March 15 ways to save money

apricity

The Challenge

Write down 10-15 ways you can save / make money and track how many times you do them over the course of the month. You should at least aim to do everything on the list once.

For each task you do is 1 point . There are no 'real' prizes but it would be good to see how many 'points' we can all get by the end of this month and see if we can beat it next time.

To join
Post the list of 15 things you will do to save money
& keep us updated either daily or weekly.

apricity

1. Save all change in a piggy bank
2. Re-use your own bags
3. Buy own-brand food
4. Buy in multipacks
5. Have a certain amount of No Spend Days in the month
6. Only allow yourself to have a certain amount to spend on yourself
7. Put 10% away into savings
8. Go on a spend freeze from an un-necessary item you usually buy (eg; coffee, energy drinks, snacks)
9. Use receipt hog
10. Use club-cards / loyalty cards to earn points
11. Use club-cards/loyalty cards to spend points
12. limit take-a-ways / fast food chains
13. bring your own bottle to work
14. take your own lunch to work
15. meal plan
16. Leave your card at home
17. Check bank accounts frequently
18. Stop your expensive habit (drinking / smoking / gaming)
19. Cancel unused subscriptions
20. Avoid online shops such as Ebay
21. Create a shopping list & stick to it
22. Only go shopping when there is 3+ items on the list
23. Search for the item cheaper somewhere else
24. Set up auto-payments to savings account
25. Create accounts for bills, grocery shopping & allocate money in those accounts so you don't spend that money
26. Keep an expense log
27. use cash only
28. Use the envelope system
29. Use left overs / search for cheap meals
30. Walk/carpool/get cheaper travel fares
31. Don't buy branded clothes / keep a minimal wardrobe
32. Find cheaper/free ways to listen to music
33. Find cheaper/free ways to call/text/message
34. Attend free local events
35. Use voucher codes
36. Use only free-to-use ATMs to withdraw money
37. Check use by dates and get the longest date you can find on things like bread/milk
38. Do any overtime you can
39. Start a side hustle
40. Sell unwanted items
41. Create a plan for each day to avoid mindless spending
42. Keep money in a holding pot (Kids lunch money, milk when you've run out, bus fare)
43. open a "save the change" account" (Lloyds bank and TSB does this)
44. use up toiletries
45. use up stationary
46. Do surveys
47. Check cheapest petrol prices before filling car up.
48. Air dry
49. Buy cheaper house hold cleaning items
50. Create a zero based budget
51. Stop going to costa / starbucks for coffee
52. Stop buying lottery tickets / scratch cards
53. Avoid online shops such as Ebay
54. Get / find cheaper insurance
55. top up store cards such as starbucks/boots/asda with £10-£20 monthly
56. Buy beauty products on deals or in discount stores like Primark
57. Maintain a healthy lifestyle & take care of yourself
58. Don’t get paracetamol or ibuprofen from the NHS
59. Find cheaper or free hobbies
60. Find a hobby that you can earn from
61. Swap / borrow / Say yes to items from family & friends
62. If there’s an item you want, put it on a list then after 30 days, get it if you still want it
63. Move to a different bank that offers more for you
64. Repair things if you can or buy second hand
65. Only buy computer games / DVDs with replay value
66. Turn off things you don’t need on such as lights, computers and plug sockets when not in use
67. Switch to energy saving lightbulbs / lightbulbs that lasts a long time
68. Layer up in winter or use windows to cool down / Have a programmable thermostat
69. Use price comparison sites
70. Holiday shop/Gift buy in the sales
71. Create a visual reminder of your goals or debt snowball
72. Organise a finance ‘day’ or hour to check through all financials and to do tasks such as couponing etc.
73. Meal plan
74. Use work benefits
75. Do regular maintenance & cleaning on appliances and tech
76. Make bills & important payments online and on time!
77. Don’t sign up to gyms. Watch Youtube for home exercises or utilize green areas & streets
78. Wash clothes less - rewear clothing that isn’t dirt or smells & air dry when you can
79. Eat less meat
80. Create an inventory list of what’s in the freezer, move stuff that has to be eaten first at the front of the freezer and things with longer dates at the back & cross off as & when you use them
81. Find a easy side job / side hustle
82. Stay in the loop with news about financial things; New currency, House prices, Bill costs shifting etc.
83. Check your pay & taxes
84. Grow your own veg & herbs
85. Only order tap water at restaurants or buy refillable soft drinks if there is the option
86. Check for whoopsies first when shopping but only get things you need or what’s on your list
87. Sign up for freebies
88. Set up an emergency fund and or keep an emergency stash of money,
89. If you don’t use it in that month, put it in savings/piggy bank
90. Check emails for offers/vouchers/discounts & purge unneeded emails
91. Sign up for cash back sites but only use when needed & check offers/vouchers
92. Use sites like swagbucks/click sense to boost money
93. Stick to reliable , fuel efficient car
94. Go pre-paid NHS
95. Do your own nails & hair or find a friend/family member to do so for you
96. Cancel the cable TV or Satellite channels you don’t watch
97. Use charity shop donations bags as bin bags
98. Empty purses of change at the end of each week, keep bank coin bags and when they are filled, take them to be cashed in or when your pot is full/ after 3-6 months etc..
99. Use boiled water from the kettle to use for washing up
100. Use food up by the USE BY date and not best before date
101. Have a free or cheap date night
102. Use sites like gumtree, ebay for second hand things
103. Make the most out of apps that gives you free stuff - freeprints enables you to 45 6x4” prints, Amazon for free kindle books
104. If you want to have a nice evening out or a day trip ect… use voucher sites or discount code sites

Challenges to help you save money;
Save all £5/£10 notes / £2 coins
52 week saving challenge
£100.00 Spending diet - Only have this amount for you each month
Sealed pot
No Spend Month
1% challenge (save percentages in savings account)
5% challenge (save percentages in savings account)
10% challenge (save percentages in savings account)
put £1/£2/ in your savings for how ever amount of times you've done the tasks from this challenge
£100 summer / winter / christmas / school holidays challenge - found on instagram
Envelope challenge
1p saving challenge
Bi-weekly saving challenge
Monthly saving challenge
Transfer a small amount of money to savings for 1,000 steps, Jog a mile,
£10 weekly savings

apricity

#1 - Apricity 5 pts
#2 - villagelife 0 pts

apricity

My monthly tasks
1.Have 15 NSD
[STRIKE]2.Get A Job[/STRIKE] (1 pt)
3.Use resuseable bags (2pts)
4.NO coffee from coffee shops
5.Make lunch at home
6.Do any agency work i can in between interviews
7.Meal plan & do shopping weekly
8.Check bank daily
9.Keep expense log of everything
10.Leave card at home
11.Create a shopping list & stick to it
12.Only go shopping when there is 3+ items on the list (1pt)
13. cancel unused memberships
14. Buy beauty products on deals or in discount stores like Primark
15.Save all change

JCS1

Just reading through the list, what's receipt hog? Also, get free lunch provided at work, so don't take my own.

Browntoa

JCS1 wrote: »

Just reading through the list, what's receipt hog? Also, get free lunch provided at work, so don't take my own.

https://www.receipthog.com

villagelife

I'll join in.
My 15 are

1. Catch bus to work. It's free and saves on parking.
2. Walk to bus stop. Only suitable on dry day as across fields.
3. Take lunch to work.
4. Save all coppers.
5. Not but plastic bags.
6. Check prices before buying and but cheapest.
7. Not buy take away.
8. Use up toiletries.
9. Attend free event.
10. Make use of free/cheap train travel.
11. Walk where possible to station or village.
12. Use up food in the fridge.
13. Dry clothes outside where possible.
14. Not to buy flowers but to pick from the garden.
15. Iron less.

apricity

Hey guys ,
been a crazy few days so sorry for being away.

I hope everyone is having a good day

apricity

2.Get A Job (1pts)
3. Used my backpack today & yesterday to carry my stuff (2pts)
12. Made a list of wedding bits to buy, brought 3 things that were on the list for cheaper from b+m (1 pts)
15. Save change , £2.45 added (1pt)

I did buy coffee from McD's yesterday but I got caught in the freezing wind & rain and I honestly was so cold i needed something to warm up but I chose McD's as it's cheaper so didn't damage my wallet much

villagelife

Managed 4 pts today - I caught the bus, took my lunch too work, ironed less and washing dried outside.

villagelife

Managed 3 today.
Caught bus to work and used up food in the fridge and not b ought a take away.

Total of 7