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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...
What are you doing to try and save money these days?
This summer is not looking so great, money wise. So to save money I have cut back on some spending by purchasing store brand items, switching my phone plan to prepaid service, and setting my air conditioning at a cool temperature to help cut back on the electric bill. That is just a few ideas, but I would like to know what others are doing to save money.
Answer 1. Buy things on sale with a coupon
2. Make sure your coupons are organized or you will get frustrated using them. Three common ways to organize are alphabetical by brand, by categories, and by insert date (insert date found in small print on the margins of coupon inserts).
3. Shop Walgreens, Rite Aid and/or CVS for free or very cheap products.
4. Don't be brand fussy.
5. Use blogs that feature coupon matchups to help you know which coupons to use at which stores.
6. Do rebates from Ace Hardware and Menards (ok this will save you money more on household things than groceries probably, but it still might be a good source for things you need).
7. Know if there are stores that double or triple in your area. (It would help to know what state or area you live in to help you answer whether you are near any that do. Pick n Save in south east Wisconsin doubles. Other stores in other states double or triple. )
My favorite websites & blogs related to saving money:
www.taylortownpreview.com --will show you the coupon previews for different places.
http://stretchyourdollarwaukesha.wordpre⦠-- lots of ways to cut costs on your grocery bill and other areas. Recipes from scratch. Coupon matchups for Walgreens, Target, Walmart, and southeast Wisconsin grocery stores. Occasionally there are listings for free after rebate items at Menards and Ace Hardware. Also an article titled "100 free things to do this summer" that might help you out!
By the way I avoid using AC for more than 4 hours at a time. I live by the library so I walk there and use their AC or take a 5 min cold shower or sit in a tub of cold water if I am too hot instead of using the AC.
Source(s):
I am constantly reading blogs related to coupon matchups and saving money and also books on couponing and saving money. I'm like coupon mom on TV. I've had 4 garage sales this year selli
