Money Saving Tips – Save Money with everyday activities

Old cardboard is great for use in the garden, so save now ready for spring and then line a trench you’ve dug when planting potatoes. Will help retain moisture and also enrich the soil as it rots.

There’s always plenty of uses for old toothbrushes so don’t throw them out.

Don’t buy clothes that say ‘Dry Clean only’ – it’ll end up costing you a fortune.

Once a week, check your kitchen cupboards for items coming up to their use by dates and plan to use them up before doing your weekly shop.

Buying in bulk usually means cheaper per unit costs – BUT not always, so work it out for yourself and compare unit prices.

Saving Money – More Money Saving Tips

‘A penny saved is a penny earned’ a well known saying and may not mean much these days – a penny! What can you do with a penny?

Not a lot!

But what can you do with a thousand pennies? A lot more – and that’s the point – its not only the individual savings that matter it’s the cumulative result of those savings that count.


Old clothes have many uses – don’t throw them out until you’ve explored every possible use.

Don’t sit and moan that there’s nothing interesting on TV, TURN IT OFF and find something productive to do with your time instead – you won't be bored then.

Old tights and stocking make excellent scourers for pots and pans.

Keep egg boxes to store breakable Christmas decorations in once the festive season is over.

How to Save Money with Garden Tasks

How to save money with garden tasks - well we can all do with a few extra quid and here’s an easy way to do just that and save money.

This is the time of year when jobs in the garden need doing, like pruning bushes and large overhanging branches etc.

But think ahead, when you cut off any decent size branches – is the stem fairly straight? If yes, tidy it up by cutting off any straggly side shoots and save the long stems / branches for use as posts, canes and props in the garden next year.

This year I made a couple of wigwams for my green beans out of large stick pruning from last year, gathered and tied together at the top with a bit of salvaged string – worked a treat and looked great too.

Saves money not having to buy new bamboo canes.

Living in Utopia – A Simple Frugal Life

What does ‘Utopia’ look like? Smell like? Taste like?

Well, that would all depend on who is experiencing these things, one persons heaven (or Utopia), would be another’s Hell!

Therefore, I cannot answer that question for you, only you can do that, but I can answer for myself.

I am striving in my life to be as frugal, as economical, and as miserly, as I possibly can be with my money. Yet at the same time I don’t want to deprive myself or my family of anything that we need in life.

I want to live the ‘Good Life’ just like Tom and Barbara back in the 1970’s, to go back to the land, produce everything myself, live by my own hard work and not worry about not having any money – because I wouldn’t need any!

That is my idea of Utopia.

Ok, its difficult, there are obstacles, but plenty of people have opted for this lifestyle and are successfully producing all their own food, clothes, heating etc relying on mass produced stuff very rarely, if at all.

And as everything else worthwhile, it’ll take time, it’ll take hard work, it’ll take perseverance. One step at a time……….

Home Improvements – lag those pipes, seal that door!

It’s not often you’ll hear me say this, but sometimes it’s necessary to spend some money in order to save some money, for instance:

Draught proofing doors and windows will not cost a great deal but will save money quite quickly.

Insulation in the loft is an absolute must, otherwise you’re letting money just evaporate into thin air – but check with your local authority as there may be a grant available.

Lagging the pipes and hot water tank is another one where you’ll see benefits straight away, and also may just stop your pipes freezing in winter.

Putting silver foil behind radiators is also a cheap way to reflect heat back into the room, thus cutting the costs.

Fit shelves above radiators to reflect heat back into the room, because hot air rises more quickly if there aren’t any obstacles, and allows us to feel the benefit before it vanishes altogether.

Some things however do need to be questioned like:

Double glazing – whilst it’s a proven method to reduce heat loss and save costs, it’s very expensive and it’ll take a good number of years to even come close to recouping any money paid out.

Also, double check any energy saving grants available in your area, not just the local authority as above, but energy companies also. Do an internet search - you can’t lose!

Christmas - A Time for Excessive spending - if you're not careful

It's almost upon us again, the one time in the year a lot of people throw all their good work to the wind and blow any savings they've made, and more, during the year buying lots of things, some that are totally unnecessary at any time of year.

Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas, its a great time of year, but what I hate, is the run up to Christmas, the over commercialisation of what should be a joyous time, not a time for over indulgence that will cost lots of money well into the new year.

So for the next few weeks I will be exploring all ways I can have a very, very merry Christmas for the least possible amount of money.

I hope you will find some ways to save your hard earned cash too.