Uncommon money saving tips

[Clarelita]

I'm wondering if anyone has any not so common money saving tips that you don't hear about that often. Things have always been tight for us and since COVID I must have read a hundred different articles and threads about saving money but it just seems to be the same tips that get brought out over and over again.

Here are a couple of mine:

I haven't had a haircut in years. When it gets too long I just cut it myself following videos on YouTube. And I always wear my hair up now so if it's a bit wonky no one will notice. Got some ideas for easy up Dos off YouTube too.

I turned down the boiler temperature and keep the showers as cold as I can tolerate to reduce the gas bill. My showers aren't cold but are warm rather than hot and I noticed a significant drop in gas consumption.

Buy your Christmas cards in charity shops.
Keep an eye open for suitable gifts in charity shops - unwanted gifts often get donated and someone you know might love the item.
If it's only a short trip e.g. to the shops, walk. You will buy less because you won't want to carry it home. You'll also get free exercise, no struggling for a parking space etc.
Don't eat out or get takeaways. If you do, make a treat out of it. One or two mini-splurges and you'll remember them. You won't remember mediocrity.

You can wash your hair with ordinary bar soap. Its all just soap.

I've washed mine with face wash before now, it was ok.

Buy Christmas related items when reduced after Christmas.

This includes stuffing, gravy etc that can be frozen, treats like panettone and mince pies and also items like cards, wrapping paper, cranberry sauce, mincemeat etc.

For a lot of things, we're often using what I bought at 75% off last year and rarely have to buy at full price for the current Christmas.

One year we didn't even have a tree until I got one half price from Argos on 27 December (child free and Christmas is something we can take or leave but love a bit of bargain hunting).

Loved this ... made me lol!

I pay for Readly & Kindle Unlimited, I can read as many magazines & newspapers as I want instead of spending upwards of £50 a month, plus I don't end up with a pile to get rid of,there are thousands of books on Kindle Unlimited, most of my favourite authors books go straight to Kindle Unlimited, I read constantly so save around £100 a month.

For people who are really struggling or on benefits or both.

All the internet suppliers have a 'social tariff' that is cheaper than their usual.

There are charities that help with things, many small and local, some bigger.

I'm in Wolverhampton, my water comes from Severn Trent and they have two schemes. One reduces your water bill and offers ongoing support (As I said up thread I have psoriasis) if you need to use more water for eg a skin condition.

Their other charity supplies beds and white goods.

There is a book called something like the directory of grant making trusts, it is expensive but available as a reference book in most libraries (and university libraries).

It lists, well grant making trusts, lots were set up in the Victorian / Edwardian eras so use some outdated language but they exist and it can be worth applying.

One was, "for the impotent of the parish of X". Another was to, "train women who would otherwise be at risk of prostitution".

I applied to a few as a uni student and I get quite a lot of support, the max was £1000 the least was £10. As they are one off payments they don't (or didn't I would have to check the rules) impact on benefits.

You can search online but not as many show up.

https://www.lightningreach.org/application-portal

https://www.charityexcellence.co.uk/uk-charitable-trust-and-foundations-list/

Local Rotary Club, Lions, etc sometimes give out small amounts or will buy things. My parents were involved with St Vincent De Paul and every year they sent a family on holiday. It wasn't fancy, a week at butlins with spending money and travel paid for but a holiday a family would not otherwise get.

As an alternative, you can use a service similar to Readly for free via libraries, who also lend out ebooks, but I don't think they work on Kindles.

I find that it's rare what I want to read is included in Kindle Unlimited but the books I want will usually be down to 99 p sooner or later so I put them on an Amazon wishlist that I check daily, sorted by cheapest price first.

If you do want paper magazines, there's endless subscription offers. I've just had 6 months of Red and Good Housekeeping for £1 per issue. Just remember to cancel before it goes up to full price.

@Twoleftsockswithholes
Everytime someone requotes this, I lol again 😂😂

Not sure about uncommon but some of these tips are just so miserly and depressing.

I agree. Especially worrying is the hot water one.

The conkers one is bonkers!

I think driving small cars has saved me loads of money over the years. My Toyota Aygo I bought second hand for £4500 , It was free to tax, very reliable and cost around £40 for a full tank of petrol.

I bought it five years ago and traded in for a slightly newer car last year the dealer gave me £3300 for it.

I've got an Hyundai i10 now which is similar in that the tax is cheap £30 and it's very cheap to run.

Op turning hot water down is risky for legionaries, not sure that's worth saving a few quid for tbh.

It's not miserly, it's a challenge 😁

Love this! Worthy of the pages of Viz!

It IS from the pages of Viz, as are all the funny ones (no less funny for that, and worth sharing)

This isn't really a money saving tip, more of a fun and unusual way to make a bit of cash. Over the years I've made about £75 from sending submissions to Take a Break and What's on TV. I sent an email to TAB about a funny remark my toddler made and I sent two letters to WOTV about some TV shows I'd watched. By pure luck my letters were all published and I got paid for them. I sent my letters via email, so didn't even have to spend on postage. Get a copy of these magazines to find out what they're looking for and submission contact details.

@Girliefriendlikespuppies , the resale value is due to the current economic climate, but I agree that an older reliable small car is usually a cheaper way of car ownership.

There is a website called e.readeriq. You can input your favourite writers or books and they will notify you when they come down in price. It's very useful. I recently discovered through this that Mick Herron's Slow Horses books were at 99p for one day.

Spending money to save money works if you are smart about it. I pay around £20 a month for my bank account but get free Disney+, free worldwide travel and mobile insurance and free AA cover so it works out cheaper than buying them separately. Only works if you need those things anyway.

Make my own bread - breadmaker £5 off FB marketplace. Also make my own yoghurt and muesli. Control what goes into it so its high quality for less cost than the premium brands. Could make it cheaper if I wanted by varying ingredients.

Take my own coffee, breakfast and lunch to work so never need to buy takeaway anything. Breakfast is overnight oats and lunch is usually batchcooked dinner portioned for lunches.

Buy almost all clothes second hand and try to keep a one-in-one-out system (selling or donating) to make me consider if its worth getting rid of something. Keep slightly knackered stuff for gardening in instead of chucking.

Plan big purchases around sales and maximise offers/rewards/cashback on selling platforms and banking.

Take the coach instead of the train when travelling between cities. Return to London is over £100 on the train or £15 on National Express.

Drive a smaller car with an efficient engine.

Bulk buy where possible - plan storage around this. Non-perishable food, cleaning stuff, loo roll etc. Use bar soap which is bought on offer in bulk - Etsy has people selling boxes of offcuts of fancy soap.

Keep heating low and use heated throws judiciously.

Use a fitness streaming app instead of the gym. Got it discounted through a work scheme.

Had lodgers on and off for years.

Don't eat much meat - use lots of pulses and Tofu for protein.

Most of my furniture is second hand and I upcycle stuff myself.

I am pretty comfortable now so I don't NEED to do much of this but I generally prefer living this way as its more sustainable and I get to save more. Also means I can afford proper luxury stuff when I want it like upmarket restaurants and holidays.

Make friends with people with allotments and be prepared to receive gluts of things like courgettes, blackcurrants etc at the appropriate time of year. We will be grateful for you taking them off our hands.

(Absolutely do not get an allotment just to save money unless you also enjoy gardening and have a lot of spare time and ideally tools already in your shed at home. I love mine but 4 years in am yet to break even.)

Do you have a fool proof receipe please?

I like the one about keeping friends. Something that actually makes you rich.

My tips would be to ignore brands and buy things fit for purpose.

Buy cheap shampoo but decent conditioner. Use a good basic moisturiser like Nivea or Astral. Especially once you reach an age where it's all about quantity.

For makeup, use cheap; pencils for lip liner, eyeliner and brows, crayons for eyeshadow, highlighter & blusher, then spend what you need to on mascara and foundation. Just check if you are going for an expensive brand it is worth it. Is it actually better than say a middle of the road brand like boots no7?

Use big box powders to wash clothes and don't use fabric softener. If you live in a hard water area buy a supermarket equivalent of calgon tablets to protect your clothes and your machine.

I have mostly eaten UPF free over the last year or so, and whilst it was expensive in the beginning as some ingredients like stock cubes are more expensive, over time it is saving money.
We buy less crap food, waste less and I batch cook more. I can usually make double quantities of something for the same price as a ready meal equivalent.

Finally, if you want something from a retailer you've already ordered from, add it to your basket, then click off. More often than not you will get an email within 24 hours offering a discount.

I love post Christmas shopping. I bought every present i need for next year on 27th December, same with cards wrapping etc. Bought M%S food and froze it, their fresh stuffing cost me 20p, i used some at Easter and it was lovely. I bought 10 jars of mince pie filling for a £1. Love a cheap Christmas.

I use the recipes that came with the machine. Tried a few different programs until I found the one that made the nicest loaf. For my machine, it's the quick loaf setting with a medium brown crust. There are plenty of breadmaker specific recipes online as well.

I use a ratio of 1:5 white to wholemeal strong flour and add half a cup of mixed seeds. Just remember to get instant/easy bake Yeast instead of dried active. You can buy it in pots which is cheaper overall than sachets.

I use this (delicious) wholemeal flour which I buy in bulk off Amazon. Could make it cheaper by using own brand flour and skipping the seeds. https://www.ocado.com/products/marriage-s-very-strong-canadian-wholemeal-flour-46886011?ds_rl=1290929&ds_rl=1291426&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwltKxBhDMARIsAG8KnqW7SihYvPpRPIWVTiExLnsvWXWCiEYuT74LIjuVteo4dHOWBBWx778aAlDkEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Don't waste money on an expensive cleanser (obv skin conditions and allergies will influence this too) as you literally rinse it down the drain. Go for the cheapest your skin will accept and you like to use.

My skin looks and feels better when I use an oil (like Superfacialist Vitamin C) but I only buy when it's on offer and it lasts me the best part of a year. I could do cheaper or even just plain old soap but my skin would feel tight and dry after. Plus I love the ritual of a few moments spent massaging it in.

I then can justify spending a little more on product that actually stays on or actives