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Aimee's Mu
Hey everyone,
Can anyone share any tips on saving money when you have kids. Aimee is only 17months but our shopping and bills and things are so expensive so wondering if anyone had any money saving tips?
Answer
I swear by my extra freezer - I got it cheap off ebay and it now lives in our garage. Now I can buy food that's on offer and stock up. I also cook batches of soups and sauces to freeze, much cheaper than the store bought stuff and nicer too. I can buy large packs of meat from Costco and seperate it all into bags for the freezer.
Try to cut down on your food waste, use tupperware tubs to keep leftovers as fresh as you can until using them, try to keep fruit in the fridge in this hot weather so that it lasts longer. Shop sensibly, remember that shops put the stuff they really want to sell the most (with the highest profit margin) at eye level, so learn to look around for better value products. Consider some more shop brand products, try various ones to find out what you like. Use the vouchers that you find for money off - cut them out and put them in your bag/purse when you see them so you don't get to the checkout then suddenly realise that you left them at home (i do that frequently...) Try loyalty schemes like Tesco clubcard, nectar points, Boots advantage card. Remember that Boots have a booth just inside every store that will offer you new deals every time you shop - pop your card in every time you visit the store to see what they have - their advantage card is actually the most value when you use it well.
Would you be interested in trying cloth nappies? I use them now after never trying them with my first baby and I'm hooked. Aside from the environmental benefits, they're also better for baby's skin and I've saved a LOT of money. I understand that Aimee's a bit older now so you don't want to splash out for ones that you won't use for long - you could always try this site...
https://www.usednappies.co.uk/members_area.php
You can buy used cloth nappies there for a fraction of the price - boil wash them if you're concerned about hygiene, then as long as they're kept in good condition, you can re-sell for as much as you spent.
(adding as I go along, lol)
Remember to switch off all electrical appliances when you're not using them. Try to cut down how much you do use by drying clothes on a clothes line instead of a tumble drier, switch off lights during the day, turn off the tv for some puzzles or story time instead.
Find cheaper days out - kids are delighted with the park or a good garden. Invite friends round for kids' play time and swap turns at each other's houses. Buy kids clothes in the end of season sales - remembering what age group to buy for next summer so that at the start of next summer, you don't have to spend a fortune on clothes they'll be selling for half the price in a few weeks. If you watch a lot of films, try a cheap dvd rental rather than buying new ones (Tesco rental is quite good). If you go to the cinema, Orange wednesday is really good and while technically you have to be an Orange customer, you can just ask someone who's with orange and not using it that day to get the discount code for you, then you use it at the cinema.
See if you can save money on energy by switching companies. try uswitch.com, they'll find the best deal for you and it is quick and easy (i should know, I've switched several times!). Energy companies are constantly changing their prices and offering new deals, it's best to keep an eye out for where you can save.
Review your driving, are you over-reving and wasting fuel? Think about how to drive the economical way. Try to use your air con as little as you can, that's a real drain on the tank! Did you know that petrol stations change their prices through the week? Tuesday and Wednesday are the cheapest days to fill up. Look for deals on petrol - such as Tesco offering 5p off a litre when you spend more then £50 in store (every now and then). I'v found Asda to have the cheapest fuel in our area.
Wash your own car rather than pay for it - get Aimee in her messy clothes and give her a cloth, it's actually really good fun for kids! My 3 year old soaked herself on Saturday this way and she had a great time.
Also, try these sites for great tips on how to save money;
http://www.frugal.org.uk/index.html
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/
ETA - Just found this;
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/orange-wednesday#free
You can get a free orange sim card with £5 top up and use it for orange wednesday! I'm going to do that now...
I swear by my extra freezer - I got it cheap off ebay and it now lives in our garage. Now I can buy food that's on offer and stock up. I also cook batches of soups and sauces to freeze, much cheaper than the store bought stuff and nicer too. I can buy large packs of meat from Costco and seperate it all into bags for the freezer.
Try to cut down on your food waste, use tupperware tubs to keep leftovers as fresh as you can until using them, try to keep fruit in the fridge in this hot weather so that it lasts longer. Shop sensibly, remember that shops put the stuff they really want to sell the most (with the highest profit margin) at eye level, so learn to look around for better value products. Consider some more shop brand products, try various ones to find out what you like. Use the vouchers that you find for money off - cut them out and put them in your bag/purse when you see them so you don't get to the checkout then suddenly realise that you left them at home (i do that frequently...) Try loyalty schemes like Tesco clubcard, nectar points, Boots advantage card. Remember that Boots have a booth just inside every store that will offer you new deals every time you shop - pop your card in every time you visit the store to see what they have - their advantage card is actually the most value when you use it well.
Would you be interested in trying cloth nappies? I use them now after never trying them with my first baby and I'm hooked. Aside from the environmental benefits, they're also better for baby's skin and I've saved a LOT of money. I understand that Aimee's a bit older now so you don't want to splash out for ones that you won't use for long - you could always try this site...
https://www.usednappies.co.uk/members_area.php
You can buy used cloth nappies there for a fraction of the price - boil wash them if you're concerned about hygiene, then as long as they're kept in good condition, you can re-sell for as much as you spent.
(adding as I go along, lol)
Remember to switch off all electrical appliances when you're not using them. Try to cut down how much you do use by drying clothes on a clothes line instead of a tumble drier, switch off lights during the day, turn off the tv for some puzzles or story time instead.
Find cheaper days out - kids are delighted with the park or a good garden. Invite friends round for kids' play time and swap turns at each other's houses. Buy kids clothes in the end of season sales - remembering what age group to buy for next summer so that at the start of next summer, you don't have to spend a fortune on clothes they'll be selling for half the price in a few weeks. If you watch a lot of films, try a cheap dvd rental rather than buying new ones (Tesco rental is quite good). If you go to the cinema, Orange wednesday is really good and while technically you have to be an Orange customer, you can just ask someone who's with orange and not using it that day to get the discount code for you, then you use it at the cinema.
See if you can save money on energy by switching companies. try uswitch.com, they'll find the best deal for you and it is quick and easy (i should know, I've switched several times!). Energy companies are constantly changing their prices and offering new deals, it's best to keep an eye out for where you can save.
Review your driving, are you over-reving and wasting fuel? Think about how to drive the economical way. Try to use your air con as little as you can, that's a real drain on the tank! Did you know that petrol stations change their prices through the week? Tuesday and Wednesday are the cheapest days to fill up. Look for deals on petrol - such as Tesco offering 5p off a litre when you spend more then £50 in store (every now and then). I'v found Asda to have the cheapest fuel in our area.
Wash your own car rather than pay for it - get Aimee in her messy clothes and give her a cloth, it's actually really good fun for kids! My 3 year old soaked herself on Saturday this way and she had a great time.
Also, try these sites for great tips on how to save money;
http://www.frugal.org.uk/index.html
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/
ETA - Just found this;
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/orange-wednesday#free
You can get a free orange sim card with £5 top up and use it for orange wednesday! I'm going to do that now...
How much is my table bell worth?
Aqualily6
I was given a box of Christmas ornaments a few years ago and I am going to be moving. I was going through everything to sell in my yard sale and there is this antique looking bell with a ring on top. There are also 2 holes on each side of the bell. I think there used to be a chain with a bell chime inside.
I saw a plastic Made in India sticker, so I figured it wouldn't be worth much, but it looked antique. I thought maybe it could be silver, so I looked up how to tell if something is silver. I tested it with a magnet and it did not stick, I set an ice cube on it and the ice cube melted in seconds (the way a hot spoon would melt an ice cube), and I tinged it with my finger and it chimed beautifully.
Description:
It is shaped like the end of a trumpet, long and slender, with a ring on top that almost looks like a key ring. There is one drill hole through the ring (maybe where another chain would go with a bell ringer on it).
There is no silver mark, just a made in india label, but I can't tell how old the label is
(It was stored in tupperware storage tubs for years, so it was kept really well.)
It looks a little bit tarnished around where fingers must have touched it, and some up inside of it. In the grooves of the detail work it is black-ish colored.
It is about 6 1/2 inches tall, and the diameter of the base is 2 inches.
The base has a flower petal shape, up and down bumps, so it looks like a trumpet shaped flower.
(I found only 2 from India that looked similar on ebay, but they were bronze and 1 was slate gray - possibly aluminum or something. They were selling for cheap, which causes concern.)
What ever it is, I know it is a rare item and I'm hoping it is silver. Do you think it is silver? Is there any other ways to tell. Is it possible that it is a silver antique from India? How much would this table bell, I believe is what it is called, sell for if it was silver?
I was just going through the boxes of ornaments again and I found the chain for my bell, with a little metal stick on the end.
The chain attaches to the hole in the top and the stick (when not in use) slides through the two holes at the base of the bell. It looks cool. Using this info, I found more similar bells. They are usually made as brass from what I can tell. (I cannot find a reproduction of it yet, so it must be really unique)
It is similar in structure to these-
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1800s-Original-Vintage-Rare-Huge-Hand-Inlay-Forged-Inlay-Brass-Cow-Bell-Bell-/300893152929?pt=Asian_Antiques&hash=item460ea126a1
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-6PC-SOLID-BRASS-ETCHED-BELLS-MADE-IN-INDIA-SMALL-2-LOT-W-/370812645192?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item565627ef48
And then I saw this thing, that looks very similar with the horn shape:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LARGE-UNUSUAL-ANTIQUE-WOODEN-PULL-TOILET-PULL-BELL-PULL-HANDLE-LIGHT-PULL-KNOB-3-/380562995711?pt=UK_Antiques_Architecural_
Answer
Take it to any jeweler and ask them to help you decide whether it is silver - that makes a difference.
Is it anything like this?
http://gifts.indiavision.com/Mothers_Day/Puja_Items/Antique_Silver_Bell.html
Before you do anything, find out what it's made of, and how heavy it is if it' really silver.
It may be that its worth is in the metal itself, or at least that should be taken into consideration
Dealers frequent the yard sales looking for things they can sell, so don't sell it there for 5 bucks until you find out if it's worth more.
Take it to any jeweler and ask them to help you decide whether it is silver - that makes a difference.
Is it anything like this?
http://gifts.indiavision.com/Mothers_Day/Puja_Items/Antique_Silver_Bell.html
Before you do anything, find out what it's made of, and how heavy it is if it' really silver.
It may be that its worth is in the metal itself, or at least that should be taken into consideration
Dealers frequent the yard sales looking for things they can sell, so don't sell it there for 5 bucks until you find out if it's worth more.
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Title Post: Any tips or tricks on how to save money with a young family?
Rating: 92% based on 9172 ratings. 4,3 user reviews.
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Rating: 92% based on 9172 ratings. 4,3 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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