What are your top tips for saving money?

[BenzoBetty]

I have already switched energy supplier, sold the car and started walking, meal planned and sold/bought on EBay but need to save another £100 a month.

Need your tips and ideas!!

We don't have sky and we have a virgin package for our broadband and phone.

I don't work, I'm a sahm. I stopped all the classes that I was taking DD to and started going to free ones at our local sure start centre

don't go to the supermarket when you are hungry - studies show you buy more and stuff you don;t really need

hAve you tried aldi and spartprice at asda for food? I halved our food bill aldis good for petfood too.

Consider remortgaging to get a better deal if your home is mortgaged. Comparison sites for home insurance, other utilities etc. If you owe any money on loans, CCs or o/ds see if you can borrow it more cheaply. Get a water meter if you don't have one already. Check out grants for loft insulation and other energy-saving measures for your home. See if your electricity supplier will provide you with low energy lightbulbs or an energy monitor for free. If there's a college nearby that does hairdressing courses, ask if they'd like volunteers to practice on!!!

When I was short I put all my reg bills on monthly Direct debit as it helps you budget and also you may get a reduction Sit down and make a budget-write everything down that you spend Make sure you are claiming wtc.If you reg need prescriptions ,more than 2 a month get a prepaid thingy-ask Pharmacist Go shopping just twice a week-one for the main shop and another for fresh stuff Before you leave make a list and stick to it .Shop around e.g Poundland sells nearly all of my household cleaning necessitties for £1 and they can be twice the price elsewhere. It may be useful to note down your basics as well so you can keep an eye outfor bargains What can you ditch ? e.g fabric coniditioner
Go for Supermarket own brands for some things.Lastly buy a cheap chest freezer so you can keep any 2 for 1 offers on bread, meat etc

Another one... buy 'soda crystals' (v v cheap) and dilute your regular soap-powder with them.

Beyond regular bills and possibly groceries, limit everyone in the house (assuming SAHM means there is a WOHD) to cash purchases only. If you have £25 in your wallet at the start of the week and know it won't be topped up again for 7 days you're highly likely to spin it out. CCs and Debit Cards make spending too easy and forgettable

Packed lunches for anyone in the household that goes out to work.

Don't browse shops either IRL or online. The less time you spend in or around anywhere with purchasing opportunities, the less you spend.

what about full/part time work for you? please dont take that the wrong way, but with the help you get from working tax credits towards childcare you may even find something part time that may just give you that little extra each week? xx

Get a trolley if you don't need to use a pram anymore. Go on Mysupermarket.com and figure out how much you want to spend and you can print out a shopping list. Don't buy online as you might find a bargain in the shop and save on delivery charge. Accept friends offering kids cast-offs I always offer and accept for green reasons. Maybe babysit, dog walk or take in ironing?!
Look into becoming special constable you get free travel for very few hours a month but check before you join
Get your children to be Green and tell them about reuse, recycle etc... My DS tells me that using the car and buying plastics toys is killing Polar bears. WWF advert did this to him not me, honest. Get them to help you save for the holiday. We don't eat out at all now because we are saving to go to Rome next year, just for the weekend but he still good at telling me not to have a latte or he doesn't need something (camping this year which he loves)
can't think of anymore but will read this thread as I need to do the same and I already work