Great 'Recession Survival Tips' Hunt

maryb

think carefully before changing jobs - last in first out may not apply but if you are picked your redundancy package could be very small.

If you are in a business that is hit by redundancies it can be traumatic even if you survive the cull. It takes a long time to feel that things are back to normal. the redundancies we went through back in 2001/2 seem very recent to me still. try to stay positive afterwards otherwise you can lose motivation and make yourself more likely to be picked in the next round

DSmiffy

Save money on Starbucks !!!

As a person who can't function till I 've had my coffee. I've found that I can save a fortune in coffee fees by investing in one of those thermal mugs, some are quite funky and only about £3 in Asda. I fill it with coffee before I leave the house and drink it on the way to work. Jobs a good un.

susiejq

I remember the 1992/3 recession only to well. We lost our business when our daughter was 3 days old and had no income while we struggled to set up a new one.
My tips would be:
Buy only what you really need and can pay for without incurring any debt.
If you run your own business, give the best possible service, over and above what your customer expects, build loyalty and repeat business through excellence - but don't reduce your prices.
Shop late or at Lidl/Aldi for value for money.
Make hampers for Christmas presents using baskets bought in charity shops filled with tasty products from above - nice jars/packets (other people will appreciate a present they can eat).
Grow as much of your own fruit & veg as you can - freeze or pickle excess produce.
Buy less meat - too expensive, use more pulses etc instead
Never buy lunch out.
Collect every free sample you can get for anything you might use. Use freestuff websites to get samples.
Hope these help

Janie-J

I am a believer in "batoning down the hatches" because you never know! We have five children and I do not work, but have always been a saver. So without an "income" had to rethink my stratagies. This is what I came up with (but have to admit even some of my friends think its bizarre.)
1. Opened a high interest, immediate access internet account.
2. I now cut my childrens and husbands hair. At the local salon this would cost 34 GBP. Therefore I pay this into the account.
3. Stopped school meals (x3) 27 GDP weekly. Into the account. (Homemade veg soup,beans and bread, pittas. No expensive kid food crap, hardly noticed the difference in the weekly food budget, just more careful, plan menus.)
4.Walk to school and local shops- pedometer registers 30+ miles weekly - gallon of petrol. 5GBP - account.
5.E-Bay sales - account.
6. Changes to insurance - savings to account.
7. Martins supermarket challenge - save approx 20 GBP fortnightly - into account.
8. School shoes - retail outlet - saved 63 pounds (less petrol to get there!) - account
9. Save loose change - ditto
10. Make birthday cards - one pound for account for each one! (Hey 5 lots of kids parties adds up big time!)
11. My eldest enjoys cooking, so he does "treats", pizzas, chocolate brownies, cakes, pasta salads etc. Cheaper than shops and an activity in itself ( often pack these for shool lunches!)
11. Any vouchers used/winnings - savings to account.
12. Made all curtains -money saved account.
13. Was lucky enough to have a cleaner, she retired - did it myself - savings to account!
Like I said people laughed but last time - over 18 months saved more than 6 grand (no one laughed then!) and put it towards the mortgage.
Sorry its rambled, the list is as long as your imagination (not using drier! charity shops, meal deals all goes to savings!)

angelavdavis

emmarooney wrote: »

My tip is make lunch to take to work if possible - if you go to get a sandwich it rapidly gets accompanied by crisps, a bun, a magazine, a drink etc etc and suddenly you've spent a fiver. Take your own and save the cost of hidden extras.

In 2006 when I was cutting back due to paying off debts, I switched to HM sandwiches and cutting out the cappucinos - I saved £75 per month! Quite incredible!

LoulaBelle

I make packed lunches for my husband too to take to work and also we go to costco and buy 100 paper cups with lids for £5.99 and he just adds a dash nescafe and water and off he goes - saves a lot each day! I enjoy making his lunches I try and put different things in each day - sometimes it will be little cakes the boy has iced or pineapple slices (he loves these) jaffa cakes (own brand) malf loaf/scones filled with jam - again own brand!

(God this baby is so rearranging my organs or its trying to get out - its making me seasick - off to hospital later to sign consent for c-section - I reckon it wants to come early!)

LouiseTopp

Collect every free sample you can get for anything you might use. Use freestuff websites to get samples.

Try freebobsstuffforum.co.uk for freebies (Free Bobs stuff forum)

Rabbit

My husband and I have £25 each in the budget for xmas, last year we decided to pool it and go shopping for bargains to eat and drink over xmas and make up a big hamper to put under the tree for the holiday. We didn't miss having a present as the hamper was a great treat, being able to tuck in to something when you fancied it was lovely. We'll be doing that again. We got tons of stuff from Aldi, it was all lovely and we had stuff left over for New Year when our friends came round. Start early and bag the bargains.

We budget for everything and try to make sure we save a little each month, however small.

I've agreed an allowance with our daughter, she gets all essential stuff from us (uniform, school dinners) but anything else she has to buy herself. It's amazing how she has managed her money and doesn't waste it.

Live below your means, that is something we have always tried to do even though other people think we're not as well off as them, we are very careful and make do and mend.

Waste no food! turn it into a soup or any old thing with pasta or rice.

Sit it out, it will pass and count your blessings. Lets all try and reach out to each other and help one another. Don't be too proud to ask for help, sometimes it takes one person to admit things are hard in a group and everyone else takes a sigh of relief to know it's not just them.

Primrose

Loulabelle - and don't forget to put an occasional little folded note in your OH's lunch box saying that you love him. He'll probably be thrilled to bits!

janicejones1431

I shop at Sainsburys and for the last few months I have swapped loads of my shopping to their own basics range. I have saved loads of money and you really cant tell the difference with the food. I still buy the good bread, washing powder and toilet rolls but you honestly may as well change to the cheaper range - your family wont know the difference. If you have a large family like me (6 or 8 on a weekend with partners) you will save loads - I reckon I have saved at least £30 per week.
Also packed lunches are a must. I was giving my son £5 a day, my husband £7 a day and my youngest school dinners a whopping £70 per week. They now have a packed lunch with sandwiches, fruit, yoghurts and a drink and I am saving £50 a week.
When the good times are here we waste so much money. I will definately keep up my changes when times are good again.