What are your thrifty money-saving tips? Share with Scottish Friendly to win a £300 voucher NOW CLOSED

[AmeliaMumsnet]

Scottish Friendly are launching the Great British Savings Challenge to encourage people to think about their saving habits and financial security. For young people in the future, saving for a financially secure family is going to get tougher, so Scottish Friendly want to encourage a positive discussion on the subject, by asking you for your top thrifty money-saving tips.

Here’s what Scottish Friendly have to say: ‘The Great British Savings Challenge will follow 2 families from across the UK spanning a range of family and financial circumstances. Each family will take on a series of challenges; ranging from only using cash for a month to see if they keep track of expenditure more closely, to swapping the brand they buy at the supermarket.

Each family will produce blogs and vlogs each month to be hosted on the Scottish Friendly website. Readers will able to keep track of their progress, the problems each family faces along the way and how they work through these.’

So, whether you put aside percentage of your wages, or just rifle around the sofa cushions every few months for small change.. Maybe you plan all of your lunchtime packed lunches to avoid expensive coffee shop sandwiches or have a cheaper home-made alternative to branded cleaning products.. Share your top thrifty tips for saving money on the thread below and you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 voucher of your choice (from a list).

For another chance to win, add your money saving tips to Scottish Friendly's Facebook post to be entered into a prize draw for a £10 gift card.

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

[natholland82]

I write a weekly meal plan, including lunches. Cooking from scratch and already buying the ingredients stops that temptation to eat out and order take aways.

I find shopping online saves money, because when you're in the shops - there is always temptation. We also shop at tesco for the clubcard points - purely for their amazing deals on restaurant vouchers! £10 can get you £40 to spend in a restaurant and that can make such a difference.

If we eat out in restaurants, we always look for vouchercodes - it is rare that we eat in a restaurant without a discount.

We also buy plenty of value brands - but particularly for particular things, such as dishwasher tablets, washing liquid and toilet rolls/kitchen towels.

What else? we have a savings pot at home that has to be smashed to be opened - so we add only pounds, two pounds and notes into it. Last time, we had over £800 in it by Christmas and that certainly helps the Christmas bills!

I buy most of our clothes in the sale and enjoy looking through charity shops. :)

[googietheegg]

As a mother of two v young children with no family or childcare, my top tip is to work out exactly what your professional USP is and get paid as much as possible in as little time as possible.
I realised I'd developed a specific skill and made sure I promoted myself in the right places (own website, LinkedIn, trade press...) and now that precious nap time earns me pretty well without leaving my house (or getting dressed).

[piggypoo]

We go shopping later on in the evenings when we can, as the supermarket reduces a lot of it's fruit and veg, so I chop up the veg and freeze it to use later on, the fruit I make into pies or freeze to use in smoothies. That has saved us pounds. I buy multi-use cleaning products, so I can clean the floors, surfaces and bath and shower and save money that way. We have a copper tin, and each one of us puts the coppers in, and just before Christmas, we empty them out, and sort them into bags, bring them into the bank, and often this pays for the Christmas food! :)

[vincenta]

TRy to cook and bake from scratch as it tastes better and saves money.I also make packed lunch for hubby to take to work.Try to shop around and if buy online look for voucher codes or go through cashback sites.

[scaryclown]

What I do is make sure my employer pays me less than enough money to live on, then promotes 'saving' as a virtue, as if its my fault that my stingy employers want to make their employees effectively subsidise the business with personal debt. That ensures that eventually I'll be eating beans from a foodbanks, and tearfully grateful for free sanitary pads, whilst occasionally feeling grateful that my employer has put in some new slate floors, led lighting, airconditioning and a newly fitted third space hipster cafe that I can never genuinely afford to drink in.

[KnottedAnchorChief]

I sew, make and repair things. I shop around and am disloyal to brands and supermarkets. I never fall for so called multi buy discounts or the 3 for 2 offers, which are designed to make you buy more. Having said that I also have no savings either! I prefer to overpay on the mortgage as it seems a better use of the money.

[snare]

plan your meals

[claza93]

Meal plan is a must! I also cook in bulk and freeze half - surprising how far meals can stretch when you add a few extra veggies in it!
I have also just started using the check out smart app which is great for saving whilst shopping

[grannybiker]

Whoopsie / yellow labels for stuff coming up to the date can sometimes be picked up for pence. Take advantage of your freezer if you can't cook or use it straight away.
Word of warning - don't forget what you have. Freezer burnt food is vile!

[sophiefx]

Buy clothes for the family from Ebay & Charity shops. I have saved loads of money by buying Brand New clothing from Next, New Look, River Island and Mothercare, just from looking on Ebay first. Charity shops are amazing for things like pushchairs, toys and DVDs as most are selling at 80% discount than the original price. Bargain!!!!

[KittyKat88]

I've switched to one of the cheapest supermarkets and by avoiding the expensive 'brands' have cut our shopping bill by 1/3. I try to make packed lunches when we plan a family day out, and always take a pre-filled re-useable bottle for each family member.

[PrimalChic]

I alternate two supermarkets for food deliveries, keeping an eye on what's on offer in each. I also raid the yellow stickers in the shops! Batch cooking 6 meals with half price meat saves me a fortune!

I buy the next year's clothing for the children in the big January/summer sales and I mend clothes where possible. I also take photos of clothes I like or put them in wish lists to wait for the sales. Most things can wait!

[GeorgeW78]

I plan meals to make sure all leftovers are used up and get the best value products where possible. Grocery bills eat up a chunk of our money but are the easiest to cut down.

[tubbyj]

Use price comparisons site and cash back sites like topcashaback to get the best deals for your purchase

[knittedbynanas]

I try to do a big shop once a week and have it delivered when it's £1 special.
That way it avoids buying impulse purchases and I only have to top up for bread and milk.
As soon as dh gets paid I transfer money into our savings account for holidays etc - his wage varies so it's a different amount each month.
I buy multipacks of kids cartons from Lidl for packed lunches as well as wee boxes of raisins
I sell outgrown clothes on buy swap sell sites
I avoid going into town unless I have to otherwise I end up buying things we don't really need to.
I buy second hand clothes for the kids espcieally things like winter coats or wellies.
It all helps

[Nijnte2007]

Shop at yellow sticker time! meal plan from that, shop around, get to know what supermarkets are cheaper/ better for certain products, don't be brand loyal but use your loyalty cards, eg cheap meals out using tesco clubcard points.. £2.50 buys £10 towards meal voucher! Second hand clothes.. charity shops often have clothes BNWT for a fraction of the price.. cashback apps and coupons.. even better if can be used together, check utlities and other bills and switch via cashback site.

[ButterflyOfFreedom]

Shop at Aldi! (Has saved us a packet!)
Take packed lunches to work.
Stock up on things when on offer, particularly stuff like toilet roll & washing powder.
Look for free things to do with the children like park / woods / library / museums.
Shop around for the best deals for insurance / broadband / electricity/ gas etc.
Get rid of SKY!!

[Sammyislost]

Enter competitions and use vouchers/cashback! I've won a lot of days out that would cost £100+ otherwise, and vouchers have helped save £'s too!

[Ren1974]

A cinema visit can be very pricey but each year I buy the smallest possible insurance policy from Compare the Market.com (you can buy a one day travel insurance policy for around £2). This entitles you to "buy one get one free" tickets for Cineworld every Tuesday and Wednesday (I buy my son's ticket which is cheaper again than an adults ticket, and I go free)

We also buy our popcorn and drinks from the supermarket too as cinema food and drinks are extortionate!!

With the snacks and drinks a cinema visit could cost around £25 but it costs me under £10.00 a visit!!

[MrsFrTedCrilly]

I always shop around to find the best price and stock up on items that are on offer.
A bargain is only a bargain if you need it!!

[littledinaco]

Shop in Aldi.

[MyHairIsMyHair]

I cut my son's hair, my husband's hair and also a friend's.

Despite having no qualifications beyond watching a couple of YouTube videos, I open my 'salon' once a month.

[Andbabymakesthree]

We have a milk man and also freeze bread to prevent those last minute trips to supermarket!

[Rae1000]

So many. don't go to the shops too often. Buy reduced items & freeze them. Buy kids toys or the like if on good offer & stock up for kids parties. Cook from scratch is another money saver!

[Northgate]

Grocery shopping online - much easier to avoid impulse buying stuff we don't really need if I'm not physically in the shop.

We're trying to get a bit more organised with packed lunches too, both for DH at work and on days out. Buying food out can get expensive very quickly.