The Great "Single MoneySaving" Hunt

mushypeaman

Got fed up with having a fridge that was costing about 75p a week to run, but only contained a bottle of milk, and a couple of other items.

Solution, bought a small beer cooler, that costs just pennies to run. They come in various sizes, and are often seen on car boots ( buy one new from Argos etc.). I got mine on a boot for £3, virtually unused. I keep milk and a few bits in it. Another bonus was extra space gained in the kitchen.

Might also be the ideal solution for lodgers/students.

My freezer is my best friend.

kld2008

Online shopping is great - I often find that goods can be at least 10% cheaper this way, and much easier if working full time! Not as fun perhaps...but you can often use a work address to deliver to which is separate from the billing address (company and goods dependant!); which means you don't need to have the hassle of going to collect the item from the post office.

I am in a book club, I don't have a library close, and was starting to find it a little expensive buying the books - but I don't want to give up something I enjoy because I have no money. Sites like Play are so cheap and deliver any item free (no minimum purchase amount), they also have a section called PlayTrade, where you can get reduced or used items for a lot less. This goes for books, CD's, DVD's, Electricals and PC hardware etc. Have a look, can be a really great way of getting something you need, or to cheer life up a little for minimum cost. I resent paying more for the delivery of an item than it cost to buy it in the first place!

Ordering your food online and getting supermarkets to deliver to you is also a great time and moneysaver. Perhaps the goods aren't any cheaper, but you are less likely to throw a cheeky bottle of wine in to the trolley that way...

onredbull

:money: Reduction in Council Tax !!!:money:
:beer:

lemontart

get yourself a steamer, boil tatties in saucepan and other veg in steamer on top also good for chicken and fish, use less pans - less fuel, less washing up etc.

Also pressure cooker is great as one pot cooking at speed,

Microwave as mentioned but if cooking various items for meals takes time as swapping dishes in and out,

You can freeze tinned tomatoes I get large cans and split into 3 bags and freeze as just right amount when cooking single servings,

I pack of fresh decent sausages can make several dishes by taking meat out of skins can make into burgers and meat balls ready flavoured which saves buying jars of herbs etc that rarely get used,

I do not turn heating on for the days my daughter is at her dads but get a hot water bottle or too and get under the duvet to watch tv in the evening very snug, and cosy, I have a rechargable camping lantern that can be charged in the car when I am particulary skint such as now and always charge phone in car and have a wind up radio all of which goes some way to keeping electric and gas bills down when only me in the house.

Cheap hols for one is in a tent as many sites charge per person which helps.

Finally just take the cash you are likely to need for a day out with you and leave debit or credit cards at home works a treat to avoid spending.

cwp500

Cuba_Cat wrote: »

I'm single and although I have a 20 month old son, the same budgeting applies so here are my tips...



Never buy bottled water, use tap. For the gym/out and about, buy a cheap bottle of water, drink it, then keep refilling it with tap water. Store in the fridge and it doesn’t taste any different to mineral water.

CC x

The only caveat I would add here is that its important to watch the cleanliness of any drinking container. Its not wise to leave the plastic bottle exposed to the sun or in warm places as bacteria can build up. In the past I personally have rinsed mine out with salt water and/or a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in a glass of water.

Great tips tho thanks a lot.

cwp500

lemontart wrote: »

Finally just take the cash you are likely to need for a day out with you and leave debit or credit cards at home works a treat to avoid spending.

Great advice here. its really easy to overspend on plastic but hard cash makes you more sensible!

Thanks

cwp500

great ideas from everyone; sincere thanks all round.

Please keep them coming.

Anyone got any ideas for presents for couples? I always seem to be buying for 2 and getting 1 in return of less value. Not petty if you are really squeezed on cash as a singleton.

h007

cwp500 wrote: »

great ideas from everyone; sincere thanks all round.

Please keep them coming.

Anyone got any ideas for presents for couples? I always seem to be buying for 2 and getting 1 in return of less value. Not petty if you are really squeezed on cash as a singleton.

lol i know what you mean! :rotfl:

personally i try to buy a single present that a couple may enjoy

for example for xmas i bought many of my couple friends nice boxes of biscuits from crabtree and evelyn (had a money off voucher naturally lol)

other ideas - get them something decorative for the house, a nice candle and holder??

this doesnt really work so well for birthdays though :cool:

demonsaver

Any readers out there should try www.readitswapit.co.uk as it's a great way of swapping books for just the price of the postage - be careful though as I listed 10 books as a test and I've now got 10 more books to read...

lclark

Bargainetta wrote: »

I expect everyone's probably aware of this one but, just in case, you can purchase your Orange phone's promo 241 sequentially. i.e. one of you see two films in a row. This is great at my local arthouse cinema because they have a load of European/Global films that I like to see (for a window on another lifestyle if nothing else) and none of my friends are generally free on a Wednesday even if I could persuade them to catch something that isn't Hollywood.

How do you do that? I have been bemoaning the fact that I can't use orange wednesday since I was dumped