What has been the best tip you have picked up this year?

Have to agree with alot said on here already - my two penneth worth would be mainly the same as above, the support is amazing - I even started a diary and with helpful tips from everyone I've managed to drop about >£10K off my debt in 2 years

Checking the bank every single day and sometimes one than once a day - therefore NO charges for over 6-8 months this year and there will be NONE next year

Regularily looking at my SOA and budgeting - this has meant we now can afford things like road tax in a one year payment (saves about £15 by having budgeted to buy it all at once)

Moving money around to pay off high interest thigns first and carefully using any 0% finance to help reduce debts quickly

Quidco for spends - always check there first now

Joining the small things thread has hugely opened my eyes to the world of spending - I now baulk at having to charge my phone at home, and realising that my laptop takes a charge for 4 hours - so am now charging this at work too -

PAD's have also dropped my debts by over £4k this year alone

Learning that you get 4X the value for your tesco clubcard points by using deals (saivng now by using them for magazine subscriptions and vouchers for family meals) and listening about Boots deals and actually doing something about it

Making a store cupboard (ours is called the 'shop' and its in the garage) I top this up with BOGOFFS and once every 4-6 months when I am on the mainland with 'bigger' supermarkets (use my supermarket to help me maximise my 'value' shopping and I've saved my list)

Freecycle - we've been lucky on there (fridge freezers, bikes, beds, etc) and we've been generous in return

Student lodgers (Which are great if you can find the right ones) it takes a bit of getting use to but its worked out great for us and the money is hugely helpful (especially for PAD's........)

Rubber chickens, reading Martins 3 books and also 'Frugal living for dummies'

Baby wipes in a jar, watering down all chemical products to make my own BOGOF (soap, washing up liquid, stardrops, shampoo etc) using big bottles of bubble bath to refil the hand soap ones (MUCH CHEAPER) and using face cloths by the sink instead of hand towels (saves on washing!)

Microfibre cloths (sent to me by someone on this site!!) and STARDROPS - I no longer buy any other cleaner except the odd bottle of bleach and reuse squishy bottles

Being organised to take water, flask or packed lunch

Inventing miraculous teas and lunches from left overs

Combining journeys - I hardly every now drive to do just one thing.

A huge thank you to all - sorry for my long list

In my effort to become totally debt-free I:
Use this site everyday
Sign up and do surveys, clicks anything like this to earn extra cash or vouchers or freebies for things like cinema, luncheon vouchers for cat food, toiletries, etc
Make all presents for people
Shop in the whoopsie bins in supermarkets and make meals to freeze
Pay a debt a day every day even if it's only 1p
Shop in charity shops, use freecycle and make things into something else
Don't feel foolish if you see something at the dump you could use, see money on the floor or street or ask for some of the leftover fruit from work meetings.
Treat it all like a game - when you get miserable you know that the 31 entries on next month's bank statement for a 1p or 10p on your PAD has probably annoyed the !!!!!!s at the bank no end lol! (and your debts going down!!)
Get a second job if you can or a lodger (I have both - new BF moved in two weeks ago and he's paying 1/2 on everything).
Use Quidco everytime you buy online
Remember that all will change - but you have to make the change!
Also remember the more you pay, the more you can chuck at other debts....
And finally - there is always a plan B or an option, not matter how awful things are, life will improve.
I have loads of other stuff but think I've gone on enough already !!
Lol
Love sassers x

BAZWOD
Rubber chicken is the art of making as many meals out of a chicken (or whichever meat or main food stuff etc) that is possible - ie you roast it, have it on sandwiches and other meals like curry with the leftovers, make soup from the bones and use everything you can.

I guess you can 'rubberise' anything but as rubber chickens do exist in real life I guess thats where it came from?? OS board would know!