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Cutting back
13 Answers
I wasn't sure where to post this but here seems the best place.
I am trying to sort my finances out and get myself straight once and for all, so I need lots of ideas on how to cut back, on everything from Electric usage to food shopping.
Please help, all ideas much appreciated!
I am trying to sort my finances out and get myself straight once and for all, so I need lots of ideas on how to cut back, on everything from Electric usage to food shopping.
Please help, all ideas much appreciated!
Answers
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some pretty basic stuff....
Turn the light off when you leave a room; have showers instead of baths; don't leave electrical items on stand by at night; buy shops own-brand food as much as possible; start cooking instead of buying ready meals; bring your lunch in at work instead of getting a sandwich from the shop; stop smoking; stop drinking alcohol; switch electricity/gaz/internet providers to the best deal around...
Loads and loads of tips here:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/
Turn the light off when you leave a room; have showers instead of baths; don't leave electrical items on stand by at night; buy shops own-brand food as much as possible; start cooking instead of buying ready meals; bring your lunch in at work instead of getting a sandwich from the shop; stop smoking; stop drinking alcohol; switch electricity/gaz/internet providers to the best deal around...
Loads and loads of tips here:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/
Clear out every cupboard, cellar and attic and have a car boot sale.
Unless you have a sentimental attachment, do you really want that vase stowed away? Will you realistically read that book again? Do you listen to that CD?
Regarding food shopping, do you have a garden? It is so easy to grow basic veg, especially in a grow bag.
And home cooking is not only environmentally better, more healthy but is considerably cheaper.
Unless you have a sentimental attachment, do you really want that vase stowed away? Will you realistically read that book again? Do you listen to that CD?
Regarding food shopping, do you have a garden? It is so easy to grow basic veg, especially in a grow bag.
And home cooking is not only environmentally better, more healthy but is considerably cheaper.
Don't leave your phone charger plugged in and switched on if you aren't actually charging your phone.
Buy food in bulk and freeze it, i bought 10 full cod in Fleetwood for �19 and froze it in peices, and i buy my bacon from a local wholsaler, a 5pound pack for �8. Go to a fram shop for your spuds and veg if possible and but what is in season.
use coupons and saver cards like Tescoes, but I save my Tesco points up til November and they send the vouchers all at once, i have �26 worth of vouchers so far this yearand so by November I will have enough for the Christmas food.
Don't go for consolidation loans unless it is from a High Street lender, if you have family or friends who can share bulk food purchases get a few people to chip in for a larger bag of say chicken pieces and divide it between you.
I also shop in Tescos from the food end not the non-food end, this stops you impulse buying DVds or glossy mags, though I don't always stick to that lol
Buy food in bulk and freeze it, i bought 10 full cod in Fleetwood for �19 and froze it in peices, and i buy my bacon from a local wholsaler, a 5pound pack for �8. Go to a fram shop for your spuds and veg if possible and but what is in season.
use coupons and saver cards like Tescoes, but I save my Tesco points up til November and they send the vouchers all at once, i have �26 worth of vouchers so far this yearand so by November I will have enough for the Christmas food.
Don't go for consolidation loans unless it is from a High Street lender, if you have family or friends who can share bulk food purchases get a few people to chip in for a larger bag of say chicken pieces and divide it between you.
I also shop in Tescos from the food end not the non-food end, this stops you impulse buying DVds or glossy mags, though I don't always stick to that lol
We managed to cut down our shopping bill alone by planning meals so that, for example.. if we had chicken one day I could save a bit of it and make a sweet n' sour next week. chilli, lasagne, spag bol, all worth buying a little bit extra, make a larger batch and freeze n' save for the following week. Our bill's been cut by half. And I'm a right fussy eater so there's no cheapo food!
Also pits, may I say the more money you save the more you save in the future. Seriously, it is like a drug.
I have only been fairly well off in the last 5 years or so, and am more thrifty now than I was when I got by on a normal wage.
Another tip, unless you have a swimming pool or plumbed in hot tub, which now require the use of one, get a water meter fitted. They are free from your water board.
You can save 20 odd quid a month if careful. When you run the tao, you fill up a home watering can, shower (as said above) and unless you have eaten aspargus, they is honestly no need to flush the loo every ten minutes after the wee-wees. also put a brick in your loo to save more water.
Also check your local council (even if a private residence) to see if they are in partnership with local insulation companies.
In my last house I had every wall cavity filled plus the attic done for about �100 (should be about �600. The council paid the rest. Heating bills went down about �125 per year.
I have only been fairly well off in the last 5 years or so, and am more thrifty now than I was when I got by on a normal wage.
Another tip, unless you have a swimming pool or plumbed in hot tub, which now require the use of one, get a water meter fitted. They are free from your water board.
You can save 20 odd quid a month if careful. When you run the tao, you fill up a home watering can, shower (as said above) and unless you have eaten aspargus, they is honestly no need to flush the loo every ten minutes after the wee-wees. also put a brick in your loo to save more water.
Also check your local council (even if a private residence) to see if they are in partnership with local insulation companies.
In my last house I had every wall cavity filled plus the attic done for about �100 (should be about �600. The council paid the rest. Heating bills went down about �125 per year.
Also, check your tax code. Do you have to wear ANY uniform at work, i.e safety equipment etc. Do you even use your own pen or do any work at home?
If so you tax code will only change a tiny bit, but as my Grandfather says (who is obscenely weathly) "Look after the pennies, because the pounds will take care of themself"
I never really understood most his silly phrases, but this one makes sense.
If so you tax code will only change a tiny bit, but as my Grandfather says (who is obscenely weathly) "Look after the pennies, because the pounds will take care of themself"
I never really understood most his silly phrases, but this one makes sense.
Sounds crazy but since we have started to shop with ASDA home delivery, in one month comparing it to what we used to spend at Morrisons on average we have saved nearly �60!!
The reason being that you see exactly how much you have in your trolley and if you set yourself a budget, you can add and take off items to meet that target. On a Tuesday and Weds the delivery price drops to �3.75 on those 2 days. You can't beat it when you think how much time you waste geting into the car, going to the supermarket, putting it through the checkout then coming home and unpacking it again. This is of course if you infact have to drive to the supermarket, obviously it would save you money this way if you do :o)
It's time consuiming when you first set it up, picking things for the first time but by the next shop I was whizzing through it and am now doing the shopping weeks in advance.
Every little helps :o)
The reason being that you see exactly how much you have in your trolley and if you set yourself a budget, you can add and take off items to meet that target. On a Tuesday and Weds the delivery price drops to �3.75 on those 2 days. You can't beat it when you think how much time you waste geting into the car, going to the supermarket, putting it through the checkout then coming home and unpacking it again. This is of course if you infact have to drive to the supermarket, obviously it would save you money this way if you do :o)
It's time consuiming when you first set it up, picking things for the first time but by the next shop I was whizzing through it and am now doing the shopping weeks in advance.
Every little helps :o)
Take advantage of balance transfer and interest free periods on credit cards. Get a credit card, transfer any small debts onto it, with no interest for say 9 months (make sure they don't charge any percentage for the actual transfer though, we found that Egg didn't, hope that's still the case) and then set up a direct debit to pay the same amount each month for those 9 months. When the card arrives, destroy it though!! 9 months or however long later, do the whole thing again - transfer your now very much reduced balance onto another card with no interest. You'll know exactly what you owe, and it won't increase at all. Little bits of monthly interest on a few small debts will quickly add up to a figure you'd rather not be paying!! Credit card companies fall over themselves trying to offer good deals, in the hope that at the end of the interest-free period people won't bother to switch again. Play the system!!!
Also, use saucepan lids when cooking - speeds up the process so you use less energy. Put the plug in the basin when you wash your hands. Use the "time saver" function on your washing machine if you have one. It shaves a few minutes off each bit of the cycle.
But the best one, by far, is to write to food companies if you love/hate something. Either way, they're very likely to send you loads of vouchers. Someone told me this ages ago, and it's TRUE - I've done it!
Also, use saucepan lids when cooking - speeds up the process so you use less energy. Put the plug in the basin when you wash your hands. Use the "time saver" function on your washing machine if you have one. It shaves a few minutes off each bit of the cycle.
But the best one, by far, is to write to food companies if you love/hate something. Either way, they're very likely to send you loads of vouchers. Someone told me this ages ago, and it's TRUE - I've done it!
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