels at home, and bring in one a day - I keep cheese triangles in the work freezer. Prob costs me under €1 a day. If I want something more substantial, I make homemade soup.

Work deals - in med/big companies with their own intranet, always check it for deals/recommendations for tradespeople/buy and sell ads. I have a fuel card (as we have a sales staff whose petrol is paid for, the petrol company offered it to all staff). I pay it once a month, a direct debit after payday. Petrol costs same as at pump, but technically there is about 4 weeks free credit. Plus if the car is empty the day before payday, you don't have to worry.

Does your/your DHs company have any savings/holiday offer, where they take X pm out of salary, and give it back to you when you put in a req for it? Great way of saving - sometimes they give it to you after 4 mths of a 12 mth repayment period is over, with no interest - basically a free loan. In our co, a lot of people use it to pay off credit cards.

yonisareforever · 07/10/2013 14:13

Yes we will be self insulating the loft too. not sure how but will give it a go!

Anyone know where to get these fleece blankets from>

OneLittleToddleTerror · 07/10/2013 15:03

I'm reading this thread for inspiration. But I can't imagine how someone could think £30 on meat/fish is being on budget. How many people is that serving?

I don't really track my supermarket shopping. But looking at my ocado invoice for the last two weeks, I pay just less than £10 of meat/fish. That's for 2 adults and a 2 year old. Both adults pack lunches for work, we don't eat out, and 2 year old only eats a hot meal for lunch in the weekend.

adalovelacelaptop · 07/10/2013 15:03

Get your family to do a secret santa with a £20 maximum spend for the adults (over 18's) at Christmas, saves money and makes Christmas shopping a pleasure as you are only buying one present and not worrying about money.

elcranko · 07/10/2013 15:36

Shop at Aldi. Make a shopping list and stick to it.

Shop around for cheaper car/home insurance.

Cancel gym membership if you have one, and exercise at home instead.

Packed lunches for work.

Walk short distances instead of driving.

CaffeinatedLentilWeaver · 07/10/2013 16:59

Give up coffee or wine or magazines or smoking (or whatever such vice/s you may have).

Go to the supermarket on foot or bike or public transport, ideally with a small child or two in tow. You will buy only the absolutely necessities. Online shopping is wonderful if you really cannot manage any other way, but it usually works out more expensive.

Be aware of what seems cheap but will never save you money because you get through it so fast. For example, value washing up liquid or shampoo, improbably cheap trainers.

Don't take out a loan or use a credit card or approach a loan shark. Ever.

Clairenic · 07/10/2013 17:10

I always try and cook a big hunk of meat over the weekend and use it in a couple of dishes. Batch cooking is the way forward.

meandbumpy · 07/10/2013 17:36

Totally agree that Aldi is the way forward, like stepping back in time about 5 years price wise!

Last year I decided to make all my Christmas presents and it worked out so well that I'm doing it again this year too. I do marmalade using tins of pre-stewed Seville oranges called Ma-Made. It takes 30mins to make and has cost me about £5 for 20 jars, including sugar. Have also made apple and blackberry jam using foraged fruit, so free apart from the sugar; rosemary infused olive oil using sprigs of rosemary from the garden and cheap Aldi olive oil; homemade Limoncello, foraged blackberry and coffee liqueurs which can all be made with the cheapest of vodkas.
Nearer the time I will make a massive batch of gingerbread biscuits as well as my own version of those chocolate shards you can get from posh chocolate shops by swirling together white and milk chocolate and adding nuts, dried cranberries and edible glitter.
What's great is that you can package everything up using scraps of fabric, old bits of ribbon and brown paper bags for that cheap homemade feel Grin
I would say that by doing it this way your entire Christmas present spend will come to around £50 and everyone will think you're a domestic goddess. Merry Christmas one and all!

meandbumpy · 07/10/2013 17:42

Ps, you can also find some beautiful glass bottles and jars in charity shops for presenting/storing you tasty treats Smile

Mum2Fergus · 07/10/2013 18:03

Borrowed the Ikea fleece tip and have interlined all the living room curtains...think they were £3 a pop so £12 in total but can notice a difference already!

Grin
Catsize · 07/10/2013 18:15

I buy ,y son's clothes in the sales in advance, and therefore spend about the same as supermarket prices on nicer brands that have a better resale value. Am only sharing this tip if you do not have a child my age as you will raid all the bargains first
Also, I joined the Quidco website this year and have had £250 cashback on stuff Ihad to buy anyway, like car insurance, hotel rooms etc.

tb · 07/10/2013 18:31

Although it will cost you to change it, do you have a central heating programmer that allows you to select just an hour of heating? We changed to one, and think it saved money, as it's so easy to put the heating on, and then forget to switch it off if it's outside the normal programmed time. With the 1 hour button, it's done automatically.

BornToFolk · 07/10/2013 18:38

Go to the supermarket on foot or bike or public transport, ideally with a small child or two in tow. You will buy only the absolutely necessities. Online shopping is wonderful if you really cannot manage any other way, but it usually works out more expensive.

Sorry, but I think the complete opposite is true! Grin If I take DS to the supermarket he runs out of patience fairly early on and I can't be traipsing round the shelves looking for the best deals. However, if I do online shopping, I can spend the time searching for good value things and it's easier to do things like compare price per 100g. I can see how it works the other way but when I have DS I end up grabbing the nearest thing and getting him a treat to keep him happy too!

When I have to do a top up of fruit and veg between doing a big shop, I go to a market stall. Not only is it cheaper than the supermarket, there's less scope for buying things you don't really need but just fancied...

Go and see your bank manager and see if you can upgrade any of your accounts. I did last year and got better rates on my current and savings accounts.

Tommychoochoo · 07/10/2013 19:11

ds age 4 hates the dark and has to have a night light on . It is an energy saving bulb but hate that's its on for up to 12 hours at nights. I got the solar fairy lights we use in our garden at Christmas put then on the ceiling of his room and put the solar piece thingy in his bedroom window.

He has it on all night and it's really brightSmile

fossil971 · 07/10/2013 19:14

Be careful! but also be resourceful.

We are really tight for cash and DH put unleaded in the diesel car Angry - that was £250 gone in a puff of smoke. Now the Dyson vacuum has blown its motor (crap weekend, wasn't it? Grin), I am looking that a replacement motor is £10 on ebay and instructions for wiring it are on youtube.

I have a budgeting programme (freebie) and download my bank statements into it so I can track where the money goes.

It takes a little while to adjust to thinking "I can't afford that" when it comes to Starbucks, magazines, nights out, new clothes. But in the end it's more satisfying and you really appreciate treats when you have them. It's so true, don't start buying "moneysaving stuff". Don't buy anything unless it is utterly essential - a bargain isn't a bargain if you didn't need it. I've found it really focuses the mind when you take the bankcard out thinking "is this going to put me overdrawn".

Our biggest savings have been:

  • packed lunches everybody, every time
  • smaller cheaper car if you have capital to change it - my Ibiza is 60mpg and £25 pcm insurance
  • Stick to Aldi/Lidl. If they don't have all the ingredients - adapt your menu!
  • take less out of cashpoint.
  • try to cut down on inefficient travelling.
mameulah · 07/10/2013 19:43

This fleece curtain lining thing everyone, does it work on double glazed windows? (Sorry to briefly hijack the thread)

Fluffycloudland77 · 07/10/2013 20:03

Oh yes, double glazing is better than single glazed but not as good as triple glazed, plus they can blow and let moisture in.

Thermal curtains are the way to go. I'm getting all our blinds thermal lined despite family telling me I don't need to.

Mum2Fergus · 07/10/2013 20:05

It will work anywhere you have curtains! I bought 4 Polarvide(sp?) cream fleeces and attached then with the iron on stuff...curtains happened to be lined so put the fleece up between the curtain and lining so totally invisible but make a real difference Smile

ToffeeWhirl · 07/10/2013 20:11

Shop online at mysupermarket.com. Saves us lots of money. You can even get cashback if you choose certain deals.

meandbumpy · 07/10/2013 20:11

Love the fleecy curtain idea, fabulous!

BoffinMum · 07/10/2013 20:16

Washing machine maintenance practically for free.

Here