Frugality is sometimes not easy to find!

Towser

Common strategies of frugality include the reduction of waste, curbing costly habits, suppressing instant gratification by means of fiscal self-restraint, seeking efficiency, avoiding traps, defying expensive social norms, embracing cost-free options, using barter, and staying well-informed about local circumstances and both market and product/service realities.

The bit I really struggle with is :

staying well-informed about local circumstances and both market and
product/service realities.

Where is the best and cheapest thrift store? Is there a website? Charity shops are easy you just find them on yellow pages. But you have to know about carboots or find them in the paper. The local tip resale shop is a godsend, found accidentally.Where is the best and cheapest market?As I am planning on switching from using the supermarkets in an attempt to be more frugal. What are the cheapest shops except B&M, Aldi and Primark. Who is the cheapest painter and decourator ect.?

Or does it not make that much difference in price? I will have to be able to save money if I am going to make this lifestyle change.

Somebody must have a really good opinion on this subject if not direct me to the nearest website.

Also where do I buy a sack of spuds from a farmer at this time of year? Anything else I should know? Without having to consult the local lollipop lady who seems to know everything.

Anybody?

duchy

I think you've probably found the answer-the Lollypop Lady
Local contacts are the best way to find any local resource -put it on a website and everyone knows about it and the availability drops due to over demand.

That said local facebook groups can be good leads .

Towser

yes, so far I have tried netmums and mumsnet the county websites. There must be a place for local knowledge out there.

Come on somebody spill the beans!

betterlife

My council website is a good source for Carboot sales, markets in the local town which is 3 Times a week, farmers market, treasures and trash and another which is a bit of both, we also have cattle and meat markets monthly, they also advertise the tip/recycled centre have a look at your may have similar information hth .

Towser

It must just be the local paper then.

not cutting out, just cutting back.

market, local colleges
Aldi
Lidl
Ebay
Charity Shops
Freecycle
Tip re-use shop
Matalan Primark B&M
George at ASDA
Tesco Clothes
sportsdirect ikea
Library
Car furniture Auctions
Camping
Carboots
Wilkinson Poundland
Iceland
mysupermarket.com
gocompare

That's all I can think of at the moment. I have tried to list every bargain place where you can find everything you might need in life, including a car! Every aspect of my money is made to go further.

paulineb_2

Home bargains (cheaper than B and M for several things), poundworld, wilkinsons. I also use groupon, wowcher.

Facebook can often have local groups where you will see stuff like carboots advertised. No markets where I am.

jackyann

Definitely sign up to Freecycle or Freegle, as wherever I have lived, they have a discussion group attached, where people post questions, advertise local fairs etc.
Church magazines are often useful, and definitely the local library.
And do go to your local market, they are very variable, but some have excellent produce and often a local charity has an occasional stall.

meritaten

Local Libraries are a good source of info too! many people use their noticeboards as they are often free or just have a nominal charge.
local post offices are good too.

Community centres often have notice boards for 'Table top sales' etc. or very reasonably priced Fitness sessions such as Zumba where newly qualified teachers get their experience!

and if its hairdressing or Beauty Therapy you want to save money on - head off to the local technical college! if they need models you can sometimes get it free and even the ordinary appointments are way cheaper than the high street. and don't be afraid - the teachers supervise very closely and if you aren't happy will 'redo' for free.

Pooky

If you have any villages nearby find out about their newsletters (most villages have them, or do round here). We have a monthly one delivered to the door but it's also available online (as are neighbouring villages) They are a great font of local knowledge, listing jumble sales, local boots sales, craft markets etc. we also have a section in ours focused on local tradesmen, so getting a few quotes for work is always easy.

gailey_2

my money savers

buy 90%of familys clothes 2nd hand

carboots, nearly new, jumble sales, ebay local fb selling groups and charty shops

free stuff free cylcle or fb groups got free slow cooker, furniture even trampline sometie say yes small things like balloons, party decorations as come in handy for kids birthdays.

food

cook from scratch
eat less meat
batch cook and freeze-use podshop tubs for £1
do reduced hunt most evenings and sundays. bank holidays.

places to shop

shop around

use discount codes for online been new customer few time sdiffrent emails.

but value lines and shop offer ends.

shop around.

we like

lilds
aldis
morrisions.
b&m

farm foods better value than iceland but hear heron up north good.They do 10%off coupons join their mailing list online.

some people like approved foods never found much want on there.

dont have home bargains nearby

do have 99p stores, poundworld and poundland but careful ot everythings good value.

find spar, co-op small saisburys and m&s best reductions test near me seem rubbish.

put on heating only when needed.
turn off lights.
line dry on nice days.


sometimes it takes time.

foraging free berries, apples and nuts take me years learn locations.

[Deleted User]

Sometimes its trial and error when it comes to finding good value for money
E.G. I am happy to shop around for bargains ,but then I have the time as a retired lady to do the research via the 'net or just asking local folk.Where I live its not very big and its easy to get chatting to local people in the shops.I suppose it depends on your area and circumstances.
A great place is on this forum with its different areas.
If you pose a question someone will usually come up with an answer for you.
The internet has opened up so many different markets that would once not have occured to many of us.

When I shop its because I have a small list of necessities to buy and only take enough cash to cover them,that way I do my best not to overspend.I am on day four of NSD(no spend days) which is a great way to save cash.Simply by turning right instead of left when I go out of my house I don't get tempted by 'special offers' in the local shops and have a healthy walk around the park instead :)

Often its just a case of making a list of what you already have in the cupboards and using it up instead of looking to store more stuff indoors.Menu planning is a must for me and I like to do my weeks rough guide to what I shall eat on a Sunday morning.That way nothing gets wasted as I abhor food wastage.I recycle as much stuff as I can and am always looking for ways to streeeetch what I already have into another meal if possible.Last week I had some veg in the basket that was looking past its best so I made a veggie curry and boxed up four portions for the freezer.Currying stuff covers a multitude of blemishes :)
I make about three litres of soup a week for lunches which cost me very little apart from time and effort.
Useful if Aldi has a good deal on veg in the winter time as soup freezes beautifully.
My freezer always seems to be bulging with food as its used to its capacirty.no point having a freezer thats half empty.I was given a big bag of eating apples for free and once peeled,stewed in water and a dollop of honey and cooled they too will go into the freezer in portioned up boxes for later in the winter they will make pies,crumbles and as an extra for cereals or mixed with natural yoghurt for a flavoured yoghurt pudding.I do all of my cooking from scratch as I am not keen on ready-made meals and can make twice as much for half the price.So I guess the answer is to utilise the internet and this site and you will save pounds.I also only ever use a cash purse with a budget for the month ,so once its gone thats it until the next pension day.Concentrates your mind quite a bit that way you never over spend.Its how housewives managed back in the 1950s/60s as no one had credit cards then and if you ran out of cash then you were broke until next payday :)