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How-to Guides » OLD GUIDE Manage on a small budget

It's not so much about how much money you have but what your relationship is with your money. It's all about quality and not quantity.

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OLD GUIDE Manage on a small budget

Save on your shopping

How-to Guide Tips 9 tips on this task | Tweet

1) Shop secondhand

One man's trash really is another man's treasure.

Freecycle, eBay, eBid, house clearance shops, rural auctions, charity shops and car boot sales are all great sources of secondhand gear. Read Where to find buried treasure to get you started.

2) Use price comparison websites

When shopping online, use a price comparison site like Kelkoo or PriceRunner. These sites will scour those retailers with an online presence, to find out where to get the item you want at the cheapest price.

3) Save on your food bills

When it comes to food shopping, MySupermarket is in a league of its own. This site allows you to compare the price of items sold at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Ocado (Waitrose) - so you can hunt down the cheapest broccoli or the best value beef.

It's also worth taking a look at deep discounters such as Lidl, Aldi and Netto. Their prices are lower than many other supermarkets because they keep shop overheads low. Farmers' markets also a great places to buy good value fruit and veg. Find out more in Ten ways to slash your supermarket spend.

4) Swap, don't spend

If you can’t afford to buy an item, see if you can swap something for it instead. There are stacks of websites out there that allow you to swap books, clothes, make-up, you name it! Find out more in Stop spending, start swapping!

5) Have a Frugal Friday!

Keep an eye out for our weekly Frugal Friday article. It’s chock-a-block full of the best discounts and bargains we can find this week!

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Tips on this task (9)

414

Mike10613 said

Glasses are always expensive and Glasses direct have a sale on up to 68% off designer frames. I paid well over £100 for mine and I reckon I would get them for about £80 now at Glasses Direct. I haven't used them before, but my sister has and they even did her a replacement when she phoned up having lost her prescription.
Find them here:
http://www.glassesdirect.co.uk/
posted 4th December 2009.

Report on 04 December 2009 | Love 0 love
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anders said

Well worth having a luck at the supermarker price comparisons, althoguh it only really works if you can walk between stores...or else you end up spending the difference on petrol.
I have a little bit of luxury as I am only shopping and cooking for one, so by buying the veg, yoghurt, bread etc that is on offer, I have a varied and reasonably cheap diet!

Report on 03 February 2010 | Love 0 love
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Joy Lewis said

I always go straight to the "short dated" or bargain items in the supermarkets; sometimes there are items which have a suggested "use by" date of that day, however the item can be frozen. Also, if you visit the store around half an hour before it closes you can sometimes get very good bargains with deli items and meat. I popped in to my local Tesco's 2 weeks ago for some milk at 11.30pm - and found lots of cooked ham and turkey at less than half price bagged up in the bargain items bit. It lasted me all week in sandwiches and salads!

Report on 15 February 2010 | Love 0 love
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Determined said

On a monthly basis I make a listing of the contents of my freezer, cupboards, fridge and make a four week menu plan. We eat well and enjoy a wide variety of meals. his allows me to use all my food stocks in a sensible way, and reduces the amount I pay each week in store. I shop in Aldi/Lidl for veg, cream, milk etc and then buy my meat from a butcher. I manage for a family of 4 on £60.

Report on 21 February 2010 | Love 0 love
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likklemisskiss said

Farmfoods is great for your basics too! 2 x 2 Litres of milk £1.50 and 2 x loaves of Hovis bread £1! I always stock my freezer up!

Report on 06 July 2010 | Love 0 love
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iansilverb said

Join www.consumerpulse.co.uk and every time you buy something on there choices you put in the details and get 500 points, plus an extra 500 points at the end of the week, for every 10000 points it's worth £10 to spend at Currys, Argos and other places. I bought mynet book a couple of years ago doing this.
You buy clothes sowhynot get rewarded for them, I'm also doing a survey on it about my mobilephone and I get anextra 2000 points just for that.

Report on 08 October 2010 | Love 0 love
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iansilverb said

I meant to say, you get 2000points for eachsurvey theysend you andwith this mobile phone survey you get bonus points if you doall the surveys, not to mention more points on your birthday.

Report on 08 October 2010 | Love 0 love
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iansilverb said

@ lilmisskiss, Tesco wholmeal budget bread is only 30p

Report on 08 October 2010 | Love 0 love
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Jesamine said

Farmfoods is good for toilet rolls - 9 for £2. I prefer Iceland though, but there's not one in Forfar.
I also look for reduced to clear if I'll use it, or can freeze it. I also do a "spider web" system with groceries - each item has to earn its keep, being versatile, or used often enough. If an item is not used enough, it gets dropped.
for example - onions - French Onion Soup. Chances are, I'd be buying bread anyway, and I'd have stock (cubes - sorry posh chefs) in the flat usually. All I'd need is cheese, which can be used in - macaroni cheese, quesadillas, Balkan Aubergines with cheese (ideally buy in Aldi/Ldl) for a few examples!

Report on 19 October 2010 | Love 0 love

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