Whilst browsing
MoneySupermarket, I found a little something that caught my eye. They are looking for a load of bloggers to blog their 30 ways to save £1 to celebrate the 30th year of our great pound coin! I like to be a bit thrifty and a £1000 prize for the lucky winner was a sure incentive to find my ways of saving a pound (or more!)
1) Ditch the weekly mag.
I had a magazine I read every single week which cost me 99p. Since I ditched the mag, I get to save that 99p and I'm also happier not reading the same old rubbish about women and their bodies all the time!
2) Buy a weekly bus pass instead of paying everyday.
My Husband recently figured out that it costs him more (£18) to get to and from work every day when paying for a return fare, so instead he purchased an all week ticket for £16 saving himself £2. Every little counts!
3) Save with PARK for Christmas.
Since I started putting money back every month Christmas has been so much easier to manage. It is the one time of year which can be quite stressful money wise and I used to be terrible with over buying therefore overspending. Now I have a set amount of vouchers and once they're gone, they're gone.
4) Meal Plan- and stick to it!
5) Don't give into the children!
Easier said than done I know, but buying a chocolate bar, a magazine or toy to keep them from screaming Tescos down isn't going to do your wallet any favours (and doesn't last that long anyway!)
6) Take advantage of reward cards.
Boots are the best for me but there are also Tesco Clubcards, Superdrug reward cards, Iceland Bonus Card and many more.
7) Instead of booking a holiday away, staycate!
Next year we're booking a holiday local to us instead of going further away.
8) Stick to your shopping lists!
9) Buy value products where possible.
There isn't a great difference to most of the foods taste wise but a big difference price wise!
10) Shop around!
I use my local superstore for 'free from' food, Lidl and Superdrug for bulk buying the children's nappies and my local green grocer for my fruit and veg. Most of the time it works out much more in my favour than sticking to one shop.
11) Repair where possible.
Get into a habit of saving the items you have by repairing them instead of throwing things out at the first sign of wear and tear.
12) Get outdoors instead of using the gym.
Unless you really get your moneys worth from the gym, there's no point in paying out every month. Instead walk, run, cycle, jog and take in that fresh air!
13) Buy your books from boot sales, charity shops or even borrow them from your local library. You can even download free books from your Kindle if you own one.
14) Use white vinegar to clean your house instead of expensive chemical brands
15) Use newspaper to clean your mirrors instead of polishing them!
16)Look after what you already have!
The more you don't care for something, the quicker they will wear out and eventually become broken. So take care of what you already own and you will save pennies in the long run.
17) Save baths for those real 'treat yourself' moments.
18) Don't bin your leftovers!!
There are plenty of recipes out there to help you use your leftovers! Sometimes I just have what's left for lunch the next day.
19) Make gifts and cards.
A lot of the time there are items in our home we could make nice and give away as gifts. A cheaper and very thoughtful way of showing someone you care
20) Grow you own!
21) Pack a lunch instead of buying in town or at work.
22) Bake!
I always have the ingredients in my cupboard to make cakes and cupcakes which are bigger and better than store bought packs. Biscuits are cheap and simple to make too, especially in bulk!
23) Swishing!
Taking your old, clean belongings to a Swishing party means you can socialise and get some new clothes in exchange for your old ones.
24) Use your own bags!
25) Look out for money off local attractions in your local newspaper.
26) Ditch take aways.
27) Quit the cigarettes!
My husband switched from cigarettes to roll ups and now he's cutting down I'm pretty sure we'll see the difference money wise very soon!
28)Use your library and possibly local school for free toddler groups.
The school my daughter goes to runs a free toddler group every week with the library offering the same the next day. Most council run places and nurseries will charge up to £2.50 for a session so if you can find a free one, make use of it!
29) Buy second hand, so much cheaper and nothing wrong with it.
30) Carry around snacks and water with you (especially if you're with children) to avoid the sudden spending of money.
CupcakeMumma
