Preparing for a more frugal future?

rachbc

All expenses for insurance etc come out of monthly direct debits accounted for already - but yes need to consider car maintenacnce too thanks.

Savannah02K

I know it sounds incredibly anal but also start listening to the business news, or checking commodity prices on line. We listen for work purposes but I always stock up on stuff when I hear that particular commodity is being traded highly, e.g. stocked up on pasta when wheat prices went beserk. Ditto on coffee last year. Anything long life is ok.

brownsauce

Savannah02K wrote: »

I know it sounds incredibly anal but also start listening to the business news, or checking commodity prices on line. We listen for work purposes but I always stock up on stuff when I hear that particular commodity is being traded highly, e.g. stocked up on pasta when wheat prices went beserk. Ditto on coffee last year. Anything long life is ok.

does that actually effect us that much? like is there a noticeable saving in doing it that way?
I have never really thought to look at that. Im a scientist by trade and all the business world is completely alien to me.

meanmarie

Something I saved money by doing this year was having my (oil) boiler serviced...it needed a few bits doing to it so cost me €150 but I still have quarter of the 1000l of oil I got in November, unheard of to get so long from this amount of oil in winter, especially when you consider how cold it has been this year.

Marie

Uniscots97

I got made redundant in summer 2009 and it ended up (my choice) going doing volunteer work. In the january of the following year I finally got some work although not very well paid. How I survived (apart from my redundancy payment as I didn't know how it would take me to get a decent job), sign up for all the survey sites and cashback sites and religously do them, send off for all the freebies you'll use (you'd be amazed how many stocking fillers you can get for nothing), check out all the money off vouchers in the wednesday newsletter from Martin (save them for special occassions), don't forget charity shops (the higher end ones get a lot of new stuff from shops they can't sell), don't be afraid to say no to going out with friends if you really can't afford it (be honest with them and suggest a barbecue or get together over a home cooked meal), grow your own potatoes (its easy). There is loads more on here too. Good luck.

GreyQueen

Lots of great advice up here from the gang. I've stockpiled cooking oil as there's stuff on sale now with a best before of July 2012 and it's gone up from about 79p/ litre to 1.25/litre at best and my punt is that it'll go a lot higher. I'd suggest socking in some tinned goods so that even if money gets really tight you know you won't go hungry. With world wheat prices set to rocket, flour if you can store it (it can be frozen) and pasta is a long-keeper.

:)I have a PAYG mobile with ASDA; the service provider is actually Vodafone but you pay 4p/ text 8p/ a min for calls with ASDA. Pick up a sim instore for 50p or free if you buy at least £5 credit at same time. Dropped Vodafone like a hot brick when I found that one out.;)

:eek: BEWARE THE 5 WEEK MONTH. :eek: :eek:

Used to work in debt advice and saw a lot of people, even very clever people, come a cropper because there aren't exactly 4 weeks in a calendar month. Think about it; 4 x 7 = 28 days or 336 a year. Run this year round and your budget will be 4 weeks' adrift each year. Need to choose to budget weekly or monthly. Quick-and-dirty maths is to convert an weekly charge by multiplying 4.33 weeks to make a monthly equivalent.

Use the website "entitled to" to see if you qualify for any help with rent/ council tax/ tax credits etc.

Your local lending library should have a telephone sized book in the reference section, can't recall the exact title but it's a directory of charities. A lot are very smal land peculiar and you need to scan to see if yours circs match their criteria but there may be some financial help there.


:T Hang with us on the forums to get lots of good advice.:T

Good luck!

morganlefay

Ahem, GreyQueen, I thought we weren't going to hoard tins of things under the bed any more ?

lilac_lady

Pooky wrote: »

How about using the supermarkets saving stamps scheme to ensure you've got funds on hand for the foods you can't stock pile?

Good idea as you could use it for much of the Christmas expense. With interest rates so low it makes sense to save for Christmas using stamps.

miecherox

budgetboo wrote: »

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Check out what cheap leisure actvities you can do. My fave is a winter picnic with a flask of hot mulled wine or cider and a food flask of hot dogs with the buns carried separate. My friends that have come with me to things like firework displays etc this winter have been well impressed with this trick. (take hot chocolate for the kids!) An afternoon in the park can suddenly seem quite romantic at the grimmest time of year with a hot picnic. Likewise join the library. Collect 2 for 1 vouchers for meals out etc. I try nowadays to make my hobbies cost effective.

You NEED to have fun even on a budget, but fun can be had cheaply. if you don't factor in fun then any budget will eventually be blown or you'll wind up depressed despite all your good intentions.

What a fantastic idea :T I never thought of putting hot dogs in a food flask and having a hot picnic - my kids would love that!!!!

toastrack_2

:eek: BEWARE THE 5 WEEK MONTH. :eek: :eek:

If you are getting your income weekly then traet every month as a four week month. That way every so often you get an extra week of money which you can put into savings for xmas./ birthdays etc