Great 'ways To Cut Back' Hunt

jumping_j11

Cheap or free outings with kids-some London museums, eg science, natural history, have free entry for the last hour or so of the day.
Moors Valley country park, near Bournemouth - you pay to park (about a fiver)and then there is a huge area of woodlands to explore, some wild, some with great play equipment, you can run down the inside of a big wooden snake, go on a treetop walk etc. The Russell Cotes museum in Bournemiouth is close to the beach, very interesting, and free.

MoaningMyrtle

I think all the Museums are free all the time in London now. A great cheap day out if you take your own food and drink.

Power-walking is my latest thing it's cheap and good for you, I was going to join a gym but now do this three-four times a week for 40 minutes, it will help my weight loss too.

Generali

We use reuseable nappies and wipes too. Now we're having a second child, I reckon we'll have saved about £700 on this alone.

We've found that using the flat type (not the shaped ones) works out easiest because they dry quickly, saving electricity and time.

Another 'secret' benefit of reuseable nappies is that they don't smell nearly as much after a night's use. We use disposables when we go away which we do quite a lot and I notice a much stronger smell of wee coming from the nappy if I change him in the morning.

nicola1982_2

Look out for family throw outs. I'm about to move home and so far I've managed to get a free washing machine, breadmaker, wardrobe, chest of drawers, desk and shelves and a double bed all because various family members are replacing them or throwing them out.

Again freecycle is a broader way of doing this.

scottishspendaholic

Hello,

I don't know if anyone has said this yet as I only read the first 10 pages but sex is a very lovely free way to spend some time. And sometimes, in the busy lives we lead, its nice to spend some time getting to know each other again.

scottishspendaholic x

rubytuesday

As long as you don't pay for it!

caroleann

I agree with Kimberley re shopping at Charity Shops, i have found some fantastic bargains at the two i regularly shop in, the Marie Curie and BHF, including towels, sheets and pillowcases,brown leather jacket with removable fur collar, [£12], designer polo tops £3, and designer, black, very smart, trousers for OH for a fiver!! I cant resist a peek when im passing and always seem to find a bargain.

razzer_2

:T yep agree - charity shops are excellent for the saver willing to spend time looking......I have bagged loads of great books from the various shops i've visited.

I thought they would only stock mills n boon.....lol, but they have loads of great stuff try em. :T :j

mossy

There are loads of different ways to save money with your mobile bills and threads on the site dedicated to this......

Shop around on internet sites and find a really good deal. I've got a deal with 3, 500 mins and 100 texts full cash back (you pay and they send you the cheques etc) you need to be organised to make sure you send the invoices in on time. This one is completely free but there are lots that are 9 months free. The only bit of advice i would say is to make sure you pick a provider that has good reception near you otherwise its not as good a deal because you can take full advantage of it. If you do get a good deal remember to use your free minutes on your mobile which will save you money on your home phone bill.

Free pay as you go sim cards (good if you've already got a phone and need to cancel your contract).

Its also worth phoning your mobile phone company when you're contract has expired to say you want to cancel....you'll often get offered a better deal. DH did this last month with O2 and was offered a free phone upgrade and is now on O2 200 for £15 a month. :j

mossy

A couple of people have already touched on this.....but setting up a seperate bank account for your direct debits is a great way to make sure your essential bills get paid and that you know how much is left to spend in your main bank account...I set this up years ago and it did help to make it more clear and easy to see how much money was left.

Main current account - salary paid into - set up s/o to transfer set amount to cover d/d bills which you pay into your bills account. The rest of the money is spare for food, petrol and anything else you want to buy/save.

Bills account - pay you s/o in each month just after pay day, make sure all your d/d and s/o come out of this account. Once the money has been transfered into it you can forget about it and know that your bills are covered. (Make sure you keep an eye on your d/d etc to make sure everything is as it should be, and every now and then make sure that the money you are paying in each month is enough to cover all the bills.)

This really made a massive difference and relieve a lot of middle of the month stress. :rolleyes: