Your best thrifty/money saving tips?

[sirlee66]

Hi everyone!

We are on a budget saving as much as we can before I go on maternity leave. Just trying to think of a few ways to be extra thrifty.

We already do a few bits: meal plan, stock up on cheap deals/bulk buy. We don't buy branded / shop at Aldi. Always comparing car insurance / gas and electric / phone company etc to make sure we are on the best deal for us.

I was wondering if you could share any tips or life changes that could help us save a bit more?

Many thanks!

There's a very interesting PPI claim thread on here - might be worth a look. Lots of people are getting money that they are surprised by iykwim.

Ah thanks lineyst no PPI though unfortunately!

That's what a lot of posters thought - and then they checked via Martyn Lewis's website ... and lo and behold. Some of it is credit cards, and store cards, loans, mortgages, you name it. Going back decades.

Anyway, my other tip is to ban shop-bought or canteen-bought coffee and sandwiches / snacks / lunches. Saves a fortune. I worked out what OH's eldest son spends a month (he's always skint and 'can't understand it') and it was coming up for £200 a month on bloody Starbucks and Greggs.

When I was seriously saving I took a flask and marmite sandwiches to work

Excellent advice! At the time £2/3 doesn't seem like much to have a coffee on the go but actualy that will all add up. We don't do it that often but that is deffo something I can stop and take a flask instead like you suggested. Thank you!

I didn’t think I had any PPI. Turns out I had £1300!

Nice one, BikeRunSki.

Although we are ok financially we don't like spending on stuff needlessly. we have bought all of our baby clothes second hand with the exception of a few things that were in the post christmas sales.

I think the only new thing is the pram frame because we got the carrier sections of it for free. we have probably saves hundreds already!

Thanks ladies, we've never had a store card, catalogue account, overdraft or car finance. I don't have a credit card but DH has one - He's checked before and no PPI. The only loan we have ever had is our mortgage that we got in 2013 but again, no PPI.

lamnotaceralkiller oo where did you get your second hand baby clothes? We got a couple of bits in the sale at primark £1/2ish bits but I've not thought to go second hand!

Change your gas, electric, internet phone suppliers? A call to sky usually results in some discount too.

What about changing bank accounts, some of them offer up to £200 if you switch?

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YY to regular little spends adding up, especially food and drink out of the house.