Great Tips... one liners

stefejb

top 10 ..... hmmm ... in no particular order

1. fridge debris soup - nutritious and sometimes delicious
2. stardrops
3. microfibre cloths
4. giving up meat
5. online banking - much more in control now than just waiting till the money ran out
6. slow cooking
7. charity shop clothes
8. gift cupboard
9. meal planning
10. home grown veg

studentphil

Buy seasonal

Have fun thinking of new ways!

rach

*make your own soup - delicious, nutritious and cheaper by far

*think carefully before buying loads of stuff at the supermarket, it's amazing how little you actually need

*buy staples on special offer and store (tinned toms, beans, etc)

*don't spend on your debit / credit card, work out a budget and get cash out once a week / month, make it last til the next week (i get £50 spends out on a friday, has to do til the next friday, i get £100 food money out once a month and keep it in seperate purse)


*open up ING accounts and put money aside for bills, presents, holidays, car, etc each month. no big shocks then!

*if you get mileage expenses put it in a seperate account. i do, i add a bit each month and it covers car tax, insurance, repairs, service, MOT etc

*buy presents for people in the sale and put them away

*halve the recommended detergent in WM & DW

*use timers if on Economy 7


not all old style and i've lost count but hope it helps!

Missy79

EagerLearner: I like Morning fresh washing up liquid (esp. the blue one) and usually buy on BOGOF.

EagerLearner

Hi all - thanks again - some top tips there and I will look at Tesco for microfibre cloths, as well as considering Stardrops and Morning Fresh for washing up - are they as good though and do they leave any aftertaste? i probably use too much Fairy, and am not the best washer upper (I'm more the cook, Mr EL washes up generally).

My top tips from the last 3-6 months - I know alot aren't OS but some are:

- Keep a spending diary
- Make food in batches and freeze
- Meal plan properly
- Buy 1 get 1 free offers save a fortune
- Boil kettle once in morning and fill a thermos - keeps water for the whole days drinks if necessary
- Stardrops for cleaning - use up all other bits and bobs and throw away
- Sell stuff on e-bay
- Make things from scratch - have had great sucess with savoury pankakes as lunches (Jamie Oliver recipe)
- Use spreadsheet to track spending (see below - as recommended by Martin)
- Use discount vouchers when shopping with Tesco online
- Use Quidco and Pigsback for cashback
- See free movies by signing up for previews
- Halve the cost of movies on Wednesday - I unlocked my T Mobile phone and got a free SIM (Pay as you go) from Orange which I will only pop into the phone on Wednesdays for the promo code. Ta da!

fairy3

Hi there and I wish you well in your endeavour! Think a multi pronged attack is very wise. My tips after nearly two years are -

1. As others have said reduce household products to basic multipurpose ones like bicarb,vinegar,stardrops and zoflora (hyacinth is fab)
2. Menuplan the weeks/months meals it saves so much hassle and keeps all the food not going past the dreaded 'sell by' date.
3. Have plenty of sturdy plastic freezer boxes and labels when bulk cooking as 'extras' or for leftovers which would generally have gone in the bin or the dog!
4. Recycle as much as possible, jam jars for loose spices, icecream cartons for stockcubes, packaging for ebay sales,envelopes,yog pots for seedlings,get a compost bin for veggie peelings etc.
5. Buy a slow cooker - invaluable for cheaper cuts of meat and for when you are at work all day.
6. Keep a spending diary it is really scary at first but also a revelation so you actually have to own up to what you spend.
7. Plan christmas! This was one of the first things I ever read by Martin and it struck such a chord, he said it happens every year doesn't deviate so why is noone ever prepared? I quote it often as it seems it was not only me being dim! So plan for birthdays, holidays and other predictable events. OS have loads of threads dedicated to the same which are worth looking at.
8. Make your own butter when cream is in the sell off section at the supermarket, great fun if you can get others to help, good exercise too!
9. Invest in a breadmaker, even if you only use it at weekends or for pizza base very satisfying.
10. Do not tell anyone else what you are doing! they will want to interfere and foil all your good plans and lead you into extravagent ways.

J
X

Thistle-down

fairy3 wrote:

10. Do not tell anyone else what you are doing! they will want to interfere and foil all your good plans and lead you into extravagent ways.

That's one of the best pieces of advice I've read!! I have learned to keep my mouth shut as well - we have relatives drowning in debt that want to keep us down there with them - they seem to resent any attempt we make to better our situation. Now we just keep quiet and get on with it!

scorpio_princess

Thistle-down wrote:

That's one of the best pieces of advice I've read!! I have learned to keep my mouth shut as well - we have relatives drowning in debt that want to keep us down there with them - they seem to resent any attempt we make to better our situation. Now we just keep quiet and get on with it!

It's only because they haven't yet had their 'lightbulb' moment, so therefore haven't admitted they've got a problem! Just like a smoker who's just quit and wants to tell all and sundry the benefits - they can tell the smokers til the cows come home but if they still like smoking too much, it's not going to make them quit - only they can do that. Keep doing what you're doing - they'll catch up eventually, and then say 'ahhh so that's what you were on about back then'

newleaf

1 Check your fridge and cupboards before going shopping.
2 Plan ahead for the weeks meals, buy only what you need.
3 Keep your slow cooker etc. accessible and you'll use it more often.
4 Eat more vegetables, and grow them yourself if possible.
5 Recyle, reuse & repair.
6 Make your own. Whether it be jam, sausages, draught excluders, it will be better than anything you can buy, the process of making will keep you occupied, and you will have a wonderful sense of achievement.
7 Simplify your cleaning regime. Detergent &/or bleach are really all that's necessary.
8 Be obsessive about switching off lights and closing doors. Turn down your thermostat and put a jumper on.
9 Try Lidl and Aldi if you haven't already. You may be in for a surprise.
10 Don't give up at the first mistake. Put it down to experience, and ask someone else how they do it.

EagerLearner

Thanks newleaf - those are great!

This week I have ordered soda crystals with Tesco so that I can save half the cost on washing powder. This will make a big difference! Am I right in thinking I'd then only use half washing powder and half soda crystals?

Also, can anyone advise on a good alternative to Fairy? I have tried Persil and did not like it. I want something the same as Fairy but cheaper. I shop in Sainsbury's, Tesco and Sommerfield if this helps.

Thank you and keep the top 10's coming!