Reining back on the finances: any ideas?

Latest Articles

Reining back on the finances: any ideas?
Page 1, 2, 3 ... 10, 11, 12 Next

Downsizer Forum Index -> Finance and Property

Author

Message

Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Sat Jan 09, 10 3:12 pm Post subject: Reining back on the finances: any ideas?

We've started the New Year a tad short of cash. I've been thinking of ways of saving money that I could implement in and around the house, at work etc. Thus far I'm going to:

Take lunch to work with me each day;
Stop buying coffees at work and make my own (goodbye lovely cappuccinos

);
Turn off all lights where they are really not being used;
Leave off the central heating during the day at weekends;
Cancel all my magazine subscriptions;
Eat our way through the freezers;
Change to on-line electriciy billing (gives a discount of 18% with Eon);
Reduce evening wine intake during the week;

Anyone else got any ideas?

Cook food in big batches and freeze to save on fuel (Chez)
Use slow cooker more (Toggle)
Eat less meat/more veggie meals once we've eaten through the freezer (Sean)
Make a note of all cash expenditure (Jema)
Make your own greetings cards/send email greetings (Green Rosie)
Make a weekly menu and only shop for that (Penny)
Check all your direct debits (Penny)

Last edited by Mary-Jane on Sat Jan 09, 10 5:44 pm; edited 9 times in total

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35934
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Sat Jan 09, 10 3:14 pm Post subject:
When you cook, can you cook a big batch and freeze it, to save on fuel?

Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Sat Jan 09, 10 3:15 pm Post subject:

Chez wrote:

When you cook, can you cook a big batch and freeze it, to save on fuel?

Good thinking. I'd better speak to the chef in that case...

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Sat Jan 09, 10 3:16 pm Post subject:

Chez wrote:

When you cook, can you cook a big batch and freeze it, to save on fuel?

Oh 'eck - that reminds me that ages ago I promised to write an article on energy efficient cooking

. Life is all rather upside down at the moment - I will do it ....... just not quite yet

toggle

Joined: 30 Dec 2006
Posts: 11622
Location: truro

Posted: Sat Jan 09, 10 3:17 pm Post subject:

Mary-Jane wrote:

Chez wrote:

When you cook, can you cook a big batch and freeze it, to save on fuel?

Good thinking. I'd better speak to the chef in that case...

slow cookers good for this as well

Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Sat Jan 09, 10 3:19 pm Post subject:

toggle wrote:

slow cookers good for this as well

Actually, they're good for cheaper cuts of meat anyway aren't they? Good thinking...

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sat Jan 09, 10 3:19 pm Post subject:
More meat-free meals? Or padding the meat you do use further with pulses or whatever?

Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Sat Jan 09, 10 3:20 pm Post subject:

sean wrote:

More meat-free meals? Or padding the meat you do use further with pulses or whatever?

Yes, I was wondeirng whether to dust down the veggie cook books...

Brownbear

Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 14929
Location: South West

Posted: Sat Jan 09, 10 3:20 pm Post subject:
Make your own wine. Leave off the central heating in the evenings; sleep with dogs in the bed for warmth. Give up buying fresh flowers; instead decorate your kitchen with an artistic arrangement of citrus fruit, perhaps enlivened with some brightly-coloured squashes.

toggle

Joined: 30 Dec 2006
Posts: 11622
Location: truro

Posted: Sat Jan 09, 10 3:20 pm Post subject:

Mary-Jane wrote:

toggle wrote:

slow cookers good for this as well

Actually, they're good for cheaper cuts of meat anyway aren't they? Good thinking...

i have one the size of a bucket i got in a charity shop a few years ago, easily does food for 8

Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Sat Jan 09, 10 3:21 pm Post subject:

Brownbear wrote:

sleep with dogs in the bed for warmth.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28118
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Sat Jan 09, 10 3:21 pm Post subject:
Writing down where the money is going, that should tell you where to put the effort into saving it.

toggle

Joined: 30 Dec 2006
Posts: 11622
Location: truro

Posted: Sat Jan 09, 10 3:21 pm Post subject:

sean wrote:

More meat-free meals? Or padding the meat you do use further with pulses or whatever?

indian food is great for this.

plus the leftovers often taste better second time round.

Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Sat Jan 09, 10 3:22 pm Post subject:

Brownbear wrote:

Give up buying fresh flowers; instead decorate your kitchen with an artistic arrangement of citrus fruit, perhaps enlivened with some brightly-coloured squashes.

Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Sat Jan 09, 10 3:22 pm Post subject:

jema wrote:

Writing down where the money is going, that should tell you where to put the effort into saving it.

I find with cash it just vanishes into thin air...

	Downsizer Forum Index -> Finance and Property	All times are GMT Page 1, 2, 3 ... 10, 11, 12 Next
Page 1 of 12

View Latest Posts