Great 'ways To Cut Back' Hunt

bouquiniste

DomtheMon wrote: »

If you smoke then whizz up the motorway (it is a direct road around 37 miles each way) to Adinkerke where 200 cigs is around 27 quid, hand rolling tobacco in Belgium is very cheap, a 50g pouch of Golden Virginia is just 3 quid as opposed to over 10 quid at home. It keeps for over a year as it is in sealed packs.

I don't understand any 10+ a day smokers buying their cigs in UK. The long-term investment pays off. Best advice is to plan and do a shopping list and don't be greedy, check your ''guideline'' amounts. Don't mix cigarette brands as it has to be for your ''own use'' so if you have 200 of B&H,200 Lamberts, 200 Richmond etc they get suspicious if they check you (I have been 5 times and never been searched)

Dom - be careful: the French changed the law last year so you can only travel through their territory with 200 cigs bought in other countries - they were losing too much. Yes we all know it is against EC law but there you go, until the Commission has a go at them this is the way it is. You could always get the ferry over to Zebrugge though and do it the other way around - ie pop down to Dunkirk for the alcohol and then back to Belgium for the tobacco.

Domthemon

bouquiniste wrote: »

Dom - be careful: the French changed the law last year so you can only travel through their territory with 200 cigs bought in other countries - they were losing too much. Yes we all know it is against EC law but there you go, until the Commission has a go at them this is the way it is. You could always get the ferry over to Zebrugge though and do it the other way around - ie pop down to Dunkirk for the alcohol and then back to Belgium for the tobacco.

Hi Bouquiniste - There are still thousands of people doing it, and when I got to customs they said ''have you been to Belgium?'' and I said ''yes, I have bought 3kg of tobacco and my friend has 400 cigarettes'' and they said ''ok, when did you last come over?'' and I stated truthfully ''six months ago'' to which ''ok, thanks'' and waved through!

It is like many ''laws'' in this country - totally unenforceable. There is no way they are going to stop and check at least 4-5 cars every minute on the motorway to Calais, and when you drive down towards Calais this is the rate at which UK cars are passing through.

As you also state, this French law is against EC law so if stopped I would be happy to take up a case with the European Court of Human Rights.

No,I shall continue as I am thanks. We fought for their bloody country,there is no way I am bowing to their illegal laws and altering my trips because of stupid red tape.:mad:

Dom

bouquiniste

Ooooookay, backing off as not going to start a them-and-us row... Just 3 things: UK Customs obviously don't apply FR law and yes I do know people who have been caught and fined/had the cigs removed in France; the ECHR has squat to do with the EU; and you have to abide by current FR law in FR unless and until it's repealed.

Was just trying to help, mate, not start a 1939 re-run.

Domthemon

bouquiniste wrote: »

Ooooookay, backing off as not going to start a them-and-us row... Just 3 things: UK Customs obviously don't apply FR law and yes I do know people who have been caught and fined/had the cigs removed in France; the ECHR has squat to do with the EU; and you have to abide by current FR law in FR unless and until it's repealed.

Was just trying to help, mate, not start a 1939 re-run.

Sorry no I wasn't angry with you, more so angry at those that change their behaviour when faced with totally ridiculous but more to the point unfair (and against EU law) regs. Those that work around them and do something else pander to these bureaucrats. Only by pushing the boundaries and standing up for what is morally right will we get change, not by keeling over and admitting defeat.

I appreciate you were stating the facts of the situation, apologies for firing back -but I am angry at the fact people pander to such stupid and petty (and actually against EC law!) laws, didn't mean to shoot the messenger.

As grandad would have said in Only Fools and Horses "during the war........'' !

Dom

sissy_2

I'm a Pantene user, but I normally buy them when they are on offer and stock up. I have very dry hair so l find this works a treat, but l am interested to know have any of you MSE's tried and tested any supermarket own brands and found them to be as good as or even better than all of the top name brands. Thank you in advance. xx

Taadaa

Well I use Tresemme, you get a big bottle for £3.50 and if you wait til it's on BOGOF it will last you for months. Sometimes the very very cheap ones cn be a bit abrasive.

Tip to save on household cleaner invest in a couple of microfibre cloths, they last for ages and attract dirt so no need for polish...I also use a bit of washing up liquid mixed with water in a spray bottle to clean kitchen surfaces and bathroom, does the job just as good.

gonzosbro

Daft_Monkey wrote: »

I tend to do the exact opposite as far as cash is concerned. I try to use credit cards with cash back more. Having cash in my pocket, is an invitation to overspend on things I don't really need. That little chocolate bar on the way to work, that fizzy drink at lunch time, that takeway on the way home. Without any cash on me, I can't buy any of those things. O'course this is fine if you're in familiar suroundings, as part of your daily routine, and know exactly where you can obtain cash if such a need arises, otherwise, a small amount of cash with you can be a life saver.
It might sound odd, but I tend to manage credit cards better than cash. Maybe it's because the moment I take the money out of the cash machine, that money is gone as far as I'm concerned, whereas with CCs, I monitor the balance regularly and try to keep it as low as possible, in order to minimise the dent in my capital and at the same time maximise the interest earned.
At anyone time, I'm making sure that my monthly income minus utility bills, mortgage and the amount saved every month, can service my CCs debts in full (nothing new here I guess). The difference goes to my savings either at the end of the month, or as soon as I'm satisfied with the accuracy of my expenditure forecasts.

So, maximise the use of cash back credit cards.
If you have a broadband connection and use wireless around your home, check if your neighbour will be interested in sharing your internet connection. You can straight away cut your internet costs by half.
When you do your weekly shop, offer to do your neighbour's too. In that way, you maximise your cashback and reward points, help the environment (by reducing supermarket journeys by half) and you keep your neighbour happy. :-)

I have started to use my debit card more, as it is easier to keep track of 1 account. I download my bank statement and see where all the money has gone.

I find that I use cash the spending is misc. but if I pay with the card I have a record of the transaction.

This is a great thread, thanks for all the advice

kevster1009

shelovestobuystuff wrote: »

I get a short term prepayment certificate.£34.65 for 4 months.Build up a stock of your medicines.I use 2 types of inhaler and another medication often so this is cheaper for me anyway.I also order repeat prescriptions every 1-2 weeks while my prepayment certificate is valid so that I end up with hopefully enough in reserve to last the full year.If there is a particular time during the year when you are ill more often, e.g. flu in winter or hayfever in spring or summer, then buy your certificate to tie in with this and make best use of it.

Ah...the beauty of being Welsh...free prescriptions now here!

daniel435

Buy second hand clothes!

gonzosbro

Feej wrote: »

Use toilet rolls instead of boxes of tissues when you have a cold. V much cheaper!

These can scrape your nose if the cold is particularly bad