Money saving tips

[Andy Hamilton]

Got any money saving tips?

My favortie is keeping seeds from plants for the next year, I have about 10 butternut squash plants growing on my allotment and never spent a penny on seed.

[Boots]

The best way I know to save money is to stay home. Whenever I leave the farm I spend on average about $50 and it drives me nuts!

Daughter number one got a job recently and just running her to work over 4 days cost me $200, because I am... well just ridiculously impulsive, I think!

By the time I fuel the bike/car, and pick up all the things I forgot/need/see or are on special and should grab with a view to saving money - I come home exhausted!

Much better to stay at home, work and play where I can meet my own needs without all the other demands that appear once I leave the bottom gate, me thinks!

[hedgewizard]

Freecycle, freecycle, and freecycle. I know that technically that's only one thing, but I thought it was so important I'd better mention it three times.

[Lou8]

Well I have just started collecting pine cones from the forest to use as kindling.


But I will be very interested in other tips in this thread as we are totally skint and trying to save for me going on maternity leave and not getting any pay whatsoever as I am self employed. Aaaarggghh.

[Shirley]

buy collectively and get better prices for things.

I agree with the freecycle thing too - it's fab!!

before buying ANYTHING ask yourself DO I NEED IT.... Have I got anything else already that can do the job.... I've saved a fortune that way. Now just got to get other half to think the same way!!

[madanna]

Aquire a sewing machine - ok technically spending money but I have saved a fortune in clothes or not buying clothes, I have altered, chopped, hacked and changed numerous things into something else - works on the kids clothes too!! All my maternity clothes that were sat in the roof are all now wearable in a new form - its ACE!!!!

Oh love Freecycle too and am the moderator of a new local bulk buying consortium - its all sooo exciting!!!

Anna x

[hedgewizard]

Lou8, depending on your situation you may be able to claim Maternity Allowance. Check it out.

http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Cus ... 5.xml.html

[Shirley]

A great site to work out any benefits that folks might be entitled to... is simply called www.entitledto.co.uk

[Stonehead]

We put the boys and the animals first, then things that generate income, then things that we don't want to break, then everything else (including us) a long way after that.

One thing that we do know, is that it's often a false economy to buy the cheapest.

Take our animal housing. We've spent a lot of money on insulated pig arks and many people tell us we should have bought cheaper. But, if the pigs keep warm then they put on weight faster and are healthier, so we can butcher them sooner at a better weight and avoid vet's bills.

But, we don't keep all our pigs in the insulated arks either. Older animals at non-critical times stay in DIY huts made of salvaged materials.

Similarly with the chickens. We have a 60-year-old 50-bird house that's been rebuilt several times and, while fairly solid, it's a bit draughty. So, younger birds and the best breeding stock get solidly built quarters, while the chicks get a proper commercial brooder as its metal and rat-proof.

If we just had run-of-the-mill hens, I would have economised further but with a rare breed bird likes the Scots Greys (only a few hundred left and up to £3 a hatching egg) it makes sense to increase their chances of survival.

We've also put in properly built, mains electric fencing because, while expensive, it's cheaper than replacing quality pedigree pigs if they escape onto the neighbouring roads. However, the non-pig fencing is built from salvaged posts, wire and staples.

More straightforwardly, we make as much of our own food as we can. We eat everything we grow and raise. All of the pig except the head goes in the freezer and the head would be eaten too if we had a bigger cooker and a bigger pot. When we pick beetroot, we blanch and freeze the leaves. Any spoiled vegetables get fed to the pigs or composted (with the exception of green potatoes and potato haulms.)

We turn off lights unless they are absolutely needed (and I'm writing this in the dark as the screen provides plenty of light) and don't run the central heating until it gets really cold (ie we're usually wearing three or four layers inside and have a blanket over our knees).

Anyway, must dash as I've just seen the time and I have a 5.30am start.

[Lou8]

Lou8, depending on your situation you may be able to claim Maternity Allowance. Check it out.

http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Cus ... 5.xml.html

Yes, it seems I will be entitled to 100 pounds per week so that is fantastic. Thanks heaps.

[red]

make it know to all and sundry that you will happily accept scrap wood, broken furniture old xmas trees etc, and will recycle it into heat.
(you have to have a woodburning stove to really make this work...)

[Lou8]

I got my Dad round yesterday with his chainsaw and we cut all bits of wood lying about the place up into manageable chunks. Hope to have enough to last most of the winter and will just supplement it with bits falling off the trees and anything else I can get my hands on.

Trying to get double glazing sorted out to make the heating more efficient but because we have an arched window, it's going to be past Christmas before we can get it installed.

[red]

save money by not ironing anything. Walk around looking crumpled like us.

haven't ironed anything for years - used to be called lazy, now its saving money and being environmentally friendly..

[Hepsibah]

Well that's good news.
Try seeing how long you can go without buying any shopping. I do it every month and can normally get another three days worth of meals.

[Masco&Bongo]

Ironing? What's that?

Hang things up to dry or dry flat! That's the secret!

Just about the only things we iron are OH's shirts - I try to not iron at all!