How to enjoy life on a budget

Itsjustsammy19

My boyfriend and I are going to be saving super hard for the next 6 to 9 months to save enough deposit for a nice house (we were going to buy a new build house with the help to buy scheme but decided against it and to save hard for a 10% deposit on a pre-owned house instead).
Anyway... As most of our spare money is going into savings we won't have a huge amount left over. Obviously we still want to go out and do things but we won't have much money to do it. So we are looking for ideas of how we can still enjoy life on a budget? :beer:

ska_lover

I think you should check out LessonLearned's thread 'champagne lifestyle on a lemonade budget'

It is really fab. LessonLearned has a great life philosophy and regularly gets out doing fun stuff on a budget

MovingForwards

Picnics in the park?
Any free local attractions?
Walk by a river?
A date at home where you cook a nice meal together and have a nice budget wine to go with it?

Which mobile company are you both with? If either of you are with 3 check out their wuntu app for heavily discounted eateries. I'm sure other mobile providers have similar apps.

trailingspouse

If you've been used to going out to places where you need to spend money, it takes a bit of a mental shift to realise that you can have a good time without splashing the cash. And actually, as you're working towards the ultimate goal of a deposit on your house, you'll enjoy the free outings even more because you'll know that you are another step closer to your goal.



What do you currently enjoy doing? That might help us give you some ideas for similar activities that are free or cheap.

grunnie

If you shop once a week then change to every 8 days instead. This will give you a week's shopping money every 8 weeks to save in a different account for a rainy day.

Siebrie

I don't know how handy you two are, but maybe check out ways to learn the skills for diy-ing and maintaining a property (and a garden)? Maybe friends and family can teach you, or a community college? Spend a few evenings compiling a list of 'must-haves' and 'would-be-nices' for your new home? (Must: 3 bedrooms and balcony; nice: 4 bedrooms and garden.)

Itsjustsammy19

These are good ideas ��
To be honest we aren't heavy go outers but we do like trips to the cinema or have breakfast or dinner out somewhere for example, so it's not like it's going to be a huge lifestyle change. I have looked briefly at the 'champagne life on a lemonade budget' and some ideas on there are good too (I couldn't go through all 66 pages ��)

lessonlearned

Hi Sammy.

Just dropped by to wish you well.

I am in the middle of a house renovation and money is a bit tight. I was determined to have some fun as well so I set myself a challenge......And the Living a Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget thread was born.

I can tell you it is entirely possible to eat well, dress well, make your home beautiful and have lots of fun getting out and about. It takes a bit of effort, a dash of imagination and a willingness to have an open mind. It's all about St r e e e e e tchjng those pennies. Learning how and where to shop and just rolling your sleeves up.

I agree with Sierbre....now is a good time to try and learn some practical skills ready for when you become homeowners. The more you can do for yourselves, the less you will have to lay out in labour costs.

A caveat.....leave stuff like electrics and gas to the professionals but theres no reason why you can't learn a few basics, painting and decorating, simple woodworking, putting up shelves, renovating furniture. Also cooking, simple sewing, a bit of gardening. Don't forget you can save a small fortune by doing your own beauty treatments.

Re actual going out .......well there's plenty of free and low cost stuff out there. Depends on your interests. Take a look on your local what's on guides. I would say don't just settle for meals out, try other things too. Also Don't forget groupon and other deals. Maybe season tickets for things you really enjoy so you can go as often as you like. Theme parks, zoos, the National Trust etc. all do season tickets.

Here's some of the things I've been up to recently.......

Pub quizzes - fun and dirt cheap. Free entry or maybe just a £1. They sometimes throw in free snacks.

Some pubs have live entertainment for free, all you need to pay for is your drinks. I have been to several gigs recently. Look out for comedy nights and open mic nights.

I went to a fabulous Spanish Night the other night in one of the pubs, free entry, free entertainment, and free tapas. Fantastic night out. A jug of sangria for the table was about £14.

I usually stick to soft drinks when I go out because normally I'm driving, so I save on the cost of alcohol and taxi fares.

You can get cheap nights at cinemas and theatres. A visit to the casino is great fun, usually free entry and they often have live entertainment and free snacks. And of course if you're really lucky you might even win.....:rotfl:

Days at the races needn't cost much. You can get all dolled up and pretend you are rich......then of course there's museums, art galleries, parks, the countryside, the beach.....all free. Take a posh picnic.

When the weather is bad you can entertain at home, invite friends round, movie nights or binge watching a tv series with nibbles and snacks, board game nights are fun.

You can even theme them....Italian night when you eat and drink Italian and maybe even dress up, the guys as M a f i a Dons, the girls as Italian film stars or gangsters molls. Add a board game or card games or even a home casino game and it's a great night. Or Indian nights with curries and a Bollywood movie. Posh afternoon tea at home is dead easy and cheap. If the weather is nice, eat in the garden and have games of croquet, boules or skittles.

Have fun.

MandM90

I just wanted to say I think your decision for the 10% deposit and 'pre-owned' house is very wise. They seem to be building houses smaller and smaller and the larger the deposit, the safer your home will be from market fluctuations!

Re: fun - where do you live? We are just outside of London and we sometimes drive in on a Sunday - I know places I can park for free in zone 1 - and do loads of free stuff (jazz festivals, art galleries, museums, visit the parks). Take a picnic and it just costs you the petrol. I'm sure there are similar things in many UK cities. We've also found our local theatre is really good value - they have a comedy night on Thursdays which is £6 a ticket or £10 including a pie. The comedians are great so it's a great use of our 'pocket money'.

[Deleted User]

If you enjoy films rather than the expense of the cinemas check charity shops for DVDs of films you've enjoyed and would like to watch again or films you didn't get to see because usually the DVDs are around £1 each which is much cheaper than a night out at the actual cinema and you get to keep the DVD if you want to view the film again.

bexster1975

Hello itsjustsammy

Congratulations on deciding to buy a pre-owned and putting 10% down. No idea what you earn, what you spend/what you need to save. However, some of my favourites below. I agree with other posters, it's a mindset shift.

Cinema - we have meerkat movies ( 2 4 1 tickets every Tuesday and weds). I got this for £1.18 this year buying a one night travel insurance in the U.K. ( that I didn't use or need. It also comes with meerkat meals so you could do a date night Tuesday/weds with 2 4 1 meals too! We often do two course meal and cinema for less than £25 for the two of us!

Food - probably the easiest to reduce. Meal plan and shop from that. I'm a fan of Aldi, but it depends if you have one nearby. About half the grocery bill by doing these two things here.

Cook from scratch as much as possible. Not as time consuming as you'd think, depending what you make. But much cheaper, and can be healthier.

Hobbies and pastimes - whatever you do, look for ways to do them more affordably. I love reading, and now use my library regularly. Best of all, I use it electronically for free ebooks and free audiobooks. I also work out at home using DVDs.

Utilities - of course shop around, but also cash back sites like quidco and topcashback will give you money in many cases for taking out new telephone, broadband, TV, subscriptions. Also there are often cashback deals on gas and electric.

Shopping - whether it's clothes or for your new place, try second hand first. Charity shops are great. There are few clothes you can't buy there ( I'd not buy underwear, and personally only Shoes which are clearly new).

Hope some of the above helps. Just spend intentionally. It will quickly become a habit. Good luck to you both

Bexster