help! moving into my first home, any tips to keeping my cost down?

lilmoi1985lm

Hello all

I've been religiously looking over this site for the past week and find it like a treasure chest of good advise and god knows i need it!!

We've hoping to move into our own home before xmas - 6 months isnt that far away! - and i need advise on everything and anything. My bloke has recently divorced and we've been able to free up most of our debts with his half of the money made on selling his old home but we dont want to get back into the borrowing scheme again!! apart from our mortgage of course which isn't as bad as it could have been. all other debts (big loan i shouldnt have got but i thought at the time it was the right thing) should be paid of by end of next year. Its still a hefty lump of my monthly wage as i opted to pay it off quick, bad move or right move i dont know! :cool:

Anyway, ive downloaded my budget planner and combined everything etc but still liking for cheap ways around things. So any tips for saving or living for cheap would be greatly appreciated! I really dont know where to start despite reading all these tips for hours on end. Where do i begin!!

I'm armed with my jamie oliver book!!

lil_me

Furniture, household items etc try freecycle or www.dontdumpthat.com first, if you've got somewhere to store items you could start now of course.

Cooking from scratch has saved me money, bulk cooking has saved me time and after all time is money (paying someone else to do things etc)

Take advantage of any discounts but only for thngs you need, a bargain isn't a bargain if you won't use it/wouldn't have bought it if it wasn't cheap.

Recipe books, you don't need loads, there are recipes for all sorts online

Good luck, hope everything goes well for you, sounds like you have the right attitude

tealady

As you will be moving in near Xmas tell family and friends that you will not be giving regular presents this year. Either agree with the other party that you will not buy each other anything or give them an I.O.U (eg for 4 hours babysitting, a dog walk or a meal). I don't know about anyone else but I would rather save my money and buy myself something I really want rather that receive well meant but unwanted gifts from friends and family.

lilmoi1985lm

lil_me wrote: »

Furniture, household items etc try freecycle or www.dontdumpthat.com first, if you've got somewhere to store items you could start now of course.

Cooking from scratch has saved me money, bulk cooking has saved me time and after all time is money (paying someone else to do things etc)

Take advantage of any discounts but only for thngs you need, a bargain isn't a bargain if you won't use it/wouldn't have bought it if it wasn't cheap.

Recipe books, you don't need loads, there are recipes for all sorts online

Good luck, hope everything goes well for you, sounds like you have the right attitude

Thankyou! Just had a look at the website above didnt even think about anything but ebay / yellow local paper! great!

lilmoi1985lm

tealady wrote: »

As you will be moving in near Xmas tell family and friends that you will not be giving regular presents this year. Either agree with the other party that you will not buy each other anything or give them an I.O.U (eg for 4 hours babysitting, a dog walk or a meal). I don't know about anyone else but I would rather save my money and buy myself something I really want rather that receive well meant but unwanted gifts from friends and family.

Ive thought about this to, and discussed with family who cant seem to grasp onto the idea that we're trying to cut back! they have agreed though to buy us stuff for the house instead of things for us so I suppose thats a plus...:o

tealady

Try looking out for "Bogoffs" in things like bottles of wine, boxes of biccys, chocolate, toiletries and anything that could make a prezzie for someone. Or tell them that their Xmas prezzie from you is an invite to dinner!!!!

mennie

Use Cheap hair conditioner instead of shaving foam
Go to the supermarket at 3pm on a Sunday as they are pricing everything down.

Sign up to every supermarket/shop/petrol loyalty card going even if you don’t use it very often it costs you nothing.

Save the £1 stamps for xmas so that your xmas shop doesn’t blow your budget.

Try and buy in bulk and even split the bill with your friends when things are BOGOF

When buying loose Fruit and vegetable check it doesn’t have too much excess weight i.e. stalks, leaves, skin etc. Don’t use a bag this adds 1p every time.

Check out fixture ferrets for the latest BOGOFs

Pad mince out with peas, sweet corn, lentils, barley and oatmeal.

Try the value ranges.

Use cheap bath foam to fill your hand soap dispenser.

Don’t go shopping hungry

Meal plan for the week and stick to a rigid list

Go around with a calculator

Make your own soups with veg that is on the turn and freeze.

When staying in hotels always take all the coffee, sugar, tea toiletries. They are included in your stay.

Grow your own herbs on your kitchen windowsill. A bag of seeds is the same price as a packet of fresh herbs – or take cuttings from a friend

Use a networking site eg bebo myspace to contact friends rather than texts