What are your top five ways to save money?

[Estella]

The very best way to save money is to set up an automatic withdrawal from your savings
don't buy useless things
Pay your bills by the usual banking methods
Setup your budget
Avoid Clubs and bars
Put your cards somewhere safe,

[grimswold]

1. Buy chickens @ 3 for £10. Butcher and freeze 3 x packs of breast, 2 or 3 x packs of leg meat. Pressure cook bones and get 3 x chicken stock. Finally, push bones through the mincer and mix with rice and get at least 4 dog meals from them.
2. Make own wine from cheapo grape juice from Lidl. Find a decent recipe on internet, use beer brewing bucket adapted to accommodate airlock and you have litres and litres of the stuff. Tastes great, the recipe we have completes quickly too!
3. Visit selfsufficientish website. Some really great ideas.

[kallis3]

My dogs would not touch that! They have normal food and if one of them is a bit off we buy smart price chicken and cook that.

Husband used to do his own wine but does not anymore - we are not great wine drinkers - just spirits.

I'm afraid that we use the local farm shop for our own local produced meat. I'm very conscious of where it has come from.

[Shining]

BARF feeding for dogs is something I would love to do if I wasn't such a wimp! Maybe if my dream ever materialises one day I will do the raw feeding but these are on dry food.

[Phoenix51]

I have an allotment grow my own veg and keeps me busy.

[Shining]

and now doubt keeps you fit too. Excellent money saver that one.

I'm no culinary goddess and certainly no Mary Berry, I've just made a packet mix cake, well I say made, not sure what the word should be. Granddaughters 12th birthday so cake in bin and en route to supermarket in a minute for a ready made cake! That frugal lesson ended up costing me more!

[Mr Frugal]

Keep a spending tracker download an app from playstore or apple! Shop at lidl or Aldi just as good as many major supermarkets!Do not withdraw cash during the week!Try to use the bus service at weekends cutting down on fuel over the month. Withdraw cash that will last all the week and do not be frivolous with cash in your wallet. Use packed lunches for work and do not use coffee machines either. Do not get another mobile phone contract I know it's a pain but keep your same phone for the duration of the IVA and go SIM only. Get rid of any Sky or Virgin tv and watch freeview. Finally change your mindset to that of a scrooge and keep an eye on where every pound is being spent. You will become conditioned while in an IVA and will treat money with more respect than you will ever of done. That advice has done me proud for the last 5 years and the time has flown by. I am at the stage that I resent withdrawing any cash from the bank. Last payment on the 20th April.

[Shining]

not long for you now and sounds like you've got a very frugal thing going on there. Post IVA I can honestly say some of the things stay with you and I'm always thrifty to the end.

[Lisa Thomas]

Some good suggestions here.

[vincymol]

Thanks, @animaleyes76 sharing for useful information



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[plasticdaft]

Just once again switched energy providers after my money saving expert collective switch came to an end. Saved over £350 last year.

Cant get anywhere near as good a deal this year but still managed a better tariff that british gas were offering.

Shop around folks. Loyalty means nothing.

Paul