Yes, really! Viviana Rullo, of
theleantime.com, shares the money-saving tips you need to know already
1. Avoid the danger aisles
Supermarkets tend to have fruit and
vegetables at the front, basics (like eggs, bread and cereals) at the back and
everything non-essential (but tempting) in between. So, do a circuit that heads
straight to the back, by passing the middle aisles of temptation. And a special
offer is only ‘special’ if you’ll use the items – not if they’re perishables
that go straight from the supermarket shelf to a mouldy mess in the bin.
Supermarkets
tend to have fruit and vegetables at the front, basics (like eggs, bread and
cereals) at the back and everything non-essential (but tempting) in between
2. If you can’t stick to a list…
…go online to mysupermarket.co.uk. Make a
list of items you need from your usual supermarket chain, and the site will
tell you if you can get your groceries cheaper elsewhere – or give cheaper
options for specific items.
3. Don’t overbuy
Not sure how much to buy for a dinner
party? Visit lovefoodhatewaste.com (or download the Love Food Hate Waste app –
free from iTunes) and go to Portion Planner, which calculates food quantities
for the number of diners. It also has Recipe Blender, where you can type in
what bits are in your fridge and get recipe ideas on what to do with them.
4. Be mobile with your phone
Note the date when you sign a contract. If
you’re on an 18-month contract, this means it will take you 18 months to pay
off your handset, then you can change to a sim-only contract, which is cheaper.
Or enter your phone-usage habits into billmonitor.com and it will suggest the
best contract.
5. Get cash back
Website:
moneysavingexpert.com
Instead of going directly to an online
shop, go via a link on a ‘cashback site’ and you’ll get paid when you buy
something. Why? Well, the online shop basically pays the cash back site for the
lead – and you get a cut of it. To do it:
·
Think what you want to buy, eg, a pair of Kurt Geiger
shoes.
·
Visit moneysavingexpert.com/ shopping/
cashback-sites-comparison and type in ‘Kurt Geiger’.
·
You’ll get a list of cashback sites that give
the most money back to you – quidco.com was offering 5% back on Kurt Geiger
purchases (that’s $ 9 on a $ 187 pair of shoes).
·
Join the cashback site. It will then direct you
to the product website. Buy the item you want.
·
Afterwards, you’ll receive an email from the
site saying how much money you’re due. You can then move the money to your own
account. Never join a site that asks you to pay. We rate: quidco.com and
topcashback.co.uk
Having a clear-out?
Make your donations count
Breast Talk Bra Appeal (breasttalk.co.uk) sends your unwanted bras to women in Afica who
can’t afford them
Dress for Success (dressforsuccess.org.uk) gives second-hand clothes to women
getting back on their feet after homelessness or abuse.
Freecycle
(uk.freecycle.org) You can post adverts giving away (or requesting) unwanted
items, from clothing to electronics.
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