Lets share tips - the little things that save you money

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I buy a bottle of bubble bath for £1 and put it into my soap bottles - no one notices

Use slightly less washing detergent that manufacturer recommends

Cut up old t-shirts and use them for cleaning

Regularly check fridge and cupboards and use up anything that won't last

Leftovers from dinner can be eaten for lunch or put on the side with tomorrow's dinner

Many shops over repeat, so I only buy certain things when they are on offer

I do as per your post , plus only buy own brand medicines, they are exactly the same.
I have also switched my shopping habits and don't use the big supermarket anymore, I have become a fan of Iceland which I never thought I would say, they have an image to shake off but they have some amazing offers on things like coffee, lunch box bits some of their fresh stuff is great so every month I go in and put money on my bonus savings card, every £25 they add another 1.00 so I stash 200/300 for the month and they add 8.00 or 12.00 and then I spend from my savings throughout the month and don't waste money in the supermarkets by adding a t-shirt, candle or bit of homeware to my trolley, it has saved me an absolute bomb!

meal plan around offers
buy larger/cheaper packs and decant - but do compare the price, it's not always cheaper
bulk buy rice/potatos/lentils in asian shops/aisles (again compare price)

"envelope" system of budget amounts for different categories each month; dry goods (pasta, tinned tomatoes, pulses etc) bought in bulk and stored in plastic crates in the garage.

I try and download free books to my kindle when I feel the urge to shop!

Save the little packs of pencils/crayons you sometimes get free, and keep them in my bag to entertain LO during doctor's appointments etc - prevents me getting sucked into buying expensive kids' magazines (also download and print colouring pages from cbeebies website).

Shop immediately after breakfast, I never fancy anything to don't get tempted by treats.

Regularly check my cupboards so I use up items before they become out of date.

If you want a quick refreshment break while shopping, Wetherspoons do a really nice cheap cup of coffee (much better than M&S filter), you can have cake or biscuits with that really cheap to.

I buy all cards from card factory - 7 for £1 so I always have some to hand.

I use stardrops for cleaning as they are suitable for most surfaces. I fill a bucket, clean the work tops etc and the mop the floor last.

When we go on day trips, I make party bags for the children to avoid expensive gift shops. I put in drinks, haribo, lollies, glow sticks etc to keep them occupied on the way home.

I buy ice cream, sprinkles, sauces and paper ice cream bowls so the children can make their own desserts.

When I go to takeaway restaurants, I take home unused napkins and use them around the house.

Make my own kitchen cleaner by buying a huge bottle of flash when on offer and mixing some with a little zoflora. Top up with water and you're away.

When the washing up liquid gets to half way, too up with water. Lasts lots longer.

Nicky toilet roll from farm goods is the best. And super cheap. Better than Andrex!

Make my own washing liquid (for clothes). Make 20 litres for about £6.

About 18 months ago we stopped using the car when we could, ie rather than drive to supermarket for a couple of items, we walk. Also started going out on more bike rides and walking locally as a family - we've reduced our mileage by approx. 100 miles a month which must be a good saving.

I don't go into town quite so much now, I only go when I have a long list of esssentials, that way I haven't got time to potter and buy things on the spur of the moment.

Meal plan then wright a shopping list. Aldi super 6. Go back to basics, ie Corned beef hash, shepherds pie , use leftovers.
Got rid of of one car and walk to work. Plan journeys in remaining car ie drop off dc & go to post office in one journey. Ask for nice smellie sets for Xmas/ birthdays them use throughout the year.

Unless something is stained (or needs a high temp wash like towels and bedlinen) I keep the washing machine temp down to 30. The clothes wash just as well, colours fade less, and it uses less energy.

Its boring, but switching to shopping at Aldi. Saving me a whopping £160 a month!

Don't pay full price at the cinema to see kids films. Wait a few months and the price reduces to about £1.50 (Odeon and Cineworld do this). Available Sat/Sun and throughout school holidays.

If you fancy ice cream on a day out buy a box of 4 (from a Spar shop/Aldi/Iceland) for £1...a lot cheaper than from tourist places or ice cream vans/cafes.

Look at swapping energy suppliers, this could give you a massive saving. We moved to a bigger house last year and swapped to EDF - we actually use more gas and pay £20 less a month!

We serve from a dish on the table so less is left over on plates. Sma portions then seconds means left overs can be reused rather than binned.

On days out, buy ice creams from the supermarket - spend £1-£1.50 for 4-6 rather than £1.50 on one ice cream.

Always eat before leaving the house and bring snacks and drinks. I never buy anything from the newsagents/petrol stations as far too expensive. I spotted a family spend £6 on 6 carton drinks after collecting their children from school!!!

Buy full fat milk and water down - give my dc full fat and add water to my cereal/porridge.

Bring tea/coffee/chocolate to make at work rather than buying one cup for £3 each day.

Shop in Aldi/Lidl. Not a great shopping experience - takes less than an hour from start to finish. It shaves ££££ off your bill. I would like to return to Sainsbury's. Tried Morrisons for a few months but it depressed me.

Do not buy magazines. If you work in London, you can read the Metro, Evening Standard for free. I have not bought a magazine for over 6 years.

I clean, maintain and repair things where it's economically viable. Most of my family like to buy new and go into a tail spin if someting breaks or isn't functioning as they would wish - until the big box arrives. (Ignoring the tears and protestations from their credit cards.)

It's maybe a little boring not having new goodies all the time and my house might look a little more 'old fashioned' than some others but on the other hand, you can save a whopping amount over the years, everything is sound/works and I have less in the way of big unexpected bills that have to be saved up for.

I joined mywaitrose (it costs nothing to join) for the free daily coffee. I only get there a couple of times a month but on those occasions it saves spending actual cash at Neros or wherever.

I'm not great at budgeting and don't worry about money but I do like a freebie.

Hate food waste. Like the idea of serving meals in a dish - honestly never thought of that!

I complete YouGov surveys for cash. Easy to sign up. They only pay up when you've amassed £50 though.

Always check the per kilo or per litre prices. I know all of my usual products prices so I know when it's a real bargain and when it's a diddle.

Dry spices for making your own marinades or dry rubs for meat bought at usually half the price of pre-prepared, plus it's un-fettered by artificial flavouring (and sugar a lot of the time).

Learn to portion a whole fresh chicken. £2.50 a kilo versus an average of £6 per kilo for fresh chicken portions is not rocket science

Use Quidco to buy almost everything!