Less obvious money-saving tips and frugal ideas that actually help

[Difissimo]

Can you give me your best money saving tips? Not the most obvious ones but ones that people might not think of. Ingenious ways to be frugal and save money

Mine is that I do a bulk order once a month from boots. I guess it depends on who lives with you but I have 3 daughters so go through a lot of shampoo ect.
It really builds up my boots points because im buying all in one go I can use the extra point vouchers.

Walk or bike as much as possible, anything up to a couple of miles I walk. My work is about 1.5 miles, I walk when I used to drive. 15 miles per week less driving, half a gallon of petrol. 15-20 quid a month saved.

Another tube/bottle cut-opener here. As PPs said, there's always loads of product left inside.

My 'tip' is really obvious, but don't go to shops on a regular basis. I'm retired now, but when I was working I rarely went to an actual shop (online supermarket delivery, Amazon for a few other bits I couldn't get from Tesco, packed lunch, don't buy coffee for the commute). If you're not in a shop, you don't 'see' things you 'need'.

Im still using up my whistlefish stash but wont buy again. It’s just poor morals.

I think the monthly spend on mobiles is one that people often don’t change. The second I’m out of contract I get a sim only sim contract on a 30 dats rolling basis. Always so much cheaper and can change number.

Of you are in any benefits check out if you qualify for special tariffs on phone , broadband or water.

My downfall is lunches when not working at home. I’ve always been crap.

My frugal thing this year is using up all the beauty stuff I have but actually it’s just common sense isn’t it.

If you use plenty of herbs and spices when cooking try your local south asian food store - they usually have a much bigger and better selection than your average supermarket, and you can often get a bag 2-3 times bigger for the same price or less than what you would pay at the supermarket. I also find that the jars of pre chopped chilli, garlic and ginger are cheaper from there as well.

A variation on tube and bottle cutting (which I do). DH was a devil for changing toothpaste before it was done, so I gamified it. We both have to try to get the last possible squeeze - it's become a real power struggle 😆- one I almost always win (I then cut it open when he's not looking!).

We also supermarket shop with a calcutator/phone to do comparisons. Again, it wasn't natural for DH, but he now does it so the supermarket doesn't 'win' as much as for the saving. I think it was price scalping on branded butter during the pandemic that finally turned him.

My other toiletries one is putting the last slithers of bar soap (gave up shower gel years ago) inside a loofer glove. That way they don't slip away, or just go dry while I pretend I will do something with them.

For prepared garlic and ginger you want the frozen cubes. About £1 for 400 g in large supermarkets, probably also available in south Asian stores.

If you use coconut milk buy block coconut instead - one block costs less than one can, but makes the equivalent of 4 cans, or you can make any amount you need. Keeps forever in the fridge once opened.

Don't automatically throw anything away once it's out of date. I've never had a problem using anything fresh a day after the use by date and I do this regularly.

Dairy like yogurt, cream and cottage cheese, eggs and most veg are fine for at least a week or two after the date. Dried and canned goods and things like sauces could be months or years. Not so long ago I found some ground rice in the cupboard that's absolutely fine, I used some the other day to make dosa - the expiry date is 2012.

Already suggested by a PP but swap clothes over in Autumn and Spring. Do it slightly earlier than you think you need to to avoid the pull of the new ranges in shops. And slice and freeze decent bread for toasting - eat less, lasts longer, no waste.

I’ve been using the same stainless steel french presses to make my coffee for over 20 years. It’s delicious.

the biggest saving is often just not buying something. Create a big pause between the urge/desire/want to buy & any actual purchase.
make sure you are only buying things you really need.

Yes. We took a loan to get solar panels & battery. The loan has a fixed interest rate and fixed monthly payments. These are less than we were paying in electricity before, AND the payments will stay the same when energy costs increase. (And in a couple more years they’ll be gone entirely).

Shopping once monthly, freezing milk and bread. This prevents £40 top up shops. Does take organising and planning 7 meals and cooking enough for 4 weeks. So cook 4 cottage pies freeze 3, 4 curries and I freeze the rice, cook 4 chicken casserole, 4 boxes of breaded fish & 4 bags of chips, 4 chilli con carne and again freeze the rice. Dump bags for slow cooker x 4 as this omits much cooking, just prep.

cooking once and reheating from freezer also saves energy if oven cooked. I don’t have to cook for 3 weeks of the month, or think again about what’s for dinner - sheer bliss

reduced our grocery spend over the month by 40%

stopping water flow in shower when shampooing and using shower gel, should reduce water bill, especially if everyone does it. Using dishwasher and not rinsing or washing up by hand.

gentle driving, acceleration uses fuel at an alarming rate, foot of accelerator instead of breaking by anticipated red light, leaving motorway etc

Become too depressed to eat.

This school holiday with children I have really cut back and actually we have had a lovely break just making do with what we have - bikes, bats and balls, parks, friends. Everyone is happy and chilled.
Swapped pub nights with friends to walking with friends.

I got some in Lidl recently. My tip is half a dishwasher tablet works just as well as a whole one.

Dishwasher powder is better than tabs if you want to regulate the dose.

Yes, I agree. I think I've been doing it for so long that I know when it's not strictly true in relation to the products I buy.

Probably not recommended. Unfortunately I go the other way and eat when I feel down.

Hope you’re okay now.

Cancel home MS office subscription and use free Google Workspace apps instead.

Check if your library has Libby and PressReader apps ... this can save on newspaper and magazine subscriptions.

Charity shops for clothes, books, picture frames etc.

Pay for groceries on cash.

Take your weekly food shop budget out of the bank in cash on a Monday then only use that to pay for groceries for the week. Having the visual of an amount of money really makes you think about what you're spending.

We did this for years and we saved absolutely loads.

💯 this. It really helps with budgeting and if I need to adjust the budget I do that.

I also think we need to keep paying in cash because we seem to be getting moved to a cashless society stealthily, which will have its own problems.

I wfh. Whatever hot just boiled water is left in the kettle goes in a flask. For tea I generally reboil but coffee I often use it straight from the flask.

double lagged my hot water tank and reduced the temperature on the tank slightly. Reduced the heating time by several hours and worked out over a few days what the minimum heating times were required for our hot water usage. Saved me a shocking £3 a day

I grocery shop online checking fridge and freezers the night before. I freeze things I think I might not use quickly.

mass cook and batch cook on EDF energy free Sundays (run oven and dishwasher cleaning cycles). I actually resent this allocated time on Sundays I am not here.

Loving the tips on here
Mine is slightly different. I use YNAB (You Need A Budget) app and it has quite literally transformed my life.

For the Boots heavy users I recycle using their scheme to add to my points.

I cut dishwasher tablets in half

If you use a lot of herbs and tomatoes, and have a garden, consider planting some. Last year we did this, and we were inundated with them due to the warm weather. It was so easy too.

I freeze everything that I can. I buy a loaf, cut it in half, and freeze it and take out as needed. Any excess berries, bananas are frozen for baking. I had a lot of fruit not being eaten and we took a cobbler recipe of Jamie Olivers and now we use it with any fruit that is left over. Delicious!

Pack lunches for work, I use up what needs to be gone and chuck it in a salad.

I never buy coffees, unless meeting a friend.

Watch your stock control. Do you really need a stash of toilet rolls, toilet cleaner, washing up liquid? It's money sitting in your cupboards.

Sell everything you don't want on Vinted and eBay. Look on these sites too before you buy something. I have found lots of things new with tags on these.

Don't spend lots of money on work clothes. I don't wear a uniform, but I do have to dress a certain way. I don't have a top job like a lawyer, so don't need to look uber professional. I only buy my work tops from charity shops, and trousers/ skirts from H&M using the £5 recycling vouchers they give out for 5 pieces dropped in (things I can't sell).

There are things that I won't spend money on; coffees, mani/pedi's, a lot of meals out, takeaways, makeup, clothes that I don't need, but then I'll spend a lot on other things and feel no guilt about it e.g. skin care, a bag, travel.

For me, it is more about not wasting money, so I can have the things that mean a lot to me.

Agree

Last year I had £300 worth of free goods using their recycling scheme. My rule is that I spend it all on me 😁