Money Saving October

[snowlady4]

I know money saving top threads are probably done to death but I'm inspired today to get my act together and reign in my spending a bit. I have a reasonable wage, but seem to be saving less and less, so need to be more conscious of my spending. I have a holiday I'm paying off and want to gather some spending money too.
So far, my plan for October is:
Just stop buying stuff (obvious I know, but really stop buying clothes and bits I don't actually "need.") Basically make do with what I have.
Walk to work as much as possible, so not paying petrol and parking.
No beautician visits except for eyebrows.
Limit buying alcohol to once a week.
Limit coffee shops to only when meeting someone for a coffee socially- stop going in on my own or getting one when I go for a walk.
Try and sell a few things.

Anyone inspired to join the frugal fun?

I started a new bank acc switch for some ' free ' money

Not doing too badly! I had to buy a new coat today as last years is completely unwearable. £29.50 in tesco, had a £4 off their clothing coupon and also used jam doughnut so got some cashback back on that too.

I cashed in my first £10 and used it to buy a tesco voucher to use against the big shop. Really happy with the app and how many shops there are on there. Should make a good amount back at Christmas.

I also did a bank switch and should be getting £100 in my account in next week or so.

Sounds like you're all doing well too! Love hearing of bargains and money saving tips so please keep sharing!

I changed my normal Clubcard at Tesco to the Clubcard Plus at the start of the month. It's working well so far, the first month is free, then it's £7.99 a month but you can cancel at any time. For this, you get 10% off two instore shops of your choice - you get 2 coupons on the app which you just scan on the shops you want to use them on. You get F&F, the baby Flo & Fred, Paperchase and a couple of other lines at 10% off at all times. I used one coupon last week and saved £7 which I was really pleased with.

For those who are using the Jam Doughnut app, are you able to upload your giftcards to your Apple wallet, mine just wouldn't load at all!

I just take a photo of the jam doughnut gift cards or I just do them at the checkout and use them from the app. The jam doughnut app has its own wallet in it. I don't think you can pop them in your apple wallet though.

You can use Jam doughnut vouchers and your new Tesco card at the same time so you will save more

Well done! I also do bank switches! I'm in the process of doing the Lloyds one which is £200 and pretty easy x

Fantastic! So glad it's working for you! xx

Ooh @Fantasea I have just signed up to the clubcard plus from your recommendation.

The 10% off two shops a month will easily cover the £7.99 and give a good amount of saving on top. Also love the 10% off tesco brands as always buying something f&f for the baby.

It's quite addictive this saving money stuff, isn't it!

Use jam doughnut though as well as your new club card and you will save loads more!

This was my thinking, I will easily spend more than £40 on two 'big shops' too! I would think you'd get good savings buying for your baby. I am trying to be organised to maximise the savings on the 10% so am making a list of items which can wait until my next 'big shop'. I will make sure I get all the Christmas bits on one on one of them!

@Mumof3darlings yes, I used my new Clubcard and the Jam Doughnut giftcard at the same time yesterday and it was fine! I've also found in the two weeks since I've had the Clubcard Plus, that Tesco have sent me some coupons on the App and for things I normally buy too which is great. You can load them onto the Clubcard itself so don't have to fiddle around at the till scanning the individual codes.

I've been following this thread for a while and bit the bullet and downloaded the Jam Donut app today but stupidly after I had just spent £30 in Sainsburys!!

Anyway @Mumof3darlings I've used your referral code so thank you for that!

Thanks for all tips and advice so far.
I use a monthly spreadsheet and input everything I spend - amazing how much I spend in the supermarket!!

Fab! Glad it helps! Feel free to share your supermarket spends for us to collectively critique - think this helps!

Glad this thread is helping!
Thank you for the Lloyds bank info, I'm going to switch!
Today will be a little bit spendy for me- had planned a morning at home but the neighbour is building and drilling and I can't handle it- so going out for a coffee. I won't eat out though, so at least I'm making a thrifty choice there!
Then I must go food shopping and am going to the beautician. I have stopped most beautician visits- no nails or massages or facials but I do have some essential maintenance I must have done!
If the neighbour is still hammering and drilling away after that I am thinking I might go to the library or something, it is impossible to do anything here right now.
Hope you're all getting on great with the savings!

I've also rejoined the library this month and honestly it is so nice! Such a lovely space to go and work and also borrow books!

Do you have your energy with Octopus? If so you get a free coffee in cafe Nero or Greggs each week.

I also get another free one each week with cafe as my work health insurance is with Vitality,

Saving on coffees has been huge for me - I used to buy one a day and that's a lot! This sort of readjustment doesn't feel painful at all. I still go for a nice one if meeting a friend but the one a day was habit to kick to reduce the frittering!

Another thing is to look at all your subscriptions and direct debits. I saved a lot on those and do every time I review them.

Have a lovely day in the cafe/library!

@Mumof3darlings I was the very same with takeaway coffees. Ridiculous habit. It hasn't been a big transition at all. I've been having my coffee at home and bringing a reusable cup with me- usually I fill with a herbal tea as I'm just after a coffee, so probably better from a hydration point of view too! I've enjoyed my occasional coffee out much more too as I'm not having it everyday.
I love libraries. Unfortunately our local one is dreadful- no funding for books so they can't order anything for you. They tell you to order on amazon! Thanks, hadn't thought of that! I can actually see it closing.. the worse it gets, the less people use it so it's even more likely to close. Such a shame.
My dad has a brilliant library near him, it has a nice coffee machine and it's such a nice environment to spend a few hours in!

I used to use my library to borrow books lots but the ADHD tax of late library fees made me stop. 🤦 I have discovered there's no late fees on the kid's cards though so I'm tempted to use theirs instead.

Very lucky in our town to still have lots of libraries! They're also community warm spaces with tea/coffee making tables. I need to make more use of them personally but they are well used in general thankfully.

I often use charity shops for books. They're soo cheap.

This week instead of spending I've been trying to focus on using stuff I have in the house (food, books, thermos cup to take out with me etc) and listing some stuff on vinted too.

Amazing! Well done!!

I also do the same. It's a mindset shift of not spending. I have shifted my mindset to doing things for free or saving instead of spending. I've done it because I have to as really needed to reduce spending but my god I've learned a lot and it's actually interesting how my spending dopamine hits have changed to dopamine hits of saving!!!

For example this week I have been really closely monitoring our electricity usage and I've noticed how much difference it makes on the days we don't use the oven! I know people talk about this but I always thought it was peanuts so didn't really engage 🫣

Anyway it's actually not and all part of my frittering! Turns out that honestly on some days I had been spending £3 on the oven. So it's totally not much but it is when you consider that £3 every day is over £1000 a year!!! So I'm not going to stop using the oven but I'm going to stop using it like I did! Some times I would pop it on for 4 sausages!!! I will just change the way I cook and cook in batches and warm things, use my slow cooker and the pan more etc etc. if I save half the oven usage (which honestly would be SO easy) then I will save over £500 a year!

Can't actually believe how stupid I've been sometimes when I look at all the frittering I've done. My Nanna would have been turning in her grave!

I have discovered there's no late fees on the kid's cards though so I'm tempted to use theirs instead.

Unfortunately, as we found out the hard way our library will charge fines for any books from the adults section even if it's taken out on a kids card.

Yes I need to do it too. I've been very very very frugal in the past when I've needed to be but the frittering has definitely slowly increased in recent years.

That's interesting about the oven as I don't use mine all that often and I'm quite happy with my utility bill (or as happy as we can be at the moment!!). I don't have a smart meter yet so it's harder to track the little usages but I can see how it can add up.

I get a definite dopamine hit from selling on vinted. But I've found it goes in waves and will wear off at some point. Then I'll have to put it in holiday mode and turn off sales until I'm ready to come back to it.

Yes the enthusiasm of selling on Vinted does come in waves for me too! Good idea to switch to holiday mode when you are not on that page! 😂

Another fritter for me has been wasted car journeys! Does anyone lift share anymore? Or just do without/ask a neighbour for a cup of sugar and not nip to the shop for whatever you 'need'! I certainly do the latter. I wouldn't dare ask my neighbour as that would seem wierd these days but we do have mindsets that you need to have everything at your fingertips, don't you think? 🤔

I had no idea the oven used so much electricity until I got a smart meter installed. I used to put it on for a couple of hash browns and think nothing of it! I heat a lot of things in the microwave or use the hob now.

I def get that happy hit from selling on vinted too