Lots more Sneaky Ways to save the pennies

General_Grant

MrsCD said:

Apparently more people are using cash to keep track of their spending, but I also use a credit card which pays me to use it, and pay it off in full every month. I try to allow just a small amount of pocket money!
I have an Asda Christmas savings card which I haven't used yet, but I'm going to try a low spend January. This should help me use up the food in the freezer and some of my cupboard stash which will be replaced eventually.

I've heard that too - though it doesn't "track" in terms of later knowing where, when and what the cash was spent on, unless you have separate purses for different categories or otherwise keep a written record or have an excellent memory.  However it does limit what is spent to whatever is in the purse/pot/wallet.
"Different strokes for different folks" or similar saying.  Really it's what works for each person.

Brambling

Pre-covid the children and family centre a friend worked at would offer debt advice and financial planning usually for people on limited budgets, they advised using cash and having multiple purses/envelopes and every thing should be paid by cash and if you didn't have the cash you couldn't buy it.  Which was the way my parents worked, my dad died 40 years ago and never had a bank account or credit card and didn't believe in buying on HP we got my mum her first building society account after he died as a compromise as she didn't want a bank account and never had one. He was paid in cash weekly and I remember him sitting at the table dividing up his wage pack.  I was a Saturday girl at the local small supermarket from '79 and most paid in cash in still, we were used to people putting stuff back if they didn't have enough money at the till.

Different things work for different folk and we live in a different world  

Matty246

I keep a couple of empty bread bags handy to use as emergency rubber gloves when handling unpleasant items.

basketcase

Matty246 said:

I keep a couple of empty bread bags handy to use as emergency rubber gloves when handling unpleasant items.

What a good idea - I'll pinch it if I may?

kimwp

Matty246 said:

I keep a couple of empty bread bags handy to use as emergency rubber gloves when handling unpleasant items.

Why don't you just keep some spare emergency rubber gloves?

MrsCD

I remember my grandma having a washing line full of plastic bags and sheets of plastic the ham was wrapped in. I do the same, but I keep zippy bags that have had raw meat in separate, even though they've been washed in hot soapy water!

ladyholly

Bread bags are free and can simply be thrown away after use. Saves trying to get yucky gloves clean or waste the money to replace. 

kimwp

ladyholly said:

Bread bags are free and can simply be thrown away after use. Saves trying to get yucky gloves clean or waste the money to replace. 

Oh I see! I use up my bread bags as poo bags and mini wet bin bags.

Katiehound

Gem-gem said:

 

2. Do not buy any new books until I have read the ones that I have. If I see a book that I want ....Go back to using the library. Or for my favourite author - request as a birthday / Christmas gift. (Budget for this year £0)

 
 

I get nearly all my books from charity shops. 
I was given a copy of one of the Seven Sister books (it was second hand) by a friend and I managed to get the other 7 books from charity shops including the last one published in May? for a grand total of £11. The cover price of the last one alone (h/b) was £22 

I have used World of Books- not totally impressed, and just used Awesome books due Tuesday. This last one is about 1/4 of the published price but of course, second hand.

My favourite charity shop has 3 books for £1 so that's when I stock up.

All the books get passed on or posted to friends. You can get 6 average sized p/b in a cereal box & post for £3.49.

Katiehound

Just an update to say that my book from Awesome books arrived today.

I am well pleased- excellent condition, almost brand new, probably 'one careful owner.' if it hadn't been b/h doubtless would have arrived earlier. It came Royal mail 48 hour service.
Postage included in the price:1/3 of published price. 
I will certainly use them again. very pleased I didn't cough up cover price of £8.99