What are you doing to mitigate the rising cost of living??

[FrankWelker]

I realise there are lots of saving money threads but thought it would be useful to have another!!! Useful for me anyway!
With costs rising in virtually everything I’m spending this weekend seeing how we can reduce money everywhere.
To start, no more food out of the house at work.
I’ve downloaded the TooGoodTooGo app to save money on treat food.
I would really welcome everyone’s ideas!
Thanks all

We have reduced using our car. In the last three months we've used it for work, a weekend away, trip to skip and visiting my DM (tidying that in with Homebase), so no day trips and shopping done on foot. We're actually spending less than we were before prices went up. Obviously no day trips saves money as well - we're often going on nearby walks and taking a sandwich - sounds silly but it's actually nice having lunch on the grass/a bench and watching the world go by.

I have a weekly food budget and make sure I stick to it. I count up roughly what's in my basket as I go along - if I feel my budget won't last, I look for alternatives - ie I'll make a pasta dish instead of ready meal, swap cake for cheap packet of biscuits, think again if I can do without something in a recipe.

It'll only be minimal savings, but making sure we don't have the tv unless it's actively been watched, leaving the lights off a bit longer, switching oven off 2/3 mins earlier and leaving food in there to finish cooking.

Hi I was hoping there was a thread like this. We started the year quite frugal but have slipped in to bad habits. I think we are going to use dryer less, more showers than baths. I think we need to cut down our food spend too as that's the biggest expense for us after bills.

Fixing our mortgage for 5 years

Turning off our 'extra' fridge/ freezer in the utility room and seeing if we can manage with just the one in the kitchen.
Thick curtain across front door.
Plugging any draughty gaps in windows/ french doors.
Dh getting 'smart' valves on radiators which will allow us to control the heat to different temperatures in different rooms.
Smart plugs in rooms so we can switch of all power sockets from an app at the end of the day.
Will probably plan to heat/use fewer rooms in winter (we have a large, cold lounge which is barely used now our kids are away at uni and we can use our cosy 'family room for TV etc).

I read somewhere that the cost of heating works out at an extra 3 pounds a day, so I have been doing surveys while watching telly to make 3 pounds a day. You can use this link and get 40p to start

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Arguing with my energy company EDF who keep trying to raise my direct debit payment. I am on a fixed deal 🤦‍♀️
They wanted to increase it to £250 in august. Based on estimate of £2165 per year 🙄. But I’ve only been with them since October, and they’re wildly overestimating usage . That’d come out as £1800 without even allowing for the £400 discount we will all get n October onwards.

please check your DD everyone. This is second time in 6 months they’ve tried to do this. Even if your chargers are gone g up as not fixed deal, do work out how much you will actually owe per year based on actual usage and check they’re not trying to over charge you to keep your cash in their bank and not yours

my £1800 seems low now…but 2 years ago I paid £800- just me and a small house.

I've been upping my earring activity by completing surveys

Best ones for making money imo are streetbees

Streetbees posts.streetbees.com/xocetbxymyxax/index.html

Qmee - you and I get 50p with this link

qm.ee/SGW3RCCEXOYNA

And my favourite Sweatcoins where you get rewards just for walking!

sweatco.in/i/dorisdoughnut

I bought an air fryer 3 months ago and swear by it. Can already tell the difference in electricity consumption.

I have stopped buying high end skincare ie from Elemis to Boots no 7 and Superdrug and honestly my skin is still really excellent.

Food I make sure I never go over £80 weekly online with Asda. Have turned 80 % vegetarian but ds still eats meat. This has definitely helped our food bill.