Money Saving ideas ?
Discussion
At lunchtime I made some phone calls to various companies I have accounts with.
I rang Sky, moaned about their £2 price rise and got £11 off a month from my £36, did the gas cover as well, got a fiver off, changed my Energy tariff and got £20 off.
Quite a productive lunchtime ! £36 a month saving, and next month I can chop my wifes Iphone contract from £40 to £7.50, so, almost £70 in savings, for a 40% tax payer its like getting an almost £100 a month payrise, which is good as we didnt get one this year, or last, and it makes up for those little things you cant do anything about like the COuncil tax who arent generally very receptive to asking for a discount.
So, check every Direct Debit, ring up and haggle, they want to retain you, then do the same every year, also, I signed up for that Natwest Rewards, they pay you money as cashback for having direct debits with them, not sure how/why it works but have put £40 back in my current account over the last six weeks.
Any more ideas, am on a roll, not skint but we shouldn't have to be to keep an eye on things.
Any other ideas ?
I rang Sky, moaned about their £2 price rise and got £11 off a month from my £36, did the gas cover as well, got a fiver off, changed my Energy tariff and got £20 off.
Quite a productive lunchtime ! £36 a month saving, and next month I can chop my wifes Iphone contract from £40 to £7.50, so, almost £70 in savings, for a 40% tax payer its like getting an almost £100 a month payrise, which is good as we didnt get one this year, or last, and it makes up for those little things you cant do anything about like the COuncil tax who arent generally very receptive to asking for a discount.
So, check every Direct Debit, ring up and haggle, they want to retain you, then do the same every year, also, I signed up for that Natwest Rewards, they pay you money as cashback for having direct debits with them, not sure how/why it works but have put £40 back in my current account over the last six weeks.
Any more ideas, am on a roll, not skint but we shouldn't have to be to keep an eye on things.
Any other ideas ?
Lunches! I work in an office where 5 days a week people go up to the canteen and come back with a small box of salad stuff or a sandwich, and a small bottle of soft drink or water and that's £4 gone.
£20 a week or £80/month on lunches.
I don't mind paying to eat something decent but I'm f
ked if I'd pay that for a sandwich every day.
£20 a week or £80/month on lunches.
I don't mind paying to eat something decent but I'm f
ked if I'd pay that for a sandwich every day.Try shopping at Aldi - very good prices.
BT - Infinity 1 speeds now go upto 56mbps. I got my internet down from £32 per month to £21.75 a month with their "special deal". I also got the tv package down to £13.50 per month.
Others that I can think of but may be dodgy..
Kodi
Red diesel
Solar power
Freecycle
Coupons
E-cigs
Cut down on alcohol
Packed lunches
BT - Infinity 1 speeds now go upto 56mbps. I got my internet down from £32 per month to £21.75 a month with their "special deal". I also got the tv package down to £13.50 per month.
Others that I can think of but may be dodgy..
Kodi
Red diesel
Solar power
Freecycle
Coupons
E-cigs
Cut down on alcohol
Packed lunches
Planning food shopping and shopping smartly can save a fortune. If I really put my mind to it I can do a weeks shop for a family of 4 for around £100 (excluding my wine). That's not scrimping at all, just planning meals so you don't bin half what you buy. For example, rather than buying two steaks at a time from a supermarket I would buy a strip loin from a butcher and ask them to cut it and vac pack ready for freezing as individual steaks.
Fruit and veg twice a week from Aldi saves a fortune as does buying whole chickens at £2.30 a kilo and portioning them rather than chicken breasts at £6.00 a kilo.
Admittedly I have the time and desire to do this sort of thing as I am in catering but it's not rocket science and means I don't feel guilty spending a tenner on a bottle of plonk to go with dinner.
Forgot to add phones (as mentioned). Buy 4 iphones, sims from Tesco, £30 a month for everyone.
And... driving sensibly... I can get 21mpg or 45mpg doing the same commute. 45mpg saves a couple of tanks of petrol a month. But hey, there is a limit to even how far I will go!
Fruit and veg twice a week from Aldi saves a fortune as does buying whole chickens at £2.30 a kilo and portioning them rather than chicken breasts at £6.00 a kilo.
Admittedly I have the time and desire to do this sort of thing as I am in catering but it's not rocket science and means I don't feel guilty spending a tenner on a bottle of plonk to go with dinner.
Forgot to add phones (as mentioned). Buy 4 iphones, sims from Tesco, £30 a month for everyone.
And... driving sensibly... I can get 21mpg or 45mpg doing the same commute. 45mpg saves a couple of tanks of petrol a month. But hey, there is a limit to even how far I will go!
Edited by 21TonyK on Tuesday 19th April 18:51
I have turned into a proper tight git this year for daily spending -
Cycle/scooter to station (free parking vs £8 day in car)
Nero coffee stopped (now use office pod machine, save £2.50)
Packed in fags (£10day)
Brought in lunch/cereal (c.£10day)
Yes, yes i still have to make lunch and buy cereal, and i bought a brand new 300cc scooter for the station but hey, i'm saving over £30 a day! Oh, and Sky cut my bill to £34 from 50-odd for calling up.
Winner!
Cycle/scooter to station (free parking vs £8 day in car)
Nero coffee stopped (now use office pod machine, save £2.50)
Packed in fags (£10day)
Brought in lunch/cereal (c.£10day)
Yes, yes i still have to make lunch and buy cereal, and i bought a brand new 300cc scooter for the station but hey, i'm saving over £30 a day! Oh, and Sky cut my bill to £34 from 50-odd for calling up.
Winner!
johnwilliams77 said:
Did you call the council to ask for a discount?!
No, I dont think they have to fight to keep your business, bit of a monopoly.I saved £40 last week, was going to get the council to collect our old matress, was too tight to pay £40 and didnt have a car it fits in any more, so spent a happy hour cutting it up so it fitted in my car, went to work in the car with half of it one day and half the next, cost me the petrol to take it but was going that way anyway.
My thinking is, I cant really earn any more, even if it does it gets taxed to death, so try and spend a bit less, have stuck £1500 away in two months.
Edited by J4CKO on Tuesday 19th April 19:07
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