Old-style "spend To Save"

seraphina

Pressure cooker. Has paid for itself twice over in gas costs, I'm sure, which is especially pertinent as we cook on bottled gas. Also means I can use the much cheaper dried pulses instead of the tinned equivalent.

Aarons_mummy

I agree it's better to spend more in the short term to save in the long term in some instances. For example I have a packed freezer of offers, reduced items etc etc. I also currently have 98 toilet rolls because of some good deals on branded rolls that were about.

Items that are to be used on a daily or almost daily basis are a good idea too. I always use branded washing up liquid, softner and washing powder/gel/tablets but never pay full price, simply because I always stock up when they are on offer. I also always have proper highlighters and things for university, I find they last much much longer than the £1 packs that you buy that turn out to not give more than a hint of colour or run out after a few uses, again though I have only ever bought them at less than £1 a pack.

Shampoo and body washes are another thing for me. I love Tresemme but there is no way I am paying almost £5 a bottle so I buy when it is less than £2 a bottle and always have a good stock in along with baby oil (for shaving my legs) and nice body washes.

Home furnishings I always like to buy a better brand on offer that will last so much longer. I was going to buy a cheap dining set at £100 that would no doubt need replaced within a very short amount of time but instead I held out and got a £400 one down to £130 that is gorgeous and very very sturdy.

Pillows are another thing I think you should spend on to avoid replacing regularly. The pillows I have on my bed currently were a pair of Silentnight ones for £7.50 and a set from Next for £10. I have had them a few months and they are still as bouncy and springy as ever and yet with the SP ones I had to replace after only 4 weeks of use.

Spend to save! You would never believe it but it totally works. I also do my own home grown herbs and vegetables in the summer months along with fresh cut flowers, such a better way to have lovely thingsa without having to spend a fortune really.

meritaten

I think where carpets and furniture are concerned - quality counts! cheap carpet soils easily and wears out quickly - whereas good quality carpet looks good longer and seems to take cleaning much better. Thats not to say you pay top price for it - you hunt around and when you find a good carpet outlet (NOT carpetwrong) you can buy top quality carpet as offcut etc for little more than the cheap carpet cut from a roll!
same with furniture - buying direct from the factory can save you money - plus many will deliver. you also are dealing with the makers - so if something is wrong - they are usually very good at sorting it out!

Linda32

Hi,

Oldtractor mentioned garden netting above, this is without a doubt something worth investing in. If you grow you own that is.

Not sure if this is the same thing, and I expect alot of you have been doing this for years, but I've recently bought the 9 or 12 packs of loo roll rather than 4 each week. It does work out cheaper, I have noticed. Also buying something when you see it on sale if you are sure you will use it.

Bisto in Poundland for instance and for 1p sale in Holland and Barratt as we buy snacking fruit.

Thats only small things, I know, but it all adds up.

savingqueen

the_cat wrote: »

Once you have as much food stored as is possible without it going off, how about buying some supermarket savings stamps? No interest obviously but you have already said you are prepared for that.

Come to think of it, how about gift vouchers in general. As long as you could usefully use them in the future (either for yourself or for Xmas gifts etc) and they do not have an expiry to them you would be 'saving' where they don't impact on any future benefits....

Good ideas, have been thinking of doing these myself but be careful and do research if buying gift vouchers for specific shops in case they go bankrupt. I had some Peacock vouchers that I managed to use just before they closed down. Safer to buy the general high street vouchers that several shops take maybe.

BTW love the idea of spending to save, I have done this several times but don't think have done anything that hasn't already been posted!

Just thought of one if you use a lot of stamps, postage always going up so maybe buying lots will save on future rises and some places like Superdrug offer discounts.

scrabbles_2

I personally don't believe stockpiling vouchers is a good idea. They're as bad as cash if they're lost, damaged or stolen. And as Savingqueen says, companies, even big ones that have been around for generations, can disappear overnight, taking your 'savings' with them. In any case, savings don't impact on benefits unless you have thousands saved. And I'm ignoring the legal and moral aspects of it, it's not that kind of thread is it?

Mamam it is nice of you to say, but I have to be completely honest and say there was a big wobble for a while there where as long as I could afford my newly frugal life, I didn't pay too much attention to where the 'saved' money was going. Silly spending habits were creeping into other parts of my life and, as we all know, over time tiny leaks will sink a ship just as surely as big ones will. Now that I have some new ambitions and renewed motivation I am looking at the areas of my spending where there is room for improvement and also reminding myself how I managed to improve my position in the first place.

While I agree that sometimes spending to save is a fantastic idea and one that I have used, it's not the only option. Some random thoughts:

Many people are taught that to buy cheap is to buy twice. So they buy expensive, but then get bored of their investment and then buy twice anyway. You know those affluent friends who are compulsive upgraders and can afford to carry on spending while you have to cut back? I'm sure we all must have at least one... well, stay friends! Often they'll keep you supplied with far better than you could have supplied yourself!

For instance I believe that if you buy the right sofas/chairs you'll never need to replace it. My mother has had her leather chesterfields for over forty years now, and she tells me they were only moderately expensive, although they did have to save up and they got a good deal. So I had similarly been saving up to buy a 'live forever' suite when I was offered a nearly-new leather suite for the cost of the van to deliver them. A friend-of-a-friend had bought new ones, despite the fact she hadn't finished paying the finance for the ones she was getting rid of. So I got them for £30. These sofas are not going to live forever. They are disposable. But they have lasted four years so far, and in that time I have been offered another two suites that were good looking and in great condition. So probably I will never buy my 'live forever' suite because there seems to be an endless supply of cast-offs. Sometimes using lower quality then replacing it is cheaper. If I had bought my live forever suite I'm sure I'd have been delighted with it, but it's not the only way!

I agree with my mother that cheap clothing can be a false economy (though not always) but that doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of money on the quality stuff. Charity shops are fantastic, especially for womenswear. I have a wardrobe full of high-end natural fibres and designer handbags, all of which were cheaper than new bottom-end stuff. From another friend I got a bed with 24 years 6 months of its 25 year guarantee still left. This is the perfect situation - not spending and still saving :rotfl:

ubamother

I think a fair few pairs of really good shoes are worth the long-term investment.

I don't mean pretty ones, but strong leather shoes for warmth, comfort and support - they're not cheap and I doubt they're going to get cheaper, but worth catching in the sale as the good ones last for years and years.

scrabbles_2

ubamother wrote: »

I think a fair few pairs of really good shoes are worth the long-term investment.

I don't mean pretty ones, but strong leather shoes for warmth, comfort and support - they're not cheap and I doubt they're going to get cheaper, but worth catching in the sale as the good ones last for years and years.

Agreed! Walking shoes or boots are usually good quality for value Not much use for work, of course, but good for yomping around in otherwise!
You can get very good deals if you keep an eye out. Shoes, of course, are one of the best examples of something where if you spend to save you must be prepared to take care of your investment. A tin of shoe polish and a duster are as good an investment as the shoes themselves :rotfl: Also, a good cobbler, if you can still find one, is priceless.