Any advice on how we can cut back further?

[ifonly4]

Our disposable income is about to reduce by £300 pm, so wondering if anyone has any advice for cutting back. So far we've considered:

Mortgage, but took out a new one at a good rate last year and not worth paying the penalty to move

Moved to a cheaper tariff with different provider. Maybe cheaper elsewhere, but you can enter energy usage online and it tells you immediately whether you're in credit which I think will help us focus on our usage.

We've transferred to a much better deal for our telephone & broadband for 12 months.

Have reassessed with insurance provider what we really want covered and have reduced premiums.

We've putting aside a certain amount each month for clothes, going out, family presents and are going to stick to this - it's about 60% of what we think we normally spend.

I'm thinking about ways I can cut back on food and household items.

Any advice appreciated even if it only saves a few pennies.

Meal planning every meal has helped with wastage, also batch cooking, fresh ingriedients and lidl and Aldi.

Have a clear out and put stuff on local FB selling pages. It's great for decluttering plus the money is great for treats.

You sound like you have all the big ticket items well sorted. And presumably, as a mumsneter you are well versed in meal planning.

One area where we save quite a bit is using our tesco points for treats and meals out. I've also used them for thins like a new mattress.

How about letting a room? Keeping chickens is great, they can feed a family you just need a pen that can be moved about the garden and they fertilise the ground at the same time.

Do you have a TV package? Getting rid of package can save £40-90 a month depending on who you are with.

Household wise - stop using conditioner in laundry, and buy an eco egg to wash with (£20 for 3 years of washing), so no detergent needed. Just by bars dove soap, shampoo and toothpaste. Try not to buy all the extras. Clean with white vinegar and bi carb, basic toilet cleaner.

Not for everyone, but my bike mad DH spent £40 on a cheap runaround bike with a rack and uses it for all short journeys. He takes the kids to school on it and nips to the shop. He probably does at least 50 miles a week. That adds up over a year. Plus short journeys are supposed to be bad for your car.

Thanks for your replies everyone - they are appreciated.

I'd half forgotten I have £100 in clubcard points so will make a point of keeping these for unexpected household purchases, a backup if weekly food budget runs out or perhaps towards a meal out if there's a family birthday.

We all have bikes and had talked about using them more to keep us out cheaply at weekends, but I like the thought of using them for short trips so we can to save petrol.

Artandco - I guess the eco eggs have a neutral smell?

Will go through all suggestions with DH (any other suggestions are still welcome though!).

Walking or using public transport rather than the car can save money depending on the journey.

I dont know who the company is or if it's ok for every home, but my friend is buying a house with solar panels which belong to the energy company, she said the company installed them and the household gets free electricity from them, but they keep the extra, if you buy your solar panels you can sell the electric you don't use back to your energy company but obviously you maintain them. I suppose its like someone renting your roof space in return for free electric. I would be very interested in looking into it further if I were a home owner.

If - the Eco eggs have either neutral / or two different scents. You choose what you want when you order

Money has been tight for us over the past year. I've got to know prices in my two nearest supermarkets well (Tesco and Lidl) and shop at both of them now - it certainly saves money and we're just about down to £45 for food, toiletries, cleaning products a week. For me museli (much nicer than any brand in Tescos), ham, cheese, part baked bread, pitta, cans tomatoes, tuna and sardines, chilled fish, spread, milk, veg & salad items and some toiletries are cheaper in Lidl. If I buy anything from Tescos it's always there own brand or value, or things on a really good offer.

Try and get in the habit of only buying stuff if you really need it (unless it's on a good offer and you know you'll use it soon). Go through all your clothes and cupboards and reassess what you have - you'll probably find you've got enough clothes that'll be fine for a long time and items of toiletries and foods that are hiding and need using.

If we go out, we always take water and snacks (and sandwiches if a day trip) to avoid buying them somewhere more expensive. If we haven't done anything at weekends (due to saving money) we make a point of going on a local walk, bike ride or playing a game so we are doing something nice together that's free.

WRT your going out money I dont know if you factor in a family meal out but I quite like going out for desert occasionally if I feel we have taken it too far and been depriving ourselves, a few pounds a head after a meal at home and it feels nice like we have had a treat and been out somewhere IYKWIM.

Review your mobile tariffs (if you have contracts). Sometimes renewing without an upgrade or moving to sim only can save you loads. It's worth shopping around for if you are prepared to hang on to an old handset for longer. Sell any old phones if you have them hanging around.

Keep your receipts for a month to see if there's anywhere that you spend without realising- for us we do a weekly shop at Aldi but then nip to tesco (nearer and easier to park) for milk/bread halfway through the week and end up spending £20 on crap while we were there. Also slow cooking- I make big batches of things and freeze half so we've always got around a weeks worth of meals in for when it gets really tight.

don't even think of renting your roof to the free solar panel cowboys. Even if they don't wreck the place installing, you then have a charge on your home - good luck selling it with that.

Dancing queen I've been doing that since Christmas & still haven't bought shower gel

I second annatha's suggestion, it can be surprising to discover what you're spending on unexpected items!

Also a while ago when my income took a sudden dive, I spent about three hours one day creating a spreadsheet with my closest shops (Tesco, £1 World, Sainsburys) and working out which things were cheapest in which shops. Yes, I lost three hours, but it's saving me money in the long run since I know which items are cheaper in which places!

Join us over here September Thread lots of links to advice in first post

I do a food shop consisting of both branded and smart price items in Asda. Have a meat free night once a week. I also tend to do dishes with potatoes or pasta, as filling, versatile and cheap. If needing to cook a meal for that night, head to the reduced section first.

Recently bought annual National Trust membership. £104 for the 5 of us, but I know we will use it for lots of days out. Been 3 places in 4 weeks already! Have Chessington passes too. Go often.

In terms of generating an income, I do surveys online. You do need time to do them, but £10 voucher or PayPal £ helps here and there.

Sell on E Bay too.

I work evenings when hubby home from work. But save on child care.

Thanks so much for your replies, we are considering all of them and working out which ones we can do something with.

As I'm at home more, I've gone through our food cupboards to review what we've got - found a tin of peaches lurking which were on the sell by date so they made a handy pudding. Am planning to go through our bathroom cabinets (have one in spare toilet as well) and my wardrobe (where I also put toiletries/beauty products bought) and am going to make a point of using them up before buying anything else.

Also, am going to check Lidl out this week - Tescos is nearer, but Lidl is only another five mins. I'm also going to make a list of prices paid in Tescos in a notebook and then compare them elsewhere as and when I'm out.

lilac - thanks for the link to the September thread - there are loads of interesting links on there for those that haven't looked.

If - also a suggestion. If you have relatives who will want to by kids Xmas presents ask for them to get practical stuff you need or will help with saving throughout the year. Ie grandparents maybe could group together and buy an annual pass for you all to local kids farm/ swimming pool/ national trust so days out the whole year are just travel costs. Or ask if one can get x child a winter coat and y some new paper/ pens/ bag for school. It can be a great help as frees up the money you would have used for those essentials like clothing, for other essentials.