The Money Diet

angel7 said:
Buy cheap heavy curtains and hang infront of every door you want to keep heat on your side. I have one in hall at bottom of stairs and bathroom, so downstairs warm, stairs cold, bathroom warm. Before I bought curtains I used wool blankets, I hung them on cheap expanding shower rails, and attached with metal rings and clips from IKEA. I also stapled fleece blankets inside existing curtains in the bedrooms to make them heavier and more draft proof.
Fitting TVRs to every radiator in house and only heating the living room and bathroom has cut my heating bill by half.
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Interested to hear that it has helped with your heating bill as I got told the opposite - that you have to think of the house as a whole and so if you only heat lets say a downstairs sitting room but not the room above it then the heat rises and escapes in to the room above as the inside of the house isn't really designed to trap heat it's the outside walls/ roof that are insulated and keep in the heat.
 
The best saving strategy I've used in recent months has been the Community Fridge initiative in my area. Supermarkets give the left over veg and perishable goods to the team in the warehouse who distribute to hubs. Those who can donate, do (recommended £2.50 per bag). Those struggling can use it as a food bank. I donate, but when I've looked up the cost of all the random stuff I've taken, it's often £30 or more. A LOT of bread goes to waste, but also pastries. The one I go to is at a sheltered accommodation, so I make sure I'm at the back of the queue, but there's always plenty of stuff and I get a lovely chat with some elderly characters! I've tried some interesting food, too!

I've signed up again to all the loyalty cards at supermarkets, but it is saving me quite a lot of money. I never bothered when it was a points programme, as I shop around and it took eons to get any benefit, but now the benefit is instant (with different prices for card holders).

Horse wise, I check FB Marketplace or similar for things I need before buying them. I got a decent rug liner for £10. I also use Freebay in my area a lot. It's good to clear out, too, as there's a Wishful Wednesday, which I'm often able to contribute to in the form of specific 'requests'.
 
Squeak said:
Interested to hear that it has helped with your heating bill as I got told the opposite - that you have to think of the house as a whole and so if you only heat lets say a downstairs sitting room but not the room above it then the heat rises and escapes in to the room above as the inside of the house isn't really designed to trap heat it's the outside walls/ roof that are insulated and keep in the heat.
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Some houses have the inside walls insulated (albeit less than the outside walls). Some houses also have the floor insulated.

The heat loss of the whole house is proportional to the difference in temperature between the inside and the outside of the outside walls/roof, so if when you don't heat a room it's colder than the rooms you keep heated then you are loosing less heat to the outside and should be using less energy. Wether that's a significant amount or not probably depends how well insulated the house is, what type of heating you have, etc...
 
Check your bank account and cancel subscriptions to things that aren't necessary or what you have lost interest in like Magazines, TV channels, forelock and fringe ( I've never understood this,why get a box every month with goodness knows what in it,hoof oil you wouldn't use,a t shirt in a colour you don't like,horse treats he doesn't like etc). Good for giving as raffle prizes at riding club I suppose. Ditto those food boxes, Hello Fresh etc. bulk buy when cheap at supermarket and freeze it. Go vegetarian for a couple of days a week, have beans on toast and an omelette as a meal.very cheap. Take a packed lunch to work and a flask of coffee. My friend saved £25 a DAY doing this! Instead of buying sandwiches from the deli and going to Costa coffee.
 
My banking app tells me when ever a payment is taken from my account. It's really good for making you aware of unused subscriptions etc and getting them sorted.

I need to be more committed to making lunches for work rather than grabbing a sandwich from the van or cafe. not just for the health of my pocket but the food really isn't the best.

I moved my car insurance to an agricultural insurance policy last year, then added the lorry and the quad to the same policy - I've saved about £80 a month doing it this way. All they required of me was a CPH number and the broker sorted the rest.

We eat out far to much for convenience - we need to start eating at home more and eating simple meals.
 
I have triggered the Round Ups on the banking app. Every time I spend, it is rounded up to the nearest pound and sent to my savings account. Over £20 since Christmas! If your, or a young relation's car insurance is getting out of hand, try adding an older driver to the policy as a named driver. It saved my kids a fortune when they were starting out.
 
The sort of diet I can be enthusiastic about!

Roundup with my bank account has been a life saver and I hide it from my front banking my page so I’m not tempted to use it as I don’t see it.

I pay on the day for my vet bill and get 10% off.

I bulk buy when there’s an offer loo roll, tons, long life milk etc horse food.

Today is a 2 hot water bottle day and the heating isn’t on.

I have a list of stuff we get though and buy it in the opposite season.

I wear yoga pants for riding often and I’ve never paid more than £13 and they’re so much over. Luckily I’m not a fan of sticky bum jods.

Swapped my horses onto readi grass rather than chop and this have saved us tremendously.

I feed wheatfeed and unmolassed beet and the horses condition the last two years have been great. Including 3/4 bred youngstock living out 24/7 unrugged.

Always feed a probiotic and balancer.

Any issues with my horse and I go straight to holistic horse vet which is expensive but I get straight to the problem rather than pay for a mediocre vet to do a lameness work up that never quite gets to the reasoning.

Always buy rugs and headcollars leadropes and buckets when I see them.

Buy really good quality well fitting tack. My work bridle is a Fairfax because I compete in one as well so it’s consistency. But also they’re so adjustable I use it on most of my ridden horses. Haven’t bought a new bridle in 5 years I have 4 though for 11 horses.

Saddle fitter and back lady comes often, peace of mind and they spot issues hopefully before they become a problem.

I have a saddle that fits 3 horses (genuinely) but they have a prolite each to adjust subtle fitting differences.

I only buy youngstock.

I have a very good instructor once a month rather than Mrs AI up the road. Pay for the best instruction you can afford, just have it less to match the budget.

Haven’t competed for 12 months. Saved a fortune!

I bought a 14kg washing machine than can do 80% of my laundry - this has already paid for itself hands down.
 
marmalade76 said:
Speedibeet has got really expensive, hasn't it? Over £20 a sack I think. One of my local feed shops sells Omega quick soak, looks identical to Speedi but only £12 or £13 a sack.
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Speedi beet £20.50 round here. I’m cautious what I feed my ems boy but can get a bag of simple systems purabeet for £14.50. Happy with a bit higher analysis too as my boy dropping weight in the Winter. As long as you’re on the ball too and make up the night or morning before it’s absolutely fine.
 
In terms of round ups or putting money aside, Plum is a fantastic app to use for that. I have lots if different ‘pockets’ that it saves money in to and can be set at any severity that month. Ie just now I have it on the lowest setting to save a little. In the Summer when I earn more I have it on maximum savings. You can also earn 4/5% interest on each pocket per month. If anyone wants a referral link let me know, I’m not sure if they do an introductory offer anymore though. I have pockets for the car, horses, Christmas, days out and my two children. It’s nice as a wee extra that’s been put aside.
 
dorsetladette said:
My banking app tells me when ever a payment is taken from my account. It's really good for making you aware of unused subscriptions etc and getting them sorted.

I need to be more committed to making lunches for work rather than grabbing a sandwich from the van or cafe. not just for the health of my pocket but the food really isn't the best.

I moved my car insurance to an agricultural insurance policy last year, then added the lorry and the quad to the same policy - I've saved about £80 a month doing it this way. All they required of me was a CPH number and the broker sorted the rest.

We eat out far to much for convenience - we need to start eating at home more and eating simple meals.
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Could you share the company - I have CPH number for the sheep, so interesting!
 

reynold said:
An alternative to hot water bottle (and safer) is a wheat bag that heats up for 1 minute or so in the 800W microwave which is cheaper than the number of minutes of leccy used to boil an electric kettle.
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I found a hot water bottle to be extremely expensive. The cost of fuel traveling to either the hospital or health centre on an almost daily basis for nearly 2 months to get the dressings changed on the burns on the inside of my thighs. It burst and I couldn't get away quickly so got very burned. I got a lecture from every nurse I dealt with on the injuries they had seen and how they wouldn't let their own kids have one.

Wheat bags were safer but the best thing I found was an electric heat pad.
 
Squeak said:
Interested to hear that it has helped with your heating bill as I got told the opposite - that you have to think of the house as a whole and so if you only heat lets say a downstairs sitting room but not the room above it then the heat rises and escapes in to the room above as the inside of the house isn't really designed to trap heat it's the outside walls/ roof that are insulated and keep in the heat.
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Think it depends on the house (70's detached) but my downstairs is toasty (21degrees) and upstairs very cool (14) with the heavy curtains between. I also have wool carpets in every room so very insulating. Gas bill has gone from £4K a year to £1.2K.
I put off fitting the tvrs cos it was expensive , £500 but I've saved way more.
Obviously not much use if you have kids and need to use every room in the house but works for me as upstairs not used much.
 
There are some really good apps that help with saving on groceries like Too Good To Go and Gander.

Mine have lived out whenever possible this winter and I’ve saved lots on hay as they’ve got lots of grass.

Get an enjoyable second job - I work full time but also work behind a bar on a Saturday night because I want to be sociable but don’t want to spend - it’s a win win situation and the money goes into a different account to my salary. I call it my ‘fun money’ account and rarely spend anything from my salary account now.

Try multi-gen living if your situation allows.

I don’t have time to make my lunch at home, but do buy food for work to last all week - pitta bread with cheese or tins of soup etc to try keep lunch costs down.
 
Highmileagecob said:
I have triggered the Round Ups on the banking app. Every time I spend, it is rounded up to the nearest pound and sent to my savings account. Over £20 since Christmas! If your, or a young relation's car insurance is getting out of hand, try adding an older driver to the policy as a named driver. It saved my kids a fortune when they were starting out.
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Oh that’s a good idea! I wonder if my banking app offers that.
 
Highmileagecob said:
I have triggered the Round Ups on the banking app. Every time I spend, it is rounded up to the nearest pound and sent to my savings account. Over £20 since Christmas! If your, or a young relation's car insurance is getting out of hand, try adding an older driver to the policy as a named driver. It saved my kids a fortune when they were starting out.
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I did this a while ago. Only round up to the nearest £1 but on average it works out about £25-£30 per month of money you wouldn't even notice gone. I use it as a little treat money.
 
suestowford said:
Goodness Paddy, that sounds really painful!

Somewhere I have a Snugglesafe heat pad (meant for small pets) but I will have to dig that out as I could use it myself :)
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mine, a human one, was £17 on Amazon, it has a timer and 6 heat settings. One of the most brilliant things I have bought. (actually I bought 3 :D it was so good)

way superior to the wheat bags we were using before as it keeps heat for as long as you want it to and can get as hot as you want. Also it covers a far larger area. Setting 3 is good and 4 is pretty hot. Above that way too much.
 
Highmileagecob said:
I have triggered the Round Ups on the banking app. Every time I spend, it is rounded up to the nearest pound and sent to my savings account. Over £20 since Christmas! If your, or a young relation's car insurance is getting out of hand, try adding an older driver to the policy as a named driver. It saved my kids a fortune when they were starting out.
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I do this and manage to save over £500 per year in "change" we use it as holiday spendies!
 
Buy clothes on vinted.... and actually, I've got curtains from there too for the new house.

Go sim only contract on mobile phone, saves a fortune!

One thing I've learnt moving into a really ancient house with single glazed windows (things we do to have horses at home 🤣🥶) is heat the person, not the room.... so layers, electric blankets, extra socks etc. I work from home and get so cold if I'm not moving about. We are currently saving between £3 and £7 a day by switching off the flipping electric underfloor heating!!!!!
 
Kunoichi73 said:
If you're ordering online, try putting things in your basket and then leave the site. Some companies will email you telling you you've forgotten to check out and may offer a discount code to get you to make the purchase. I think there's a list of which companies do this on Money Saving Expert somewhere.
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Ooh yes! And most websites now have a 10% discount or similar on first orders if you join their newsletter. I always look for that now before I order anything new.

I’m another fan of secondhand purchases, both from an environmental and economical perspective. You can find almost anything secondhand these days!
 
alsxx said:
Buy clothes on vinted.... and actually, I've got curtains from there too for the new house.

Go sim only contract on mobile phone, saves a fortune!

One thing I've learnt moving into a really ancient house with single glazed windows (things we do to have horses at home 🤣🥶) is heat the person, not the room.... so layers, electric blankets, extra socks etc. I work from home and get so cold if I'm not moving about. We are currently saving between £3 and £7 a day by switching off the flipping electric underfloor heating!!!!!
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I'm SUCH a fan of vinted. I sold two Hell Bunny dresses last week for total £30.

I have a ball in Feb and spent the £30 on a bnwt evening dress and faux fur shrug. Basically free. I always look there first before checking clothes sites now.
 
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