How are you coping/surviving with the credit crunch?

[trixipaws]

trixipaws' credit-crunch/recession thrifty tips!

* use the dregs from bottles of shampoo, conditioner, fabric softener, fairy liquid, body cream, etc- by either rinsing them out with a bit of water and shaking them up to get the dregs out- or if its thick cream, cut open the bottle and scoop out the residue! suprising when u think its ready for the bin u can actually use it one or two more times before its REALLY ready for the bin!

* dont switch lights on during daytime, switch off bathroom/bedroom lights when we not in the rooms, do the laundry between 6pm and 6am if possible, keep the car tyres full of air and only fill the petrol tank half up instead of full- all these things save energy!

* switch to discount brands- not everything is worth it (for example discount breakfast cereal and razors are shite!) but some things for example biscuits, nappy sacks, shampoo (not conditioner tho) are just as good getting the "no frills" supermarket versions which save loads. i spose its personal taste, just try swapping things and decide for urselves which ones are worth it.

* go to shops like home bargains, wilkinsons, b&m, aldi, charity shops and market stalls- some hidden gems are there! and use price comparison websites we saved £100 on our car insurance by switching to the green insurance company this year (they offset our carbon tyreprint too! )

* we swapped sainsburys for asda about a year ago and our shopping bills are lower generally.

* stop buying luxuries (blueberries, cistern tablets to make toilet water all lovely and blue, nice-but-not-necessary stuff like that)

* iv limited myself to one corporate starbucks tea each day at work (these are 50p for tall, 65p for grande) the rest of the time use the free vending machine hot drinks- and NEVER get the normal-price starbucks anymore. i used to spend easily a fiver a day just on tea

i was THE WORST with money just a year or two ago but im getting really good at this money-saving thriftiness lark i'll try to stick to it then when its all over ill be able to save! yay!

 

[HideiLu]

Great tips, guys! Keep em' coming!

Thanks to whoever mentioned the lightbulbs! EDF are giving them away for free, we can't use them yet because our flat only has spotlights, but we've ordered them anyway for when we move into our new house next month.

Would you say Morrisons is generally cheaper than Tesco/Sainsburys? We don't have an Asda or Lidls around here but there's a Morrisons. Do they do clothes? I like Tesco's baby clothes because the prices are quite reasonable.

Just going to join up to money saving expert!

We did find some things cheaper BUT we switched back to Tesco for the clubcard points which we'll use for days out or a trip to Paris! (they're worth 4 times much in deals). I used to buy all cosmetics in Boots and at the end of the year i had around £100 to spend in advantage points going to do that again now were moving in to a town centre.

 

[keli]

I am in kind of the same boat. I got my last pay cheque this month as I quit work to be a SAHM. We calculated the OH earns enough to support us, however, with things the way they are; we are tightening our belts quite a bit. Things I am doing.....

Getting veggies from my FIL allotment
I have swapped from shopping at Sainsbury’s to ASDA. It has saved on average £15 a week.
Using washing ASDA own brand washing powder as opposed to tablets – it goes further.
Generally buying own brand or Smart Price
Planning shopping meticulously so that there is no waste.
Making own meals from scratch.
Freezing anything that may go off.
Scanning for BOGOF deals on meat and freezing portions for following weeks.
Buying BOGOF non-perishables like shampoo, toothpaste etc.
Putting on extra socks/jumpers instead of turning up the heating.
Making Christmas presents for my baby (it is cheaper and entertains me on an evening)
Planning birthday and xmas presents in advance, taking advantage of any deals, like 2 for 1 in ASDA or Boots. We have also told everyone that we have a £5 limit this year.
Kept our old mobile phones and signed up to a £5 a month deal with Virgin.
Most of my daughter’s clothes are hand-me-downs. I also scour charity shops and NCT sales, I have got some fab things for very very little money. Car boots are also great for toys and clothes.
Saving Boots advantage points and using them to buy weaning essentials and nappies.
Walking where ever possible to save petrol costs.
Taking advantage of all the free Sure Start activities so that we don’t have to pay for pricey franchised ones.
Use Freecycle – it is great!

The best advice I can give is sign up to http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/
this site has saved us lots!!! We have got hotel rooms for £9 at Christmas when visiting relatives!! We have also swapped our energy provider and capped our tarrif so that our energy price won’t rise for 18 months. We have also got a few good deals for eating out – we don’t eat out very often, but it is good to get it very cheap when we do.

I have to admit, after 10 years of the DINKY lifestyle, I am actually really enjoying taking proper responsibility for our money and trying to make it go further.

Can i ask whats the £5 a mth from Virgin am due to upgrade and am looking for a new deal?

 

[Betula]

I cook from scratch which saves money as vegetables are cheap. I also forage depending on the season; can't go wrong with a nice blackberry crumble!