Dear reader,
Since starting our more frugal life I have compiled a list of the things I do or have done to save money.
1. Stopped smoking
2. Wash our clothes now when they are marked or smell less than fresh. (Don't get me wrong, I don't let us stink and Big Man gets his stuff washed more, being a man but we let towels dry rather than keep washing them and wear stuff longer than I used to)
NOTE: this does not include undies!
3. Shower instead of bath. (Bath is a Sunday treat)
4. Shop at Lidl. (Much, much cheaper)
5. Bulk cooking. As we always have something in the freezer no need for expensive takeaways.
6. Drive much more slowly. Safer, cheaper and more relaxing. Did you know the safest lane is lane one as you always have an escape route?
7. We do "free" days out. More country walks thus excersising more and we now take a neighbours dog out with us who never went out before.
8. Eat less meat. I now do a few more veggie or rice dishes. (Helped by meat scandal)
9. Our heating is now off. Completely off, no one or two hours in the morning. We have the log burner if needed and just get into bed at night. I feel much more rested for it too. Mega plus is that B. Gas (and we know what that stands for) gets much less of our money.
10. Big saving made by taking packed lunches and a drink to work.
If you have just one thing that you do to save money please send a comment and I will compile and publish them at the weekend. I reckon we could share our tips and all save a bit more.
All the best for the week ahead
Sarah x
Sarah
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work it all has such a huge impact.
In addition to what you have listed, here are a few things that I enjoy doing myself:
I keep 4 hens and sell my surplus eggs which covers my feed and bedding costs. Also provides compost materials for the garden
I planted a few soft fruit items, potager style which I use either fresh, in preserves, baking and also I freeze to satisfy my raspberry addiction.
Grow as many salad and green items as you can and pick each morning fresh for lunches and moments before for dinner. Freeze surplus Beans, tomatoes and courgettes.
I've mastered a good everyday loaf in the bread maker. This took a while. Freeze any dry bread ends to make crumbs or old fashioned bread pudding.
We make wholemeal chapati to accompany curries.
Eat seasonal where possible
Use every last scrap, be inventive.
Freeze veg skins and peelings to make homemade veg stock. Do the same with fish and meat bones.
Fill your plate with half salad or veg before anything else
I still salon colour my hair but now only every 10 weeks instead of 8 and half head of foils instead of full. I no longer have the blow dry and do that myself.This is my biggest indulgence.
Home manicure and pamper night weekly. Trawl the internet for natural alternatives.
Reduce disposable paper products. Knit or crochet dishcloths. Use cloth napkins and simply forget about kitchen roll.
Make citrus cleaner, laundry powder and soap.
Kill any magazine habits if you can and search out free ebook downloads.Read daily news online.
Buy generic own brand basic items where possible, make what you can.
Check all standing orders and direct debits to make sure you still use those services.
Regularly review and renew insurances and utilities using comparison sites.
Don't be afraid to haggle and ask for discounts.
I'm sure there are so many more things,I've only been on this journey in the last 3 years myself.
It's becoming second nature and I love it !
Hi Emma,
DeleteYou have a great list there. I am hoping to make a compilation so I hope I can use a lot of these. You are doing so well, I will be trying to grow more this year. Thanks for your tips.
Sarah x
I now 'cook once, eat twice' a hell of a lot these days. Its saved me time, money and energy :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Miss PB.
DeleteI am trying to do the same here and use less meat seems to,help cut cost too.
Sarah x
I do most of what Emma does. One drawer in my freezer has veg peelings and bones for stock which I make when there's enough collected, but I also collect citrus skins for marmalade and apple cores for pectin.
ReplyDeleteLeftovers go into a meal within 2 days or they are frozen. Even as little as a spoonful of rice or pasta or veg. All collected in my bitsa drawer in the freezer with the bones, the veg peelings etc (imagine if anyone was to go through my freezer - blush!). When I want a quick or a frugal meal, I dip in to the 'bitsa' and make a pan of soup.
Forage for fruit - I have jars and jars of jam made from foraged fruit and 2 freezer drawers full for crumbles, fruit compote etc to help see us through the winter.
I check here
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=175&order=desc
daily and chase up any offers that would suit us. This is how I found out that Tesco had tins of pears for 15p, Morrison's value pasta was 30p for 500g and that Asda had lots of food offers for 20p. I wouldn't be able to scour the supermarkets for all these deals, but this way I can find out about them. This forum also lists what the Aldi super-six is and what Lidl has on offer each weekend. That helps me decide whether I will spend the money on petrol to go there or not.
I also check this daily
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=36
and have found some fabulous bargains. Recently - M&S knickers for less than half price, a coat and 2 pairs of shoes from Lands End with 80% off, lovely Christmas gifts from Sanctuary for less than half price. The offers are often very short-lived, but at massive discounts.
I also have accumulated a stockpile of food, bought when on offer - so I bought 30 tins of the special offer pears. I treat my stockpile like a shop and buy from there first when I write my shopping list, putting the money in my 'stockpile purse' and using this money to buy extra of anything that's on special offer.
When I track food prices I can see what I have saved, and I regard my stockpile as a form of investment. I am currently buying baked beans and tinned tomatoes from my stockpile for 20p a tin - a lot less than the current price.
I menu plan now, and 'cook once eat thrice' - I make mega amounts of soup, tomato sauce etc eat one today, one in two or three days time and freeze one. It's more convenient, but also saves on fuel. Also to save fuel, if we are having sausages, or mince for example, I cook the whole packet and freeze what we don't eat that day.
I serve much smaller portions of meat.
I scour the internet for frugal blogs, frugal recipes, in fact anything to do with the f-word.
I shop from here
http://www.approvedfood.co.uk/latest_products
it's very hit and miss. I placed 3 orders in November, but none since then. I check every day. Sometimes there is nothing that I want to buy, sometimes lots. I bought some vastly reduced luxury food for hampers before Christmas. This week I used some spicy cous cous which cost me 6p for a box of 2 sachets, some Granose chicken-style bake I bought for 10p a box and a bag of 500g of haricot beans that cost 30p. A while ago I bought a box of 12 stir fry sauces for 1p. Recently the site has been full of snacks and processed food that I don't buy, but the stock changes frequently. They sometime have catering sizes of things that I buy and split. This week I opened a 2.5g tin of tomatoes that cost me 99p. They were lovely and rich. It IS a bit hit and miss, but I think worth persevering with.
If I am going to the supermarket I try and go in the evening when the yellow-stickered items have had their final reduction. Sometimes there's nothing, other times lovely things.
I write my menu around whatever is on offer and what's in my freezer and cupboards rather than what we fancy eating.
Wow Carrie,
DeleteYou have some great ways going on. I like the bitsa drawer in the freezer and I love soup so will be copying you there. I will be checking out the links you sent me too. I am going to try some more growing of veg in the garden as well this year. I would like to compile a directory of tips and hints for my blog at the weekend so hope you don't mind if I use some of your ideas. I think they will be a great benefit for everyone.
All the best
Sarah x
Still not smoking and feel great!
P.S. well done on stopping smoking!
ReplyDelete