Anyway, on to my favourite money saving tips!
Home
1. First of all, look after your stuff! By taking care of things, you prolong their life and prevent spending money! (Case in point: me ruining my old laptop through careless tea drinking!)
2. Check you're on the best deal for your utilities!
3. Make things from what you have rather than running out and buying a new item. I made a snazzy draught excluder from an old pair of jeans and some pants!
4. Keep an eye on your meter readings. Water leaks can be very expensive!
Garden
5. Make your own fertiliser from stinging nettles!
6. Make compost using vegetable peelings, grass cuttings and cardboard!
7. Grow from seed rather than buying plants - you'll get SO MUCH more for your money!
8. Recycle old egg boxes and toilet tubes as bio-degradable plant pots.
9. Save water from the shower or washing up to use on thirsty plants.
Travel
10. If you spend more than £100 a year on train tickets, check if you are eligible for a railcard. For £20-£28 a year you can save 1/3 on all fares.
11. Ditch the car. Maybe you could sell a car, maybe you could just walk more
. Either way, you're saving fuel, money and the environment.
12. Learn simple car maintenance methods. Looking after your car will save you a lot of money in the long run!
13. Drive efficiently. Don't leave your car idling, don't carry around weight you don't need, don't brake and accelerate sharply.
Food
14. Cooking and freezing a large batch of food in advance will save you time and money!
15. Don't run out of food! You'll be much less tempted to go out to eat if you have food in the house.
16. Eat vegetarian foods. Meat is REALLY expensive, whereas lentils and beans are a cheap source of protein.
17. Take a packed lunch to work. Stop the daily money leak.
Entertainment
18. Ditch the hotel - go camping! A decent campsite costs a tenner a night, with fresh air and birdsong thrown in for free! :)
19. Use your local library. As well as books, many libraries stock the latest magazines and DVDs.
20. Exercise for free. Have a look on Youtube for your favourite exercise, or try jogging or walking around your local area.
Other stuff
21. Try making a gift for someone. The Boyfriend's mum is a big fan of homemade chocolates!
22. Turn clutter into money by selling it on eBay or at a carboot sale.
23. Many colleges offer extremely cheap haircuts and beauty treatments performed by trainees. Everything is checked by a professional before they are allowed to proceed.
24. If you have a tax refund on the way, stick it into an ISA in case of emergencies. If something happens, you have money on hand and will avoid paying credit card interest. You might even earn a few quid!
25. Use rechargeable batteries instead of disposables. They cost about twice as much, but will last you years.
26. When buying something online, you can often find a discount code for free shipping or money off by five minutes of Googling.
27. Make (and stick to) a shopping list! Shops use all sorts of tricks to make you spend more than you'd planned, so avoid the impulse buys!
28. Draw a line on your kettle marking exactly how much water you need. Don't waste energy!
29. Use white vinegar as a degreaser and anti-bacterial spray.
30. Have a No Spend Day. Challenge yourself to forego your morning coffee and popping to the shop to get something for dinner. Make do with what you have and keep your money in your pocket.
What do you do to look after the pounds? :)
4 comments:
I am always struck by folks who want to know new ways to save money. It's the same old things! Bring your lunch, don't eat out, be mindful of your energy usage, etc.
One thing I would also do--though it sounds odd, I know--is to forgo TV. You won't be hit with so many ads and so many shows with shiny happy people with shiny expensive things. It does wonders for your morale and you'll have time to do things like read or maintain your current belongings.
The other thing I do is air-dry my clothes. It saves on energy costs and prolongs the life of my clothes. Even in my old condo which had no clothesline, I at least dried my clothing on a clothes rack. It's worth it!
And eat your stinging nettles! Forage them for free and make pesto or use them in place of spinach. FREE most places that have cooler weather.
I completely agree about maintaining what you already have.
In the past I have broken reading glasses, lost contact lenses, dropped mobile phones, ruined laptops.........
I don't anymore.
Good tips, all i really need to do is actually follow them. Its not saving any money but i really work well if i see the goal, so i now put my savings to one side at the start of the month and i tick it off on a chart (shows how many months until we've got a deposit) It makes it so much easier to save money on little things.
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