Money saving tips

Sim only mobile phone deals (if you're out of contract). Most people wouldn't need to spend more than £6-£10 per month for as many calls/text/data as they can use.
 
I turn all the radiators off upstairs and only keep 2 on downstairs. The kids are up there but they don't seem to notice the cold at all. Must be an age thing.
 
Don't go out, it's cheaper in doors.
Meditate in the dark. That's cheap, too. And great for your mind. Meditate on world peace.. a good thing.
Don't use the car for getting around town, just walk to the local shops. Good for the planet. Good exercise.
Buy an electric scooter. I've got one (I'm not young, btw). Lot's of fun.
Don't eat out. Experiment with cooking at home. be creative.
Don't drink alcohol.. bad for you anyway. Good for everything.

Basically, change most of your existing habit patterns. You'll be healthy and probably happier, too.
 
A good one is to use eco settings in washing machines or dishwashers. Often take longer (our dishwasher eco mode takes 3 hours but uses less power than the 1 hour cycle)
 
They seem to of dropped the cooking temp of ready meals for a while now this must have energy saving in mind , not a fan personally though
 
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Pay off any credit, in the order of the highest rate, so typically:
Credit Card ~18%
Car Loan ~7-13%
Loan ~4-7%
Mortgage ~1-3%

Do not overpay your mortgage, or skint yourself by a too short a term, if you have a credit card (which isn't interest free), or have car loans, you're literally throwing money away, thousands of it.

Once your credit card, or car loan is paid off, don't just think you can go and get something twice as good. Live within your means and work on other debt first. Even mortgaging to clear high interest debt can be good, 2% is better than 20%.

Don't think about debt by monthly payments, think of it like what is the total cost I'm going to pay/ owe, and divide that by the timeframe.

Like the cost of your car is:
Buy price - sell price (depreciation)
Finance charges
Fuel
Insurance
Maintenance/ Tyres etc
VED/ Car Tax

Work out what that will be, estimate the depreciation, fuel cost/ use, insurance etc and sum all of that up and divide by the months of your timeframe, that's your real monthly payment.

The dealer can make your monthly payment anything from £50-5,000, but it means completely zero, look at the total cost of ownership, it's all that matters in the end.

Don't use electric heaters, as electric is 3-10x more expensive than gas, per kWh, even with the current gas hikes (our electric comes from gas largely). But equally, don't heat your house, if you're only using a couple of rooms, turn some radiators off and shut some doors. Maintaining an "ok" temperature can be a lot more cost effective than your house going from freezing to roasting. Even reducing the temp by 1-2 degrees can make a massive difference.

Seal up any drafts in your house, like under kitchen units, behind the sink, bad seals on doors etc, this will help retain heat. Insulate the loft, doesn't need to be anything fancy, it all will help.
 
Just thought I'd revisit this. My mate suggested turning down the heating on my shower to 40c-45c. It has saved my usage by around 70%.
Good time to bring this thread back (y)

Yup, turn the temp down on your shower, but not maybe not your hot water tank, need to keep that above 60c to prevent legionnaires.

Shorter showers and don't have baths too.
 
Great thread this. My tips are online based:

I'd echo the previous posts which mentioned the likes of TopCashback and Quidco. If you're buying something online, it is an absolute no brainer to have accounts with both of these. The vast majority of retailers have accounts on one/both of them, and will compete with each other as to who can provide the most cashback to their customers. If you're spending anyway, you might as well receive some of your money back!

I work in digital marketing, specifically in the vouchers/cashback sector, and the amount of retailers who are utilising promotions and cashback deals now to win customers is astonishing. If you're buying online, always always always do a quick Google for '(brand name) voucher code)' or '(brand name) cashback'

Check if your workplace is part of any workplace/employee benefits sites too. The amount of retailers working with these now is crazy. The most well known ones are the likes of Health Service Discounts and Blue Light Card (both for services), but there are plenty of others that have popped up that work across all industries. Can usually just ask HR dept. if they're a member of any, and the discounts you can receive is great.

Browser extensions are growing too - the likes of Honey and Klarna are two of the biggest. You literally just add these to your Chrome browser, and they automatically scan for the best discounts/deals on any website you're on.

If you aren't already a member of TopCashback, I have a referral link for TopCashback HERE - this will give you a £10 sign up bonus.
 
Most washing machines can wash your clothes at 30 degrees, but the default temperatures tend to be higher, so adjust down to 30 degree before you start the cycle.

Fit LED light bulbs in your home if you haven't already. With the current price of electricity they pay for themselves in a year.

If you have the time shop around for food and groceries.

Examples

LIDL - Mouthwash 42p - branded at least £1

Home Bargains - Mediterrean Veg Tray - £1 (£1.39 at LIDL)

Sunday 3pm - good time for supermarket discounts

Occasional shop @ Sainsbury means more vouchers given.

Use the LIDL Plus App


Always pay credit card in full, unless on 0% interest on purchases

Renegotiate Internet/Phone and Sky contracts when they finish.

Use Oven for more than one item

Always check on prices on insurances when they are 3 weeks off renewing.
 
Go back in time to the Holgate and search the floor at the end of the match - as long as Boro have scored there’ll be coins scattered about from people who’ve jumped up an down when we scored. Don’t go back to a 0-0 😵‍💫
 
DON'T waste money on expensive iPods. Simply think of your favourite tune and hum it. If you want to "switch tracks", simply think of another song you like and hum that instead. 👍🏻😀
Re cycle your urine.
Looks just like apple juice in a glass.
Add sugar and Serve cold to people, preferably ones you don't like.
 
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