Moneysupermarket are running a great scheme at the mome where they ask bloggers to come up with 30 ways to save £1. Click here for more information. My site focuses a lot on money making, and not so much the money saving. So I’ve challenged myself to come up with a list of 30 ideas that don’t include any kind of money making. Here goes:
- Use printable coupons when shopping – this enables you to get items reduced, or in some cases, free.
- Visit the supermarket reduced shelf. Right now I’m currently tucking into a strawberry jam scone with cream – normally £2.10, yet at 8pm they were reduced to 42p! At Christmas time we managed to visit our local Co-op just before they closed on 23rd December and we walked away with £60+ worth of shopping for just £3. Tony also wanted me to mention that if you visit the chippy before closing then they often either give you bigger portions, charge you less or both!
- Sign up to Martin Lewis’ weekly email. This will save you much more than £1!
- This one isn’t terribly pleasant to mention, but in regards to the bathroom, ‘if it is yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down’. I won’t confirm or deny whether we do this!
- Batch cook – if you’re already making one meal for dinner then save on electricity by cooking double. The extra can either be frozen for another dinner or used as lunch the following day.
- Grow your own plants. I find that tomatoes and strawberries are the easiest for me. I’ve been really surprised at how many tomatoes are needed to make a pasta sauce, and buying them in is NOT cheaper than a £1 jar of sauce. However, growing them is easy and they’re fruitful for months and months – more than enough for lots of pasta sauce.
- Scour bargain stores such as Poundland for deals on high end products – lately I’ve seen Sally Hansen Salon Effect Nail Wraps for £1, as well as high end beauty products.
- Use loyalty cards when shopping.
- This extends to using a cashback credit card. I’ve got both a M&S and Tesco credit card – I pay for everything on them (as long as there’s no surcharge for using a credit card) then pay them off before interest is incurred. I then get rewards in either M&S or Tesco vouchers. The only time I can afford to shop in M&S is with these vouchers!
- Search Freecycle and Facebook groups for freebies.
- Plan your car journeys to use less petrol – even better, walk or car share if possible.
- When sending parcels, now that Royal Mail have increased their prices so dramatically, check whether couriers are cheaper. Collect + are my new favourite.
- Charge your phone at work or using an in car charger.
- Don’t be afraid to haggle. It might not work in Tesco, but if you receive quotes for repairs then it is always worth asking for the best price and stating (if applicable) that you’re happy to pay there and then for a cheaper price.
- Hang your washing outside instead of using the tumble drier - each load costs 50p to dry.
- Revamp old clothes – learn to sew buttons and jazz up old clothes instead of buying new ones.
- Exchange Tesco Clubcard vouchers for rewards – £10 in vouchers is a massive £40 in rewards to spend at certain restaurants including Prezzo and Pizza Express (can you tell where we are off to soon?)
- Before buying something on line, be sure to see if there are any discount codes at Hotukdeals. These codes sometimes also include free delivery.
- Likewise, use cashback websites such as Quidco and Topcashback.
- Compare utility prices to see if you could save from switching.
- Use price comparison sites to see if you’re getting the best deal.
- Park further away to save car parking charges, or use Park and Ride facilities.
- Shabby chic furniture instead of buying new. There’s a massive trend for ‘upcycling’ furniture at the moment.
- Save all your loose change in a jar and count it up regularly. If you don’t want to bank it then self service checkouts at supermarkets are good for spending it.
- If you drive, ensure your tyres are pumped up the correct pressure. This saves on petrol costs.
- Use Orange Wednesdays for 2-4-1 films on, you guessed it, Wednesdays. Don’t have an Orange account? Ask on Twitter or Facebook if anyone will share a code with you.
- Take lunches to work! This shouldn’t need any further explanation.
- Join mystery shopping companies and hopefully your assignments will be meals out.
- Complain about bad service. Whether it be a payment error, a rude member of staff or something else entirely. Complaining about genuine bad service could lead to freebies, money off or a refund.
- Praise! If there’s a product you love or you received great service, let the company know. They sometimes reward you in coupons and freebies!
