Great 'ways To Cut Back' Hunt 22 April 2005 at 2:41PM in Debt-Free Wannabe 859 replies 540.4K views

inkie

I am sure that we all have wardrobes containing items that no longer fit us/were impulse buys/that are too small or too large - and our friends have the same. Have a night in - cook a meal (low-cost one of course!), invite your friends around and get them to clear out their aforementioned items and do a clothes exchange - you can guarantee that you will each come away with something 'new' for your wardrobe.

Smiley_Mum

Brew your own beer. :beer:

Invest in a slow cooker/crockpot - moneysaving/timesaving rolled into one.:D

Check out this link for slow cooker recipes/tips etc

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=4273&page=1&pp=10

A rough guide on electricity consumption, link for details -

http://www.npower.com/at_home/Juice-clean_and_green/Home_energy_guide.html

Keep fridge/freezer free of ice if not frost free.

Replace electrical appliances with an A rating whenever possible.

Have a shower instead of a bath.

Set your hotwater tank at 60 degrees.

Check cistern for leaks etc, easily done with food colouring. You may be losing a lot of water otherwise. See link for details -

http://www.grampianswater.org.au/community_education/check_for_leaks.shtml

squeaky

kim03 wrote:

Thats ok if you know how to do a meal with what left overs you have left :rolleyes:

So follow the links in my signature for ideas...

Turning_into_scrooge

Bake your own bread, don't need to buy a bread machine hand is good enough.

bulk buy on milk when reduced and freeze it

same with shop bought bread, butter and cheese

katiepops_2

Try to keep your freezer as full as possible, as a half empty freezer uses up more electricity than a full one.

Smiley_Mum

...but keep your fridge only half full. If you overfill your fridge it will take longer for the food to cool as it slows the flow of the cold air.

terrymellor

make sure your making the cheapest phonecalls at all times

squeaky

Better still - use email

Big_Nige

Service your car yourself...buy your parts from a motor factors Brown Bros, Partco etc not retail sheds like Halfords. Almost invariably cheaper.

Sofa_Sogood

Make some pin money doing online surveys, like at Ciao and Brainjuicer.

I'm not sure how I got on their mailing list, or the website adds, (maybe someone else can help?) but I've a few pounds waiting to be redeemed from them after doing a handful or two of quick surveys.