Free household hints and tips to cut your bills, stop food waste, and clear debt. Discover practical, common-sense UK budgeting tricks to save money.
Food & Kitchen
Don't throw clingfilm after one use if it's clean, use it again
Same for tin foil
Cover food in the microwave, it cooks quicker and saves the inside getting dirty if things splash
Never go food shopping hungry
Go through your food cupboards and freezer. Make a note of what you have and try to use it up rather than buying more
Keep a shopping list on the fridge and add things to it as they get low so you don't run out. Encourage your partner and children to add to it as necessary
Ignore best before dates. You can tell when food is off. Smell, colour etc. for example eggs past their best can still be hard boiled
Scrape off mould.. a little bit won't kill most people. Marmalade, jam, pate, cheese... Just remove the mould and the surrounding area and use as normal.
The freezer is your best friend. Freeze leftovers, a glut of home grown veg or bulk made meals. Get out the night before to defrost.
Drop a brand on your food. Most of us have given up sugar in tea or coffee. Or liked something as an adult we didn't like as a kid. Your pallet can be trained to like different flavours so if money is tight, don't have your favourite brand ketchup or mayonnaise, try the shops own brand instead, the savings here are usually quite big
Know where your supermarket reduced shelves are. But only buy things you're actually going to use (I'll tell you about the grapefruit story sometime)
I still find it hard to bin food bags. Like what my pasta comes in, or raisins. I wash them out and reuse them for freezing stuff in.
Drink less coffee out. Take a flask of home made. You won't have to queue, it's infinitely cheaper and the flask is washable and reusable again and again. Plus you get your coffee exactly as you like it.
Eat on smaller plates and eat slower
Cut out or reduce your caffeine intake. Your body will thank you, your mental alertness will improve and you will have the clarity of thought to realise you're respecting yourself by respecting the planet. I have been caffeine free for 20 months at November 2024.
Make your own lunch. The savings here are huge. Buy multi packs of crisps, they last a few months. I think they're 25p or so a pack this way. Rather than 70p, £1, or more depending on which outlet you are buying from. You know you get hungry so why not take food with you? Why pay criminal prices at the airport (for example) when you could make a round of sarnies, save some empty water bottles and fill with water or squash etc and save probably at least a tenner for 2 people.
Take squash for young kids ready made in old (and washed) juice bottles. Pubs won't mind if you're eating there anyway, or for on the train or for after swimming lessons. It's not hard to just put a little bit of planning into your life to help you spend less on some easy savings
Don't bin stale biscuits, stale bread, use them in something else. There are multitude of websites to help you use up food
Save your vegetable cooking water to make gravy rather than buying stock cubes. The flavours are so much nicer than a salt packed manufactured stock cube.
Use clothes pegs or elastic bands round opened food packs if you don't have tupperware type boxes. It'll last much longer if you keep the air and light out of the packet
Try coley instead of cod in a fish pie. It's about £5 per kilo cheaper
Leave your microwave door slightly ajar when not in use. You'll let any smell and moisture escape which will reduce the speed with which the paint inside starts to break down / go rusty. If it keeps working and still looks good you wont feel the need to go buy a new one.
Leave your oven door ajar after use until it's cooled down - this is only about 10 mins usually. Same thing here, the moisture will escape and the door seal will last longer.
See takeaways as a treat rather than a regular occurrence
Take your own food and drink to work or on days out
Don't bin spuds that have started sprouting, just pull them off and cook as normal
Same with onions
If you are regularly binning fresh fruit and veg, try to buy less, or cook and freeze or use in something else rather than binning. Think banana cake for squidgy bananas
Try to maximise the amount of nutrition in your diet. Eat the skin on your apples or just wash spuds and don't peel them. A lot of the goodness is in the skin. The more nutrition in your diet, the better your body will work for you and your brain will think
When I eat tinned fish, i always make sure to get every last flake out of the tin. An animal died for me to eat it, the least I can do is actually eat all of it rather than just binning it. Think about the poor sharks that are killed just for their fins. Massacred. But the rest of their body is just thrown away. So wasteful.
Use a bleach solution on plates if they have a raised or embossed pattern that's getting grubby looking. They'll come up like new
Don't bin leftovers. Freeze or keep in the fridge and have another day, either bubble and squeak, or curry it, or add to a stew
Add lentils, chickpeas or soup broth mix to stews, curries, caseroles, spag bol. Very cheap source of protein and will bulk out the meal.
Use packet soups for sauces in recipes or meals. Cheap and quick.
Save used marmite jars for stock or extra flavoured water when cooking rice, spag bol, shepherds pie etc rather than buying stock cubes
Make tea in a flask, keeps warmer longer, you can take it out with you too
House Maintenance & Utilities
Look after your things - no matter what it is.
Clean things, oil them, fix them at the first sign of trouble. The old saying 'a stitch in time saves nine' is true. Don't think 'it doesn't matter and I'll just buy another one if you can mend what you have. What are you doing instead? Gaming? Searching social media? Watching sports? Put down the device for half an hour and do something to save you having to buy something else.
Turn lights off when leaving the room
Cream cleaner (jif cif whatever it's called these days) is your friend. Don't repaint the wall to cover those marks, a bit of that stuff and some elbow grease and practically everything will rub off
An old flannel makes a great window cleaner cloth, and old terry nappies are great for drying them off
Don't buy single use disposable things like dishcloths for example. If you do, wash them in the machine after using and you can use again and again.
Save leftover paint properly, you can just touch up paintwork if needed rather than having to redo the whole area (which likely requires a new tin of paint).
Make sure you regularly test your smoke alarms.
Buy a cheap battery tester, put dead ones in the recycling bin and save ones with a bit of juice left. Batteries no longer good enough for a remote for example, are still great for a clock.
Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth
Hang up your washing up rubber gloves and air dry them, they last much longer.
Use rugs on wooden, laminate or tiled floors to keep the heat in / make the floor feel warmer underfoot
Swap your old style bulbs for led ones, they are much more energy efficient
Look for household items for cleaning rather than buying products. For example vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder all make great cleaning products for a raft of things. No, they dont smell as sweet but they are more environmentally friendly than the shop bought ones and just as good in a lot of cases
Fix things that break if you can.
Dont guess at dose size in washing machine liquid. Use a dosing ball or jug or use a plastic pot with a line on it so you use the correct amount. If you use too little your clothes wont come out as clean as they should, use too much and youre wasting it
Use a drain cover in the kitchen sink and shower or bath plughole. You'll stop debris going down the plughole and potentially blocking the drain up saving you money and hassle getting it unblocked
Caustic Soda Crystals are a cheap drain unblocker
Creosote your fencing and wooden furniture that lives outdoors regularly. I know it's time consuming and not a lot of fun. But your fencing and outside furniture will last many years longer saving you money in the long term
Get dripping taps fixed, or a toilet cistern that overflows. It might be just a small amount of cash you're saving in doing so, but it is still money which adds up
Put a part brick or special pouch bag in your toilet cistern to reduce the amount of water you use per flush
Use the 'if its yellow, let it mellow. If its brown flush it down' mantra
Put foil behind radiators to reduce the heat escaping out the wall behind the radiator and reflect it back into the room
Get thermostatic valves on your radiators so you can adjust the temperature in each room. Turn it right down or off if its in a room you don't use much
Bleed radiators every autumn as air gets trapped in the system and means they aren't as effective at letting the heat out as they should be. Turn on the heating. Feel top, middle and bottom. The heat should be consistent throughout, if it's colder top or bottom it needs bleeding to get trapped air out which will be replaced with hot water once the air is removed. Get a cheap radiator key and store it somewhere safe so you can do this easily.
Get cavity wall and loft insulation fitted. Sometimes the energy companies help with the cost of this as they were previously tasked by the government with helping home owners reduce the amount of energy they use by making their homes more energy efficient
Bleach your washing up bowl if it starts looking tired
Don't buy a new shower curtain if it starts getting mouldy. Use a diluted bleach and water solution and soak in a bucket overnight before washing it thoroughly. It'll come up like new
Use vinegar to clean windows. Lovely clean streak free finish and you're bound to have some in the cupboard rather than buying window cleaner
I hate spending money on electric I'm not really using - turn off the oven and microwave when not being used to stop those clocks burning electric (or buy ones without that feature). Turn TVs off with standby lights at the plug etc
Transport & Travel
Get your car serviced and always get repairs done asap
Store up trips to do odd jobs and go on one day / same time, your car will run better after it's warmed up so your overall journey will be more economical and better on your cars wear and tear
Drive sensibly. Don't scream up and down through the gears or brake sharply. Your car will run more economically and the parts won't wear out as quickly. Less trips to the garage.
Give way to someone at least once every trip you make. If we all did this, it'll help keep the traffic flowing and reduce all our stress levels. And if nothing else, it's just being kind to your fellow humans. It feels nice to do any selfless act and how hard is that to do?
Use online comparison sites to check for the cheapest fuel near you and always try to get fuel when you are passing that garage rather than going out of your way or making a separate trip just to get fuel
Don't use a car wash, use a bucket at home
Keep your tyres inflated correctly. This will reduce wear on them and you'll use less fuel
Keep engine oil in your car and check it regularly. Top up as needed. You'll keep the engine running more efficiently and prolong its life
Use train ticket comparison sites to buy rail tickets before you go. Generally this is cheaper than buying at the station on the day. MSE has a huge section on rail cost savings.
Same for holidays, compare prices using different online sites
Shopping & Consumer Habits
Write a list and stick to it at the shops
Buy non perishable items in bulk if they're on special offer or a good price. Things like toiletries and tampons, razor blades or toilet rolls don't have a best before date
Don't buy something for a specific purpose if you have something else already that will do the job
Read reviews for products before buying. Look for the best features of the product for the money you have to spend on it. Years and years ago I read a magazine review on Face creams. Day creams. In the top ten was superdrugs' one. Its a fraction of the price of the big brands and I still use it to this day. I have very few lines for my age and I don't even use it every day. It's fantastic value for what it does and I hope they continue to make it for years. My point? Just because its cheaper doesn't mean it's not good
If you buy magazines regularly, take out a subscription, it's way cheaper
Always take carrier bags to the shops with you, those 10p's all add up
Save your carrier bags to use again
Compare the price per gram or litre or whatever it is when comparing products at the supermarket. A bigger pack is generally a cheaper per gram etc option. If it's something you buy regularly, you're going to use it anyway, it'll just cost you less.
Stop trying to keep up with the Joneses... or the Kardasians. You never will. Always remember, you have no idea how much of what they have is bought on finance.
Pay for everything you can in one go rather than using finance / credit to make the purchase. The cost of the credit may be relatively low, or make the item affordable to you but you'll be spending more than you have to have it early so long term the thing (whether that's car tax, a pair of shoes, a holiday, sofa, tv, Argos bits at Christmas...everything.) whatever it is, don't pay extra for it. You'll have more cash if you live within your means and reduce the amount of borrowing you have.
Always see what else you could buy or use that would do the job before just buying something
Smart Money, Bills & Banking
Compare all your insurances and energy / utility bills instead of auto renewing. £50 here and there soon add up for the sake of an hour of your time. Ask yourself how many hours you have to work to actually take home that £50? I've always found it to definitely be worth doing.
If you live on your own, make sure you claim for the 25% discount you are entitled to on your council tax
Keep a spreadsheet. Income and outgoings. Update it regularly and see what you are spending your money on. If you notice a lot of silly mindless spending, try to cut back on those items and find alternative ways to get the same thing or go without.
Open a new bank account if there is a financial incentive to do so. Some of the banks offer over £100 (with some t&cs usually around switching direct debits to them). It doesn't usually take very long and you can switch banks again a year or so later.
Research best savings accounts. Sometimes there are regular saver accounts that offer very attractive savings rates. I used to have accounts at about 10 different institutions. Move money from a to b to c, to meet any payment requirements. Use the reg saver accounts, for one thing you are saving something, at a better rate than standard savings account, and most allow you to take money about before the end of the term if you have an emergency need (normally lower interest rate though in that situation).
My accountant told me this one. To save for your tax bill if you're self employed, put 20% of your earnings into premium bonds each month. When the bill comes in, you should already have most of the money you need to pay it, and you might have won a prize in the meantime. At least you aren't struggling to pay the bill at the end of the year.
Stooze.... I'm not sure if this is such a thing nowadays but you used to be able to get 0% interest on balance transfers or new spending on some credit cards. Use it. Keep the cash to cover it in an interest paying account and basically the interest you get is a bonus on the interest free borrowing you've effectively had from the new credit card company. Obviously if there is a 3% fee to transfer the balance and the bank interest rate is less, then that's not worth doing unless you are switching from a 24% APR card to a lower rate card in order to clear that debt quicker. Even if you only earn £100 a year from it. That's £100. That's a very nice meal or a trip somewhere.
If your company offers share savings schemes, take advantage if you can. The rates are generally very good.
Save into your pension as young as you can. The younger you start, the less you have to pay in to get the magic of compounding working for you to create a decent retirement fund (assuming no calamity on the stock exchange the day you retire of course).
Use ISA accounts. If you'd have paid the max into a cash ISA every year since they were first introduced (and kept it in there), you'd be a millionaire now.
I used to do the lottery. A lucky dip. Then it was Weds and Saturday. Then it went up to £2 a ticket. All I ever won were free lucky dips and 1 or 2 tiny wins in all the years I did it. £4 a week is £208 a year. I decided to put the money in a bank account instead. Yes, I know, I might win millions but I wouldn't know how to spend it anyway. I'd probably just stick it in a bank account...
Use online comparison sites to compare insurance premiums. Never just auto-renew
Keep an eye on bank interest rates and move any savings to the best rate account you can get
Look online for ways to earn money online that you can do. There are surveys, secret shoppers, game apps, etc etc all which could earn you a few extra pennies
Set a calendar reminder on your phone for a month before your insurances are due, or bank preference rates ends, mortgage fixed deals, energy etc. It gives you time to plan what you will do (change provider or stay where you are), get alternative quotes, rather than not doing anything, and it costs you more
See your financial situation as a priority and keep on top of what you have, what you earn, what you'd like and what you need.
Take out a cashback on purchases credit card but pay it off every month. You'll get a little bit back from spending you were doing anyway. Or very often banks offer the same kind of deal or a financial incentive to use your debit card. Try to get a little return on spending that you're doing anyway.
Always be honest on your insurance applications. If you need to claim and you've lied, you're not going to get your payment from them.
Keep your finances private. No one else needs to know your situation.
Tech & Media
Do you really need all the media subscriptions you have? Look at what you get from each one and see if you already have it with another. Or you don't listen to music or watch a channel very often nowadays so cancel that one
Don't print stuff if you don't have to because its online
I always buy second hand phones and just get a sim only deal. Normally they've had very little use and are perfectly fine for the basic things I use a phone for.
Look after your phone. Get a protective case or cover for it.
Read up the best way to make the battery last. It might be not letting the battery run out or only charging to 85% full. Try to prolong its life by following the manufacturer instructions
Don't pay for more data than you use. Check your historical usage, maybe you can reduce your data plan and save a few pounds each month there. Why pay for something you aren't using?
If you do buy a phone over a couple of years, definitely diarise when the handset will be paid off and make sure you start paying a reduced monthly amount for just data once the handset is paid off. I've had several friends whose provider hasn't automatically reduced their monthly bill at that time. These companies don't want you to remember, they make a lot of money this way.
Be safe online. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
Never share pins or passwords with anyone. Be it bank accounts, your phone or your email address. Relationships with other people can change and the ugly side of other people can come out. Protect yourself, your money and your privacy.
Find charities to take old phones, cameras, pcs, laptops etc if they are very old and can't be sold. These charities will wipe them of your data and reuse the parts. There are charities for old tools too. And i suspect a wealth of other things we use if you look online. Distract yourself from spending and mindless scrolling or TV watching and spend a bit of time reducing your impact to the planet and helping others at the same time
Decluttering, Reusing & Second Hand
Sort out your clothes, see what you have, what you don't wear, give it to charity. You'll have more space. Decluttering is cathartic.
Bin things if they aren't fixable, or try to give them away online, someone can quite often fix things and it's saved you a trip to the tip
I don't darn my socks if they get a hole, but I keep them for stuffing packaging when I post things (obviously after being washed). Start looking at what else you can use something for before you bin it.
You can get an array of items from car boot sales. It's not all old tools. If there is anything you need for your home, see if someone is selling theirs cheap, give it a thorough clean when you get it home and use it
Gumtree, Facebook and Freecycle websites offer free things, I'm sure all the other online selling sites do too. Get in the habit of looking there before buying new items for the home or toys for the kids.
Go through your clothes. See what you have that still fits and you like. I have loads of pairs of trousers, jeans, leggings. Do I wear them all? Nope. Don't buy more if you have lots already.
Keep the boxes for toys or household items if you have the space. If when you've finished with something or it's grown out of, things sell better second hand if they come with the box and paperwork / user guide
Sell stuff. Yes, sell the stuff you don't use or need anymore. It is unlikely you'll get anything like what you paid for it new, but it's a return none the less and it all helps. Plus it's better for the planet if someone else uses it before eventually ending up in the tip.
Hang your clothes up properly. They'll keep their shape better
Save old jiffy bags and Christmas gift bags and boxes to reuse
I can't bear throwing things away that I think may come in handy, I'm talking elastic bands, string, clips. Keep them somewhere handy so when you need one, you don't have to go buy a pack.
Have a good tidy out. How will it save you money? Well for starters, if you sort out your possessions, you'll be reminded of everything you own already. Bin or pass on the stuff you no longer need or use, or take it to a charity shop who will be able to sell it on. Furniture can even often be collected for free by charities like British heart foundation. If you don't like it, or use it, why not make space for things you do use and love? Let someone else get the benefit of your old items. Decluttering is very cathartic. Plus you'll find things you forgot you had which may stop you buying another one.
When you've finished with something, before you put it in the bin, ask yourself if it could be used for anything else. For example, the bands on the end of a bunch of flowers are good as elastic bands. Broken shoelaces for string, rubber gloves are great in the garden once they have a small hole and cant be used for washing up. The elastic round the cuffs are also good for elastic bands, just pull them away from the rest of the glove. Food boxes like cereal can be used to pack items in to post and the thin plastic bags potatoes or onions or bananas come in are great to use as stuffing in items being posted boxes. Same as the outer bag of a multipack of crisps. Paper bags are great for storing seeds in. Margarine and sweet nibble plastic tubs are great for storing things in, whether that's leftover food or bolts in the garage. Why buy tupperware or other storage boxes when you have airtight containers for free from other things you've bought. Start to look at the consumable items that you're going to bin with a 'what else could I use this for' before you do.
Go to car boot sales, or check gumtree, facebay, Freecycle, ebay etc for free or cheaper than new used items you need
Regift new items you don't want
Sell your unwanted items online, whether this is kids clothes and toys, or a broken vacuum cleaner, more often than not, if the price is right, someone else will want it
Look after your stuff. Whether that's garden tools, kitchen appliances, your clothes, furniture, anything and everything. It may not be beautiful, or expensive but it'll last longer if you store things properly, clean after use, just respect the things you do have and be grateful for them. There will always be someone who has less than you and would love to have what you have.
Old tights make great nets for storing garlic in, or garden bulbs you've lifted. Or tennis balls or golf balls or... you think what else...
Paint old furniture or picture frames to give them a new lease of life. Or a vase, whatever it is, for a relativity small cost you can renew your decor and save the item going in the bin
Before binning something, see if you can use any parts from it. Screws or rubber belts or record player lids (they make great trays for plants), etc etc. Could you find another use for it to save you having to buy something new? And save them from the landfill
Save some old clothes and shoes to wear when gardening, diy or cleaning
Personal Care & Clothing
Drain or scrape. Ketchup, mayonnaise, toothpaste, pesto, shampoo, wine. You paid for whatever volume of the stuff comes in the bottle, jar or tube. Why would you bin something you paid for just because it takes a couple of minutes to get it out? I'm still waiting for my partner to make some kind of freestanding clamp so I don't have to have upturned bottles leant against the kitchen wall. And there's always a good few drips left in a wine or cider bottle if you give it a couple of minutes.
I can normally get another couple of days toothpaste out of the tube if I cut the end off. The way I see it, I wouldn't leave a pint undrunk or a meal uneaten (if it were edible), so why would I throw away the things I buy from the supermarket just because the manufacturer hasn't figured out a better material or shape to put it in so it all comes out easily?
Buy clippers and cut your partners / sons or your own hair yourself (this is for people who go to barbers)
Get your hair cut less regularly if you are a woman. If it's getting a bit longer than usual, tie it back, or use clips. One less trip per year could save you from £25 to goodness knows how much per year.
Ladies, have a dry cut at the hairdressers and save a few £s. Or don't have the blow dry if it saves a £ or so
If you wash your hair everyday, and you aren't going out on a certain day, use a cheaper shampoo and conditioner. The finish to your hair doesn't matter so much if you aren't being seen out
Same with make-up, if you aren't going out, go bare faced, or just a little mascara and lippy, your skin will thank you having a breather
This one is a bit contentious, don't bin make up or whatever after 12 months being opened. If it still smells ok, keep using it until it runs out or actually starts to smell bad
Read packs and bottles, use the correct amount whatever it is, shampoo, toothpaste, medicine, pasta...
Ladies, keep a sanitary towel, tampon etc in your handbag so you don't have to buy adhoc if you get caught out
Family & Parenting
Train your kids from a young age to appreciate what they have
If you have children in childcare, see what vouchers you can buy out of your gross salary (before tax) so they are effectively 20% cheaper
Accept hand-me-downs, especially for the kids. It's environmentally friendly and very often they've had very little use.
Teach the kids not to lose things so you don't have to replace their trainers, school jumper or whatever it may be
If you're a young person, and one day want to buy your own home, definitely make use of the Lifetime ISA. The government contribute to the fund too and if you never buy a house, when you're 60, you can take the money out anyway. If you take it out for any other reason before 60 than to buy a house, you have to forfeit the government bonus money. But that's ok if you think about it. The government are trying to help you afford to buy a house, not take the money out after 5 years to pay for a trip to Disney etc
Gardening & Outdoors
Take cuttings from plants to get more plants for minimal outlay. It's personally one of my most satisfying pursuits... To get a free plant.
If you have a burning bin, or even a wood burning stove, scrounge any suitable wood you see in skips, pallets that have been discarded, logs at the woods. That's free heat that is.
Save washing up water to water your plants in the summer
Get a waterbutt. I'm not sure if you can still get this but some water companies used to give a discount if you had a waterbutt. If nothing else you have plenty of free water for the garden or to wash the car with
Buy rough sawn timber and sand it down rather than buying ready planed wood (if the job can get away with that... think wooden garden bench).
Bamboo canes make good window net poles
Sharing, Community & General Lifestyle
Share tools with friends and family and borrow when you need something you don't own whenever you can. Always clean and return in the condition you got it in. Make sure to return it without being prompted so you are more likely to be able to borrow something from the same person again.
Always try to put used items in the appropriate recycling bin. Glass, batteries etc. If there is a shop near you that takes them, take them there. Think of the planet. Try to do your little bit.
Get an organ donor card. Help others or science once you're gone. We are all going to leave the planet one day, why not allow your body to benefit someone else once you can;t use it
Stop worrying about what everyone else has, you have no idea how much is on finance, or if they inherited money. You can't keep up with the Joneses. Learn to be content with less.
Stop and smell the roses. I mean it, when you see roses, stop and smell them!!!. Life is beautiful. Mother nature can make the sweetest smells and tastes (think pineapple or pear or peach or fresh orange juice). Be grateful for nature. Respect the science today that can enable fruit and veg grown miles away and months ago to be fresh in the supermarket all year long for you to enjoy
Always sort your recycling rubbish from the other waste properly. These days a lot of packaging actually states if it can be recycled. Do your bit. The more that can be recycled, it saves the planet being pillaged of its resources and will keep ongoing costs down. Everything you buy has a cost. If you always use extra sugar or napkins at a restaurant, they have to put their costs up to cover this, as the customer this has a knock on effect to you.
Take your rubbish home!!!!. I don't care where you are, if you made the waste, take it home and put it in the right household waste bin. Let's keep our country tidy. Let's stop animals from the potential threats of our litter. My friend and I found a massive cookbook just abandoned in the woods the other day - who does that?. Take your stuff home / use a bin.
Use the library instead of buying books. These days you can even reserve them online from other branches
Last one...
Find a penny, pick it up, and all that day you'll have good luck. Or at least a penny more...
Start saving today! Choose just three tips from this list to try out this week, and share this guide with a friend who loves clever, budget-friendly life hacks. The join the Team Me movement for a weekly motivational email from The Strict Witch to keep you heading towards your financial goals.
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