Help, big money cut = watching the pennies but how??

rigsby1967

I have a big cut in my money come september (£400PM):eek: and have been looking on this site for money saving ideas which i have started using..eg, downgrade shopping, vinegar and bicarb of soda for cleaning:A and would like more ideas on saving the pennies .

Any ideas more than welcome and the more the merrier :T.

Thanks
rigs

sammy_kaye18

Hi hun, meal plan - so you dont over spend what you have or how much you have. Id use cash when you are out adn really make a budget and stick to it - i tend to use my mobile when goign round Mr T's adding up my bill so i know how much im spending and so i dont go over because i dont take any form of card out with me os if i go over i have to put soemthing back. Cut out any unnessecaries - takeaways etc, cook for the freezer so you dont feel the urge to buy snack/junk food when there is a nutricious meal in the freezer waiting for you.sure others will be along in a minute but im having an NTL saga at the minute so ill have to leave more tips later. love Sam

Farway

Always always check your receipts before you leave the shop

In the last fortnight I have had both Asda & Lidl overcharge when scanned, if I had not checked I would be a least 4 pounds out of pocket

And with Asda you get £2 voucher for a misprice, similar at Tesco I think [I do not have one near me so don't know]

Melissa177

Visit local markets to buy fruit and veg and meat, especially towards the end of a saturday when they are trying to sell off everything cheaply.

Scan the reduced sections of supermarkets - you can always freeze food which is cheap for later usage.

Watch the number of lights that you leave on around the house, or move to a fixed DD each month. I recommend using Uswitch to check you're getting the best deals, if you haven't done so recently.

For social activities, invite friends around for dinner and a glass of wine/beer rather than go out, and get them to return the favour. My friends and I do this a lot!

Stock up when there are BOGOF offers on non-perishables at the supermarket. Maybe bulk buy some things like rice, pasta, etc. This is difficult if you are on a low income, but it will save money in the long term.

Keep a spending diary - it really forces you to watch the pennies.



Good luck!

Melissa177

Oh, and shop at Lidl/Aldi - I was sooo impressed when I went there recently for the first time since I was a student.

daisyroots_2

Cook from scratch as much as possible, and avoid supermarket fruit and veg if you can - if you're lucky enough to live near greengrocer stall, check the prices against the supermarket, esp last thing on Saturday.

Don't assume that small local shops are more expensive. In London they are certainly cheaper (a Guardian journalist called Sandra somebody did an experiment last year, shopped entirely in local shops for one week and saved several pounds) This was London, and where you live might be different, but it's worth checking. Supermarkets always tell you how cheap they are, and hope that you won't ever actually check.

torbrex

Look out for the reduced items at start/end of trading day in supermarkets, I do a shop on Wednesday evening and there are always loads of things close to or at sell/use by date in the cool counters. If you were to see in my freezer I dont think you would find anything that I have paid full price for.
The reason I shop on Wed is because a member of staff told me that Thursday is one of the big days in the week where the fresh stuff gets put on the cooler shelfs, Sat morning 15 mins after they open is also a good time.

beemuzed

Keep a spending diary, because then you'll spot items you could cut out. Meal plan for every meal and then make out your shopping list - and stick to it! Try to treat this as a challenge rather than grim necessity if possible. Oh, and go through your larder and freezer to see what you already have. Good luck!

lovelyjubbly

every week I try to save or downgrade my shop by at least one item. last week it was Loo rolls I tried Asda 12 rolls for £1.12, I expected them to be rubbish - but Iam really surprised to find they are strong, soft and lots on each roll, .....each little saving makes a big saving in the end, I also go to www.mysupermarket.co.uk to enter items I intend to purchase and if you choose an item and click on it the website will show you how much it currently is in the other supermarkets, the only drawback is they don't feature supermarkets like aldi and lidl. only tesco, asda and sainsbury etc but if you have spare time, try it out.

phizzimum

it really is worth trying the value ranges sold by various supermarkets...as the previous poster says, try one thing at a time - some you won't like, some you will - but the savings can really add up.

there was a thread a while ago about which value products were worth a go.

thriftmonster

beemuzed wrote: »

Try to treat this as a challenge rather than grim necessity if possible.

I can second this - it is so much easier with a mental attitude that says this a competition with myself and look how well we can eat for this little money - rather than "look at all I'm missing". It can be alot of fun........