Borrowing

I read an interesting article on the Motley Fool website yesterday saying how if you borrow money you might think that you are able to buy more than other people, but in fact, because you spend so much more paying for them because of the interest on the credit, you in fact end up with a lot less in the long run.
So waiting for things and saving up means you will have more, even if it takes you longer to get it.

Going out for Free

I often find that I turn down nights out because I can't afford to buy drinks. One way round this is to drive so that you can't drink alcohol and in return for giving a lift to your friends they often give you free drinks. As long as your friends don't live too far apart and you spend loads on petrol, you can still have a night out with your friends.

Library Books

Today our house is scattered with library books. My girls love the novelty of reading a new book, and although nothing is the same as have a brand new book of their own, borrowing from the library is the next best thing. They get a great deal of enjoyment out of it and experience a big range of different stories that they would never had read if I had to buy them for free.

Cold verses savings

I have decided to stuff saving money on my heating at the moment. My central heating is still not working, and I have had a radiator plugged in all day upstairs, and it is so nice not to feel cold up here. I still only have the little halogen one downstairs so it is cold in the kitchen, but I can put up with that.
It is forecast to be really cold at the weekend so I have decided to just keep the heating on. It is green energy so I don't need to feel guilty about the environment, and I have got to the point where I just want to be warm.

Cheap Food

Going to cheaper supermarkets such as Lidl, Netto and Aldi are a great way to save money. They are much cheaper than the big name supermarkets. The only thing I find is that you have to use up the fruit and veg quickly or else it does tend to go off, so don't overstock or you might find it is a false economy.

Refund

I got a bonus £5 back on Friday after realising I had been overcharged for something. It is always worth checking things like that as you might accidently pay out more money that you should be.

Saving Money on Clothes in the Sales

It is easy to go to the sales and buy lots of clothes because they are reduced but then leave them hanging in the wardrobe and hardly every wearing them, or buying things similar to lots of clothes you already have.

The best thing to do is look at the sort of things that you will need for the next 6 months or so and just buy them. It might not be as much fun buying practical undies, and clothes for a summer holiday you haven't even booked yet, but at least you won't be spending more money than you need.