Thirty Ways to Save £1

Following on from several bloggers who have posted their own versions of Thirty Ways to Save £1, here's my own version.

1)  Always take your own water bottle to the gym or out for the day so you don't have to pay the exhorbitant prices charged by vending machines and other places.

2)  Cut up any old or stained clothing that is not fit to send to the charity shop to use as dish/floor cloths.

3)  If you have an open fire, cut up any wood that can be used to burn on the fire to save on buying logs and firewood.  I will often take wood offcuts out of skips (asking first, of course) or use old wooden doors no longer required that my OH will chop up to use on our fire.

4)  Shop around for items that you use regularly and make sure you always get them at the cheapest price possible.  If I know I can get something cheaper up north whilst visiting relatives, I will buy a stock of such an item when on a visit and bring them back to London with me.

5)  If you shop online always Google for voucher codes before making purchases with specific websites.  You can often at least save on the postage costs if a voucher code is available.

6)  Re-use plastic bags as bin liners for waste baskets around the house, to collect up the cold ashes from the fire, to keep your bicycle seat dry or any other use you can think of.

7)  Avoid paying for parking where possible.  If you get a refund by spending a small amount in a particular shop I will spend this amount by only buying things that I use regularly and will definitely use, thus getting the refund and avoiding paying for parking.

8)  If you like certain brands, check out their online websites as you can often get items from the brands you like at heavily reduced prices online in their end of season sales.

9)  Try to have a credit card that gives you loyalty points, air miles or cash back so that you are earning extra money or it's equivalent when using your card.

10)  Join loyalty schemes where possible, (if you agree with this type of marketing scheme) so that you can receive extra goods in exchange for your points or recieve vouchers for items that you use regularly.  Also, take advantage of these schemes by getting the most benefit from your points when you use them.  For example, I get magazine subscriptions with my Tesco Clubcard points and enjoy receiving these magazines throughout the year of the subscription.  I have given them as Christmas or birthday gifts too on occasion.

11)  Try to shop in discount supermarkets such as Lidl or Aldi if there is one near to you, as they are very competitive on price and their products are generally of a good quality.

12)  Shop in charity shops rather than buying everything new.  You can find amazing bargains in great condition if you look carefully.  You can also take comfort in the fact that your money is going to a good cause.

13)  If you are not overly concerned about best before dates on some food products, look out for reduced items in supermarkets and also shop online with websites such as Approved Food.co.uk.  You can save lots of money this way and some products can be frozen to prolong their life.

14)  When you do your supermarket shop always take a list which is based on a weekly menu plan as this helps to prevent you putting lots of unnecessary extras into your basket.

15)  Manage the environment in your home.  Make sure you draft proof windows and doors in winter, set your thermostat to turn the heating off when it gets to a certain temperature ie 18 or 19 degrees centigrade.  Close curtains to keep in heat.  Avoid leaving windows open unnecessarily.  Use hot water bottles, extra blankets and quilts and wear extra clothing to keep warm, rather than turning up the heating costing yourself more money.

16)  Before giving any clothing to the charity shop, consider whether you could possibly alter it or customise it so that you would continue to wear it or alternatively use the fabric for another purpose such as patchwork quilting, cushion covers or other small projects.

17)  Rent an allotment or create a vegetable patch in your garden and grow your own food.  Even if you just grow salad crops you can save yourself quite a bit of money and grow some really interesting varieties of lettuce, for example, that would cost much more in the shops.

18)  Compost your garden and kitchen waste where possible to create good quality compost to use on your garden saving you money by not having to buy so much from the garden centre.

19)  Always make sure you fill your washing machine and dishwasher to capacity before running a cycle.  This saves on detergents and also electricity and water.  Hang wet washing on a clothes horse or washing line to dry instead of using expensive tumble dryers.

20)  Use a salad spinner to wash lettuce leaves as they will keep longer in the fridge and not get soggy and be wasted.

21)  Use up vegetables in the fridge that are slightly past their best by creating casseroles and stews with them. 

22)  Save money on Christmas or birthday presents by starting your shopping in the January sales and by buying things throughout the year when on offer.  This not only saves money, but spreads the cost throughout the year so you don't end up in debt after the festivities are over.

23)  If you are able, make cards or gifts for close family members to cut the cost of gift giving.  I have made cushions as gifts before, using good quality fabric, which would have cost considerably more had I bought them.

24)  When you go to the cinema or theatre, instead of buying extortionately expensive snacks in house, take your own homemade popcorn with you or take some sweets and drinks bought from the supermarket.

25)   If you take the children out for the day in the summer holidays, check on line or in your local library to find free museums and workshops for kids to attend.  Take a picnic lunch, which you could eat in a local park or garden, thereby having a lovely inexpensive day out to remember.

26)  Make use of your local library to take out books and save money on buying them.  They have such a huge range available and you can always reserve books if they don't have the one you want in stock when you visit.  Just make sure you take them back or renew them on time to avoid fees for overdue books.

27)  Get on your bike to save money on petrol costs.  Where possible, cycle short journeys.  With the high cost of fuel you will definitely save money.

28)  I never waste money on expensive branded toilet paper.  I know this is a personal thing, but compared to the nasty stuff we had to use at infant school when I was young, even the basic brands are luxurious.

29)  Don't be afraid to frequent your local Pound shop.  If you are selective you can often find some really good bargains there.

30)  Visit your local car boot sale.  One man's junk is another man's treasure.  This is so true and you can often get great items in fabulous condition at amazing prices.