Serious Question

I can't even afford to window shop M&S food, it's ridiculously expensive!

 

Must be down south then all those penny pinching southerners deserting waitrose.

Lidls the place to be at in tarn then next door to super savers for your households.

 

Does Barnsley have an Home Bargains yet? Great place for saving money!!

 

Up stair foot there's a b&m place..

 

That's not too bad but home bargains is fab!! I'd never seen one before I came to Leeds.

 

First thing I would look at is your mobile costs...I have mine with Virgin..they sent me a new Blackberry 150 free mins and 250texts £9.99 pm...not an advertised deal,but I have their phone broadband package,and just tried twisting their arm..I was amazed how easy they offered me the deal...try it with Sky.House insurance went through the Meerkat site saved £120..car insurance saved £200,we have British Gas 3 star boiler cover and have had for many years...they halved it rather than let us leave..saved nearly £200.Energy bills.... go on GMfairenergy and sign up for a quote..its a collective buying scheme run by Greater Manchester Council,anyone can join no matter where you live,the reports I've read are that some people are saving over £400 a year on their gas and electric,theres no obligation to switch but you must sign up before 9th of this month to stand a chance of getting a quote for the current scheme..about 18000 have joined so far this year,37000 last year.Stop buying newspapers...hard at first but I get everything off the red button or the net now, saves a couple of hundred and I don't miss them at all.

 

I know it's been said but start with Sky.

A few years ago I was in the process of selling my property and decided to cancel Sky and set it up again after I moved as it was cheaper for new customers.

I don't know if this still exists, but Sky have what effectively is a last ditch keep the customer rate. I would expect this has increased now as we're talking 2006 but for 6 months my sky bill was £1. Which included broadband, entertainment and sport. So from about £60 at the time to £1.

It's a balance as you don't want to sound too desperate to get a deal or like you really do want to get rid. Sound like you want to keep it but just can't justify it any more.

Did the same with t-mobile years ago, while still in contract with about 5 months to go, and more than halved the price each month.

I'm with JamDrop on the food shopping too. As well as looking at cheaper sources, try and plan your meals for the week if you can and stick to that. Also, make a list of what you throw away every week. That will be a telltale sign of what you think you will consume but never do. Look in cupboards and use up whats been there for a while so the stocks you carry are utilised.

I don't know if you've got a garden or if you grow anything, but if not, do. Even if you grow your basic herbs (even on a window sill) you'll save a fair amount and only use the amount you need each time. In summer we also grow mixed lettuce, rocket, tomatoes (grown from dried seeds of sainsburys piccolo ones!), chili, peppers and blueberries (although the blackbirds usually beat us to them!) Daft as it sounds, that probably saves us about £100 a year and the food is much fresher and tastier.

Also look at composting, if you're on a water meter look at a water butt.

Shop around for energy deals and try and use a small provider. The smaller ones don't have the costs a big one does so generally they are cheaper. I moved from British Gas to First Utility and bills have dropped from £87 to £60 a month. While you're at it, see how energy efficient you are. Light bulbs, insulation and bigger things like boilers and double glazing can be funded through green deal (if its set up yet).

You can also try looking around the house and see what things you have which you no longer want or need and try and flog them on ebay. Anything you get from that, stick it in a savings account. Even if the interest rates are rubbish, it's still a buffer. And if you can afford it, stick savings in an easy access ISA. Even if you dip into it, you're getting interest at a higher rate and aren't paying tax on the interest.

 

If there's nothing wrong with your phone go sim only, I got a deal with tmobile, 900 min any network, 500 mins to tmobile users, unlimited txts and 500 mb browsing for £10+vat a month,

 

Fecking love that shop!

Ribena 29p?

BARGAIN.

 

Double Ribena post.

 

Sell the kids to either Madonna or Angelina Jolie.

 

Cancel Sky

Shop at Aldi and/or Lidl

NEVER let your insurances automatically renew

NEVER pay more than £15 per month for a phone contract. £40 per month - WOW?

NEVER go to the Dil Raj

Cancel Sky

Eat and drink less

Cancel any regular subscriptions such as gym memberships if you don't go regularly

Cancel Sky

Share broadband with a neighbour(s) if you get on well enough. This may save a landline rental or two if you only use it for the internet.

Wear clothes like mine

Buy a season ticket for Oakwell instead of paying on the day

CANCEL BLOODY SKY

 

The fact that there have been so many responses shows how many people are concerned about this issue. I haven't had time to read them all, so if I'm repeating something already said I apologise now. I seem to hold my money in a colander, it doesn't personally make me poor, but it does make me less well off than I ought to be. I bought an app called MoneyWiz and started logging my expenditure, it doesn't save you money, but it puts you in control of your spending decisions. I've been more in control since. I should point out that being in control doesn't make you happier, in fact it can make you a self denying misery, but one who is better off.

 

Another thought, I went to Sainsbury's last week and spent £30 ish, they gave me a voucher giving me a fiver off my next visit and because they are price matching Tesco and Asda another voucher for £4.95 because they hadn't matched the price (I know, barmy eh?). So I was running low on whiskey so I went and spent £50 and got £9.95 back. Here's the good bit, they gave me another voucher giving me £6 off on my next visit if I spend £60 (10% off).
This makes you wonder what he real price of stuff is, but the lesson is don't do the big shop, do lots of medium sized ones and you'll get it for less.
The immoral thing about it is that I get money off because I can spend £50, or £60 in one go (as you can), if I couldn't I'd be paying full price and subsidising people like me. It's their marketing, use it against them and for you.

 

Switch Gas/Electric supplier if you haven't done it for over 18 months, usually you can get a better deal there. Use moneysupermarket.com for other financial products, do you have a car? I switched to e-sure, for example, by checking online, and saved a boatload of money.

 

that ^^^^

 

You're all about the Ribena aren't you?

 

Waitrose deliver via Ocado in Barnsley

 

I'm sure you already know that but it is so important. I'm 25 so my car insurance is still expensive (I've only been driving just over 2 years) but the renewal quotes are ridiculous!! I was quoted £1300 to automatically renew with admiral (I was paying £800), after going to one of their sister sites (Diamond, Bell, Elephant etc.) I got it down to £600 which they were happy to beat without me having to sound like I didn't want to leave or anything, I just said 'your sister site is cheaper, can you match it or I'll go there', so they did. It takes about 20mins and is a bit of a pain but it saved me £700 so hey ho. I know as you pay less your saving won't be as a great, but it's still got to be worth it right?

Also, weird stuff like saying I park on the street was £300 cheaper than saying on the drive (god knows why), changing partner's job title slightly, even though it still described his job, saved £60. Taking him off as a named driver made it £45 cheaper (is he ever going to really need to drive my car when he has his own?) and putting me on his made his £80 cheaper. Those savings are not part of the £700 I saved by 'switching' they were for my original quote, going online and fiddling about with the options (whilst still not lying of course) can be the difference of literally hundreds, the trick is to click view quote after each change so you can see if it has put it up or down and work from there.

Also NEVER pay by instalments if you can help it. This was the most difficult thing for my partner at first to scrape it all together the first time but you really appreciate the extra money not going out each month, the worry isn't there as you've already paid it and it works out a few hundred cheaper again.

 

Perhaps we should rename the site "Thrifty BBS"?! Love the suggestions, a real we're all in it together thread. Oh update on last nights midnight nappy change = sh*t everywhere!!!