Giggling Squid
VIP Member
Tiny things you don’t even notice really start to add up - I think most banks let you save the pennies, so all transactions get rounded up and the pennies get added to savings
- Notice
MonkeyTennis
Active member
Not a revolutionary tip or anything here but l tend to avoid Poundland as l go into to get just one thing and comeout with a shead load having spent 15 quid on stuff l really didn't need.
Also a lot of cleaning products and the like are cheaper in Lidil and Aldi than Poundland.
And before shopping l write down a list and stick to it as much as possible. No extras, l used to bring out the exact amount of money for my shopping in cash, so there was no temptation to get anything else. However since Covid I am using my card more and find the little "extras" going into the trolley. And my weekly savings going down.
So l'm going to try and get into the habit of withdrawing exactly what l need in cash for shopping and petrol and leave my card at home. I also make sure l have the right amount ready at the till, as l don't want to be "that person" who holds up a queue, counting their coppers out.
God my life is boring
Also a lot of cleaning products and the like are cheaper in Lidil and Aldi than Poundland.
And before shopping l write down a list and stick to it as much as possible. No extras, l used to bring out the exact amount of money for my shopping in cash, so there was no temptation to get anything else. However since Covid I am using my card more and find the little "extras" going into the trolley. And my weekly savings going down.
So l'm going to try and get into the habit of withdrawing exactly what l need in cash for shopping and petrol and leave my card at home. I also make sure l have the right amount ready at the till, as l don't want to be "that person" who holds up a queue, counting their coppers out.
God my life is boring
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Swipeuplikeandshare
Well-known member
I deleted Amazon app as it was too easy to buy things there
I try to use my phone instead of a debit card as I have a spend limit on it
I try to use my phone instead of a debit card as I have a spend limit on it
Second this! I have this set up on my bank and I’ve saved up a few hundreds pounds just from rounding up my spending
LaurieLaurie
VIP Member
Keep out of supermarkets. I found myself popping into them daily before lockdowns and before I knew it wasting £30+ on absolutely nothing.
under the ivy
VIP Member
I give myself a weekly budget (bills aside) of £50. Anything left I transfer to savings. I sometimes spend this silly on Amazon which I’m going to stop. I’ve deleted all shopping apps on my phone & I’m going to delete Apple Pay as it stores my cards which makes online purchases from my phone/MacBook literally a click away.
Not going into Primark/Home Bargains etc & spending £10 £20 on myself. Lockdowns etc have helped with this but the temptation is there when I’ve been in town! I’m just going to buy when I NEED something e.g I run out of deodorant/shampoo, my socks have holes in them. I’m not going to buy any clothes this year, this will save me £££.
I also have a save the change with my bank. It does add up! I’m also an avid Ebay seller and made £50 just before Christmas. I think I might have a wardrobe sort out this weekend and get selling again!
Loved reading all your tips - I’m saving for a house deposit & a car so I need to stop spending silly!
ETA: I’m going to cancel my gym membership, I’ve just seen it’s £20 a month when I workout at home with my weights & bike!
Not going into Primark/Home Bargains etc & spending £10 £20 on myself. Lockdowns etc have helped with this but the temptation is there when I’ve been in town! I’m just going to buy when I NEED something e.g I run out of deodorant/shampoo, my socks have holes in them. I’m not going to buy any clothes this year, this will save me £££.
I also have a save the change with my bank. It does add up! I’m also an avid Ebay seller and made £50 just before Christmas. I think I might have a wardrobe sort out this weekend and get selling again!
Loved reading all your tips - I’m saving for a house deposit & a car so I need to stop spending silly!
ETA: I’m going to cancel my gym membership, I’ve just seen it’s £20 a month when I workout at home with my weights & bike!
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Nebbymoo
Well-known member
Going into 2021 I'm hoping to really try to reign in my spending. I'd like to start saving money where I can too.
My household is a family of 5 and 3 animals so any saving will be fantastic.
What's your best money saving tips? I'm sure theres plenty of us on here all looking to save a few quid where we can and its always good to have other people for support so thought I'd start a thread for anyone else who's interested
My household is a family of 5 and 3 animals so any saving will be fantastic.
What's your best money saving tips? I'm sure theres plenty of us on here all looking to save a few quid where we can and its always good to have other people for support so thought I'd start a thread for anyone else who's interested
I’m interested too.. going back to work part time after being on maternity so definitely need to be more careful with my money.
One of my goals is to not spend money on things I don’t need.. whenever I’m out I always end up picking stuff up and then have shoppers regret cause I didn’t really need it/already had something similar at home. I guess this may be easier with the shops not being open though..
One of my goals is to not spend money on things I don’t need.. whenever I’m out I always end up picking stuff up and then have shoppers regret cause I didn’t really need it/already had something similar at home. I guess this may be easier with the shops not being open though..
hashbrown123
Well-known member
I find what helps me is set myself a weekly budget (not including bills but just purely spare money) of £50. I probably don’t need that much but I do it so I’m never having to dip into my savings. Every Friday I move whatever I haven’t spent of that £50 into another account and do this every week. At the end of the month anything I’ve got left over I move into my savings.
I also try and save at least £50 a month anyway and move it into my savings on pay day so I dont have it sitting in my main bank account waiting to be spent for very long lol. The best advice I could give was before you get started to go through your debits and make sure you need everything and cancel anything you don’t.
also if you’ve got any debts I would pay them all off first before saving If you can. I had about £3k to pay off but I did that so I know that the spare money I have is mine to save and means no interest payments
I also try and save at least £50 a month anyway and move it into my savings on pay day so I dont have it sitting in my main bank account waiting to be spent for very long lol. The best advice I could give was before you get started to go through your debits and make sure you need everything and cancel anything you don’t.
also if you’ve got any debts I would pay them all off first before saving If you can. I had about £3k to pay off but I did that so I know that the spare money I have is mine to save and means no interest payments
lemonlime
VIP Member
Last year I've cut way back on online shopping and takeaway. Deleting the convenient apps and logging out on my laptop and deleting the cookies and saved passwords helped. I also no longer click "remember password" on websites etc. so that I'm not as easily tempted to buy stuff that I think I want/need but will forget in a couple of weeks.
Changed my mobile network provider as my old one was way overcharging. The service isn't as smooth but I live in a central area and the reception is usually perfectly fine so it's not enough to deter me from a cheaper package.
Cancelled all subscriptions I don't use very often or switched to a cheaper package if it's not something that really adds to my life apart from the occasional convenience.
Recording what I spend helped me see where my money goes and I regret not keeping this up throughout 2020. The pandemic threw me off and I just didn't care but definitely goin back to this and looking for a simple excel template to record the overall situation. For daily recording of spendings, I just used a small notepad as I don't like keeping notes on my phone. (I've made expense categories basen on what my needs and wants were.) Having clarity about how much money you actually have and what you can actually afford is a great starting point.
I also try not to use my credit card much. I prefer my debit card and spending the money I do have on what I can afford. (Life doesn't always go according to plan but this is what I aim for.)
I still have my impulse purchase etc. but compared to a few years ago I'm doing much better.
Changed my mobile network provider as my old one was way overcharging. The service isn't as smooth but I live in a central area and the reception is usually perfectly fine so it's not enough to deter me from a cheaper package.
Cancelled all subscriptions I don't use very often or switched to a cheaper package if it's not something that really adds to my life apart from the occasional convenience.
Recording what I spend helped me see where my money goes and I regret not keeping this up throughout 2020. The pandemic threw me off and I just didn't care but definitely goin back to this and looking for a simple excel template to record the overall situation. For daily recording of spendings, I just used a small notepad as I don't like keeping notes on my phone. (I've made expense categories basen on what my needs and wants were.) Having clarity about how much money you actually have and what you can actually afford is a great starting point.
I also try not to use my credit card much. I prefer my debit card and spending the money I do have on what I can afford. (Life doesn't always go according to plan but this is what I aim for.)
I still have my impulse purchase etc. but compared to a few years ago I'm doing much better.
Move your money.
Loads of good tips above of how to spend less so my tip for step 2 is to “move your money”.
I know interest rates are pretty much non-existent these days, but I find it easiest to save money when it’s in a separate account. If it’s not there you can’t “accidentally” spend it. Even £5 a month will add up. £50 a month if you can would be £600 at the end of the year.
If you’re the type of person who feels they need a specific goal then have two pots and split that £50 however you want (£25/£25, £10/£40, whatever motivates you!).
My tip on how to spend less -
Examine your kitchen and bathroom.
Pick one item at a time and try and swap it out for a cheaper version. Sometimes you might try something else and not like it, that’s fine, stick to the original - this isn’t supposed to be torture. But maybe you’ll be pleasantly surprised and save some pennies down the line, and as others said, the pennies do add up.
Good luck!
Oh! Didn’t see @hashbrown123 ‘s comment but absolutely agree and love the filtering of savings.
And that’s another useful point - just being really mindful of where your money is and what it’s doing will (hopefully) make saving easier. Not in an overly obsessive way - finances don’t need to be super complicated (as I think we are often led to believe).
It’s so cliche to say but once you’ve got a rhythm going and saving becomes second nature it is about just making your money work harder. Make the £ streeeeeetch. I have a list of certain items that I never buy unless on promotion/discounted. Mayonnaise, ketchup, drinking chocolate, fabric conditioner...I buy these all branded because I didn’t like the cheaper swaps but buying them discounted is my compromise.
And I have three pots - holiday, handbag, house. Whatever floats your boat!
Loads of good tips above of how to spend less so my tip for step 2 is to “move your money”.
I know interest rates are pretty much non-existent these days, but I find it easiest to save money when it’s in a separate account. If it’s not there you can’t “accidentally” spend it. Even £5 a month will add up. £50 a month if you can would be £600 at the end of the year.
If you’re the type of person who feels they need a specific goal then have two pots and split that £50 however you want (£25/£25, £10/£40, whatever motivates you!).
My tip on how to spend less -
Examine your kitchen and bathroom.
Pick one item at a time and try and swap it out for a cheaper version. Sometimes you might try something else and not like it, that’s fine, stick to the original - this isn’t supposed to be torture. But maybe you’ll be pleasantly surprised and save some pennies down the line, and as others said, the pennies do add up.
Good luck!
Oh! Didn’t see @hashbrown123 ‘s comment but absolutely agree and love the filtering of savings.
And that’s another useful point - just being really mindful of where your money is and what it’s doing will (hopefully) make saving easier. Not in an overly obsessive way - finances don’t need to be super complicated (as I think we are often led to believe).
It’s so cliche to say but once you’ve got a rhythm going and saving becomes second nature it is about just making your money work harder. Make the £ streeeeeetch. I have a list of certain items that I never buy unless on promotion/discounted. Mayonnaise, ketchup, drinking chocolate, fabric conditioner...I buy these all branded because I didn’t like the cheaper swaps but buying them discounted is my compromise.
And I have three pots - holiday, handbag, house. Whatever floats your boat!
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Falafel_Falafel
Member
Jan 2020 I set up a Plum account. It links to your bank account(s) and takes little bits here and there. You can tell it to take more or less or nothing. You can transfer it back any time. At the end of the year I had just over £1000 and I hadn't noticed it or felt like I was saving. I added round ups so when I use my card it rounds to the nearest pound and adds that. My son, added rainy day, and it takes an amount each time, he had it set to £5. My husband did it too and he had £1800 at the end and used it to clear a loan early. I'm at £1250 now, three months into this year, not a fortune but it will make a difference soon.
kittypaws
VIP Member
Money boxes are a really good shout! Depends how often you have change obviously but i bought my bf a money box last year and he just put pound coins in it. I bought it him for Christmas and by august he had over £500 in it! He also has a second money box for all other change as well.
AnderbeauJohnson
VIP Member
Pinto beans are great for either replacing or making pork mince go further. Cannellini/Haricot beans can do the same for chicken.
If you find yourself stress spending for a dopamine fix make a list of other things that you find enjoyable/calming and do one of those for five minutes first when the urge to spend strikes.
If you find yourself stress spending for a dopamine fix make a list of other things that you find enjoyable/calming and do one of those for five minutes first when the urge to spend strikes.
Giggling Squid
VIP Member
I
I do this! I put my ‘minimum’ saving amount straight into savings, and then i put another buffer into a separate account. This then at the end of the month goes into my proper savings, but gives me easier to access money should I need it eg for unplanned vet/car bills, but it’s harder to just spend on stuff
realhousewivewannabe
VIP Member
Hi All, I’ve just found this thread (I’ve been deep in searches for money saving tips this week) it’s payday today 
and I’ve managed to save 90% this month.
However, I’m now starting to feel anxious/apprehensive about life after lockdown and staying on track with saving. For context I spent waaaaay too much than I saved last year. Although I achieved small wins realising now how much I squandered makes me feel sick.
Does anyone have any ideas how to keep going next month?
and I’ve managed to save 90% this month.However, I’m now starting to feel anxious/apprehensive about life after lockdown and staying on track with saving. For context I spent waaaaay too much than I saved last year. Although I achieved small wins realising now how much I squandered makes me feel sick.
Does anyone have any ideas how to keep going next month?
Happy Lady
VIP Member
Great ideas here.
Turn the thermostat down, check what time the heating comes on each day - can you start it 15 minutes later?
Go three months without buying and new clothes or make up. Then ask yourself whether you really need to buy.
Go an extra week or two between visiting the hairdresser.
Do your own nails.
Check out saver cards. We buy £400 at a time that only costs £360. Can be used at M&S, Sainsbury's, Asda, B&Q and many more.
If you get money off vouchers, remember to use them, especially 2 for 1.
If shopping on line check out offers first.
Check out different insurance companies. It's often cheaper to put everything with the same company.
Check out different gas and electric suppliers.
There are also companies that search on your behalf and put all insurances, heating, phone and internet in one package. Don't think I'm allowed to post a link.
Turn the thermostat down, check what time the heating comes on each day - can you start it 15 minutes later?
Go three months without buying and new clothes or make up. Then ask yourself whether you really need to buy.
Go an extra week or two between visiting the hairdresser.
Do your own nails.
Check out saver cards. We buy £400 at a time that only costs £360. Can be used at M&S, Sainsbury's, Asda, B&Q and many more.
If you get money off vouchers, remember to use them, especially 2 for 1.
If shopping on line check out offers first.
Check out different insurance companies. It's often cheaper to put everything with the same company.
Check out different gas and electric suppliers.
There are also companies that search on your behalf and put all insurances, heating, phone and internet in one package. Don't think I'm allowed to post a link.
Pinkblush
VIP Member
Always do regular reviews of spend.
Separate out necessities and luxuries. Never try and convince yourself something is a necessity when its a luxury.
Don't be sucked in by consumerism. Ask yourself why you need £130.00 earphones when £30.00 ones will do.
When looking at luxuries remind yourself of a time when you managed and lived perfectly okay without them.
Do you really need so much streaming or are you getting it because everyone else has it. Netflix, amazon, now tv, britbox etc.
I cancelled £28 gym membership since lockdown. I can utilise tons of free fitness stuff on apps and on you tube. Plus there's the great outdoors - so what if its a bit rainy or cold.
I saved so much by cancelling amazon prime and like the gym I don't miss it one bit. I now do less amazon online shopping as a result so even further savings.
Again, don't convince yourself these are necessities.
Also I've saved £25 by changing to sim only phone account.
Separate out necessities and luxuries. Never try and convince yourself something is a necessity when its a luxury.
Don't be sucked in by consumerism. Ask yourself why you need £130.00 earphones when £30.00 ones will do.
When looking at luxuries remind yourself of a time when you managed and lived perfectly okay without them.
Do you really need so much streaming or are you getting it because everyone else has it. Netflix, amazon, now tv, britbox etc.
I cancelled £28 gym membership since lockdown. I can utilise tons of free fitness stuff on apps and on you tube. Plus there's the great outdoors - so what if its a bit rainy or cold.
I saved so much by cancelling amazon prime and like the gym I don't miss it one bit. I now do less amazon online shopping as a result so even further savings.
Again, don't convince yourself these are necessities.
Also I've saved £25 by changing to sim only phone account.
Bubblesandflowers
VIP Member
Pay yourself first! If you want to save £200 pay that into your savings right away. When I used to just save whatever was left at the end of the month I wouldn't save as much. So I make sure on pay day I put the money straight away and I make do with the rest.
Also sim only instead of getting a new phone has saved me £45 a month!
Also sim only instead of getting a new phone has saved me £45 a month!
hashbrown123
Well-known member
Very random but for those who like reading on kindles etc and maybe pay for books on them check to see if your library offers an online service where you can get books for free. I joined my local library online and then downloaded an app and put my new library member details in and get access to loads of the latest books all for free the app is called borrow box but I just joined on the library’s website first. Might be worth looking if your library has anything similar if you’re a keen reader!