Cut down on one outgoing a week.

john_kent

Hi All

I have set myself a challange to cut down on one expense a week.

SO far , in recent weeks I have analysed my phone usage and changed my landline and my mobile contracts.

I have also stopped papper bills from talk talk.

But today , I was looking at some costings at work and I noticed a little budget , unused for years called "staff welfare and support"

I asked what this is , and it materialises , that when I meet up with my crew who all work in remote sites , I can by things like cold drinks when its hot or hot when its cold. At the moment we all provide our own drinks . so I reckon it will save me £3 a week. Every little helps

hypno06

This is a really good idea - even if we can only find one new thing a month to cut out, over the period of a year it will add up to loads of money saved, or even better - loads of money chucked at the snowball debt!!

This month I have found three direct debits that I don't need any longer - total of £30 a month or £360 a year!!

Snaggles

Great idea - my challenge at the moment is to cut down on 'non-list items' (the things that 'fall' into the shopping trolley that weren't on the shopping list) - I reckon that will save me about £10 a week or over £500 a year! :eek:

john_kent

So far this year , as well as obvious savings I have

1) Renegotiated the familys sky package (saving £60 over three months)
2) Analysed my phone bills . Should save around 30 - 40 a month
3) Got rid off the family travel insurance and mobile insurances and added them into my Adbanyage gold. Saving around £18 a month
4) Wash own car. Laziness costs money. Saving £3.50 a month
5) Dryer is virtually redundant/ Lowered the heat setting on washing machine
6) Decommisionned a freezer. I had two , but got rid off the long term deep freeze as it was never more than a thrid full

There is so much that can be done. Asking for a better deal is a good way forward

hypno06

The things that I can recall this early in the morning include the following:

- changing the landline package - saving £5 a month
- cancelling my cleaner - saving £100 a month
- cancelling the gym - saving £50 a month
- cancelling 3 odd direct debits I don't need - saving £30 a month
- changing OH mobile phone contract - saving £15 a month
- changing mine to a cashback contract - saving £35 a month when claimed back
- cancelling the milkman and buying milk from the local shop instead - saving £10 a month

There must be more, but I am amazed at how much I have saved and I only miss the one - the cleaner!!!

Cazzdevil

Ooh what a good idea.

Mine for this week will be to get my mobile unlocked, this will allow me to use the O2 sim card I have (the "top up £10 a month and get 300 free texts" one), this will save me up to £40 a month for an initial outlay of about £7 to get the phone unlocked.

immoral_angeluk

Good luck! Don't forget to go through quidco if you're switching providers or anything!

James&Shell

Ive just changed my mobile package and saved easily £25-30 a month.

Ill think hrd as to what i can do next month.

OliveOyl_2

It's still Work in Progress this cutting back but so far this year we've saved
- cancelled the cleaner £1500 (cheaper in Norwich, I know)
- switched to some 0% deals (at least £1000 saved!)
- negotiated a better deal on our TV/Internet/Phone package £180
- cut our food shopping by HALF :eek: £2500 (and still eat well)
- cut our electricity consumption saving around £10 per month £120

On the other side we have increased our income:
-£55 in theatre tokens from Pigsback & Nectar
-£68 from Quidco
-£8 in luncheon vouchers for surveys
-£20 from Amazon sales
-£5 Amazon voucher
-mystery shopping usually gets me £20 + expenses each month

Thanks MSE

redsquirrel80

Right, by writing this down hopefully I will force myself to do it, as I've been meaning to for ages:

I WILL cancel the direct debit for the internet connection I don't use anymore. £15 a month - not much, but £180 a year - better in my pocket than theirs!!

If anyone would like to nag me remorselessly till I do this, please feel free

monochrome_2

So far I have changed my mobile phone contract -
Save £20 a month

and cancelled my magazine subscriptions - save £30 a year

The main thing I'm working on changing is NOT buying a newspaper/ coffee on the way to work every day.
Paper = 60p; coffee = £1.80
That's £12 a week or £48 a month :eek: It has to go! I have a flask - I'm going to start taking coffee in with me. I can read the paper online and read a free paper or a book on the train