Great Tips... one liners

song_of_calliope

Buying value instead of brand names for most items saves me the most. For those brand names I like much more than value, I buy in bulk when on sale.

lola34

I've just started drawing money out, I work out at the beginning of the month how much I will need for food and petrol, we have two supermarkets nearby one I walk to and check out the offer, the other I drive to and if an item I need is cheapers at the first then I go back there, then check your reciepts for the past two weeks I have had Asda PCG vouchers, only £2 one week and 60p this week but the £2 bought some whoopsied mince so a 'free' meal.
Any leftover portions are put in a tub and into the freezer for another night.

natlie

Learn to make a meal from anything - I have a huge collection of cookbooks, mainly xmas and b'day pressies and I use them for reference mainly - books like 5 a day cookbook and 1000 vegetarian meals etc I keep a good stock of basics - herbs and spices, pulses, cereals, and eggs, milk, cheese, butter, oil, bread, frozen chicken, also good sauces like sweet chilli sauce, worchestershire sauce, ketchup, soy sauce and loads of tinned tomatoes, then some fresh and frozen veg always onion, carrot and celery and frozen peas and tinned sweetcorn, flour - bread, sr. wholemeal and cornflour I find with my basic stockcupboard I can make loads of meals- things like tapas - my lot love picky food

I bulk buy washing powder/gel as its soooo expensive and I hardly use any of it in the wash

I grow my own - especially salad

Moorhen

Never drive anywhere that you can walk!

You lose weight as well as saving money.:D

ceridwen

Definitely the one about learning to make a meal from anything - thats saved me a lot. I've even started up a freezer bag to keep odds and sods of bread in and every so often will be making myself a "crumble" topping from breadcrumbs from this.

Tiny thought for the day - I've just swopped tips with Ilona (ie MeanQueen blog). I saw her on tv recently saying my tip I had previously put up on MSE of using childrens toothbrushes (rather than adult ones). Childrens ones are cheaper and that way I get several for a £ (as I buy them in a pack from a cheapie shop). The swop-back tip is that I've just spotted her saying on a recent entry how socks often wear out first on the heels - and she demonstrated about just turning it round (ie so that the heel is over the ankle) and roll down the top of the sock. That way one can get a bit more wear out of them.

Glad to have picked up a tiny way to help recoup the 44p library fine I've just spotted I've got online....darn it....here's me trying to watch the pennies and I overlooked that...

marmiterulesok

What works for me:

-having a weekly budget and sticking to it.

-asking yourself if you really need this (if tempted to buy something)?

-meal planning and using up what you have in your cupboards.Batch cooking and taking a packed lunch to work.

-no more window shopping.In fact I avoid the shops as much as possible,as I am a terrible impulse buyer.I am mending my ways though (most of the time....).

HTH.

FatVonD

expatasia wrote: »

Are Fridays more of a discount day, do all supermarkets in Britain do 'whoopsies' nowadays? Curious for my next visit home.

I recently very politely asked one of the staff in my local Sains. if they would be reducing things further and at what time and he was happy to tell me. I think politely is the key, they're so used to people elbowing them out of the way that if you approach them with a 'can I be very cheeky and ask' they're more than happy to help!

Mine is a 24 hour store and second reductions are done after 6pm with Saturday seeming to be a good night. I've not been getting home until 7pm for the last few weeks but still managed to pick up 2 plaice fillets reduced from nearly £3 to 50p on Friday. The last time I was able to visit on a Saturday we got pizzas and quiches for 15p and moussaka and macaroni cheese ready meals (and the posh ones at that!) for 40p

MaggieBaking

For a month, buy everything Value at least once - this way you get to try everything out and see how you find it. You'll be amazed at how some of the stuff doesn't matter at all (value basmati rice for example) and some of you probably wont buy again (my husband just can't get on with value toilet roll) but using up a small packet just once wont hurt.

It's been years since I've done this and I'm noticing my cupboards are becoming more full with branded stuff so I really must do this myself and relearn that value doesn't have to mean worse!

I recently switched to the second cheapest shampoo and conditioner and I can't tell the difference, which is unusual for me as my hair can be funny with cheap stuff sometimes.

VJsmum

Don't run a washing machine half full and only use half the soap powder recommended (unless really filthy stuff in there).

DON'T use a tumble drier.

Be prepared - carry a bottle of water with you everywhere,

Collect offers and 2 for 1 vouchers for eating out - TEsco deals are amazing and we regularly eat at Bella Pasta or Pizza Express for just the cost of the drinks.

Learn to do the nice things that are free - a walk in the countryside or along the canal, a cycle ride (if you don't have a bike then look on freecycle (no pun intended :p) or your local paper for a free / cheap one), a swim at your local pool is less than a fiver - we have an outdoor one open in the summer and it's lovely. Orange wednesdays are good for the cinema (if you are on orange)

marmiterulesok

I forgot to add a very important tip:buy only fruit and veg in season and,if possible,from the market.It's cheaper and also a greener option.I have seen green beans from Kenya and asparagus from Peru!:eek:

Needless to say I always check where fruit and veg are from.It's helpful to have a chart of what local fruit and veg are in season at what time of year.Sorry but don't have a link for this...

I live in Switzerland,though I'm sure the same thing happens in the UK.

I also prefer to buy organic fruit and veg where possible.However if the option is non-organic local produce or organic produce from another country,I will often get local.(Sorry if this is a bit off topic).