If things get tougher?

do_it_today!

lilac_lady wrote: »

I definitely drive less because petrol is so expensive. I have a blanket on the sofa and use it when it gets too cold rather than use more gas. I saved for Christmas using the £2 coins method (£212) and am so glad that I did! Single people pay threequarters of Council Tax and 100% of gas, electricity and petrol so it's like running hard to stay still. Maybe the one weekly bottle of wine and the free range eggs will have to go.

Maybe the weekly bottle could become bi-weekly so you still have some pleasure and some saving too!

patchwork_cat

Katieowl - so they aren't as cheap as the headline figure. Had never heard of them leaking that is a worry.
Just trying to think laterally - like comping could be a lucrative hobby. I know crafting isn't - just look at the price homemade cards go for on ebay- pennies and the outlay can be enormous.

katieowl_2

patchwork_cat wrote: »

Katieowl - so they aren't as cheap as the headline figure. Had never heard of them leaking that is a worry.
Just trying to think laterally - like comping could be a lucrative hobby. I know crafting isn't - just look at the price homemade cards go for on ebay- pennies and the outlay can be enormous.

IMHO Surveys are worth doing.....I've had good returns on those this year. Lots of £10's here and there, mainly in vouchers, but one site are useable in Sainsbury, and another paid in Luncheon Vouchers which can be used in most supermarkets. They all have different types of 'pay outs' so worth looking for rewards which can be relevant to you. There is a thread about surveys somewhere....

Better still if you can get on a market research panel, not that I've done one this year, but last year I had two that paid £50 each.

I can also report one competition win of £300 worth of clothes this year (choice from their catalogue) that was via an magazine's online website - so probably not so huge a response as a postal one?

Regards

Kate

[Deleted User]

just in case anyone is thinking of a wind-up radio. I have two and one is dab/fm. Don`t bother with wind up dab as it uses a lot of power and the charge only lasts a short time. FM is great as a wind up

meanmarie

Have a couple of oil filled radiators and use them when heat is off if necessary, not sure what they use in electricity but try to keep on minimum time and heat wise. Not sure what they cost to run, as we have fridge, freezer, water pump on at all times...might check after Christmas.

Marie

nicola1982_2

For those of you who drink wine, wine-making is a cheap option. You can start with kits but fairly quickly you'll find it just as easy to use juice. Lidl and Aldi grape juices make pretty nice weekend wine and you can buy box dispensers to keep it in.

anniewoo

nicola1982 wrote: »

For those of you who drink wine, wine-making is a cheap option. You can start with kits but fairly quickly you'll find it just as easy to use juice. Lidl and Aldi grape juices make pretty nice weekend wine and you can buy box dispensers to keep it in.

I have thought about making it myself,but decided it was probably too much hassle.

My DH made a lot of it back in the 70's,wine kits were very popular then,I can remember demi-johns bubbling away all around the house and the wine was absolutely gorgeous and cost far less than buying it.Perhaps I will look into it again.

How would I go about making it with grape juice,that sounds much easier?

Sarahsaver

I am doing as much overtime as possible, working on Sat and Sun this week, then new years eve and new years day too. no point sitting on my rear at home when I can be out earning a bit more;) Can't see much more options for cutting spending :eek: Been wearing my shoes in rotation so they all wear evenly but now I need some repairs done but don't have the time to get the repairs sorted!

Skint_Catt

meanmarie wrote: »

Have a couple of oil filled radiators and use them when heat is off if necessary, not sure what they use in electricity but try to keep on minimum time and heat wise. Not sure what they cost to run, as we have fridge, freezer, water pump on at all times...might check after Christmas.

Marie

I've heard these use a silly amount of leccy. Better to keep your heating on a low constant than run these! Could be wrong though!

celyn90

patchwork_cat wrote: »

Hi
Just found this thread and wanted to say that sometimes there are no other solutions than to economise, but something my son said and remembering mortgage free in 2 years programme - sometimes it is better to spend time generating more income than saving too harshly. Don't mean to disrespect anybodies efforts - life is seriously hard and getting harder, but, I know it won't work for everyone due to certain circumstances, maybe generating income might be a better option for time managament as Sammy Kaye said.

I try to do this - I pick up extra teaching often, usually I do two terms a year, but this year my boss has said my group are only allowed to do one term, so not only am I not being funded, my extra income is down £600pa. I mark exam scripts too once a year and sometimes invigilate exams, but I can't do much else, I just don't have the time or the energy and my work is so erratic I can't commit to anything on a regular basis very easily (I'm still at work now - and I got here at 7.30 am). I've earnt a little bit by being experimented on in the psychology department occassionally, normally pays £10 -25 a session but often in book vouchers (nothing drastic, just being strapped into an MRI scanner and pressing buttons!).

OH is the same, working long hours and erratic hours means that extra income isn't easy to come by. He's done clinical trials in the past for money, but these are often very time consuming (and make me nervous after what happened in London a few years back!).

I've made wedding favours before and sold the occcasional bit of artwork over the years (accidently!) but a lot of handicrafts cost more in terms of materials than you make back, as patchwork cat says, so it isn't worth the effort for sale. It has cut down on my purchases for gifts (as I have all the materials now, so rarely have to buy extra stuff). Sometimes I offer (or am asked for) a skill if I need to give a gift - I have done sugarcraft, flowers, table centres etc for friends weddings as examples.

I've earnt a lot from Pigsback this year, most of Christmas was paid through this and rpoints - and I'm training OH to use sites like this too (he was very pleased with the £50 for switching electricity suppliers and now he's hooked :rotfl: )