Extreme penny pinching tips

[PennyPincher64]

Hello,

I need to reduce my outgoings and save as much as possible over the next 12 months or so I'm looking for every possible way to save money, no matter how ridiculous it may seem. I've looked at money saving expert and know about meal planning etc. and will be trying to buy second hand if we need anything but I'm really looking for the less obvious ways of making savings. Even if I won't be saving a massive amount I'd still be interested. Some of the less obvious ways I've come up with so far are unplugging all electrical appliances from the wall when not in use, shower with cold water and use the toilet before leaving work so I don't need it when I get home.

Also willing to hear about anything with a bit of an inital outlay that will save money longer term.

Always put the lid on saucepans - it keeps heat in, so the contents boil/heat more quickly so using less gas/electricity.

Get a cash back app like ZipZero, you scan all your receipts and they give you credit towards paying bills. I always keep an eye out at supermarkets and self service checkouts for other people’s receipts as so many people don’t pick them up, and you can scan those as well!

As a pp said, use whole milk instead of semi-skimmed/low-fat for drinks. Add it after the water and go by colour. It will go a lot further and full-fat milk is only 3.5% fat and the fat helps you take in the goodness.

Skip the butter on toast and sandwiches. You get used to it.

Use old t-shirts to make rags and use them instead of kitchen paper.

Use bar soap instead of hand wash and shower gel.

Use cleaning products sparingly. Washing-up liquid will clean a lot of things. Shop around - things like that are often cheaper in Savers or pound shops.

Buy fruit and veg loose so you buy what you will use.

Aldi and Lidl are usually cheaper than the other supermarkets.

Use what's in your store cupboard and freezer.

You can freeze a lot of things that you find in the reduced section of the supermarket. Pies and hummus are often pennies.

Most things are fine after the best before date. Things like bagged salads can be cooked after the bb date.

Buy own brands.

Buy veg that lasts for ages. Keep peppers and other fruit veg in a veg rack. Use up veg in stews or curries. Add lentils or soya mince to them to add protein or add pearl barley. I like green lentils. You can use pearl barley instead of rice in a lot of recipes. It won't be quite the same.

As pp, Waitrose is good for reduced items. Pick your time carefully and you'll get some real finds. I don't think the shop is that expensive if you are careful with what you buy.

Use loo paper carefully. Just use what you need not a great big wodge.

Use a lot less of everything. We have been brainwashed into thinking we need a lot of things when they don't make much difference.

Buy fewer snacky things like crisps and biscuits. They usually make you feel hungrier than if you don't eat them.

Start a meal with a salad or soup and eat less of the main course, or fill up on veg.

Grow your own salads and veg if you have any outside space. If you only have a windowsill, grow herbs. you can grow tomotoes and strawberries in hanging baskets.

When cooking, some things will keep on cooking after you switch off the ring. Use a lid on a saucepan.

Switch the shower off while shampooing and soaping. You can make shower gel, handwash and shampoo go further by adding a little water.

Stick to the same products.

Cut up tubes of face cream etc as there's usually loads left in them. If you are scrupulously clean doing it, decant it into a small pot.

Adopt hairstyles that you can trim at home or lower maintenance ones.

If you commute on foot or by car, wear trainers for the commute and save your shoes for the office. More comfortable and your shoes will last longer.

Buy an eco egg. It will save you a fortune on washing powder. I bought one off ebay (new) almost 2 years ago for around £9. It had a lot of refills and I have not had to buy any more. In fact still have quite a few left.

I only use washing powder or liquid now for DH's work clothes as his clothes can get quite dirty. Everything else comes out clean with the eco egg.

I use white vinegar in place of fabric conditioner. You can buy it cheaply on Amazon.

Eat more vegetarian meals. Add lentils to things like bolognaise, chilli, shepherds pie. Buy things like lentils, beans, chickpeas, spices in an asian supermarket if you have one anywhere near you. They are much cheaper.

Often buying any food item you use quite a lot works out cheaper if you buy in bulk.

Nicky toilet rolls from Farm Foods or Home Bargains are £4 for 18. They are good quality.

If you use liquid soap buy the cheapest bath liquid/cream and fill your dispensers. Works out much cheaper.

Don't waste any food. The leaves and stalks of cauliflower, brocolli etc can be chopped and eaten, used in stir fry, made into soup. You can also put potato peelings into soup or oven cook them and they are like crisps.

Use the library! I save so much money using the library. Can borrow box sets, music, films, graphic novels, magazines, newspapers oh yeah...and books! I really, honestly think I save a minimum of £500 per year (big magazine fiend!)

There's an old school money saving board on money saving expert that will have tons of advice you are looking for.

Get a menstrual cup and/or washable protection

Make your own washing powder (any favourite powder plus soda crystals)

Don't use fabric conditioner - it's not needed.

These might not be what you're after but you've had a lot of cost cutting tips already so here are ways to make a little bit of extra money. Prolific is a survey site but it's mainly academic studies so usually more interesting than the traditional survey sites, and better paid ime. I keep prolific open on my web browser when I'm on my laptop - some of the surveys can be done on mobile too but not as many. You have to be logged in to see them and they go quickly. It's easier on a desktop if you have the tab open but you don't have to be on that page, a little (1) shows at the top when there's a new survey available. I've made about £40 on there over the last three months and I don't go on it that much.

Streetbees is a mobile app, with "stories" that pay. If you have a pet you might get asked questions about pet food, I've also been asked about my food deliveries, my skin care routine and house cleaning and recently a lot of stuff about Coronavirus. They usually pay between 50p and £5 per story, and the pay goes straight to your PayPal after your submission has been checked. I've made £61 on there since January.

I also have the qmee mobile app. These are more of the traditional market research surveys. Can be a bit boring, and pay 5p-£1ish per survey, but very easy to cash out (there's no minimum amount you need to cash out) so no harm in getting the app and checking it every so often when you've got a bit of time on your hands.

When cooking, some things will keep on cooking after you switch off the ring

I think that's only true on traditional electric hobs as gas and modern electro hobs (eg halogen) the heat turns off instantly when you turn the job off, the residual heat in the pan won't be enough.

Re books and magazines, libraries are great but if you have amazon prime and are paying for it anyway make sure you make the most of it - that includes prime reading where you can electronically "borrow" books and mags free. Remember also to use prime music & video,

Don't use fabric conditioner - it's not needed totally agree with this, I'm allergic to most of them anyway so stopped using years ago

Have to say I also don't even own a hairdryer, styling irons/straighteners, iron or ironing board. May seem a small saving in terms of electric but I swear my hair is in better condition from drying naturally and my clothes last longer.

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Place marking

With regards to the reducing meat thing, you might not want to go veggie, but you'll save money if you use meat for flavour, rather than as the main part of the meal. I. E. Bacon in sauces, smoked salmon trimmings with pasta etc.

Don't underestimate a good stock too - make chicken stock to use soup, it'll taste like it has chicken in it! Bargain!

Instead of cotton wool /wipes, use a flannel instead for your faces.

Do pedicures and manicures at home.

Not sure what you feed your 1 year old but don't buy baby foods etc. Get a cheap stick blender and just puree stuff.

Also, I think you can get baby clothing bundles on ebay? Don't buy new baby clothes, they'll only wear them 3 months anyway!

I'd send you a ton of stuff but I live abroad!

We just got a water-saving shower head - it is AMAZING. I cannot do cold showers, so I collect the water from the shower in a bucket until it runs hot, and use it on my veg garden.

Buy extra mature cheddar. You need less, same price as mild.

Make sure you have decent thick curtains that cover windows. Insulation is key in winter to keeping fuel bills low. You have time to make some curtains now before cold weather comes.

Dry clothes outside whenever possible. Sunlight is the best stain remover!

Grow your hair into a style you can easily manage without styling products. And get it trimmed by a competent friend or DIY.

Keep clean colourful card and paper packing, bits of pretty coloured foil, feathers you find on walks, pieces of foam packaging (make great paint sponges). etc. Store in a large cardboard box. By the time your child is an active toddler, you will have a fabulous resource for craft activities.

Similarly, I give my kids empty packaging to play with. Kids genuinely love boxes. They also love playing with random plastic containers in the bath.

Use freecycle to ask for things you need and regularly browse what is on offer there. It is amazing how the freecycle community will come up with things you want. I'm the nicest possible way, if there is a "posh" area near you, join that freecycle (assuming you have access to a car). It is worth driving 5 minutes further and honestly, rich people give away better quality stuff and give away a lot more as they often replace things that aren't knackered. Good quality curtains, furniture, kitchen or garden equipment, etc. Typically if I get something nice I try and leave a little gift like a pot of homegrown herbs or flowers. Freecyclers love that.

When buying Used on Ebay plan ahead. Eg Don't be looking for a kids snowsuit in late November - the auctions will drive the price up. Anticipate the fact that your child will grow, and buy out of season. I got some insanely cheap good quality bundles for my kids this way!

Know what things are worth. I just bought 344 Megabloks from a guy nearby who was moving house, for £10. No child needs 344 Megabloks! I'm going to sell half and keep half. I expect to easily sell 150 Megabloks for £10 so I've spent nothing.

If you have a garden, look out for people giving away seedlings surplus to requirements. I got a raspberry cane this way- in year 1 I had 1 raspberry! Now I have a whole patch of them, the damned things pop up all over. We have raspberries to spare, I freeze some and also share with my neighbours and they reciprocate with surplus runner beans.

Go blackberry picking in late summer, there are bound to be some brambles nearby. Just take some, leave the rest for the birds.

The amount of washing powder you need surely depends on the hardness of your water, the capacity of your machine and the dirtiness of your clothing.

Cold showering sounds dismal .

I think meal planning and really concentrating on not allowing food waste is the biggest single thing we do in our house to cut costs. And shopping at Lidl or Aldi or the market.

I have a 1 year old too and trying to cut costs. Biggest saving for us has been on food by swapping to Aldi and eating less meat. One day a week we have jacket potatoes with beans and cheese....costs pence, kids love it, fills you up. I also use veg past it's best and cook it up with tinned tomatoes then blend and freeze, makes a really good pasta sauce or base for curries/stews. We're having the veg sauce just with pasta and a bit of cheese tonight for dinner and it's dirt cheap but a popular meal in this house.

As above oranges, bananas, pears and plums are cheap fruit for the little one. Just grate apples etc so easier for them to eat. I use frozen berries instead of fresh and just defrost in the fridge overnight.... way cheaper and mixed with plain greek yoghurt is a healthy pudding.

If using mince in a dish, replace half the mince with porridge oats. You can't tell at all once it's slow cooked into a bolognese or something and it's cheaper and healthier.

Take a look at the feed your family for £20 a week Facebook group....the veg sauce and porridge oats ideas I got from there and it's been a revelation.

@AllTheDs, thank you for survey site info. I’ve looked into prolific - stupid question but do you have to give your exact date of birth? Can they check? I never give out this info if I can help it, I usually make it up but within the same year. I appreciate the irony in this and that the purpose of the surveys is to be honest with your answers!

Can I ask if those saving water are one a meter or doing ti for environmental reasons? In Scotland, we pay extra on our council tax for water and sewage so the concept of paying per use is very alien to me.

My tip is to buy microfibre cleaning cloths, the ones I have are like a very thin sponge so flexible and a nice thickness to hold. I bought a 3 pack from Poundland years ago and they are still going strong.

One day a week I have a meal based on pulses, with tarka dal it costs less than £1 to make 4 portions.

Make a pot of tea instead of using a teabag each cup. I use 1 Morrison's decaf teabag in 3/4 of a tea pot of boiling water, let it stand for 2-3 mins before pouring and can pour 3 cups of tea.

Another tip is when using oven turnmoff 5 mins before end of cooking time but keep oven door closed.

One day a week I do a cheesy pasta bake and it is very cheap to make and tasty too.

If you are going somewhere after lockdown eg to watch child swim, take a cup of tea with you in lidded cup then you won't need to buy one out. Take refillable water bottle for child so don't need to buy them drink either.

Think mantra in flushing if it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down.............obviously not if visitors, get a water shaving shower head too, saves a lot.
Be warned on cutting dishwasher tablets in half, may not work.
Use slowcooker, steamer and microwave where you can

Take your lunch and a flask instead of buying food out, eg work canteen.
We are trying to use cloth hankies at home, saving paper ones for when we go out.
There is a good blog called Shoestring Cottage with lots of tips for saving, and an Australian one called My Abundant life. Lots of excellent suggestions for saving.

Buy a bum gun and dry with old material cut into squares. Keep in a separate bin in the bathroom and wash with towels. Much prefer this to toilet paper now, especially after sex or during periods. Saves on flushing too as wee is diluted already.
Also CSPs - far nicer than disposable and can be homemade too, patterns online. I've not tried a mooncup but those who have seem to love them.

Cloth nappies for your little one. Saves a fortune and better for the environment too.

I’ve never thought about a bum gun. Do you find you get water splashes?

A mooncup! I bought a cheap one from Amazon for about £2.

Also remove your saved cards from any shopping accounts so you have to go and fetch your card. It gives you time to consider whether you really need it.

If you live in a hard water area add soda crystals to your small amount of washing powder.

Put tin foil behind your radiators to reflect heat back.

Shop for insurance renewals exactly 21 days before you need to. And do it through topcashback.

I agree with a pp about making it fun. In my head I call it 'pretend it's the 70s' and just think twice about central heating or extra jumper.