Frugal Living

[J3N1800]

I used a couple of coupon apps called Shopmium and GreenJinn after seeing them on a Grackle Video (YouTube)
I got a 102g bag of Malteasers and cat food for free and Honey Shreddies for 50p
You purchase them first, then scan the receipt and the barcode then they refund to your paypal

Be careful though, I almost bought things I didn't need just because there was a coupon which isn't really saving is it!

 

[shadowcat5]

Inspired by the green living and discontent thread: I thought we could share tips and tricks on what we do to live frugally or post some frugal wins.

today I found a casserole pack in Asda for 20p and some celery for 21p. I’ve frozen it and I’ll throw it in a casserole or a pie this week. You have to get lucky but it’s much cheaper than buying the veg individually if you can get a pack

food wise: i also buy my veg frozen so that it keeps for ages.

I drink squash as a treat drink instead of fizzy drinks so it lasts longer.

i slow cook my food overnight when the electricity is cheapest and then portion it in the morning

I will add more when I think of some

 

[EllenDeGenerate]

Just a few tips off the top of my head:
I rarely buy fizzy drinks, instead mix squash with own-brand sparkling water for a a fizzy kick.

I use the fast-wash (30 mins) on my washing machine for most loads, pre treating the odd stain if necessary, with a smidge of washing up liquid. I pause the cycle for a few minutes mid-wash, to let the clothes soak. The clothes come out spotless, then get line-dried.

I don't use cleaning sprays, just my trusty microfiber cloths.

I use frozen vegetables regularly. They are nutrient-dense, and really cheap. Particularly own-brand.

I have loads more tips. But I'm going to bed now!!

 

[shadowcat5]

Posted this on another thread but it might be worth people watching “30 ways to cut your bills” on channel 5. Aired last night but it’s on My5. I found it really interesting cause they discuss how much things cost per hour.

 

[hollowcrown]

Waze lets you find the cheapest fuel prices at petrol stations near you so worth using that to find where to go to buy you fuel.

 

[shadowcat5]

I have started buying frozen veg and I have always found Squash nicer than the fizzy stuff

I swear by frozen veg! No waste as it doesn’t go off and as long as I’ve got my bulk pulses, tins and some spices I can knock a meal up in minutes. I meal plan but I don’t really need to as I have everything I need.

I prefer squash. Doesn’t leave a film around your teeth and it last so much longer. (I tell myself it’s healthier as well cause it’s 3/4 water but I mean that could be bullshit)

 

[Slaybutter]

They offer different plans for electricity where I live — it’s much cheaper between 12 am - 8 am all year round if you commit to downgrading your electricity usage during the summer months. It’s less than 2 cents/kWh during those off peak periods compared to the average rate of 14 cents/kWh. I’ll try it this year for the first time. I’ll aim to do batch cooking, run the dishwasher and wash my clothes during those hours.

 

[Tangerine Cat]

There’s a lady on Facebook who has a page called 'feed your family for £20 a week' posting some really good ideas for meal planning.

Use top cashback if you’re buying things online, although if you use a voucher code aswell cash back could be declined. If you don’t use this already I can give you a referral code and then that person can give a referral code to the next person, and so on….

Use the Shopmium app. You get a freebie to start with (i had a large bar of chocolate) and then when you go round the big name supermarkets you can get discounts on products. All you do is upload a photo of your receipt - front and back - and post a review for the product they can use online if they wish. They pay you back via PayPal or your bank account.

get a slow cooker if you haven’t already, you can even cook baked potatoes in them. If you cook a batch you can freeze them and take one to work for lunch by reheating in a microwave.

soupmakers are really good too. Chuck some veg in, I always use chicken stock cubes, use potatoes to thicken and a dash of milk or cream if you’ve got some to use up…. Delicious.

I’ll think of some more!

 

[shadowcat5]

They offer different plans for electricity where I live — it’s much cheaper between 12 am - 8 am all year round if you commit to downgrading your electricity usage during the summer months. It’s less than 2 cents/kWh during those off peak periods compared to the average rate of 14 cents/kWh. I’ll try it this year for the first time.

mine is one of those economy ones that are cheaper from 10pm-6am, my neighbours must hate me cause I do my washing as close to 10pm as possible (although only at weekends)

 

[Eirawen]

Inspired by the green living and discontent thread: I thought we could share tips and tricks on what we do to live frugally or post some frugal wins.

today I found a casserole pack in Asda for 20p and some celery for 21p. I’ve frozen it and I’ll throw it in a casserole or a pie this week. You have to get lucky but it’s much cheaper than buying the veg individually if you can get a pack

food wise: i also buy my veg frozen so that it keeps for ages.

I drink squash as a treat drink instead of fizzy drinks so it lasts longer.

i slow cook my food overnight when the electricity is cheapest and then portion it in the morning

I will add more when I think of some

I have started buying frozen veg and I have always found Squash nicer than the fizzy stuff

 

[Bubblesandflowers]

@EllenDeGenerate I love Frozen Veg. I find it much easier and convenient to grab a couple of trees of broccoli or a cup of sweetcorn to add to a meal.

 

[Kim Mild]

Just a few tips off the top of my head:


I use the fast-wash (30 mins) on my washing machine for most loads, pre treating the odd stain if necessary, with a smidge of washing up liquid. I pause the cycle for a few minutes mid-wash, to let the clothes soak. The clothes come out spotless, then get line-dried.


I have loads more tips. But I'm going to bed now!!

I used to always use the quick wash then I read somewhere that the longer washes were more energy efficient so I tried them. It made no difference to my electricity consumption. It seems like it's a convenience/ time saver rather than an energy saver.

 

[dot bold dot dot]

A few good apps I used to use and am now reusing are

Olio - people post food that is very close to / at sell by date and it is all free to collect. I've found it great for breadstuff before that can be frozen.

Too good to go - can be a bit sketchy with what you get as sometimes you never know till you've collected but in our area the local carvery have end of day carverys and late breakfasts for £3/£4 and you get a really decent portion!

Top cashback - I always check this if I ever shop online

Bing rewards - takes some time to build but only takes about 10 minutes in the morning to do mini quizzes or polls and there's not necessarily sensitive data shared either. So many points can be converted to gift cards (I usually get £5 m&s once a month)

Swagbucks - it's a survery site mostly so can mine data but I now only use it to do the polls, play the swago board, and I have downloaded the odd game before - when I first joined it was through Martin's money saving site and if you got so many points then they have you a lot more and I ended up cashing about £60 worth of m&s vouchers in the first 3 months. I estimate, due to not doing many surverys now, I'll come out with about £10 a month but again it's quite little time and I do it between work

I'm just getting into being more frugal with food and I've posted some things on the recycling thread about how I'm trying to be more zero waste and hopefully less spendy but I'm looking forward to seeing what others share here

I've got 2 bags of frozen veg on thier way in my big shop order!

 

[Eirawen]

I swear by frozen veg! No waste as it doesn’t go off and as long as I’ve got my bulk pulses, tins and some spices I can knock a meal up in minutes. I meal plan but I don’t really need to as I have everything I need.

I prefer squash. Doesn’t leave a film around your teeth and it last so much longer. (I tell myself it’s healthier as well cause it’s 3/4 water but I mean that could be bullshit)

I live on my own so buying fresh veg always seemed wasteful, maybe I will still buy a swede, carrots etc when I start making my winter stews again and use a soup mix to bulk them up.

 

[shadowcat5]

I live on my own so buying fresh veg always seemed wasteful, maybe I will still buy a swede, carrots etc when I start making my winter stews again and use a soup mix to bulk them up.

i only buy fresh when it’s reduced and can be thrown in the freezer. It’s a shame cause I love salads but the veg ends up soggy before I can eat it all

 

[Slaybutter]

I only do it at weekends (just me at home so better anyway to leave the washing pile up) and I live next to men who work long hours and work away (ive never met the guy who lives next door lol) so I doubt they mind. If it was young families or anything like that I would ask though.

Yeah, I bet they don’t mind and are probably doing the same! I got used to my neighbors running their machines at night. Then again, I might not be a good example because I love white noise I also have no problem speaking up when my neighbors push the limits on what’s acceptable & expect the same from them

 

[Eirawen]

i only buy fresh when it’s reduced and can be thrown in the freezer. It’s a shame cause I love salads but the veg ends up soggy before I can eat it all

I know but it soggifies so quickly

 

[House of Tea]

You might be interested in this thread too

Your best money saving tips and hacks.

I haven't seen a thread on this?. I know many people are anxious right now and looking for ways to save money in all ways. This thread isn't about "OMG my food, my mortgage, my utilities are costing X amount. There is already a thread for that but I know that one makes many people anxious...

tattle.life

 

[shadowcat5]

Unless you live in a coop and there’s a rule saying you can’t, there’s no good reason not to

I only do it at weekends (just me at home so better anyway to leave the washing pile up) and I live next to men who work long hours and work away (ive never met the guy who lives next door lol) so I doubt they mind. If it was young families or anything like that I would ask though.

 

[Zulkraa]

Posted this on another thread but it might be worth people watching “30 ways to cut your bills” on channel 5. Aired last night but it’s on My5. I found it really interesting cause they discuss how much things cost per hour.

I’ve just watched this on 5 on demand some interesting tips. I also like the Bargain Brits on Benefits they also have some useful tips.