The handy tips for saving money thread.

[ozleicester]

vote the tories out

[Nod.E]

Nobody, and I mean nobody needs the latest iPhone contract. 

 

Seems to have become normalised that it's just part and parcel of modern life that £50-£75 should come out of your bank each month in the same way you'd expect to inevitably have to pay for food. 

 

I pay £6 per month on a sim only deal (plenty of data) having paid £599 upfront for my Google Pixel 5, and I'd argue it's as good as anything else out there. Even if you disagree with that statement, at £743 for two years compared to £1,800 for a £75 per month contract or £1,200 for a £50 per month contract, is the 'latest and greatest' phone really worth that difference? I'd argue if your viewpoint on that is yes, you're convincing yourself. I'll also be able to get some money for my phone before I buy my next one.

 

I don't particularly need to save money but I can be a tight git. The thought of throwing away a grand or so over a couple of years on basically the same technology makes me sick. 

 

So, handy tip for saving money? Don't just pay for things because it's the norm. Challenge norms and find alternatives, you'd be amazed how much you can save.

Edited 13 April 2022 by Nod.E

[Greg2607]

4 minutes ago, Nod.E said:

Nobody, and I mean nobody needs the latest iPhone contract. 

 

Seems to have become normalised that it's just part and parcel of modern life that £50-£75 should come out of your bank each month in the same way you'd expect to inevitably have to pay for food. 

 

I pay £6 per month on a sim only deal (plenty of data) having paid £599 upfront for my Google Pixel 5, and I'd argue it's as good as anything else out there. Even if you disagree with that statement, at £643 for two years compared to £1,800 for a £75 per month contract or £1,200 for a £50 per month contract, is the 'latest and greatest' phone really worth that difference? I'd argue if your viewpoint on that is yes, you're convincing yourself. I'll also be able to get some money for my phone before I buy my next one.

 

I don't particularly need to save money but I can be a tight git. The thought of throwing away a grand or so over a couple of years on basically the same technology makes me sick. 

 

So, handy tip for saving money? Don't just pay for things because it's the norm. Challenge norms and find alternatives, you'd be amazed how much you can save.

my wife is on a SIM only and I will be once my Contract runs out in June.  I'm lucky that I get an Iphone with Work, so I just get an Android for my personal use. I managed to pick up an Oppo a couple of years back and it's a great phone. Still as good as the day I got it as well, so i'll just roll onto Sim Only... 

 

I think a lot of people are going to be shocked at just how little leeway they have in their personal finances over the next couple of years because of things like Mobiles, Internet etc that they are locked in to. 

 

We have a friend who is paying out more in Credit Card and Bank Loan Debt every month than she is for her mortgage. She has a Rolex on Finance for Christs sake! 

 

There are ALOT of people who want to appear rich who are actually pretty poor in relative terms. 

 

This girl in particular, bought a house on shared ownership because it was all her affordability would allow her. 

 

then THIS year, she has taken out an unsecured loan and bought a £57,000 Motorhome. 

 

Her and her partner earn circa £150,000 between them and live in a 3 bed starter home, because the debt they are saddled with means they can't afford a bigger mortgage. 

 

I shake my head at them both ALL the time!

 

 

 

 

Edited 13 April 2022 by Greg2607

[Tim'llFixIt]

If your car works and it's reliable and you don't own your own house, run it into the bloody ground!

 

Honestly a mate of mine who is earning sub 30k a year is financing an F-Type Jag ... It looks great on his parents driveway.

 

It's tough for young kids these day (sub 25) everyone lives there best life on Instagram and social norms like driving a banger around and maybe not doing Marbs or Ibiza (just to take staged insta photos) and flunking 3k on a week away are just not on there radar.

 

Also your 90s retro shite and £300 quid hoodies honestly make you look like you have been booted through the back room of an Oxfam by Morgan, Huth, and big Waz. Save your pennies kids you look rediculous.

[matty98]

Worth checking your work benefits, mine has a site where you can get vouchers with a % discount. A lot of the supermarkets are on it with a 3% discount which soon adds up.

[An Away Move]

Budgeting really helps my finances. This combined with how I've set up my accounts in the Barclays Bank App. I have about 15 savings accounts, which I've nicknamed, 'Holiday', 'New Car', 'Dentist', 'Tax and NI' etc.,

 

I have a business account for my self employed income -  from this I have a standing order set up to pay 'X' into my personal account. From my personal account, I have a multitude of standing orders which feed each of the nicknamed savings accounts. Doing it this way makes everything automatic and stops me getting unexpected costs that set me back. I just have to concentrate on doing enough work to fill my business account.

Edited 13 April 2022 by An Away Move

[An Away Move]

Re: Food planning

 

Here's a cheap idea for one meal a week

 

(1) Spaghetti with tinned tomato and fresh garlic - literally a few pence for a meal. You can make it cheaper by dispensing with the tomatoes and just use olive oil and black pepper.

 

Would be cool if others added six more ideas. Cheapest wins!

[Greg2607]

25 minutes ago, An Away Move said:

Re: Food planning

 

Here's a cheap idea for one meal a week

 

(1) Spaghetti with tinned tomato and fresh garlic - literally a few pence for a meal. You can make it cheaper by dispensing with the tomatoes and just use olive oil and black pepper.

 

Would be cool if others added six more ideas. Cheapest wins!

Genuinely, one of my favourite comfort foods is beans on toast with lashing of black pepper. 

 

I used to live on that as a Young Parent!

[Adrian]

1 minute ago, Greg2607 said:

Genuinely, one of my favourite comfort foods is beans on toast with lashing of black pepper. 

 

I used to live on that as a Young Parent!

yes but not choosing heinz bean is a false economy

[FoxesDeb]

48 minutes ago, An Away Move said:

Re: Food planning

 

Here's a cheap idea for one meal a week

 

(1) Spaghetti with tinned tomato and fresh garlic - literally a few pence for a meal. You can make it cheaper by dispensing with the tomatoes and just use olive oil and black pepper.

 

Would be cool if others added six more ideas. Cheapest wins!

Jacket potatoes nearly cooked in the oven, bit of olive oil, salt and pepper on the skins. Take them out of the oven, scrape all the potato out into a bowl. Mix in greek yogurt, cheese, bacon, whatever you like. Put the filling back in, sprinkle some more grated cheese and return to the oven until it's melted. 

[FoxesDeb]

My favourite slow cooker recipe, chilli con carne. Minced beef, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, kidney beans, onion, garlic, paprika, cumin and chilli paste. Slow cook for 6 hours, add a bit of dark chocolate about half an hour before the end and double the quantity to have in wraps another day. 

[Unabomber]

2 hours ago, Greg2607 said:

my wife is on a SIM only and I will be once my Contract runs out in June.  I'm lucky that I get an Iphone with Work, so I just get an Android for my personal use. I managed to pick up an Oppo a couple of years back and it's a great phone. Still as good as the day I got it as well, so i'll just roll onto Sim Only... 

 

I think a lot of people are going to be shocked at just how little leeway they have in their personal finances over the next couple of years because of things like Mobiles, Internet etc that they are locked in to. 

 

We have a friend who is paying out more in Credit Card and Bank Loan Debt every month than she is for her mortgage. She has a Rolex on Finance for Christs sake! 

 

There are ALOT of people who want to appear rich who are actually pretty poor in relative terms. 

 

This girl in particular, bought a house on shared ownership because it was all her affordability would allow her. 

 

then THIS year, she has taken out an unsecured loan and bought a £57,000 Motorhome. 

 

Her and her partner earn circa £150,000 between them and live in a 3 bed starter home, because the debt they are saddled with means they can't afford a bigger mortgage. 

 

I shake my head at them both ALL the time!

 

 

 

 

Wow that is tragic. Why some feel the need to appear rich rather than invest in things that actually matter is beyond me. 

[Unabomber]

I have an app called spending for which I manually enter every penny that I spend and categorise each expenditure. It’s not too time consuming as repeat transactions like mortgage and phone bill etc automatically go out each month. What it allows though is to see at the end of the month/YTD how much you have spent on each item such as coffee or drinks out etc. It really helps with budgeting as you can set yourself spending goals for different things each month and then monitor it. If you are overspending on food shopping say you can then be more cautious the next month.

[Otis]

Batch cook and freeze.

 

After cooking, leave the oven door open to use the residual heat to heat the kitchen. 

 

Look out for late date food offers that you can freeze at supermarkets.

 

Turn down the on timer on high power security lights.

 

[I am Rod Hull]

 

Stop buying weed.

[jonthefox]

5 minutes ago, I am Rod Hull said:

 

Stop buying weed.

Or grow your own.

[I am Rod Hull]

4 minutes ago, jonthefox said:

Or grow your own.

Don`t grow it either. Weed is for deadheads.

[Raj]

I'm a tight bastard.

That helps.

[Parafox]

23 minutes ago, Otis said:

Batch cook and freeze.

 

After cooking, leave the oven door open to use the residual heat to heat the kitchen. 

 

Look out for late date food offers that you can freeze at supermarkets.

 

Turn down the on timer on high power security lights.

 

Crikey. Do you live on your own? 

[Parafox]

35 minutes ago, Unabomber said:

Wow that is tragic. Why some feel the need to appear rich rather than invest in things that actually matter is beyond me. 

I do wonder how many young adults with the latest iPhone have their contract paid by mum and dad. Just to keep up with their peers. Soft parenting IMO.

[tom27111]

13 minutes ago, Raj said:

I'm a tight bastard.

That helps.

We know.

[Free Falling Foxes]

10 hours ago, Greg2607 said:

Add a smart plug to your sockets and have them set up to turn off all your appliances when you go to bed... it costs roughly £30 a year for your Router to be turned on, but you don't need the internet when you sleep.... same with things like TV's etc... anything on standby basically. 

 

It's not going to make you rich, but it might save a few pounds off of your Electric bill!

I asked amongst colleagues, family and friends about their router and I was in a minority of one with regards to switching it off at night.

One even suggested that you are supposed to leave them on 24/7, as directed by the ISPs

Edited 13 April 2022 by Free Falling Foxes

[Parafox]

1 minute ago, Free Falling Foxes said:

as directed by the ISPs

So they can "take (non personal) information required to maintain their services (to you as a customer)"?

 

Similarly, and off topic, I don't truly believe that one's management of cookies make any difference to what data they collect.

[Otis]

30 minutes ago, Parafox said:

Crikey. Do you live on your own? 

No. But every penny saved is a penny to spend on other crap.

[Parafox]

22 minutes ago, Otis said:

No. But every penny saved is a penny to spend on other crap.

Some would say a season ticket for this season.