Lots more Sneaky Ways to save the pennies

Gem-gem

When we have a weekend break (usually linked with football). We generally book a hotel that is either quite central or on the edge of town so that we can pop back to our room for a cup of tea and hot chovolate rather than pay coffee shop prices. (before hubby goes off to football).
I also make a packed breakfast/brunch for the train so that we only have to pay for the evening meal out on the first day.
When we go away for a longer trip, I make and pack a homemade cake so that we can have afternoon tea and cake rather than lunch. So we have breakfast ( sometimes included into the hotel / b&b price) and our evening meal.
On our last one night away, we didn!!!8217;t even have to pay much for dinner as we used our Tesco/ Pizza Express vouchers.

ScarletRibbons

if we go out for the day we always take the good old vacuum flask, sandwiches and biscuits, rather than paying cafe prices.

If we go to Whitby though, we can't leave without having fish and chips!!

Eenymeeny

Gem-gem wrote: »

When we have a weekend break (usually linked with football). We generally book a hotel that is either quite central or on the edge of town so that we can pop back to our room for a cup of tea and hot chovolate rather than pay coffee shop prices. (before hubby goes off to football).
I also make a packed breakfast/brunch for the train so that we only have to pay for the evening meal out on the first day.
When we go away for a longer trip, I make and pack a homemade cake so that we can have afternoon tea and cake rather than lunch. So we have breakfast ( sometimes included into the hotel / b&b price) and our evening meal.
On our last one night away, we didn!!!8217;t even have to pay much for dinner as we used our Tesco/ Pizza Express vouchers.

We like Premier Inns for our overnighters because you know exactly what to expect. We take a cool bag with milk, cereal, biscuits and maybe a few extra tea bags. (Remembering bowls and spoons!)
It is much more convenient, as we can breakfast while one of us is using the bathroom and gives me more time to dry my hair when OH would be itching to get downstairs for his brekkie! Saves time and paying the ridiculous prices they charge for breakfast when we really just want cereal and a cuppa.;)

evuka

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Is it this one?

I just checked my order history and they no longer sell the one I got but this is very similar.

Gem-gem

Eenymeeny wrote: »

We like Premier Inns for our overnighters because you know exactly what to expect. We take a cool bag with milk, cereal, biscuits and maybe a few extra tea bags. (Remembering bowls and spoons!)
It is much more convenient, as we can breakfast while one of us is using the bathroom and gives me more time to dry my hair when OH would be itching to get downstairs for his brekkie! Saves time and paying the ridiculous prices they charge for breakfast when we really just want cereal and a cuppa.;)

I bought an electric egg boiler from Lakeland (at a discount) that you just add water and plug in so that we can have eggs for breakfast in the room.
Regarding tea bags. Hubby always goes down and asks for extra tea bags and milk and never has a problem.

Gem-gem

Went to John Lewis in Bluewater tonight, bought two things from Clarins £43 in total and got 4 items free. Three of the items were 100mls and worth £15 each. The other item is worth about £8.00 (worth the same value as what I have bought).
Two of the items I am thinking of packaging up as a Christmas present.
One item I gave a friend as she bought an item which has gone towards another deal and one item I will keep for myself.
Also John Lewis have an offer, which came via email. Spend £100 on beauty, perfume and skin care and get a beauty box for free ( beauty box has about 10 items of beauty item including Bobbie Brown,Molton Brown, clarins, Clinique, ysl etc). My friend bought something for £40 but put it as part of my bill, I bought a birthday present for £20 and then included the two items from Clarins for £43. (So I have only spent £63). The beauty box I am going to save and give to my niece for Christmas. Thus saving more pennies. (The two things I bought from Clarins I do buy, so it was not an impulse buy).

Gem-gem

My hair dresser sells me a tube of hair dye at cost price do I can do touch ups between my hair cuts without having to go to a salon. This saves me a couple of hundred pound each year.

Gem-gem

Eating out:
Hubby and I always share chips from the chippy. We have our own fish or sausage.
Sign up to restaurant emails - never pay full price a zizzi or pizza express. Jamie!!!8217;s card is really good with a free taster plus offer. Had a two course meal and drink with a friend for £11.00 each (incl tip).
Wetherspoon - hubby and I have shared a large mixed grill. I order a side salad and have some of the meat to go with it plus a couple of chip. Hubby has the rest.
Ifpuddings are overpriced we go to the supermarket and get some £1 chocolate or have a homemade pudding.
The other week I attended a conference and wrapped the breakfast cookie and afternoon tea cake up in a napkin. Later when out for a meal with my friend, she had buy one get one free on main course and I shared the bounty from the conference. Our meal with tip cost £6.00 each.

Sometimes it pays to pay a little more up front. When hubby and I went to Singapore we upgraded to crystal class in the hotel - we paid £150 for the three days. For that we got; free internal phone calls; access to our room at 8:00am in the morning; 4 breakfasts each; free tea, coffee, biscuits and cake across the day; two pieces of clothing dry cleaned every day; happy hour from 5 -7:30 where you could have as much as you wanted alcohol ( fab choices including proscecco) with hors d!!!8217;oerves.

doingitanyway

Gem-gem wrote: »

Yes, my friend is lovely. She uses their shampoo and conditioner all the time.
I like the almond shower gel and body lotion as well as the verbena hand wash. I bought some hand wash when in Canada as it was much cheaper. We have that upstairs and Lidl’s downstairs.
I’m taking hubby to Paris for his 60th and will be interested to compare the price.

Gem Gem, I really like the way you save money but still live a lovely, luxurious life. I always want to understand the value of something and not the price and you do that

Gem-gem

doingitanyway wrote: »

Gem Gem, I really like the way you save money but still live a lovely, luxurious life. I always want to understand the value of something and not the price and you do that

Thank you doingitanyway.
Hubby and I believe in looking after the pennies and that helps save the pounds. We both love travelling and yes, I do like some of the finer things in life but we can only do it because we are frugal in other ways. I never like to pay full price for anything. That has been my mantra for many years now. I see it as a game. I enjoy the !!!8216;hunt!!!8217;.
I also evaluate what is important to me when spending - anything like furniture I have always bought good quality. (0% interest so I didn!!!8217;t have to touch my savings) My furniture I bought 19 years ago, it is still in pristine condition (because we look after it and hopefully will never have to buy it again).
Food - home grown and homemade where possible. Do not want to put unnecessary chemicals into our body.
I have lost two close family members aged 59 and 60 and it made me realise that a) shrouds do not have pockets b) you cannot wait until you retire. So you have to travel and do things now.

We have just had a weekend in Hereford.
Travel: home to London to Hereford by train £39.50 return for both of us.
Hotel: £45 for the night
Food: Took a packed lunch for yesterday; dinner last night £17.00; breakfast £8. (We shared a large breAkfast and had a drink each. Saved around £1.50 doing this way.

Funny thing is that some of my family raise their eyebrows at me or groan. I use to embarrass them when I got the vouchers out ( this was before it became trendy to do it).
When hubby and I met, we knew that we had the same attitude to money because we both had a feeezer stuffed full of yellow-stickerd food. A match made in heaven!