Keeping life the way your accustomed too on a budget..

COngratulations on your upcoming nuptials, Vicky!

Thanks!

Vicky

again, moneysavingexpert.com

We only go out to eat rarely, and on 2 for 1 deals, same with cinema.

Food wise we try to choose non brand items if they are close to the same quality or a good enough quality.

taking lunch every day to work helps.

we just try to not spend anything if it's not needed

Going out for a dessert instead of a whole meal is one idea I haven't seen mentioned.

We just don't eat out. Maybe someday, but for now our budget is happier if we eat at home.

We just don't eat out. Maybe someday, but for now our budget is happier if we eat at home.

Having a very small child we don't eat out either...but, we did 'spoil' ourselves and when we were in Chesterfield last week we did go to a pub that had meals 2 for £5.95 and we just drank the bottle of water that I had brought with us.

I cut back so much back in 2001 there's not a lot left to eradicate.  I used to get the Sunday paper delivered but then gave it up.  That much less paper to take to the dump anyway!  Now get my hair trimmed at the local El Cheapo hair place.  I suppose I could just grow it and braid it around my head for warmth   Use public transportation as much as possible although we do have 2 cars (one an old banger)  My clothes are pretty much all washable so few dry cleaning bills.  Use coupons and look for store sales.  No holidays.  Do not send Christmas cards.  DS works at video store so we get 'em free. 
Guess I could start digging my dad's Victory Garden in the spring.  Can't think of anything else to save on.
PS.  We do have Skype now so saves on international calls.

taking lunch every day to work helps.

That is a major one.  I can easily spend £3+ per day on a sandwich, so bringing my own saves a fortune.

Vicky

We hardly go to the cinema, and when we do its usually Orange Wednesdays. Instead we like lovefilm. We go through so many dvds!

I found a local salon that will do my cut and colour for £40, including tip! T&G highstreet used to run me near £100!!!

We now shop at Morrisons, instead of tesco. We cannot believe our eyes, but the savings are real!

Call around and see if they can reduce it by any. I called virgin today, and because I asked, got a £10 monthly reduction!!!

Call around about energy and gas savings. Uswitch was a good site for us.

call around for auto insurance, we went with tesco back when they were offering £50 in vouchers, and managed to get our 4x4 insured for £37 per month!

Ebay for kids clothes, I have saved a mint on there!

I find that knowing that we are skint can get me down sometimes, until I remember its not forever, and we are skint at the moment because DH is in school to finish with his PhD.
Also once you are used to cutting back, you will really appreciate the little extravagances in life! I am already planning our Valentines day dinner!

We now shop at Morrisons, instead of tesco. We cannot believe our eyes, but the savings are real!


Ebay for kids clothes, I have saved a mint on there!

Hubby & I used to shop at Morrisons and we were spending about £45 a week for the 2 of us. Now we're buying from Farm Foods and our local fruit and veg shop and we're only spending £18-£20 per week.

We used eBay and the weekly Car Boot sales for DD's clothes up until now, we broke down and went to Primark and got her 9 mo -18 mo wardrobe there, oh and Adams Kids has awesome sales as well *if you can find one in your area that hasn't closed.

Great thread!

My four top tips are:

1.  V+ box to record films; Lovefilm also continue to give us 2 or 3 months free vouchers after previous trial periods have expired.  We've spent a total of £12.99 over a two year period whereby we have had a total of 12 months free "trial period" rentals plus the one month we actually paid for at only £12.99, so that's only £1 per month (at 13 months using their service)!

2.  eBay, eBay, eBay!

3.  Find an Eastern European owned/operated hair salon.  I found one in West London a little over two years ago (by accident) and have been a loyal customer since.  £15 for a women's haircut, bargain!  Particularly as I now wear it short and have to get it cut every 5 weeks.

4.  Booking special offers for meals on toptable.  URL:  http://www.toptable.co.uk/
For example, DH and I had a complete meal at one of our favourite West London Indian restaurants last Saturday night with a bottle of wine and service charge included, and the total was only £40, nowhere near the need to spend £75-£100 for a meal for two cited previously!

We don't eat out, either.  Holidays are in the UK at a self-catering cottage.

4.  Booking special offers for meals on toptable.  URL:  http://www.toptable.co.uk/
For example, DH and I had a complete meal at one of our favourite West London Indian restaurants last Saturday night with a bottle of wine and service charge included, and the total was only £40, nowhere near the need to spend £75-£100 for a meal for two cited previously!

But, to me, that's £40 that we wouldn't spend if we ate at home. 

  £15 for a women's haircut, bargain!  Particularly as I now wear it short and have to get it cut every 5 weeks.

$15 at my local El Cheapo!  Proves my theory that whatever you're buying in the States will be the same number -- only in pounds -- in the UK  

That is a major one.  I can easily spend £3+ per day on a sandwich, so bringing my own saves a fortune.

Vicky

Vicky,
Do you ever make Bovril sandwiches? They are cheap. Banana sandwiches are one of my favorites mainly because I can't prefer not to eat bananas straight.

Do you ever make Bovril sandwiches?

That sounds as revolting as Marmite!!  Which is not cheap in the US.