Great 'Recession Survival Tips' Hunt

tiff

I think in this recession/depression its necessary to try and become more self sufficient ie learn new skills such as growing fruit and veg, sewing, having alternative heat/cooking sources etc. I've never grown anything before but planted some fruit bushes last year and will plant some more plus veg this year. Learn to bottle the produce or make jam/chutney.

The number of people that are still spending unneccessarily drives me crazy. For example on the old style board breadmakers are popular and people are spending nearly £100 on these. Ask on freecycle, I did recently and was given a fairly new Kenwood complete with instruction manual. The lady was clearing out her grandparents house. That £100 saved can go towards debts or your emergency cash fund. Not everyone will be so lucky, but think first about ways you can make do or get something for free or low cost. Maybe buy second hand. Sounds obvious but people arent used to thinking this way, me included!

MrCarrot

These things may be self explanitory or covered by other people, but here is what I have done:

Switched car insurance from Direct Line to Swift Cover saving £15 a month.

Switched home insurance from Direct Line to Bank of Scotland saving over £30 a month and getting a better policy in the process.

Called Virgin Media and removed a "Large" TV package that I didn't even know I had, saving £10 a month.

Called npower and had my direct debit reduced from £80 a month to £44 a month (my account was in credit).

For reasons I won't go into I had landlines all over the place, and a pay as you go mobile which I was spending £10 a week on. I cancelled all of my landlines, ditched the PAYG phone and took out a contract phone instead for £30 a month which gives me more than enough inclusive minutes each month. When the contract runs out, I'll keep the same deal but won't get a new handset, and the monthly cost will go down to around £15 a month.

I negotiated my Vodafone internet down from £30 a month to £15 a month.

I shop regularly every 2 weeks instead of going to the supermarket every 2 days, and set a budget of no more than £40 a fortnight. I switched from Tesco to ASDA and got my shopping bill down from £40 to £35. I did try ALDI and found the selection to be extremely prohibitive and not any cheaper than ASDA.

Switched my business bank account from Barclays to Co-op to get free banking.

When I go into town, I park just outside of town and walk in to avoid paying for parking. I use this principal wherever I go and no longer find myself paying for parking anywhere. Saves around £8 - £16 a month.

Use Tesco clubcard when paying for petrol, and use the money off voucher I get from them in the post instead of losing it.

Clean the car myself, doing a better job, avoiding scratches and saving £10 in the process.

I don't any longer go out and get bladdered with my mates for the sake of it

I no longer put my foot down in the car and drive slower to save petrol.

Burnt all my garden waste recently - I know that's not very green but no way was I paying for a skip

I'm thinking of cutting my own hair every month to save £7, but dunno if that's taking it too far?

I must admit the only thing I am guilty of is paying £16 a week for someone to cut my lawn. I could do it myself but I have a very big garden and can't face doing it

Total savings that I can calculate: £176 a month. Taking into account the shopping and not going out drinking, the actual savings are likely to be in the region of £250 a month.

Sue-UU

MrCarrot wrote: »

Burnt all my garden waste recently - I know that's not very green but no way was I paying for a skip

I'm thinking of cutting my own hair every month to save £7, but dunno if that's taking it too far?

I must admit the only thing I am guilty of is paying £16 a week for someone to cut my lawn. I could do it myself but I have a very big garden and can't face doing it

Hi MrCarrot, some amazing savings there! Just one or two points about the ones quoted.

Rather than burn your garden waste, why not take it with you when you go shopping. Saves neighbours being harrassed, the planet too AND the price of a skip must be astronomic!!!

Why not have your hair cut every 6 weeks to split the difference, or even every 5 will still save a tidy sum over a year. Cutting it yourself might end in disaster!:eek:

After all those saving you've made you STILL pay out £16 a week for someone else to cut your lawn???!

Take care and well done!

Sue

MrCarrot

Sue-UU wrote: »

Hi MrCarrot, some amazing savings there! Just one or two points about the ones quoted.

Rather than burn your garden waste, why not take it with you when you go shopping. Saves neighbours being harrassed, the planet too AND the price of a skip must be astronomic!!!

Why not have your hair cut every 6 weeks to split the difference, or even every 5 will still save a tidy sum over a year. Cutting it yourself might end in disaster!:eek:

After all those saving you've made you STILL pay out £16 a week for someone else to cut your lawn???!

Take care and well done!

Sue

Hi Sue

I rarely do any gardening, so the last time I did I had a pile of stuff that was literally 6 foot high! Would have taken me weeks to dispose of it in the dustbin or at the tip. It only took 2 hours to burn it all.

Regarding the haircut, my hair grows really quickly If I cut it myself, I'd just shave it all off. I'd look like a thug for a week, but it soon grows back :rotfl:

The cutting of the lawn is bad I know But my garden is like the length of a park and I have an electric mower. This means spending a couple of hours every month cutting it and messing around with long cables, etc. Then what happens, is I put it off and put it off and the grass ands up 2 feet long and then when I do cut it I end up spending the entire day strimming and cutting it! I did think of getting a goat, but then I'd have vets bills.

At the moment I have loads of projects both at work and around the home, so for the time being I just have to accept that £16 every forntnight is money well spent :mad:

The reality is it perhaps only needs cutting every 3-4 weeks, but the man who does it is semi-retired and only has a limited number of clients. Therefore to make it worthwhile for him, he insists doing it every fortnight.

Elise1

Use Freecycle to give away your unwanted goods to those who would really appreciate them & try requesting any items you need here before going to purchase them .
Think differently - we needed some curtains for my little boy's room but the ones in the shops were very expensive due to the depth of the windows . In the end , I bought 2 cheap dinosaur duvet covers & turned them into a lovely pair of curtains using my trusty sewing machine .
Make gifts for birthdays/Christmas - usually work out cheaper than shop bought , & so much more personal . Got a big bag of fabric off cuts on Freecycle to turn into lots of free gifts ! Can also cut up old clothes/linens to make new things .
Keep a "gift box" - I buy little reduced items/nice things from charity shops throughout the year so that we alwys have a supply for birthdays/Christmas .
Look out for free activities in your local area - councils often run free events in parks/libraries that are great for children . Some swimming pools have free childrens sessions in the holidays .
Pack a picnic & have a good walk with the kids .
Grow your own veg & get the kids involved in growing some of their own food . Even without a garden , you can grow lots in containers .
Always pack snacks & drinks when you go out with children !:j

Sue-UU

MrCarrot wrote: »

Hi Sue

I rarely do any gardening, so the last time I did I had a pile of stuff that was literally 6 foot high! Would have taken me weeks to dispose of it in the dustbin or at the tip. It only took 2 hours to burn it all.

Thank Heavens we don't all take that awful attitude Mr C, the country would stink to say nothing of the entire atmosphere being a darn sight worse than it is already!

I believe I know the reason you don't cut your lawn all too well. It's little wonder your chap insists on doing it every 2 weeks when we do ours every week!

Well done Elise1, you're doing really well, that's the way to bring your young ones up for sure!

Sue

MrCarrot

Sue-UU wrote: »

Thank Heavens we don't all take that awful attitude Mr C, the country would stink to say nothing of the entire atmosphere being a darn sight worse than it is already!

I believe I know the reason you don't cut your lawn all too well. It's little wonder your chap insists on doing it every 2 weeks when we do ours every week!

Well done Elise1, you're doing really well, that's the way to bring your young ones up for sure!

Sue

Ah give me a break, this is the second fire I've had in 4 years and it lasted 2 hours. Hardly a crime. I also used an incinerator so there was hardly any smoke, and I did it on a cold, rainy day so it wouldn't annoy the neighbours. Maybe I should add that while I own a car, I choose to work at home most of the time, thus not polluting the planet with emissions from diving to work everyday. I re-use all of my supermarket carrier bags and recycle every glass bottle, plastic bottle and piece of paper that I possibly can. My 2 bonfires are the least of the world's worries when it comes to pollution.

Not sure what you were implying about me not cutting the lawn?

Also I should have included in the above list:

- Go to cinema less, and go on a Wednedsay using Orange Wednesdays

- Keep a jar for loose change

Davesnave

Thank Heavens we don't all take that awful attitude Mr C, the country would stink to say nothing of the entire atmosphere being a darn sight worse than it is already!

I think burning garden waste is carbon neutral, the plants having released oxygen & stored Co2 during their lifetimes. Once dead, they will release the Co2, whether burned or not. All burning does, is speed-up the process.

Of course no one likes a smelly bonfire, but the self-satisfied look on the faces of people as they unload at our local tip, having driven miles to get there to deposit their 'green waste,' might be less broad if they paused to think about what they are doing! Composting is probably the best way to deal with small to average amounts of garden waste. Beyond that, it gets rather complicated.

oldandwise

stevetherev put it into a few words which says it all. There really should be no need for people to be told to live within their means. it's pure common sense. Many nay, thousands of people don't check their bank statement, gas and electricity meters and so on. we have been through three recessions and hardly noticed them because we don't run up debts. if you can't afford it then don't borrow to buy it. I feel sorry for the people made unemployed but even so they should have saved for the rainy day. It seems most people these days must have everything even though they can't afford it.

oldandwise aged 80

MrCarrot

oldandwise wrote: »

stevetherev put it into a few words which says it all. There really should be no need for people to be told to live within their means. it's pure common sense. Many nay, thousands of people don't check their bank statement, gas and electricity meters and so on. we have been through three recessions and hardly noticed them because we don't run up debts. if you can't afford it then don't borrow to buy it. I feel sorry for the people made unemployed but even so they should have saved for the rainy day. It seems most people these days must have everything even though they can't afford it.

oldandwise aged 80

Couldn't agree more. I'm 27 and other than a fairly small mortgage I have never borrowed anything. Everything I own from my car to my TV to my kitchen I have paid for outright myself. I'm not intentionally bragging - it just seems natural to me that if I want something I save up for it.

I bought a TV about a year ago and now I'm bored of it - it's a dated model and there's newer stuff out for less money. But the critical thing is, I'm not still paying for it! Had I bought it on finance spread out across several years I'd still be bored of it but I'd still be paying for it too!

I'm self-employed so the amount I earn can be ridiculously high one month and ridiculously low the next - hence I am in the frame of mind that I need to save up and know where I stand before I buy something. Most people I know buy now and pay later. Or should that be buy now and think later?