Your best $ tips & frugal advice!

If you are England and you shop at tesco get a clubcard
I don't spend much there even though I work there haha but i've earnt 7 pounds worth of vouchers in the last couple of months.

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Buy clothes in the sales in the next size up for your kids basic items like jeans/t-shirts/jumpers/underwear never date (my son is 3 and I already have clothes for next year) The younger ones can wear hand me downs with new ones being treats. (it never hurt me or my 2 younger sisters)

Buy Christmas stuff (wrapping paper/cards/decorations) in the January sales (like wise for Halloween themed stuff I got a great spider bowl for £1 a few weeks after Halloween)

Instead of giving shop bought presents make them at home, grandparents love stuff made by grandkids and they can make cards using the ones you got last year! (everyone got home made chutney and cakes at Christmas!)

Only eat in season foods from local sources.

Grow your own if you can.

Plan your grocery shopping and plan your meals as you write your list so you only buy what you need, own brand is just as good as branded, if you don't want to go to shop brand or generic just drop one brand (instead of Heinz or Kellogg's try the cheaper one).

Ask around if you are looking to buy something big (I got a "new" bike for my son from my sister in laws neighbours).

Always check Ebay/Amazon and price check sites before any purchases.

Coupons are brilliant as long as you only buy what you will use (my husband found a coupon for buy one get one free pork chops but he doesn't like pork!!).

When you go out, walk if its local or ride your bike and look out for garage sales someone maybe selling what you are looking for.

Second hand furniture can be painted/cleaned up (and has a lot more character than new).

Switch of your tumble dryer and only use in emergencies line dry everything and invest in clothes horse and put it near a heater (just ventilate that room well) and if you do use the dryer get some dryer balls (they soften your clothes by bashing into them!) instead of dryer sheets.

Don't take your bank/credit card with you when you go out shopping just take cash (you can't spend what you don't have)

If you want to buy the kids a big present split the cost with aunts/uncles/grandparents (we bought my husbands niece a laptop last Christmas and the whole family pitched in cost £350 in total we put in about £30 which we would have spent on her anyway)

Don't buy lunch at work take it with you (easier to calculate calories as well)

If you regularly cook too much freeze it or have it for lunch the next day or use the leftovers as ingredients in a new dish www.leftoverchef.com has some good ideas.

I have loads of ideas so friend me and tell what area you want to save in and I'll give you some ideas!

I make my own laundry detergent. It's probably less then 10$ in ingredients while I make the detegerent about every 2 months I haven't bought store stuff since b/4 1/2009.
let me know if you want recipe. super simple. and I find it very relaxing for some reason. about 15 mins. of work.
really no one is too busy to make this.

dryer sheets - we stopped using these, and instead we bought a bottle of downy, added a bit of water to dilute it and poured it into a spray bottle. we just spray an old washcloth about 2-3 times and toss it in the dryer with the wet clothes. lasts much longer than dryer sheets, and is better for the environment.

This is such a fabulous idea. I've gotta try this. We go through so many dryer sheets and they're so dang expensive!

The only money saving tip I have is to write a weekly shopping list and stick to it! We have a family of 7 and money has to go far every week. I shop at Walmart and Price Chopper in Toronto and for the most part I buy their store brands. Always WAY cheaper than name brands and if you read the packaging, both the store brand and name brand are almost always made in the same plant/factory.

We have meat regularly. I've learned to buy in bulk each week. I factor it into my budget and buy as much as I can and freeze it. I do this with other things like bread/bagels and canned goods and other non-perishables. I like when the only thing I need to buy in a week is produce.

buy fruit in season and freeze them for smoothies. I just bought a ton of berries. Layer them washed on a cookie sheet and freeze them then put them in a baggy or container for the freezer. If you buy them in season they are cheaper. Same with corn and vegetables.

On non-food purchases, I always consider if i *really* want/need whatever item I'm considering. If you leave it on the shelf/rack and walk away for a few minutes, you'll find out if you miss it or not.

Also, when I went vegetarian last October, I started paying a lot more attention to what I eat, and how much I spend on my food! Vegetarian meals are usually less expensive for the prepare at home meal, and it also makes you pay more attention to finding proper nutrition. It's a win-win!

buy fruit in season and freeze them for smoothies. I just bought a ton of berries. Layer them washed on a cookie sheet and freeze them then put them in a baggy or container for the freezer. If you buy them in season they are cheaper. Same with corn and vegetables.

cheaper even still if you can find a place to pick your own berries. even a berry farm if you don't have foraging skills.

I've heard from 2 different people that turning off the water heater every day saves loads of money off your electric bill. :flowerforyou:

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