Money-saving hints that aren't...

[TheFifthKey]

I've been looking through momey saving blogs etc and the same things come up that annoy me every time because they're either not good hints or just unhelpful.

Firstly, the "if you stop buying lunch/coffees/magazines" tip - maybe there's the odd person who hasn't noticed that £5 a day at Costa adds up but it's irritating when you never really buy these things anyway - funnily enough if I had a £100/month black hole in my budget like that I'd notice!

And the second is "use lemons for cleaning" - they don't bloody work and a bottle of Flash is £1 and lasts aaaaaages for me - I don't use loads and it's fine. A net of lemons is at least 50p and would last one cleaning session - this is not a saving in any form!

Yeah, that's a good one!

How about 'ride a bike to work'! Yeah, unless you have a shed and a nice safe well-lit road for commuting, that will not work.

And no kids to drop off on the way to work @Waytooearly.

I really like reading the debt free diaries etc on the money saving website but some of the suggestions to save money are just ridiculous and impossible!

And a shower or facilities to change into and somewhere secure to keep a bike. My work has no shower facilities. And nowhere close or secure for bikes. So not an option. Also I can’t ride a bike....

My tip is to do a shop a day later. So if you go on a Wednesday the next week go on a Thursday, then Friday, etc. Effectively stretching to another day. You use up what’s in the fridge and freezer rather than just replacing. Tea bags have doubled in price recently so I only ever buy when on offer or half price. If something I use regularly is on offer I buy 3 or 4. I dye my own hair which saves £££’s. I also home wax, you can buy waxing strips on offer or buy a home waxing professional kit. Again £££s saved.

I tried that user,
well once perhaps, it is a good idea.
check your fridge/freezer/cupboards first

often i find online shopping hard to actually reach the minimum spend of £40, but at least i dont have the temptation from being in the actual shop

I can't ride a bike. I'd have to buy a bike. I need to get my kid to school on my way to work. I'd struggle to visit family two towns over, and dread to think of the cost of train tickets to visit relatives that live the other end of the country. I'll be keeping my car thanks!

Yes, I think those who advise not having a car to save money have lives that are set up quite differently from my own.

My last job involved a 150 mile drive twice a week - cost £30 in petrol. Because of the timings (peak times), to do the same journey by public transport would have cost £190 a week - a difference of £7,680 - assuming at work for 48 weeks of the year!

I never understand what some forums mean saying "free, from freezer stores". Errrr... it was paid for once?

Today's money saving .... if your kids get dressed after school, is try a fluffy onesie instead of a new outfit every day that goes in the wash after 2 hrs (yes, I have a dd like that ).

I use leaf tea in a tea pot. It is cheap and much better quality than cheaper tea bags.

@Passthecake30

In that case my whole tea last night and tonight was free, yay!

I made chicken and chorizo casserole. All of it was in my 'stores'. The chorizo was very old, the chicken was yellow stickered and frozen. The rest was onions, carrots, celery, toms, beans and herbs. None of which I bought especially for that meal. So. Free!

You can't be fired for breach of contract for taking a second job if it's not with a competitor and dies not interfere with your main job. Employers are not allowed to act unreasonably. If you're, say, an accountant for a building firm and work in Tesco on the till in a Sat, as long as you let them know, in some cases you have to get permission, they cannot fire you no matter what rubbish they write in your contract.

Also the tip that says make and freeze in bulk assumes you can afford to buy in bulk in the first place and that you have a big enough freezer to store all the extra portions

Brexit food prepping advice makes me laugh. "Stock up on cheap dried and tins. Not too nutritious but will keep you going" That's my usual food shop cuntos! 😁

I sometimes look at the Jack Monroe etc recipes and it infuriates me to see 'put the oven on and roast 3 cloves of garlic' or suchlike! How wasteful, if I'm putting on the oven then at least I want to do a whole meal in it, the fuel is still part of your overall outgoings.

And yy to bulk cooking / freezing. I have a fridge with a tiny icebox at the top.

Re ditching cars, friends of mine with kids looked into cycling for commuting once they were both in work. They worked out that they were cheaper buying an old banger outright than a second bike with all the gubbins attachments for ferrying kids around to drop offs.

Also, bikes don't just run themselves. You'll get punctures, particularly if you use off road cycle paths because they're invariably places where kids hang out drinking and dropping bottles at night. They need servicing and repairs too. Admittedly cheaper than the equivalent for cars but still necessary. Lots of people don't realise that and are riding around on things that aren't safe - I notice it when I'm out and about.

Items you use regularly and only use a certain type, keep an eye out when they are on offer and buy them at the cheaper price, such as: I only use 1 type of sanitary towel and I bulk buy when they are half price.

Where I live the city is cheaper to rent or buy than the surrounding areas.

Wow. Sounds like City Utopia with unicorns grazing on the common green.

vangogh apologies. After I wrote my post I did actually check my contract. And yes. As long as it’s an unrelated job in a different field and it’s in my own time and doesn’t interfere with day job I’m ok. Need to technically get permission. But no firing.

My best money saving tip is to use the library more. Most libraries nowadays you can borrow magazines, newspapers (PressReader) books, audiobooks, box sets, music and old fashioned books too! Borrow a computer. Learn a language. There's so much money saving to be had with a library card.
I used to spend a fortune on magazines and books. I've cut right back.

Oooo - that rhymes:

"There's so much money saving to be had
With a library card"

Ooo and the other tip is to join a credit union. I save every month for Christmas (will earn interest and a dividend, savings protected) with savings locked away till 1st November.

Joining the library would cost me loads in petrol and parking fees, considering a Kindle book is often 99p I'm not sure it would really save much.

Borrow a computer.

What library is this that allows members to sit at a terminal for as long as you'd like?

Our library is 3 miles away and has limited opening hours, much less has box sets and music.

Our library is mostly coffee shop now and closes at 5pm ie long before I've left work. On the few occasions I've taken a book out I've hit late payment fees due to me forgetting when I need to return them, as thanks to electronic check out no one stamps my card.

I think I'll pass.

I buy a lot of books second hand. Charity shops always seem to stock loads and some of the books I’ve bought online look brand new.

"Ride a bike to work" except I'm a mobile cleaner and Henry doest fit in the basket

"Get a second job" by the time I've factored in fuel and childcare costs I'm worse off

"Online surveys" mine never fucking pay out I've even got this thing on my phone where you play games and convert points for vouchers I've not earned 2.50 in 6 months I've played an awful lot of candy crush for nothing