Money Saving Ideas

There are loads of ideas on www.simplesavings.co.nz You can join but there are good ideas in the free bits including the free newsletter.

* How much do you pay for your phone and internet??
If you were like us we just had the usual company and then slapped on internet at the time - BUT with a little research (took about 1/2 hour) i looked at all the other company's websites and there are some great packages out there. Its made a big difference to our bills!

* I menu plan for the week and then match the shopping list to that.

* Recycle wrapping paper and ribbons! when birthdays come round if you can, save the paper and ribbons for when you next need to wrap a gift.

* How often do you really use you mobile? - switch to prepay - its saved me heaps!

* Buy fruit and veges that are in season - they are cheaper

Ok, I haven't read the whole thread, so don't know if these have been done already, but here are my money saving tips:

- Instead of buying wipes, we just bought a few packs of soft cloths from T&T, filled the one and only wipes container that I bought with water, put cloths in, and just squeeze out when I want to use one. I also have different coloured ones for wiping the face.

- Use cloth naps at home and sposies when out or overnight if necessary.

- For food, we just cook up extra veges when we are making our dinner, and then put it in the magic bullet to puree it, then freeze in cubes/ice cube trays, and then microwave the required amount at feed time. Now that Oliver is 6 months old, I think he'd like a little extra flavour, so buy the watties tins/jars and mix a couple of spoons of it with a couple of cubes of what I've made. This makes the shop bought stuff go further!

- We try to have a couple of meat free dinners a week. Means having to buy less meat each week. And I'm pretty sure meat is cheaper if you go to your local butcher than buy it at the supermarket. Same with fruit & vege. Just means visiting three places, so need to weigh up time vs money.

- Make a list when going to the supermarket and stick to it (we try but usually fail miserably thanks to DH)!

- If you cook more dinner than you need, don't go back for seconds. Put it in the fridge for lunch/dinner the next day.

- Home baking is cheaper and nicer than packet bought biscuits/cakes.

That's all I can think of right now.

Mookey if you leave the wipes in water for a while do they start to smell like when you leave washing in the machine? Or is it ok so long as they're covered in water?

this is what i do in my home.
i go to pak n save i the morning when they have meat sales and i buy a $20 paket of mince or chicken and they are huge and then i separate the meat when i get home into frezzer bags and that makes me about 5 or 6 meals its great!!

I use the cloth wipes in water also. I was told to put a few drops of tea tree oil in it also. This is supposed to be antibacterial and also keeps the wipes smelling fresh

i watched the Money Man the other night and he recommended keeping your razors in olive oil - prolongs the life by up to 3 months!!! am trying today!

The Money Man , has some great tips. I also heard that using a tablespoon of washing powder is all you need per wash rather than the full scoop.

I made some Chicken/Vege Soup in the crock pot the other day and it was so cheap and easy. A whole crock pot - did us 3 meals each - so I have frozen them :)

Has anyone heard of Cherry Tree Consumer Club?

I've been a member for 2 years, and it sbeen fantastic. Yes, there is an initial outlay for the membership fee, but you quickly make it back in the savings you get.
Basically, it's a consumer club where the owners have negotiated discounts with retailers and you end up paying less than retail for everything you buy through the club.

With our first baby on the way, and planning at least another one after this, we will definately be shopping there for our cot, buggy and heaps of other baby essentials.

What a great thread!

I am going to look into cloth nappies and will definitly use wash clothes as wipes this time! Also will look into washable breast pads too as spent a fortune on those last time round.

I am a budget queen in our house - I do a weekly meal plan and shopping list and usually go under not over (usually haha) and I try and throw in extra's like maternity pads, nappies, and even tinned foods to keep a constant stockpile!

Love a good bargain too - who doesn't??