Frugal families of the world unite!!!

[upagumtree]

I was reading a thread today by a very clever Mnetter who managed to organise a great birthday trip for her dc by saving vouchers etc. So it got me thinking...

What are your best frugal/money saving tips?

anyone?

Buy a battery recharger and rechargable batteries save £££££££££££ and much better for the environment.

Rosie - I do that too. It saves a fortune doesn't it? That is a good money saving tip.

Ok there must be more frugal folk here on Mn. Come on...spill

bumping for some interest

ok last try. If anyone has great money saving tips pleeeaaassssssse post 'em here!

"off" even

meal planning, always pretty much halves my shopping bill

need to be frugal as we are trying to get some work done round the house.. so will await other tips

i have just posted off some CDs and DVDs to musicmagpie.com, hopefully i will get the money promised, that will go in the house fund.

i get daily emails from motley fool and MSe and i have actually started reading them rather than deleting.

oooh thankyou lulu...ke!eping the thread alive yipeee

have a look on Martin Lewis money saver expert, loads of great ideas and tips on there.

I agree with the meal planning idea.

Also i save all of our £2 and 50p coins. I take them to the bank and all year this saves up for christmas and birthdays through the year.
I put them into a little account that has a book. So i have to go into the bank to draw out the money.
I have £120 so far since Xmas, drew £40 out for mothers day but have another £20 or so to go into the acount next time i go to the bank.

It really really adds up.

I love this thread idea, gumtree. Have had to work at stretching the pounds here too lately so I've been thinking a lot about how to be more frugal and am starting to get a buzz about it.

I felt very creative last week and dyed my 3 year old dd's grobags and redesigned them for ds (1). The result was fab. I used washing machine dye and it covered the pretty girly flowery print. The grobags are now dark blue, and I am trying to work out how to stitch on something a bit decorative because they are a bit plain. Bottom line is that dd doesn't have to wear pink grobags to bed.

At the same time I dyed a old pair of my denim jeans and gave them a new lease of life.

I'm sure I have other ideas, but am tired and will have to post more when I have more time...

We use MSE a lot for restaurant vouchers. I know eating out isn't frugal but we never, ever get a babysitter so we take the dds out for meals instead.

I have just started making skirts for the dds: little full minis with elasticated wasts - cost 30 squid or so in Urban Outfitters; we have made four for about 2.50 each.

Lentils are your friend.

Moneysavingexpert changed my life.

I am the bargain queen and always using a voucher or coupon of some kind!

I am thinking about starting a container garden as fed up of wasting veg from supermarket...eg lettuce.

I keep heating off now except for early evening.

I plan ahead for all birthdays and get things in the sales. I have all my birthday and christmas presents already for the coming year with a list of who they are for. Storage is a pain but I got 75% off. I buy cards in bulk at the card factory and never pay clintons prices!

Cat64...you sound just like me!!!

My other tip is stock up on good deals when you see them. Eg somerfield always have toilet roll on offer normally 9 or 12 rolls for £2.50!

Use a toy library/library.

Rent DVDs dont buy.

Cat64 - one of our favourite meals (dirt cheap) is beans, egg and chips! Also about toilet rolls - get thee to Asda - 18 rolls of triple velvet for £3 at the moment!

Bonneville..thanks..guess where Im off tomorrow..Asda to stock up

Onadiet - you are limited to two packs but theres nothing to stop you going in and out a few times!

Cheers bonneville..got three packs!

Thought I was being a little greedy til I saw a couple walking about with 7 packs [shocked]

buying a large chicken is actually frugal, even though a big freerange happy chicken is around £9 .. BUT you can get at least 3 meals out of it

roast chicken with all the trimmings

i then make a chicken and veg pie with teh left overs including the gravy

chicken and egg fried rice

and soup from the carcass

you do get your moneys worth

Or chicken and pea risotto
Chicken couscous with vegetables and chickpeas.

I don't live near a Lidl, but when I get the chance I stock up on lots of things (there have been lots of 'what's good at Aldi and Lidl' threads here in the last six months.

Because I live in a coastal town in Ireland, fresh fish is bizarrely cheap and so we eat a lot of that. (Think a bag of haddock to feed 5 people for 5 euro).I gloat about this to take my mind off all the things I have to walk past in the supermarket.

Lulumama and sibh I'd love your recipes please for the chicken pie, chicken & egg fried rice, risotto and couscous...pretty, pretty please?

Bonneville thanks for letting us know about the toilet roll offer. Will be stocking up

Do you think we should start a thread similar to he Lidl one, but for the great offers in all the supermarkets?

deanychip I'm also saving my £2 coins. We're saving for ds1's 18th birthday in 2 years time. Total so far is £200 saved

Just thinking aout the heating. Dh says it's more economical to keep the central heating on all night in the winter as it costs more to heat the house from cold every morning. What do you all think?

Some great ideas and tips here...keep em coming!