Help need your money saving tips to help survive - you guessed it - the credit crunch (and can anyone think of another name for the credit crunch while we're at it?)

[JustineMumsnet]

All tips/ ideas very welcome folks - the Sunday Times interested...

Syrups?

Where would they be kept then? And when you say 'tin', what do you mean, you transatlantic confuser?

i buy this stuff called Teissiere in a 500mL tin located right next to all the powders to flavour milk and Yazoos and that stuff.

it flavours litres of water.

i also just dilute fruit juice from a carton, too.

they don't ever get fizzy juice or flavoured water or squash or that FruitShoot shit unless they're at a birthday part. Dd1 has dyspraxia and i've noticed that stuff makes her muscle spasms worse.

Hmm, that sounds interesting.

Not exacly a money saving tip, but I have noticed that we all, including dd, drink more plain water now we have a fridge with an icemaker and cold water dispenser on the door.

exactly

damn it

I've been economising for a few years and there isn't much I can cut back on. I did it mainly through 'cutting out the only's'

ie, something you are about to buy that you don't really need or you buy from habit. You tell yourself its 'only a few quid' or that buying things in Sainsbos or Tesco is only a bit dearer than Lidl/Aldi/Market but will take a bit more effort.

I used to multiply the cost of the 'only' by the number of times I might buy it in a year, ie 4 pints milk 20p cheaper at Netto than sainsbos. One of those a day = £70 a year. Only need a few things like that to add up to an awful lot of money each year saved.

I do it with EVERYTHING, food, clothes, toiletries.

I am self employed and would rather spend time shopping round for bargains or visiting more than one supermarket, than work more hours to pay higher prices at Tesco or other such expensive 'one stop convenience' megastores.

Moneysavingexpert has a calculator thing that tells you how many more days/weeks/months you have to work to pay for unecessary repeat purchases.

When shopping online go through a web co-operative first like www.quidco.com/ often cash back up to 40% particularly on first purchases! Works for car insurance/switching energy suppliers too.

Pigsback free gifts for clicks earn vouchers for (free) Xmas presents. Entering the daily competitions on this site helps.

cut your dishwasher tablets in half
cleans just as well and lasts twice as long

bulk buy your meat from butchers and freeze

use markets for veg - cheaper and better quality

cloth nappies/ make your own baby wipes

we are going to make truffles for xmas pressies

museums are usually free to visit and often have childrens exhibitions on or special events - take a packed lunch and its a trip out

use half the amount of washing powder the second half being soda crystals

wait until the sunday times print 15% off codes before ordering from Boden ( tip for the Coping Classes)

soap nuts are good as well and cheaper

Aldi is finally making it to Scotland! One in Paisley now, and a new one just opened in St Andrews [excited emoticon]

Am looking into Ebico for gas & energy. Apparently it has been the cheapest for the 8 last years. Recommended by Uswitch but they can't switch you.

Halved phone & broadband costs by telling the provider going to swap as too expensive, will get moved to the 'Retention Dept' and usually offered a better deal.

And this email was doing the rounds about how to make petrol go further - no idea if accurate.

Theres 2 Aldis near me in Scotland. One in Clydebank and one in Alexandria.

There is an Aldi in Dunfermline as well.

Pay off your debts if you possibly can - don't pay unnecessary interest.

Erm, get a mistress instead of paying for expensive lap dancing clubs?(one for the dads)

tell them to SOD OFF with their articles on the sodding frigging credit crunch

them and all the other doom mongers

[sick to the back teeth]

EMIGRATE

What is Rosie Millard going to do?

Make your own birthday/xmas cards

hold clothes swap/book swap parties

We have a 'penny' jar (all small change gets dumped) - take to coinstar machine at supermarket, got £30 the other day.

Have friends over to eat - everyone brings a course - and of course, people bring wine

For birthday parties, take kids to Saturday morning Kids Club Cinema at odeon, then home for (homemade) pizza/cake Make own popcorn, bringown drinks. £2.50 per child entrance, adult goes free.

Get a breadmaker

Freeze everything.

Stick to your shoppinglist religiously.

whine on in a double page spread no doubt expat

yawn

give
me
a
fecking
break

aldi in kirkcaldy and edinburgh.

my tip for not turning the heating on is bath dd's at 6-00 (as usual) then get them right into pj's and dressing gowns. they go to bed soon after so dont feel the cold at night.

i wrap myself in warm socks and blankets to stop myself chittering.

I suppose something else you could do would be to get a couple of hundred women to do some free work for you instead of paying someone to do it

oh expat, now there's a thought which has cheered me up

also since dh will be working away all winter i am tempted to bring both dd's into my bed when it gets really chilly and we can all keep each other warm.

only thing that puts me of is the thought of having to settle them again in there own beds come next year.