Please tell me crazy things you've done to cut back cost of living

[Moneyschploney]

I'll go first and share some of the lengths I've gone to.

Cut own hair.
Gone days without eating a main meal.
Stay home every weekend and make zero plans for weeks on end.
No birthday or Christmas presents for anyone, except DC.

I'm in £7k debt and need to pay this off by halfway through this year. Single income/parent household.

The food on Olio is free, so definitely worth checking out.

Have a look on the MSE site and see if you're eligible for any discounts on your utilities, such as a social tariff for water or broadband. Lots of other on there too for saving on utilities. E.g. https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/cut-water-bills/#waterhelp

Are there any local Facebook groups for people giving away and requesting free items? Where I am there is a great one and people often ask for (and get offers for) things like clothes and household goods.

If you don't have enough money for proper nutrition, at least make sure you get enough calories, even if it's basic pasta or cheap bread.

I agree with going out to free things. Most of my weekend socialising involves meeting friends for a chat and a walk somewhere in nature. We’re all cutting costs, trying to exercise and socialise.
Being that careful with money is really tough and boring. Try to bring some nice stuff into your life.
You need to be healthy so please do prioritise some decent food for yourself, even if it’s soup made from discounted veg and some protein.

When i want to save money i eat less and buy cheaper foods. Have a food structure and target to hit and not hit each day. My target is usually not to go over £4 a day. I sometimes indulge but this is not common.

You poor thing. You do need nutrition to function - of course you’re low and yeah the time of year doesn’t help.

There are some amazing facebook groups to feed yourself for £1 per day and another sister group for 50p per day. So many inspiring recipes and support.

Fareshare are awesome but there are lots of similar free food initiatives in different areas. If. you wanted to share your county we maybe be able to signpost places. There’s a lot where i am now.

Cut/dye my own hair.
Grow 60 percent of my own food.
Intermittent fasting to save on meal costs.
Use charity shops.
Reuse and Recycle.
Do most of my own home improvements — learned through YouTube videos.
Use free Wi-Fi at McDonald’s and other fast food outlets.
Shower at the gym. Use gym toiletries.
Use candles to save on electrical bill. Plus I like the ambience.
Borrow/use heating from neighbours on either side (I live in a flat).
Clean my own teeth (plaque removing kit bought from Amazon).
Buy yellow sticker food.
unplug all electrical appliances when not in use.

Thank you for all your helpful posts I have £15 plus a £2.50 vouchers to buy some groceries today. I do have staples in such as pasta, rice and potatoes. I have enough meat protein to spread across 6 main meals for us. Other basics are needed though. Clothing basics for DC too.
Payday is coming up and I will allocate money towards nourishing food - I will prioritise this until end of March over debt repayment in an effort to boost my energy reserves.

I've rejigged my (own) debt repayment plan and realise that paying off by mid year is now probably unrealistic. I just wanted to get it all gone before the summer holidays, so that it frees up some cash for us to spend and am eager to feel the relief of being debt free. The totally unexpected expense I mentioned upthread is looming large and will lengthen my debt repayment schedule 😔 going to try my best to at least start up an emergency fund.

I'm only 6 months into my BT broadband contract and pay £35pm. I do get some UC, would I be able to swap to a social tariff mid contract or would I have to wait it out?

I know people mean well recommending getting out for walks but it means OPs energy levels will dip further as they aren’t in a position to eat more food to compensate for the bigger calorie defecit.

There are many people who live rurally who can’t access Olio or Too good to go, etc. I can’t, my nearest town is thirty miles away. I make one meal every day be porridge - sometimes two - filling, cheap, nutritious and tasty. That and lots of beans/pulses/wholemeal toast. Someone up thread mentioned crumpets, they are such a good treat and I think the only food item that has stayed low cost.
A multivitamin is a must.
I’m growing my hair out as can’t afford cuts…at the minute it looks like a crazy bird nest but it will weigh down and calm down eventually.
No makeup…skin is so much nicer feeling, I feel freer.
I fill up a big thermos in the morning and drink my tea from there to reduce the number of times I boil the kettle…always have a thermos with tea or soup in it with us when we go out.
Essentials only for cleaning equipment. I water down the washing up liquid a little, and shampoos etc too.
A gentle walk or cycle ride every day, kids too, doesn’t diminish energy too much but gives you a boost.
For free houseplants try potting up orange/grapefruit/lemon pips. Bring greenery in from the woods on walks for some vases, your space feeling homely helps.
Make rag rugs for the floor, it’s relaxing to do and helps keep heating costs down. Can be nice to make for kids’ rooms using their outgrown clothes.

Olio isn’t a thing where I live so might not be for OP. There are numerous community supermarkets though where you get ten items for £5 etc. I think they also stick in lots of free veg on top.
The local church does free coffee/bacon sarnie mornings where they also signpost people to other support.
OP stop skipping meals, it’s not cost effective. If you get sick it will end up costing you much more in the long run.
You’d be better off making a big pot of veggie pasta sauce and eating it for lots of days.

You can ask on Facebook (anonymously if you want) in a local group and ask where free/cheap food is available.

All veg and fruit goes into the freezer if it’s approaching end of life. I chop it up and have a ziplock bag for the fruit odds and ends and another for the veg. When the bags are full the fruit turns into smoothies or crumbles and the veg into soup or casserole. I buy meat in the big discount packs from a butchers in town where you get a tray of 12 chicken breasts or pork loin steaks. I break them down into portion sizes, add a seasoning or marinade and freeze them too. Mince and casseroles get bulked out with a small amount of red lentils or oats or a whole load of mushrooms to mean I get more portions and can freeze some.

op just ring the provider and talk to them- I did this and they were helpful, different provider but worth a go x

There may be a cost of living section on your local council website that can direct you to support. Also if the council has elections this year they will need staff to run polling stations and count votes so contact electoral services.

OP stop skipping meals, it’s not cost effective. If you get sick it will end up costing you much more in the long run

What pp said, please this seriously. If you get sick and can't work, what happens then?

Definitely get debt advice as others have said. You're already low in energy, you need to keep your strength up.

Hi op I’m a single Sen mum, I echo all of the above, please look after yourself & eat. I started doing a load of different money saving schemes which to some may seem mad but add up long term eg I use cheddar app to buy gift card for food shop which gives me instant cash back, bank switches when I can, matched betting, surveys, have a look at money saving expert or Google fun money club for loads of ideas. I use a local community pantry for basic staples they also give free fruit and veg.

for self care free yoga on YouTube or the free live community classes from Yogamatters.

take care, things will get easier x

Maybe visit citizens advice. They can help with a benefits check and advise of anything else you can claim in your area including food banks.

Cheapest breakfast is porridge. I mix in some Greek yogurt and /or frozen fruit.i make my own Greek yogurt too. Delicious and nutritious and costs pennies per portion.

b&m and home bargains do the best deal on cooking bacon, I paid £1.70 for 1.5kg and it stretched so far and now it’s a staple. I use 1/3 for special friend rice using the veg luring in the fridge, 1/3 for carbonara and the rest I throw in a pan with Casserole veg, lentils/split peas and soaked marrowfat Bigga peas. Absolutely delicious and so good for you. Freezes really well too.

i also buy reduced bread and sandwich meat ,quiche and sausage tools and then make up butty packs for my DH and throw them in the freezer for his packed lunches. I can get 2 weeks worth for £4/5 .

i have started making my own sauerkraut and that’s a very cheap but nutritious powerhouse. Just finely slice cabbage onions and carrots in a jar . Mix up 100ml of water and 2-3G a salt and pour it over the top so everything is submerged. So good for your gut health.

i only buy bar soap now as it’s so much cheaper than shower gel and better for reducing plastic bottles.

Not really crazy but If you shop in store and not online I use Everup for my grocery shopping. I prefer Tescos now days

I pay £7.99 a month for Tesco club card plus and I get 10 percent off 2 shops a month so I always make sure they are the £100-£150 shops. (Max of £200!)

And then I use scan as you shop. And I purchase a gift voucher for the balance at the till and I get around 4-5% cash back. It takes an extra 30 seconds but on average I make £4-6 per shop. You then save it up and either withdraw it or buy another voucher with it. There's loads of retailers other than Tesco but that's 90% where i use it.

Definitely check Vinted if you need clothing for your teenagers. I sell items in bulk just to get rid of it, most of it has tags or had been worn less than a handful of times! There must be others like me doing similar 😊

Lots of providers allow you to switch mid contract so give BT a call and ask. I think BT is £22 a month so that would free up £13 a month which hopefully you could put towards some more nutrious food for you.

I've been in poverty before

You need an evening or weekend job.

If your kids are old enough get them working.

If you had a weekend job you could bring in an extra £400 a month.

I would definitely get into Vinted. You can have a good clear out and make some extra money. Do you use cashback sites? I never buy online without clicking through one (Quidco etc) it soon ads up. I also rarely buy anything without checking if I can get it on Vinted new or nearly new for half the price. Clothes, shoes, curtains anything I see in the shops that I need.

Paying 7k by mid year is eating into your budget. Have you contacted step change? This might take your debt payments down a lot

I'll always buy a whole chicken and joint it myself - even better if it's on offer.

I got a large chicken for £4.60 this week and a bag of casserole veg for £1.50, plus had a packet of dumpling mix at home.

I removed the breasts, which with veg and some kind of sauce at home will do me four meals. And used the rest to make stock in the slow cooker which I've turned into 4 good sized portions of chunky soup with dumplings.

Also used to buy the cheaper minced beef and just drain the excess fat off after dry frying and add red lentils to double the bulk.

I eat more veggie meals these days.

Otherwise I'm in a similar boat to you although DD is away at uni. I was planning on putting my house on the market and relocating/downsizing this year to reduce my outgoings but I need to find £800 for various bits of work to be done first which is a tall order.

I'v already been working a full time job and an evening/weekend job for the last 2.5 years and I'm bloody knackered!

Have a look at Rebel finance school. It is free and is on you tube. It has really helped me understand where my money is going and helped me plan my finances better. I know this isn't really the sort of answer you were after but I thought it might be helpful to you since it really has changed my whole outlook on money!

If l meet friends for a coffee l will always have tea instead - half the price. DH got me a latte maker so l can have one at home whenever l want for the cost of a bit of milk and instant coffee .
If meeting friends for dinner, always try an night when there's a deal on