Top 10 Money Saving Tips

I have just entered a competition on the Miss Thrifty website (you can enter it here) with my top 10 money saving tips so I thought I would share them with you to hopefully help you to save some money! Let me know In the comments if you have anymore I would love to hear them!

1.      Shop in the reduced section at the right time. In most shops they have massive discounts in the evening; we have been known to get steaks for around 70p and fish always goes really cheap! Also have a look in the reduced section of other shops for example Boots usually has a clearance section where they put discontinued items in. I got 6 bottles of conditioner for 50p each!

2.      Make the most of your freezer. When you buy the reduced food most of it can be frozen so you don’t need to eat it on the day you buy. It is also a good idea to make more than you need and freezer it into portions. They are quick, healthy ready meals and work out cheaper! It’s much better to cook your own meals from scratch, my best friend’s favourite recipe is toad in the hole with 39p reduced sausages, egg, flour and milk. Cook and freeze the rest for later! Also check your receipts! This is a habit my grandparents have got me into. Often the only reason I will buy a particular brand is because it is on offer so if the money hasn’t come off on the receipt it seems pointless! Any changes are quick and easy to do at customer services and it can add up to quite a lot especially if you are buying reduced.

3.      Enter competitions and freebie websites. Someone has to win these competitions so why shouldn’t it be you? Recently I have won a top from Miss Selfridge and some Billion Dollar Brows tweezers. I also get freebies all the time through the post, today was some free cat food! They may not be much but little bits can be added to presents and the miniature sample sizes are great for handbags and travelling. Also try entering competitions you wouldn’t normally enter for example recently I entered a writing competition for a short story, something I never considered before! If you can spare the time they can be fun and rewarding.

4.      Use vouchers! I am a massive fan of the Boots card and save up my points religiously (I had over £80 at ones stage!) They do great vouchers through the post and in the machines that you find in store. Other great vouchers can be found for most restaurants if you type it in on Google before you go out have a look to see what is out there. Groupon also has some hidden gems; my last purchase was a haircut, blow dry and conditioning treatment for £16 instead of £50. They have lots of different things there for your area.

5.      Use charity shops! This is my favourite tip as not only do you get bargains you are also supporting a charity. They often have new clothes or some that have hardly been worn at great prices. If you volunteer in a shop then you can see the great stuff before it goes onto the shop floor and some even do a staff discount (although prices are so cheap it’s not necessary) To get the best finds from charity shops try going to areas that are ‘well off’ as they often donate designer items. I once got a gorgeous Barbour jacket worth around £100 for £3! If you buy from charity shops then it is always nice to donate your own items after.

6.      Haggle! Whether it is on the high street or at a car boot sale, if you think the item is too much then ask about discount. Car boot sales are the best places for this as stallholders don’t want to take things home so make the most of that. Be nice and have a look for any flaws. In charity shops and high street shops keep a look out for holes or marks as they will often knock off a few pounds. When in the high street I always ask if they do student discount, even If they don’t sometimes they will knock off 10% just for asking!

7.      Make the most of discount cards! Sometimes you do have to spend some money to save some and many discount cards can save you a massive amount. My favourite is the young person’s railcard which costs £65 for 3 years (but is currently on offer for £56!) I made back the cost of travelling back and forth from Uni in a few months. It took my on the day ticket cost of around £17 to just £3 if I book in advance. Other cards I use include the NUS discount which is great for places like the cinema and most shops which often don’t accept my regular student card as it has no date. I also have a Superdrug employee card which gets me a massive 30% off own brand products. Great for when I need to stock up!

8.      Don’t buy everything NEW. Websites like Amazon and eBay offer things like books and DVD’s very cheaply if you aren’t fussed about them being new. If it’s just for personal use I would recommend not heading out to the shops and having a look online! With many things after I’ve done I put them back online to sell them and make most of the money back!

9.      Get creative! Presents can be expensive especially around Christmas but often the best gifts are those that are handmade. I may be 20 but my grandparents still prefer a handmade gift than a generic one! We have made things like chutney, flower arrangements, cushions and lots of other things. Pinterest is great for craft ideas (don’t be afraid by how perfect they are!) Just by having a look around your house you can find things that make great gifts for example decorated jars with tea lights in are lovely and pretty much free, think before you throw away!

10.  Share the cost. In a house of students it sometimes saves money to all chip in to buy the biggest version of things like pasta and potatoes. We have considered buying big sacks of potatoes for around £5 which is probably how much we all spend anyway but you get much more. The only problem is storage as we have a tiny kitchen! Other things you can share the cost of is monthly items like Spotify which you can use on more than one device. Me and my brother do this and with my NUS discount it is only £4.99 between us. I also share the cost of toilet rolls with a flatmate as it’s cheaper to buy lots!