What are your top five ways to save money?

[kallis3]

I hope you get a new boiler soon Lesley. I'd go mad without my heating!

[Shining]

Hopefully next week Jan! Just think there will be hot water too and that's something I've not had for 2+ years now! luxury! be able to invite Julie to stay as she'll be able to have a bath!

[kallis3]

[:D][:D][:D]

[Catherine]

Thanks for a really helpful topic. It's so hard to save money for me, and here I found useful information.
I think it's necessary to take a notebook and to write down all the expenses.

[Julie]

Glad you found some useful tips Catherine [:)]

Hopefully next week Jan! Just think there will be hot water too and that's something I've not had for 2+ years now! luxury! be able to invite Julie to stay as she'll be able to have a bath!

Hope that hot water is still flowing Lesley [:D]

[Shining]

At the minute Julie yes! house is very toasty and so far so good with the new boiler xx

[600andy]

Hi all,

My TOP tip is join the National Shopping Monitor at:

http://www.nationalshoppingmonitor.com/register/

Basically, you get a hand held bar-code reader which you plug into your phone line. Every time you go shopping, when you get home, you zap the bar codes of all your items as you put them away and then once a week send of the reciepts. The more you do, the more points you accumulate and points make pounds!

If your able to scan your reciepts rather than post them, you get extra points and there are odd surveys etc that earn extra points.

We do this and earn an average of around £70-£100 in vouchers of our choice which buys the Christmas presents.

It's a bit of a burden, but once you get used to it, its a doddle!

[size5]

My own personal list, both for those on IVA's and those that aren't, read....

1 If you are a couple, recognise each others area of financial expertise. One may be very good, for example, at doing the weekly shop whilst being able to resist those impulse buys that are not really needed. (Translation: Don't let Mrs Size do the shopping.)

2 Apply the same principle in other areas. Significant savings can be made on even, for example, a modest holiday by investing time and research. (Translation: Don't let me near a Travel Agent.)

3 Try not to get obsessed by it. Saving money, especially if you are trying to do it across the board and you have not been used to doing it, is actually a quite exhausting and time consuming business and can lead to strains in your personal relationships. (Translation: It's only money, it's not worth falling out over)

4 Treat yourself occasionally. Whether in IVA or not, all your hard work in trimming costs has to have an end result, you have to have something to look forward to, whatever that may be. (Translation: All work and no play makes Jack and Jacqueline very dull people indeed)

5 Don't let blokes make lists of 5 top tips as they will only be able to think of 4 before their mind wanders elsewhere....

Regards.

[Shining]

Fantastic post Size 5 x

[carole2662]

Hubby went shooting at the weekend and we now have enough game stew to last us for ever or so it seems by the amount of the stuff in the freezer. Still it nice with a bit of fresh bread.

[kallis3]

Excellent post Size 5 - made me smile!

Carole, I really could not eat game stew - the very thought of it makes me feel sick!

Andy, I do two lots of scanning for my shopping and save my vouchers until Christmas.

[running_woodchucks]

Hi,

How do you get an invite for this...

Thanks

Hi all,

My TOP tip is join the National Shopping Monitor at:

http://www.nationalshoppingmonitor.com/register/

Basically, you get a hand held bar-code reader which you plug into your phone line. Every time you go shopping, when you get home, you zap the bar codes of all your items as you put them away and then once a week send of the reciepts. The more you do, the more points you accumulate and points make pounds!

If your able to scan your reciepts rather than post them, you get extra points and there are odd surveys etc that earn extra points.

We do this and earn an average of around £70-£100 in vouchers of our choice which buys the Christmas presents.

It's a bit of a burden, but once you get used to it, its a doddle!

[Shining]

You can apply from the link, I did it this morning. Had to click a couple of link if I remember rightly but it worked fine. x

[kallis3]

Shop and scan is the one that I do.

[Skippy]

When I tried the link it says I need an invitation.

I don't know if they'd want me anyway as a lot of our shopping doesn't have bar codes as we use the butchers, fish van and farm shop.