Lots more Sneaky Ways to save the pennies

SadieO

Primrose said:

 For some reason I stopped receiving this thread when the forum format changed and I only recently clicked an option button ccidentalky whixh restored it.  I hope the ideas keep coming or even reinventing themselves as it's easy to forget some of the useful tips.

wr,ve  found we,re massively in credit with our energy provider and are unsure whether to leave the situation as it is to give us peace of mind if we have a very cold winter and need the heating on more, or to ask  for a refund, althiugh I resent them earning interest on our money on the short term money mwrket.

I totally get your annoyance at them hoarding your money! But unless you desperately need it at the moment I'd leave it. You won't earn much interest on it yourself (sadly!) and you risk spending it and then struggling come winter. Consider it as having "prepaid" some of your winter bills so you can relax a bit now. 

Primrose

Yes it,s a comfortable situation in which to find ourselves and being quite disabled I,m going to need that heating before long but it annoys me the energy companies arnt being more mindful of those in credit who might be genuinely struggling with other financial aspects of their lives..

Katiehound

It depends how massively you are in credit because I see that the new NS &I scheme (announced 3 days ago) is offering 6% one year fixed rate so if you could squirrel away £500 that might be worth doing. Hasten to say I don't know t&cs regarding a minimum term or if there is a withdrawal fee.

just a thought

London_1

I have an online Chase account that is really good and pays interest at the end of the month.
Also if you use  the spend part of the account for shopping etc you get cash back. In the past 15 months I have 'earned' in cash back over £19, not a fortune but at least something when I am paying out a bill to a company or buying petrol and if I use it in Tescos I get my points as well on my club card so win-win. My Lloyds easy saver account doesn't pay out very much in interest, but the save part of my Chase pays 4.1 % and when ever the bank rate goes up it increases the interest rate as well.i think last months interest was around £2.44, again not a fortune but I only had around £1500 tucked in there to pay for my new fence due later this month and the decorator due next week to paint my conservatory ,so an extra couple of pounds in my pot ,every little helps to streetch the pennies.

I also have a savings account with NS & I that's excellent for long term savings, which gets added to every month towards my house move next year.i think if you have any spare cash then even a small amount if interest adds up

I try to squirrel away a bit here and there if I can ,you never know when it may suddenly be needed

JackieO xx

PipneyJane

London_1 said:

I have an online Chase account that is really good and pays interest at the end of the month.
Also if you use  the spend part of the account for shopping etc you get cash back. In the past 15 months I have 'earned' in cash back over £19, not a fortune but at least something when I am paying out a bill to a company or buying petrol and if I use it in Tescos I get my points as well on my club card so win-win. My Lloyds easy saver account doesn't pay out very much in interest, but the save part of my Chase pays 4.1 % and when ever the bank rate goes up it increases the interest rate as well.i think last months interest was around £2.44, again not a fortune but I only had around £1500 tucked in there to pay for my new fence due later this month and the decorator due next week to paint my conservatory ,so an extra couple of pounds in my pot ,every little helps to streetch the pennies.

I also have a savings account with NS & I that's excellent for long term savings, which gets added to every month towards my house move next year.i think if you have any spare cash then even a small amount if interest adds up

I try to squirrel away a bit here and there if I can ,you never know when it may suddenly be needed

JackieO xx

Good point @London_1.  I have multiple named "pots" (savings accounts) that get paid on payday, so that I don't have to think about suddenly coming up with the cash for any one thing.  For example: I have pots for clothing, hair-and-beauty, the car, birthday presents, concert tickets, my choir dues, etc, etc.  Once the cash has left my personal bank account, I don't view it as "my money"; it belongs to the pot and is quarantined to only be spent on whatever that pot is for.

As the song goes:  "It ain't what you do; it's the way that you do it.  That's what gets results!".

I too use Chase for most day-to-day spending, because of the cashback.  I even got cashback from them when I purchased my new-to-me car at the end of May.   (Had to replace Lucky-car, because of the ULEZ.  He was not compliant.)

- Pip

Siebrie

Not so sneaky, but: I have braided my dd2's hair myself for the first time in 7 years. We used to go to hairdressers, but the early ones were too harsh and impatient, and the later one (although very good) became too expensive; €212 for a head full of braids that last 10 weeks at most! I'm pleased with the result and will do dd1's hair next weekend. That skill will save us €400 every quarter; €1,600 per year.... I'm putting this money in my private savings account, where husband can't access

kimwp

Bread/jams aisle at my supermarket has Brazil nuts in a small packet in the baking section. Next aisle over (bread and eggs) has the same nuts in a larger packet in the snacking section for about 2/3 of the price per kg. 

MrsCD

My goodness, @Siebre that's a huge saving, and well done you for learning how to do a full head of braids!😃 
@kimwp yes, you do have to watch out. Checking the price per 100g is the best way, I find.

London_1

Went into Asda's first time since Easter as I met up with eldest DD. We had a coffee and had a quick shop I only needed bread, but she said 'oh I'll get you a couple of tins of cream of chicken soup' I said OK but the Just Essential ones .

At Easter they were 24p a tin ,now they are 57p !
She said 'No Ill get the slightly dearer ones as I'm treating you'.

I don't often eat tinned soup as I usually make my own, but she wanted to treat me so I said OK they had been slightly reduced from 75p to 70p which to my way of thinking is silly money for a tin of soup but bless her I just let her do it. But no way will I be paying 14/- for a tin of soup in the future  Once the weather cools down a bit I shall be getting some veg and I have lots of chicken in the freezer so I will be making twice as much for a fraction of the price.

But as at the moment standing for too long is a bit uncomfortable after my op.so I will go with the flow, bless her she's a good lass. 

But golly I was surprised at some of the prices of stuff, and she said 'but Mum you have been eating out of your cupboards for a couple of months', which is true.

The cost of food really is quite shocking, to be fair .I have been staying away from busy shops as I'm only just really getting back on my feet. So a sharp eye will be kept on prices and it will be essential basic stuff until my cupboards are a bit emptier I think.
How on earth some families cope I can't imagine. 

I am helping to subsidise my youngest grandsons food bill at the moment ,but I don't mind as I know he won't waste anything and being at Uni his finances are pretty slim to non-existant This afternoon he has a trial shift at his local Subway shop and I'm hoping they take him on for some part-time work

JackieO xx

Crazycatlady2

@London_1 I hope it goes well for him. My DD did a trial shift in a similar place and has an interview in another today and starts 6th form tomorrow so all go for them isn't it?