You may have seen a few of these money saving '£30 Ways to Save £1' blog posts pop up lately as part of
MoneySupermarket's challenge to find 1000 ways to save your pennies. After seeing some of the tips from other bloggers I thought I would share some of my own with you!
First things first, I hate spending money. Long gone are the days when I would splash the cash!
Working for myself, having a new home and with our wedding a few months away there's been a lot of tightening of the purse strings. Here are a few money saving ideas that have helped me save the pennies at home:
FOOD
1) Write a shopping list before you
venture to the supermarket. Then stick to it. Being strict with yourself and
knowing what you want beforehand stops impulse buys and saves plenty of pounds
with every shop.
2) If you regularly visit the same shops
and supermarkets sign up to their reward schemes; collecting points on things
you are buying anyway pays dividends when money off vouchers pop through your
door.
3) Get an idea for what time items
get reduced in your local stores – there’s so much money to be saved on
perishable items that are still perfectly edible but are nearing their Display
Until date.
4)…On that note, remember that it
is only the Use By date that you need to stick to. Best Before dates are merely
a guideline for when the product may begin to lose some of its quality. Display
Until dates are to guide the supermarket. Use common sense when thinking of
throwing food away and you will save a fortune.
5) Store food properly, if your
fridge is set to the proper temperature settings things last a long time
meaning you need to go out and spend less!
6) Don’t waste leftovers. I used to
throw so much food (and money!) away but these days I make a conscious effort
to transform the bits and bobs I used to bin. Old veg is perfect for soup,
leftover meat is great in stir fries, risottos and pasta bakes – fab meals on
the cheap! Check out some of the recipes I have posted
here.
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7) Take a packed lunch. Not only
will you save loads of money on pre-packaged sandwiches but you also get to
choose tasty and nutritional lunches that far out do anything from the chiller
cabinet.
8) Cook from scratch. Ready Meals
are not only expensive but full of rubbish! Rather than waste money on
something to stick in the microwave plan your meals and use fresh ingredients.
Your wallet and taste buds will be thankful!
9) Buy in bulk where you need to. I’ve
started buying items like pasta in the biggest bags possible. I know that I
will always need it and it is far cheaper than buying lots of little packets.
10) Utilise your freezer. Freezing
things you aren’t going to use immediately, like meat, is a great way to make
sure they don’t spoil and end up in the bin. Also great if you have made the
most of supermarket discounts and things are close to their Use By date. Saving
money and making sure there is always a dinner on stand-by!
HOME
11) If you need work done on your
house decide if it is possible to do yourself. We have had to make compromises
when refurbishing our new home - things like tiling may be laborious but it is
much cheaper to try these ‘easier’ jobs yourself than to pay someone else to do
it.
12) Always get a range of quotes. We
were quoted in excess of £1500 to have our kitchen units fitted but eventually
found a great carpenter able to do the job for a third of that price.
13) Buy from trade stores. B&Q
and Homebase may not be the cheapest option. Look online for wholesalers and
discount stockists.
14) Before going out and spending a
fortune on new furniture first have a scout around for what you can buy second
hand. eBay, Gumtree and local second hand stores have all been great for
finding quality pieces and hugely reduced prices.
15) Visit discount outlets for your
soft furnishings. TK Maxx is a great place for good value bed linen for
example...
GIFTS
16) Find your local outlet shopping
centre or retail park. Designer labels can be found at really reduced prices –
great for Birthdays and Christmas.
17) Keep an eye out for s
ample sales.
Another great way of saving money on expensive items.
18) Some big stores, like Harrods,
have pre-sale-sales. At Christmas especially there will be reduced items
available before the official launch date.
19) Check online for discount codes
before committing to a purchase. Often a quick Google search will turn up codes
for free delivery or money off at the checkout.
20) Buy handmade – support small
businesses by looking around on
Etsy or visiting local craft fairs. You can
find original one off pieces or commission an item at a fraction of high street
prices.
21) Make it yourself. There are tons of online tutorials with gift
ideas – it doesn’t have to be anything complicated but a framed illustration or
home baked cake mean a lot more than anything you can pick up in a shop.
WEDDING
22) Weddings are crazy expensive so
it is a good idea to try and save money where you can! Decorations are a good
place to start – tissue pom-poms, bunting and balloons can all be turned into
something fantastic without adding more 000s to the final wedding cost! Check out
Pinterest for plenty of ideas and tutorials.
23) Don’t limit yourself to traditional
wedding or bridesmaid dresses – there are plenty of gorgeous dresses on the
high street that are a fraction of the cost but have the same level of glitz
and glamour.
24) Design your invitations yourself -
a great chance to get creative but also to really set the tone of your wedding
for all your guests.
25) Be ruthless. Don’t invite people
you don’t really want to be there. It’s your day, it’s your
money. The price of every invitation and each penny behind the bar is coming
out of your pay check – only inviting people you truly like is not only going
to make for a better day but also a better bank balance!
26) Negotiate – often hotels, venues and even wedding dress
shops will throw in a little something for free or offer discounted rates if
you ask nicely.
27) Trade your talents. Not a great
baker but handy with a sewing machine? Save hundreds of pounds on a wedding
cake by sewing up some new clothes for a friend in exchange for their pudding
prowess. Swapping skills is a great way to spend less on things you love.
LITTLE EXTRAS
28) Make friends with your local charity
shops. I’m forever popping in for books and crockery – I save loads of money
but get to support worthy causes too.
29) Keep packaging, newspapers and
cardboard. Perfect for packing up parcels and completely free! I have a big pile of old Stylist magazines that are great for padding out orders.
30) Sign up for newsletters from your
favourite restaurants and apply for a tastecard – both will give you big discounts on eating out. Money saving doesn't have to be boring after all!
Do you have any useful money saving tips to share? Any handy hints are much appreciated if you want to leave a comment! Or why not create your own list - more details on the MoneySupermarket website
here :)
xx
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