your top tips for money-saving and a more frugal life..

[amigoingmadhere]

Right - having until now led a relatively good lifestyle, am about to be single with 3 young dcs and very little money (not going to go into background here as it's depressing and will only get me down on this sunny morning).

Rather than sit here terrified, I would like to gather the collective wisdom of MN to see how I can immediately live a more frugal life and preserve any little money we have for a house and the dcs' future.

So, here's what I can think of to start with:

• get a new Boots card (old one is connected to my stbxh's email account)
  
• get Tesco clubcard
  
• get Nectar card
  
• always scour the internet etc. for vouchers / codes etc. (do this anyway but in a more random way)
  
• only ever buy presents in sales
  
• when moving house, try to get as much as possible from charity shops / freecycle etc.
  
• use library more
  
• see if Surestart still exists (a while since I used their services)
  
• start looking for any local free/cheap gym / sports facilities
  

There must be more that I'm not thinking of.. would be grateful for your ideas! - shopping / cooking / kids' activities / house furnishing etc.
I'm starting afresh on a new and wonderful life.. but it's going to be hard.

thanks :)

[garlicnuts]

Haven't read your thread yet, ami, and others have probably said: shop at aldi. Moneysavingexpert and Which say you save 30% compared to Sainsbury's & Tesco. It is better quality than Asda (in general) and still cheaper.

Aldi shopping is different from 'normal' supermarket shopping. It doesn't carry known brands - though most of the products are the same ones with different labels on - and stocks vary from week to week. If you're a strict meal planner you'll have problems because of the variability, but broad-stroke planning works fine.

Cook for the freezer. I've never worked out why it's more cost-effective to cook double and freeze half, but it is! As I'm on a tiny budget, I use the slow cooker a lot and have a freezer full of casseroles, bolognese & so on. I've just discovered you can bake in the slow cooker and the microwave! The less I use the oven, the more I save :) Don't bake things that are cheaper to buy, like biscuits and everyday cakes (unless baking's your hobby, of course).

Stop buying a different cleaning product for each purpose. Stop buying wipes for this & that. Use microfibre cloths with a small squirt of product. Close the nozzles on cleaning products; they evaporate if left open. Keep an eye open for cleaning tips: WD40 and glycerin clean masses of things; practically everything else can be cleaned with soda or vinegar!

Don't buy extended guarantees on white goods. If they break down, consider replacing them with second-hand ones: at around £60 per appliance, it's often cheaper than a repair.

Before buying household items from known stores or catalogues, look on ebay and amazon. Same with kids' stuff. Browse pound shops - there's often a gem amongst the tat! For clothes, find out where your local outlet shops are and use them.

You get good, weekly discounts on cinema and other family activities with Orange mobile; I imagine other providers do something similar. Look on community noticeboards and even the council offices for things to do locally with DC at low cost.

Sorry, that was miles long! Hope I haven't duplicated too much ...

[Sixfeetandcounting]

Since having kids and starting up a new business we are definitely in the land of the scrimpers. Here are some of mine that I don't think have been mentioned yet.

• Buy some black machine dye and refresh all your black clothes - stops you feeling dowdy in faded black trousers and tees . I have also dyed my winter coat, I was so fed up of the thought of wearing it for ANOTHER year but now it looks completely different and like new again.
  
• Stick an advert in your local paper asking for second hand clothes of whatever age your Dc's are about to be. My friend has just done that and got given heaps of stuff. Take advantage of the crazy people out there who are happy to pass on their second hand clothes but would never buy second hand themselves. Offer a few quid if you feel happier doing that.
  
• Make sure you still go to the hairdresser at least occasionally, and while you are there have a cup of tea and read as many gossip magazines as you can. Keeps me going for another 6 months ..
  
• Enter every little free competition going - you never know, I have won some pretty cool stuff and just the thought of possibly winning something gives you a little boost. Was just in chemist and hoping I have now won a OPI goody bag
  
  xx

[nipitinthebud]

If a recipe calls for just the yolks or just the whites, then keep the other bit in a small plastic bag and freeze it. You can then use it in other recipes and also if you need an eggwash for something then you can just defrost one (or hack off a bit of one to use). Hate wasting an egg for eggwashing.

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

Went on approved foods after reading this yesterday and I'm very impressed!!

My tips...
I tend to charge my mobile overnight. Put a timer on the plug so it only charges for say 4 hours rather than for all of the time you are asleep :)
Soap seems to last me much longer than shower gel for some reason and is cheaper to start with. I often find very cheap (for example, i tried the tesco value baby bath recently) to be quite a false economy as you need to use about half a bottle!!
I use a lamp in my living room, rather than the ceiling lights, as there are three bulbs in them and only one in the lamp (all energy saving of course). Although I try not to put any lights on if the tv is on.
Another one with lights - try to get your kids used to sleeping in the dark, rather than with a nightlight or the landing light on ;) mine are only little atm though, i realise fear of the dark may come with time, lol
Put lentils in everything!

Dont shower/wear clean clothes/brush your teeth if you arent going anywhere ;)

[Frontpaw]

Can someone explain Tesco Clubcars points to me in very simple terms? I have one for 5 and am vaguely aware that you,can double them somehow. Is it just for online or on certain items?

[lovesmellingthecoffee]

If you are saving all your loose change, be careful if you use the coinstar machines to add it up, they take 6% of your total money.

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

As far as im aware, you can do it online or in store. The way it works is that you swap your £5 voucher for a £10 clothing/toys/electrical/whatever voucher, so you can then only spend that £10 in a certain department, but on any item in that department.
Does that make sense?

[breathedeeply]

Agreed on Coinstar taking 6% of your loose change (I think it's 10% in my local ASDA!). The central Milton Keynes branch of HSBC has it's own Coinstar machine, and puts your coins straight into any HSBC or First Direct account without taking any commission. I assume that larger branches of other banks in other cities must have similar machines.

[notmydog]

MNHQ please PLEASE can we have this thread saved somewhere? There's a massive amount of excellent useful tips on here that really shouldn't disappear in 90 days' time!

[KatMumsnet]

@notmydog

MNHQ please PLEASE can we have this thread saved somewhere? There's a massive amount of excellent useful tips on here that really shouldn't disappear in 90 days' time!

Hi there, we've moved this to Credit Crunch now, so it won't drop off into oblivion.

[notmydog]

Thanks Kat, that's fab! :)

[economymode]

Great tips on here.

garlicnuts, I would, however, argue that making your own cakes and biscuits is actually more cost-effective than buying them, in general. Initial outlay for flour, eggs, butter/marg, sugar etc may be more but you will get loads from them. Unless you're talking about the value 10p/pack biscuits etc?

If you use Facebook/Twitter then Approved Foods are worth following - they did a 50% off deal on Sunday if you spent over £25. Sadly I'd just had an order delivered and resisted the temptation to buy more, but if you'd have needed to order, that would have been a great offer.

Never go to a chain restaurant without a voucher. Pizza Express, GBK, Strada, Zizzi, ASK etc nearly always have some deal on.

Also, a good phone app is the VoucherCloud one - husband needed some new shoes recently and there was a 20% off at Brantano voucher on the app.

[economymode]

Oh, and as someone said further up, you can save loads of money by reducing the amount of meat you eat. I'm vegetarian and I've stopped buying meat for my husband and son to have at home. They eat it when at family etc. Since I cook, they can't really argue!

However, even if you do eat meat, try and have a few vegetarian days a week. Get some cook books from the library and scan/photocopy the recipes you like if you need inspiration - I highly rate the River Cottage Veg Everyday book, loads of interesting recipes without the need for meat.

[aliasjoey]

False economies - I try to grow salad outdoors but it usually gets ruined by weather or insects. Now I've been getting ready-to-eat salads from Sainsburys, they come in small pots and will last a couple of weeks, they keep growing back after cutting.

Charity shops - some of them overcharge for basics eg. £1.50 for a mug, you can buy one new for that price! They are often good for children's clothes though, but you have to keep going, I usually go in at least once a week.

Drying clothes - outside or inside on a clothes-horse. I was about to suggest one of those hangy-up airers, but they're not cheap. Maybe get one on ebay though?

I use any lotions/shampoo which turn out to irritate my skin on something else. Free shampoo from a hotel room is used to clean the sink! I use any old lotion/cream to cleanse my face and then follow it up with a toner/facewash of my choice.

Kids pyjamas - as they grow out of them, I cut the arms and legs off so they do fine in the summer.

I shamelessly recycle unwanted presents - as long as they are in good condition and suitable for the recipient.

Freeze milk to save a dash to the supermarket. Hand out lollies from the freezer instead of paying for the ice-cream van (DD moans but has gradually got used to the idea.)

Return items if you change your mind! Most places will give money back if you have a receipt, or exchange if not.

[politico]

This is a great thread.

Go through your mobile bills and work out if you're on the best package, or if your contract has expired and your bills have now been hiked. I was paying £30+/month for years after my contract expired, and recently changed to GiffGaff (which uses O2 for reception). I now pay £10/month for UNLIMITED texts and data - free internet! Wish I'd done it years ago, I could have had a few holidays. Phone up your phone provider and threaten to leave, they will either give you the equivalent discount or you can leave and be much better off.

Minor ailments for free chemist items - why pay for teething stuff, Calpol etc? It's definitely free in Scotland, but I think some PCTs in England also have this scheme, worth checking.

We've been getting monthly supplies of nappies from Kiddicare, I think they're really good value. Lidl is great - even for wine!

Only buy things in the sales, with the exception of bras. A good quality, well fitting bra will make you look and feel better. Bravissimo are good if you've got big boobs. Get fitted and JUST BUY ONE BRA from the shop, or if you are shameless, don't buy any. Then buy the correct size from ebay, it'll be several pounds cheaper. Or if you get fitted during the sales, you could grab a bargain.

Libraries tend to do kids storytime / bounce and rhyme for free.

[mrsnzuki]

allotment - grow your own saves on gym membership too...
try local unis for cheap hair cuts
markets for meat bargains
drop a brand...
car boots are amazing for kids stuff...
buy stuff in bulk when its on offer like your fav shampoo or washing powder etc...

[BoffinMum]

Buy a whole lamb or half a pig from a local butcher for half price meat. They will butcher it to your specifications and vacuum pack it for the freezer. With a massive sack of potatoes from a nearby farm you can eat very cheaply for the winter doing this.

[Badvoc]

Our library (and I am sure all of them!) are running the storylab, a reading challenge over the summer. They get stickers, can go online and get certicates and medals at the end :)
My gym has swimming for juniorsodour on,y £5 per month....can go every day 10 times a day if they want to!! Very good value IMO.
A lot of national trust places are doing events over the summer that are either free or only £5 for a days activities.
If you go on your local council website you may find free activities run n your local area ( we have an archeology one being run this wek in our town)
I am going to start shopping at aldi having been inspired by this thread :)
Also eating more veg.
I buy a lot of my kids jeans from e bay....99p plus postage for gap and next jeans...
I use Alain a lot for gifts/cheaper items...have had lots of Barinas lately including some gifts for ds2s b day..one thing was near,y £30 in other stores by got it from amazon for £18.99!!
Shopping around really can save in the long run....
Been to ikea this morning and got 6 kids plastic beakers, a notebook for me, some napkins and a folding shopping bag for a £5 :) I love ikea :)

[Badvoc]

Boffinmum...I have a slow cooker which - I will admit to my shame - I have never used.
I have never used one and am nervous...
Do you have any quick, and most importantly easy slow cooker recipes now the summer is drawing to a close?
Tia x

[Badvoc]

Sorry for typos!

[zookeeper]

do people think it's worth buying a breadmaker ?

[Badvoc]

Hmmmm. We have one and it's in the loft...much less hassle and cheaper to make it the old fashiond way :)

[Frontpaw]

I'm going to cancel my gym membership. It probably works out at £100 a visit anyway - and it is already rediculously cheap and I will never be able to get such a cheap deal ever ever again (trying to talk myself out of it...)

[ANTagony]

Bread makers are great and if you shop around for your flour and bake regularly you can save money. They are one of those items you always see at car boots and in charity shops so I guess they aren't for everyone. I have a Panasonic one that bakes a really nice loaf and does well in the reviews. It doesn't come in at the low end at around £120. My latest panasonic one was purchased 6 years ago as new graded off eBay and was about £60 delivered.