Every penny counts

happybunny86

I’ve finally bought a house and have seen the stamp duty bill and nearly cried! After spending so long being debt free I’m so reluctant to put it on a credit card so I’m on an every penny counts mission to save money. I’d love to know everything you do even to save a penny. I’m thinking even down to taking tea and coffee to work. I’m hoping it will give us some more ideas on how to save money!

Farway

happybunny86 wrote: »

I’m thinking even down to taking tea and coffee to work. I’m hoping it will give us some more ideas on how to save money!

I always did, if there is a supply of hot water, tea bags & instant coffee. I had it black anyway but I guess a some milk in sachets or decant some from home?

[Deleted User]

There are a lot of things to do, take your lunch to work, have no spend days when you spend nothing, bills etc going out of your account do not count. Menu plan, do a freezer and cupboard audit when you do your menu plan and plan your shopping accordingly.I have done this for years.Keep a check on your use of gas and electricity. I shop once a fortnight, it used to be monthly, with top ups but cannot do that any more. I empty my purse and put the cash in a money box emptied once a year and paid into the bank.make do and mend rather than rushing out and buying new stuff. Its 5 years since I bought any new clothes.

Some one else will be on to give you some more ideas.........

dingdongsaving

It's hard to say without knowing what you do frugally already, but if you don't have to pay for drinks at work that's an area that's def. easy to cater for yourself. I have a coffee as soon as I wake up, take one in the car (the first one on my desk each morning) and carry a couple of bottles of squash with me to drink throughout the day.

lily117

No buying newspapers, most you can read free online.

Pollycat

It might be a bit late now to broach the subject but could you ask people if they'll cut down on spends on Xmas gifts?
That could be an on-going savings for future years.

Look at your food spend.
Have you done the 'drop a brand challenge'.
Do you menu plan?

charlies-aunt

Cooking from scratch, cut down on meat/fish and bulk meals with in season veg. A slow cooker is a good investment - you can prep it the night before and then switch on in the morning so you are going home to a ready to eat, tasty, hot meal rather than grabbing an expensive and not very filling ready meal from the supermarket.

Pollycat

As another poster has pointed out, it's quite hard to suggest things without knowing more about the OP's current money-saving habits.

tori.k

First thing would be to take inventory of everything you have in stock then shop from home first.
Seems to work for my kids that have left home, they shop at mine before the supermarket it amazing how low there shopping bill is some weeks

[Deleted User]

try to find out the best time for yellow stickered stuff in the supermarket I have just been to get some petrol at my local morrisons and nipped in first around (3.30) to check out the offers and found 2 pain au raisins reduced to 7p one of which was wrapped and frozen for another day a wholemeal and spelt loaf reduced to 9p which I snaffled for my DD, plus four pepper and salt soft rolls which I also got for 9p and they have been wrapped and frozen separately for around January when the weather maybe bad and I can't get out to the shops.Plus the best of all a large stollen cake reduced to 9p from £1.50 which I brought home and cut into 6 pieces and wrapped in cling film and froze. nothing wrong with any of them and I have just had a pain au raisin with some honey and a cup of coffee and it was delicious.

Sometimes it pure luck what gets reduced Last week I had amn individual tesco finest spag bol for 62p and also a large fish pie for 88p which I divided into two and froze .I had one half of it last night for my dinner with some steamed veg so my dinner came with and orange for pudding to just under a pound,Fish, veg and fruit meal for under a quid :) But I only buy what I know I have room for in the freezer and I know I will enjoy no point buying stuff to freeze and then not bothering to eat it.

bouicca21

I no longer need to count absolutely every penny. But I well remember the days when i did. It can be miserable, so make sure you budget for an occasional treat.