Great '2011 MoneySaving resolutions' Hunt

traceya89

Love this thead:

this is what i am gonna do

1) declutter each room and organise the clutter i keep!!!

2) no more bubble bath, shower gel, shampoos or toothpastes. i have enough to last years due to Tesco health and beauty promotions.

3) not be obsessed with tesco clubcard points

4) not to waste food. anything that looks as if going off/out of date feed to OH!!!

5) to lose weight and plan meals ahead

6) like the idea of a petrol budget so dont have to be an unpaid taxi for various members of family who think the car runs on fresh air

7) stop buying magazines, cos most of them are only half read anyway and put to one side until i get time to try and read through fully.

8) try and read all the books have bought at boot sales that i never get time to read

9) try and sort my finances out

10) become single and find a millionaire to support the lifestyle acustomed to or lifestyle i desire!!!

11) stop going on facebook and do online competitions instead!!!

12) find the time to get organised for the above!!

traceya89

also gonna stop buying diet coke cos i drink far too much pop. had already decided that from next monday am gonna drink tap water all week but i bet i dont last the whole week.

Caterina

I shall stop buying magazines, they all say the same thing, each of the articles is the same with minute variations to disguise it! Boring waste of money (except if there is a very good offer/gift then it is worth buying it just for the offer of course).

Joined the no-supermarket shopping challenge so I shall do my best to keep shopping locally in independent small stores.

snoop2008

This year, continue to budget more. Have discovered how to shop online. Have neve ever bought anything on a credit card , ever!!! first time for everything, best thing I ever did. Have worked out that buying shopping once a month is better for me penny wise. Can save a bit more. Have learned how to make curtains from indian saris, cost just £4 a pair since my daughter bought me a sewing machine the xmas before the last one. Learned how to sew cushion covers and did learned how to decorate and revamp old lampshades and covered my seat cushions to match my bedroom decor. All cheap and cheerful but fun.

I love making things and love saving where I can. I pulled out my cake decorater book and began making birthday cakes and treats saving money once again but also enjoying and having.

I intend to keep upto date with online skills and continue my voluteering online.

I am sucker for home remedies and have never had the flu for years now, that has to be the turmeric and ginger that I drink everyday.

This year I just feel I want to be more creative, making more things, and as ususal budgeting.

LondonDreamer

Here's mine...

Travel the extra 10 minutes on the train to go to Lidl for their offers instead of relying on the local supermarkets. The journey cost is already covered by my work travelcard, so it's just a bit of extra time!

If I need something, try and source it second hand. My local charity shop is very expensive though (it's often cheaper to buy new) so it will probably be eBay.

Take lunch to work more often. Not sure how practical this will be in a city job, as I'm often in meetings where food is provided. But having it there each day in case would still work out cheaper than buying it when needed.

Declutter! Have joined the challenge thread and as I said there I don't have a lot, but still more than I would like and it's not very well organised. Have made a good start over the past few days.

Both mine and DH's salaries are up for review over the next few months. If we get increases, extra amount is to go straight into savings. Won't miss it if we never get used to having it.

Downsize to a smaller flat. Lease is up soon and it's more space than we need. So it results in more stuff to fill it, plus the cost to heat it (Victorian with the original windows) in the winter! Again, pay the rent difference straight into savings as we're managing fine on what we pay now.

Sort out savings accounts. I like the simplicity of a single savings account, but it doesn't earn as much as splitting it across various accounts (ISA, fixed term, etc) would.

No more book buying! Get anything I want to read from the library or online in the case of cookbooks which are my main weakness. Sell/donate all books that are gathering dust.

After clearing out a big bag of clothes that I no longer like or don't go with anything else I own, will only buy classic pieces in coordinating colours which will last.

Write down all expenses. I always have a rough idea and spend about the same amount week to week, but couldn't say exactly what on. So sure this amount could be cut back if I kept track properly!

Yorkielass

This year I will:

• Sit down once a week and do our accounts, check amounts of money - budgets etc etc - really keep on top of things.
• Make a real effort to use up all food, we don't throw much away but we shouldn't be throwing anything at all.
• Take lunch to work 3 days out of 5 each week. Every day is too much at the moment, I've tried before and failed so going to try and start with this compromise. Have access to a microwave so can be flexible.
• Take snacks to work too and minimise cash in purse - venders round the corner are just too tempting sometimes....
• Continue with the creative things I love to do, not spending all evening online when I'm at home, which isn't a lot. Try more sewing techniques and start making presents.
• Continue with my volunteering - the month that my husband and I spent most weekends either doing volunteering things or stuck at home due to snow on one weekend was one of our lowest spend months. Being busy with other things helping others means no opportunities to shop even if petrol and ready meal buying increases a bit.
• Not really moneysaving but last year we didn't take a single carrier bag from a shop at all, and in 2009 we only had 2. By planning and taking reusable bags when shopping we don't have a cupboard full of carrier bags and save money in places you need to buy them and there is an environmental benefit too. Want to continue this.

The biggie for us though is trying to move house which whilst expensive on several different levels will hopefully mean:

• We can both walk to work, our £200+ on petrol a month should be reduced to £50 or less.
• This will be great exercise too, healthy, happier etc etc
• We will be able to do more volunteering, less scope for shopping as above.
• We will be able to eat at home in between work and evening activities so less money on prepared foods we can mircowave at work/trips to Mcdonalds.
• Being able to leave home in the morning/get home from work at different times will allow more scope for bits of housework and feeling more organised, do batch cooking etc etc.
• Once we've moved we can look at new internet/phone deals and check everything is at the best price it can be.

Now I just need someone to want to buy my house and find a house we like in the area we're looking that we can afford...

pajama

This year I want to

continue with my menu planning
stick better to my food budget
Get weight loss under control
Declutter and sell unwanted items on ebay or give to charity
Move £1000 into an ISA instead of having it in a bank account earning nothing! Then start saving another £1000 over the year, hopefully.

Going to google magazines now to see if I can manage without the real thing. I only get one mag a month on subscription. All other mags are passed onto me from my mum.

poeticpip

This is a great thread, thanks everyone.

I'm determined to support local shops and avoid big supermarkets as much as possible. Walk to the shops rather than take the car too. Supermarkets do well simply because people (myself included) are lazy. Let's make more of an effort, otherwise we shall have no choice in future - just supermarkets and hypermarkets with no personal touch at all. Make friends with local shopkeepers and encourage them to keep going, and bring back a sense of community.

topgranny

I have resolved to declutter. I started by throwing out the odds and ends of Christmas wrapping I have been storing for the past six years since we moved to this house.

I have also resolved to avoid buying stuff "made in China" because, not only am I sick of seeing these words but such a lot of it is rubbish and doesn't last five minutes. There may be things that are good value so I haven't said I refuse to buy anything made in China.

Hubby and I have also resolved to cut down on how many times a week we have meat meals but to buy better quality meat from our (very good) local butcher.

For all those who have resolved not to buy magazines, I always use my Tesco vouchers for an annual subscription. I have two subscriptions at the moment but will reduce those to one different magazine when these expire.

I also always use my local library for books, and sometimes CDs and DVDs, as I can't afford to buy books and don't have the space to keep them either.

gizzie121

I'm going to use https://www.mysupermarket.com to find out the best deals in the shops, and stock up, then use my Ocado shop to fill in the rest. I think I can save a good 30% on my shopping this way.
Buy what I need, not what I want.
Use up all the lotions and potions I have in my cupboard before buying more.