share your favourite money saving tip

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• 01-Mar-2010 12:25

  share your favourite money saving tip

  *Clairejk Joined on 20-Mar-2003 United Kingdom Posts 10,024

  Contact My friend calls me Martin Money Savers wife! I did what I had to to give up my job and be a SAHM. I think my biggest change was   Don't be loyal to a certain brand of butter/yoghurt/cheese/etc buy what is on offer or do without.   I've saved loads this way and have discovered new brands that I like better. HypnoBirthing practitioner in Greater Manchester Mummy to Finley May 2005, Alfie March 2007, my forever baby boy Robin August 2009 and Ellis August 2010

• 01-Mar-2010 12:51

  Re: share your favourite money saving tip

  PoppySeeds Joined on 27-Jun-2007 United Kingdom Posts 2,428

  Contact Well my best tip is to shop all over rather than in one place.  I know this isnt always convenient for some but it saves us loads. We first go to Aldi or Lidl then to Iceland and whatever we cant get there (or if we prefer a certain brand of something i.e. shampoo) we go to Sainsburys (we get nappies and formula from there) but we save a fortune this way.   We also go to the pound shop to get certain things as they can be much cheaper than the supermarket. born Feb 2009

• 01-Mar-2010 12:57

  Re: share your favourite money saving tip

  catarina Joined on 04-Apr-2005 United Kingdom Posts 8,944

  Contact We're lucky in that we don't buy many of our children's clothes, as my godmother buys them in the States and sends them back, but bits we need in the times she isn't there we buy decent branded stuff from fleabay, and then sell it back on there when they grow out of stuff.  We've even made money on some things we've bought for them!  So they wear good clothes that last, for minimal, minimal outlay.   Also, meal planning - breakfast, lunch and dinner and sticking to it.  I am a bit of a list freak, but I plan a whole week, the days can be swapped around depending on what we fancy, but when we stick to it, we save a fortune.  Mrs M's money-saving recipes from a few years ago were/are a godsend.  We use them a lot.

• 01-Mar-2010 13:01

  Re: share your favourite money saving tip

  Monk Joined on 20-Oct-2008 Posts 1,184	Contact Definitely shopping around, buying childrens clothes in sales for the next year and meal planning - long term it saves loads!

• 01-Mar-2010 13:14

  Re: share your favourite money saving tip

  1stBaby Joined on 19-Dec-2005 Posts 11,097	Contact Use cashback websotes! Mummy to Evie & George

• 01-Mar-2010 14:55

  Re: share your favourite money saving tip

  SnowflakeMum Joined on 16-Aug-2005 United Kingdom Posts 5,008

  Contact I do stock up on clothes in sales. I also use ebay to good effect - I bought D a travel cot for £30 about a year ago and sold it yesterday for £35, and bought a readybed for £15! I also use ebay for an awful lot things, or charity shops. I have an allergy to paying full price for anything. By far my biggest money-saver this year has been Lent - I gave up chocolate and clothes shopping and I've not taken out any cash since Pancake Day! I wanted to go out and change the world but I couldn't find a babysitter.

• 01-Mar-2010 15:15

  Re: share your favourite money saving tip

  Noggin Joined on 23-Jun-2003 Herts Posts 2,102

  Contact I've borrowed so much baby stuff from friends.  We didn't need to buy moses basket, crib, swing, walker, steriliser and so many other things.  In fact, the crib has been used by around 7 babies! Bathe the children together, 2 or 3 times a week instead of everyday.  I turn most things off at the plug at night and am a stickler for turning thermostat down and lights off.  The slow cooker is great too, very economical and I usually just chuck in meat/veg that we have left over. I often park in town where I can for free and then walk the extra few hundred yards. I buy lots of toys and books in charity shops.  Freecycle!! - May 07 - August 09

• 01-Mar-2010 15:50

  Re: share your favourite money saving tip

  Noo Joined on 22-Feb-2005 United Kingdom Posts 5,375

  Contact Buy marked down meat & veg, etc and then batch cook casseroles & freeze them. I recently got loads of taste the difference salmon and chicken fillets from Sainsburys for 50p per pack of 2.   Also I buy a lot of frozen stuff from Iceland rather that Sainsbury's as it's so much cheaper. Shop around for Insurance, phone packages etc. We saved £600 this year on changing building & contents and £120 on phone package. Two beautiful girls  J - Sept 2007 & S - Nov 2010

• 01-Mar-2010 15:58

  Re: share your favourite money saving tip

  KB3 Joined on 13-May-2008 Posts 16,332

  Contact My biggest money saving tip is one I dream of being able to follow but it's still a work in progress. Getting my OH to stop drinking. He will break into a tenner every night to buy a couple of beers. If he stopped this and saved the £10 it would be £50 a week and £200 a month! Think of what I could buy with that! On a more serious note I buy a lot of own brand products in the supermarket as this saves a fortune.

• 01-Mar-2010 16:04

  Re: share your favourite money saving tip

  Sshh Joined on 16-Nov-2009 Posts 1,838

  Contact My biggest tip - complain! Call your mobile/broadband/TV/cable company, tell them they're too expensive and you're moving to a different provider. 99% of the time I've been moved to better and cheaper packages. Claim back PPI on loans/credit card agreements. Do not use those companies that say they'll do it for you on a 'no win no fee basis'. You can claim it back yourself through the Financial Ombudsman for free. Oh and stooze your credit card balances if you can - get a 0% APR deal, pay off as much as you can then when the offer runs out move to another provider at 0% again - note that they do charge a fee but it's nearly always cheaper than 19% APR. Follow me on Twitter

• 01-Mar-2010 16:15

  Re: share your favourite money saving tip

  *Dust* Joined on 30-Sep-2003 United Kingdom Posts 14,546	Contact Carboot sales.  We buy loads of Izzy's clothes and toys and carboot sales and like the normal sales we buy ahead in terms of seasons and sizes. Name changed from angeldust I - April 2007 J - June 2010

• 01-Mar-2010 16:18

  Re: share your favourite money saving tip

  Sparkling Joined on 30-Jun-2004 United Kingdom Posts 23,195	Contact shop online yes you have to pay the delivery fee but i spend less because I don't have a 2 year old and a husband going round with me picking random things up off the shelves. i usually use tesco for this and the clubcard points make good treats.

• 01-Mar-2010 16:53

  Re: share your favourite money saving tip

  zoej1983 Joined on 22-May-2008 plymouth Posts 1,975

  Contact Instead of buying the small packs of mince we buy the bigger packs and make it go three ways, I cook a spag bol, lasagne, chilli, cottage pie, meatballs theres so much I can get from it. I divide the mince into three bags so if I need to freeze it then I do that. We dont throw away left over mince then and it works out cheaper. We also do meal lists and stick to it every week. Bethany-Paige born 15th Oct 2003 weighing 9lb 2oz M/C 2008 Imogen Mae born 30th March 2010 weighing 6lb 2oz

• 01-Mar-2010 16:56

  Re: share your favourite money saving tip

  Margot Joined on 29-Oct-2006 Bucks Posts 8,173	Contact Own brand food - my husband calls me Mrs Smartprice! Tha quality is mostly no worse. Stocking up for birthday presents, for instance The Works have 4 for £5 on picture books, 2 of them make a fab birthday present for a small person. Joshua Luke ~ 2.12.07 Jacob Matthew ~ 7.7.10 Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods

• 01-Mar-2010 17:29

  Re: share your favourite money saving tip

  Nun Joined on 15-Sep-2005 Doncaster Posts 1,944	Contact My saving tips usually focus around saving for Christmas. I save £2 coins. It usually makes £250-£300 a year. I also put £50 away in a seperate bank account and I save all the Tesco and Co-op coupons throughout the year so Christmas is pretty much paid for during the year.