Share Your Money Saving Tips

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Ricardodaforce

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With rising prices and pay rises not keeping up with inflation, I though we could share some money saving tips.

My first one is aimed at those that regularly buy magazines. Save money buy subscribing to Readly instead. It’s a digital platform that includes hundreds of magazines and papers for only £9.99 a month.


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If you’re a Prime subscriber you get various magazines free to read online too. No choice over the titles and the content changes regularly but there’s usually something interesting to read and often some camera related titles.
 
Keep an eye on the supermarket offers. I only buy certain things when they are on offer. For example 24xDiet Coke is normally £9 in Tesco, so when its £7 I will buy a few, so I can buy again when the offer comes back. Same with things like tinned tomatoes, sometimes these are half price so stock up then.

Also, keep an eye on all shelves for things being reduced or at a weird price. Waitrose the other day had Saffron at £1,40 a jar (0.4g). Tescos (0.5g) is over double that and have normally paid £3+ so it could be a glitch, but take advantage!

Finally - get out at this time of year blackberry picking. Loads to get and freeze well (put on a single layer baking sheet in freezer, then when frozen put into freezer bags).
 
I have a Blue Light Card and one of the current offers is 10% off at Asda. We very rarely go to Asda.......but might be a next step depending on the terms of the offer???
 
Many libraries allow you to "borrow" digital magazines for free. Ours includes Amateur Photographer, for instance. I use it all the time. DIgital books too.
 
Cook large amounts of food and freeze what you don't use immediately.
Wash as many clothes as you can at lower temperatures, if you are able to hang washing outside spin it on the lowest speed possible.
Only boil as much water as you need
If you don't have one, buy a simple pressure cooker. They use much less water than cooking vegs in a saucepan and use a lot less gas or electricity.
Depending on the size of your household consider getting a water meter fitted. I resisted until recently and in our house(three adults) our monthly direct debit has gone from £56 to £20


Dave
 
I don't know if it can be classed as money saving but I use Quidco
https://www.quidco.com/raf/4668130/
its cash back but I got 70% cash back when I signed up for NordVPN, its a different % now but well worth using if you buy order and buy online
 
Have a look at what you get from your current account. My HSBC one comes with no perks. My Chase one earns me interest on everything I have in it, and gives me cash back on everything I spend.
 
Sainsbury's often have a 25% off offer online when you buy 6 or more bottles of wine. I do not know if that applies for in store purchases.

Stop drinking wine and you can save 100%. :)
 
One thing I used to do when I worked was take sandwiches or something plus a flask of tea. I forget how much that saved per day over going to the cafe but days x weeks x months, it added up into the hundreds of £ a year. These days I don't work but when me and Mrs are going out as we are tomorrow we'll take something to eat and drink and have a picnic.

Other than that. I have an internet day once a month when I go through all the outgoings and savings accounts and if swapping to a different supplier or savings account will get a better deal I do it as every little helps.
 
Pay for most of your stuff on a credit card that suits you! Up till a year ago I did weekly shop, fuel etc on our debit card. Then (as I use Waitrose mainly and buy a lot from John Lewis) I got a JL credit card so I get points on all spend and extra points if with them. By the time I get my 3rd lot of vouchers it should be £200 in a year (do spend a lot, ipad, couple of holidays etc) but its money I would have spent anyway!

On a lighter not getting removed access to the classifieds on here would help!
 
Keep an eye on HUKD.com if you need to buy stuff - it's like having a small army out looking for bargains.

Buy used if possible - for a list of everything available in the way of used cameras & lenses see https://usedlens.co.uk/ run by a member here.

More generally, as much as possible buy quality stuff so that you waste less or it lasts longer. We normally shop in Tesco but recently did a Lidl shop, and found that although the potatoes cost less, we had to bin some and cut out the bad bits of more to the point that they were more expensive than the expensive Tesco variety. Ditto their peppers. My Austrian grandmother would say that they always bought the best because it was cheaper that way.

If times are really tough, a roadkill pheasant that's not been ground to a pulp makes a good meal for 4, but avoid rabbits unless you have a slow cooker.
 
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Get ebooks from your library, free downloads.
In London a few of the libraries have got together https://tlc.overdrive.com/ you just need your library card and pin. 8 ebook limit at any one time.
 
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