The handy tips for saving money thread.

[HighPeakFox]

57 minutes ago, Parafox said:

Crikey. Do you live on your own? 

Some of us do, it has much to be recommended about it.

[Bellend Sebastian]

Replace any remaining halogen or incandescent bulbs with LED ones.

 

When we had our extension built they put in 10 spotlights that were 50w each - now replaced by 10 4w LED equivalents, which now cost less than 3 quid each.

 

No idea how long that will take to pay for itself, but I'm glad I'm not burning 500w every time I put the bloody lights on

[Jattdogg]

2 hours ago, Raj said:

I'm a tight bastard.

That helps.

Roti and daal 3 times a day. Pennies to feed a family.  Tap water  and if you are a splurger, chop up  a cucumber grown in your own garden.. ooo aaaa lol.

[ALC Fox]

3 hours 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!

Not a sexy suggestion but carrots are well cheap, currently 19p a bag on Clubcard price at Tesco but normally about 39p. We always have loads in and put them in stir fries, soups, roasted as a side. They take on spice really well and go with most cuisines. Raw with hummus (make your own for pennies if you can) or other dips. There's plenty of ways to sneak them into your kids' meals.

 

As people have said above, meal planning is great. As an addition to that, you also save on meat because you only buy what you need. If you incorporate a few veggie meals into your diet, that'll save money too.

 

Portion control is also key. Get some cheap digital weighing scales and literally just weigh your portion of crisps instead of smashing the whole bag. Weigh your pasta, weigh your rice, weigh your couscous. Embrace wholewheat and whole grains as they're super nutritious and keep you fuller for longer.

 

If you're fortunate to have access to a Chinese supermarket, get your soy sauces, oyster sauce, sweet chilli, etc. from there as it's likely cheaper and you can buy bigger bottles. Get loads of different types of noodles from there too. Flat rice noodles, rice vermicilli, sweet potato noodles, regular egg noodles, they'll add variety to your stir fries or Asian broths for pennies.

 

Get a Costco membership if you can. Bulk buying sets you back a wedge in one go, but if you've got the cash flow, you'll save so much on certain essentials in the long run. Plus their rotisserie chickens are a proper treat 

 

One more: eat porridge. It's nutritious  filling, takes only about 10 minutes to make in the morning and you can mix up flavours. Chocolate chips one day, maple syrup another, grated apple and cinnamon another, raisins or other dried fruit another. And oats are really cheap.

[String fellow]

1 hour ago, Free Falling Foxes said:

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

PlusNet told me to keep their router powered up 24/7, which I always do. Tbh, if ever it needs to be switched off, I worry that the blue light (internet access) won't come on back on again. Apparently it confuses BT's telephone systems if it gets switched off. Furthermore, the savings on electricity are trivial compared with various other things:-

1. Stop attending football matches

2. Don't use taxis

3. Dispense with house insurance

4. Don't drink or smoke

5. Don't eat out

6. Drive a cheap reliable car

7. Stay single

8. Don't have holidays

9. Use a microwave, not the oven

10. Hand-wash clothes and don't iron anything

11. Buy unbranded groceries

12. Have hobbies that don't cost much

13. Only have free-to-air television

14. Pass on early Christmas presents to others

15. Most importantly - let relatives think you're poor! 

 

 

[Izzy]

30 minutes ago, ALC Fox said:

Not a sexy suggestion but carrots are well cheap, currently 19p a bag on Clubcard price at Tesco but normally about 39p. 

@tom27111

[Unabomber]

On the flip side what are peoples guilty pleasures that you know you should reign in the spending on but don’t? 

[FoxesDeb]

22 minutes ago, String fellow said:

PlusNet told me to keep their router powered up 24/7, which I always do. Tbh, if ever it needs to be switched off, I worry that the blue light (internet access) won't come on back on again. Apparently it confuses BT's telephone systems if it gets switched off. Furthermore, the savings on electricity are trivial compared with various other things:-

1. Stop attending football matches

2. Don't use taxis

3. Dispense with house insurance

4. Don't drink or smoke

5. Don't eat out

6. Drive a cheap reliable car

7. Stay single

8. Don't have holidays

9. Use a microwave, not the oven

10. Hand-wash clothes and don't iron anything

11. Buy unbranded groceries

12. Have hobbies that don't cost much

13. Only have free-to-air television

14. Pass on early Christmas presents to others

15. Most importantly - let relatives think you're poor! 

 

 

I'm not sure that getting rid of home insurance is sound advice 

[jonthefox]

24 minutes ago, String fellow said:

PlusNet told me to keep their router powered up 24/7, which I always do. Tbh, if ever it needs to be switched off, I worry that the blue light (internet access) won't come on back on again. Apparently it confuses BT's telephone systems if it gets switched off. Furthermore, the savings on electricity are trivial compared with various other things:-

1. Stop attending football matches

2. Don't use taxis

3. Dispense with house insurance

4. Don't drink or smoke

5. Don't eat out

6. Drive a cheap reliable car

7. Stay single

8. Don't have holidays

9. Use a microwave, not the oven

10. Hand-wash clothes and don't iron anything

11. Buy unbranded groceries

12. Have hobbies that don't cost much

13. Only have free-to-air television

14. Pass on early Christmas presents to others

15. Most importantly - let relatives think you're poor! 

 

 

16. Die of boredom 

[ajthefox]

2 hours ago, Unabomber said:

On the flip side what are peoples guilty pleasures that you know you should reign in the spending on but don’t? 

Drugs and sex workers.

 

I eat spag bol 14 meals a week though so it's grand.

[MPH]

Make a massive shepherds pie and live off it for a few days.   Bag of spuds,minced beef and some frozen peas/ carrots. That’s all you really need.

[MPH]

13 minutes ago, ajthefox said:

 

 

I eat spag bol 14 meals a week though so it's grand.

 

ha. This is basically my point.. or do a big  curry. Rice is cheap and buy a pack on nan breads from wherever. Plus you can add a different flavour to the rice each day. 

[Mike Oxlong]

Use toilet paper on both sides when cleaning your bum for a win win win - save paper, save money and save the planet 

[Jon the Hat]

11 hours 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.

 

Where does the heat go if you close the door?

[Sir Shep]

I've been ringing round all my insurers when renewal is up which saves tons of money, other things like the RAC as well will bring renewal quotes down if you say you are leaving. Sky TV next on my list once my contract expires in a couple of months. My mobile phone is only £5 a month sim only which suits me as i am not glued to my phone all the time! 

 

Other things like buying clothes from supermarkets rather than fashion brands, driving less and slower, you could go on.

[Tim'llFixIt]

I may or may not get sky sports, bt sports, pay per view, the full U.K, USA cable packages. Netflix, Disney plus, Prime, Apple TV .... + a V.P.N for £5 a month

 

Just saying

 

... Feel free to slide into my DMs

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

19 hours 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 £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.

 

This, although I've even more of a cheapskate so usually get Chinese phones - currently on an Oppo Reno4, which has a great screen, 5G, 30 min charging, 6GB RAM - I can't think of anything it can't do that any flagship can (unless you're into phone gaming or take a lot of photos) and that was under £250. I find it insane that you can pay 5x that amount for a phone which is not even noticeably better for day-to-day use, and that so many people do

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

10 hours ago, MPH said:

Make a massive shepherds pie and live off it for a few days.   Bag of spuds,minced beef and some frozen peas/ carrots. That’s all you really need.

 

That's a cottage pie, a far interior pie

[polarbear]

10 minutes ago, Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo said:

 

This, although I've even more of a cheapskate so usually get Chinese phones - currently on an Oppo Reno4, which has a great screen, 5G, 30 min charging, 6GB RAM - I can't think of anything it can't do that any flagship can (unless you're into phone gaming or take a lot of photos) and that was under £250. I find it insane that you can pay 5x that amount for a phone which is not even noticeably better for day-to-day use, and that so many people do

thanks for that, i was looking into the Oppo phone

[Free Falling Foxes]

Seems obvious but, only boil the water you need when making a drink.

I can think of several folk who fill the kettle right up.

 

Also, and Mrs. FFF is guilty of this, once things are boiling in a saucepan, you can reduce the flame/ring quite a lot and it still boils away. No need to keep it wellied up, it's not going to get any hotter.

 

Finally, to posters who dismiss turning things off as opposed to standby as the savings are minimal, that may be, but collectively it makes a significant difference to the overall environmental cost.

Edited 14 April 2022 by Free Falling Foxes

[EastAnglianFox]

19 hours 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!

 

I guess it depends on what people have in but If you have neither then it would be much cheaper using the tinned tomatoes instead of the olive oil.

 

 

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

11 minutes ago, polarbear said:

thanks for that, i was looking into the Oppo phone

 

I did have another Oppo previously (I think Reno 2) which was good for the money but died after a year, so like some other Chinese phones I wouldn't say they're particularly reliable but then I'm pretty clumsy so would be terrified of having a £600+ phone and breaking it

 

But the performance on the Reno4 is so good for the cost. It never slows down no matter how many apps you have running, have experienced no glitches in the 6 months I've been using it, gets regular firmware updates, just over 30 minutes to charge to 100% from empty, very little bloatware*, looks good and is all metal chassis/plastic backed so sturdy. The last phone had a glass back so was slippy without a case, and of course I dropped it and the whole back shattered into tiny glass shards. Literally the only things I don't like about it are the volume/power button placement is right where you would naturally hold it so I often take screenshots by accident, and the cameras are so-so (but then if you want decent cameras, you're probably only looking at phones £500 upwards)

 

*I don't know what Reno calls their firmware/launcher but it is very close to vanilla Android. I had a Xiaomi once which ran MIUI, which I absolutely hated. They took Android and made it so much more difficult to navigate, used all these shit custom icons, even introduced adverts onto the lockscreen. When I buy a new phone the firmware is one of the main things for me, I have no idea why so many phone manufacturers bother to customise Android as it hardly ever improved upon

[Greg2607]

16 minutes ago, Free Falling Foxes said:

Seems obvious but, only boil the water you need when making a drink.

I can think of several folk who fill the kettle right up.

 

Also, and Mrs. FFF is guilty of this, once things are boiling in a saucepan, you can reduce the flame/ring quite a lot and it still boils away. No need to keep it wellied up, it's not going to get any hotter.

 

Finally, to posters who dismiss turning things off as opposed to standby as the savings are minimal, that may be, but collectively it makes a significant difference to the overall environmental cost.

OR fill the kettle.... boil it once and transfer the water to a Flask, then use that all day to make your hot drinks... 

[ozleicester]

Redmi phones are amazing.

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

Another nice cheap meal (with Aldi prices), for fajitas:

 

Fajita kit - £1.50

Frozen chopped peppers - 65p

Sour cream and chive - 79p

1 large onion - 20p

2 chicken breasts - £1.85

 

£4.99, feeds 4. Course you can make it cheaper by swapping the chicken out for more vegetables or using frozen chicken or chicken thighs, or doing away with the sour cream, but if you do that then I can't guarantee it's still a nice meal

 

Edit - swapping out chicken breasts for something like Chicken Dippers would probably be quite nice, and shave £1 off the total

 

Fajitas is another one of those dishes that seems to be nicer when you leave the leftovers in the fridge. I usually make a batch and eat the leftovers for the next couple of lunches, cold fajitas are great

Edited 14 April 2022 by Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo