What have you given up or changed?

[Pollydollydoodle]

DH and I earn decent money but I still think we are feeling the pinch. 3 teenagers at home, cost of sending to uni on the horizon, just thinking of ways to reign things in a bit.
Just interested in what you've all done to tighten your belts other than the usual (cheaper food brands, less treats, cut back on takeaway, reduced the sky package etc). Px

I've changed the amount of food we buy mainly due to cost and a realisation that we don't actually need that much food. I try to cook smaller portions too so nothing goes to waste.

No takeaways
Cancelled gym membership (never really used it anyway 😂)
Stopped buying clothes new, now almost all are from eBay or charity shops
Cancelled Amazon Prime
Stopped using the car unless absolutely necessary. Walk everywhere.

Just cancelled my highlights :(
Netflix
Amazon
Spotify 😭
Foodie treats
Audible
Sold my lovely exercise bike
Sold my rowing machine

I was made redundant and the job market is awful!

We have got rid of Sky (£85 a month), changed broadband (save £7 a month), cancelled magazine subscription, don’t eat out anymore, making more use of NT membership and always take picnics everywhere. Sold our second car. Using Tesco club card points for days out. Using meercat cinema tickets rather than go at weekends. Reduced hair cuts and I now do nails myself. Using Vinted more and making more effort to sell stuff.

In winter, used a heated blanket more and hot water bottles, thermos flasks. Used log burner more.

Meal planning a lot more and trying to buy reduced stuff - having a chest freezer is very helpful

It's actually really scary, thinking of all the small businesses that will be affected. Luckily there seem to be a lot of jobs going at the moment so hopefully if someone's having to close their own business they can get work elsewhere.

Storage Unit. We rent a small-ish 2 bed flat. 15sqft unit was £72 every 4 weeks which was quite piss takery 18 months ago, but needs must. Then 8 months ago £72 becomes £95, and then 6 weeks ago £95 becomes £115. “Cos costs have gone up”. So we took the largest piece of furniture to my parents garage, along with a few boxes. Sold a few things, cleared out a bit. And voila, £115pcm better off. Plus got £19 back from the remaining time on the contents insurance. Plus not having to drive there and hoping it hasn’t burned to the ground (has happened twice in recent years in Manchester…)

My husband brings home from work the milk on the turn that’s going to be poured down his office sink on a Friday - I use it for rice pudding, or make and freeze a cheese sauce (for future macaroni cheese).

i air our towels and sheets in sunshine so i wash them less often. Sunlight is miraculous.

i save up pretty bits of card and my dd makes all the greetings cards for the family.

Got a Mirena coil and no longer have periods. No spend on sanitary products. Tbh this wasn’t intended as a cost-cutting exercise but has worked out that way!

Really cut down on the heating.

Drink tap water instead of bottled water and take water with me when going out.

Buy cheaper brands of liquid hand soap.

Try to avoid dry clean only clothes.

Take advantage of free screenings at the cinema of which I am a member.

Eat a la carte rather than a big tasting menu that leaves me feeling too full.

Write reviews of products to get vouchers.

Use my Oyster card or walk rather than take the car.

Rarely eat out but try to have better meals at home a couple of times a week. Haven't given up wine with dinner though.
Only go to hairdressers about once every 6 weeks for roots done. Really need done after four. Use temporary colour spray on parting to stretch out visits a bit. Used to call in for a blow dry whenever I felt like it ..about once a week before cost of living rises.
Have a holiday booked but no extra short breaks. Used to have a couple a year.
Far more thoughtful when food shopping.
Not buying new clothes.
I realize I am very fortunate that I don't struggle as much as many others. Ancient now but I well remember when mortgages went to 15% with no lock in deals when I was a young parent so I really feel for young people starting out now. Very hard for them and not many signs of things getting better any time soon.

With solar the actual panels aren't more than 4k. It is the batteries which add to the bill. We paid 14k but it included 15kwh of battery storage. The batteries are about 3k per 5kwh. If she didnt have a battery 4k is about right

Having hair done, although I only go once every year/two years anyway.

Spotify.

I've cut back by buying cheaper cleaning products. A new Lidl opened near us so I go there now instead of Morrisons. I've not bought any new summer dresses this year I'm wearing ones I already have. DH and I are not going to our favourite expensive Italian lately. We used to go once a month plus special occasions now only for special occasions. We go for a pub meal or a carvery more instead. This saves over £35 each time. I've cut back takeaways to about once every 3 weeks whereas before it was once a week. I have also cut back on coffee and lunch out. I'm colouring my own hair and we have not had a weekend break away by ourselves for over 3 months. We used to go about once every 6 weeks and we paid adult DS to look after FS and to feed our cats and feed and walk our dogs.

I’m a high earner (single parent) but I’ve cut down on SO much as the CoL is ridiculous. I take lunch to work now instead of spending at cafes/ Pret. I never ever buy coffees. I am eating lots less takeaways. Eating out less. Spending less on kids’ activities. In all honesty a year ago I didn’t think about what I spent day-to-day at all. But now everything is a conscious decision.

I make my own focaccia, instead of buying a sourdough from our local bakery for £4.50.

I've recently given up eating breakfast and lunch while the kids are at school, make do with some leftovers if I'm really hungry and there are some. Or super cheap tinned tomatoes with some herbs and spices in

Eating out and going to the pub for a quick drink have both become extortionate, it might have been something we did once a month but now we do not.
My shopping habits have changed and I will refuse to buy anything in a supermarket that is ridiculously priced such as butter, coffee etc. I prefer to wait until it's on offer or shop around. Recently saw tomatoes on sale for almost £4, that's just a no from me.

Only dogwood shopping in aldi and lidl and stopped popping to local shop for milk etc which ended up costing £10 a pop .Completely given up eating out and takeaways.Fakeaways all the way here,we sign up for all promotional offers and then cancel.eg SimplyCook,Hello fresh etc etc.Use my link if you fancy a freebie,just set a reminder to cancel😊Free SimplyCook box containing 4 recipe kits

Eat out less, and in cheaper places. Literally never have take aways anyway so no savings there. Hair cut every 8 weeks not 6. Don’t buy kitchen towels anymore, use bamboo washable ones. Reduced Sky bill. Cancelled Which? subscription. Rarely go into town for a mooch which I did most weeks, saving fuel, car park, coffee and cake, buying random stuff I didn’t need.

We have given up cinema, eating out, take always. We need a new car but haven't bought one. Spend a lot less of kids fun activities too. Hate it.

Stopped buying alcohol and takeaways. Started shopping at Aldi. Stopped buying ready meals and treats. Food bills much lower and lost weight!!!!

Started shopping in Aldi during covid
Sim only contract
Cheapest Internet package
Reducing the amount of coffee I buy out

I've noticed hotel prices have shot up too. If you can go away mid week some cheap deals around.

I booked Manchester for a Saturday night £80 thought it was a bargain.

Takeaways
Meals out