I have always been addicted to saving money and avoid paying full price for anything where possible.
But by taking this to the next level, I’ve managed to become mortgage-free 10 years ago.
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With the energy price cap rising at the end of October and only 100 days until Christmas, I share my five top tips on how you can save up to £850 to pay for the festive season.
Be wise with energy usage
While we can’t control the price of energy, we can control how and when we use it.
I have slashed the electricity bill on my one-bed flat by using my washing machine at night and showering early each morning.
I set the washing machine on a timer to start at 6am. It’s usually a two-hour cycle, which means it finishes at around 8am – 50 minutes before the night tariff ends.
I also shower early each morning on the night tariff with an electric shower, which really makes a difference.
My last bill with Octopus Energy was split 62% day, 38% night, with 110 units on the day tariff and 67 units at night.
In August, my day use cost £27.64, yet I used more than 60% again at night that only cost £7.85.
Saving – £8.99 / 30 days x 100 days = £30
Ditch your tumble dryer
I never use a tumble dryer to dry my clothes.
Instead, I use a clothes line outside in the garden or an airer to let them dry naturally, which costs me nothing.
USwitch estimates that a tumble dryer uses roughly 4.5kWh of energy per cycle, which costs roughly £1.13 per cycle.
I do roughly 90 washes a year, which saves me £101.70 a year.
Saving – £101.70 a year / 365 days x 100 days = £27.86
Shop at the right time
It sounds obvious, but Yellow sticker food is one of my biggest savings.
I never pay full price for fresh produce where possible.
Supermarkets are restricting their discounts as so many people are looking for bargains.
According to NimbleFins analysis of Office of National Statistics data, the average UK household now spends around £3,745 on groceries and £1,278 on food at restaurants and takeaways every year (a total food spend of £5,023).
Brits spend an average of 25% of their food budgets eating out and on takeaways. The average spend is £31 per person a week on groceries and £11 a week on takeaways. That’s £42 a week on food.
Aldi stopped offering 75% discounts in May, but there are still plenty of bargains to find if you know what time to do your shopping.
It usually does 30% discounts same-day and 50% from late afternoon onwards.
The Co-op discounts same-day groceries by 25% until 3.30pm and 65% after.
Tesco discounts by 25% same-day and 50% mid-afternoon onwards.
And Sainsbury’s discounts by 25% until 5pm and 75% afterwards. Sainsbury’s towards 6pm on a Friday is the best time to stock up for the following week ahead.
I paid £11 for over £40 of groceries including a £20 beef joint for £5 last week – all 75% off.
Ask the staff when the final reductions are made if you don’t know.
Cut out all takeaways and buy reduced to clear food. It may be a big ask but small changes make a big difference.
Obviously, yellow sticker items won’t last as long.
But you can read our handy guide in The Sun from experts on how to make your yellow sticker items last longer here.
Saving on takeaways – £572 a year / 365 days x 100 days = £156.71
Saving on groceries – £1,612 a year / 365 days x 100 days = £441.64 x 75% = £331.23
Total Saving = £487.94 a year
Make your own soup
Soup is very easy to make – and very healthy too.
You don’t need a fancy soup maker or any gadgets, either.
I have a soup pan, knives, a peeler, a chopping board, a stick blender and a plastic splatter guard, all of which are cheap to buy.
A vegetable stock cube, a piece of ginger or coriander, cumin and any other herbs can make a tasty soup.
Fresh herbs in packets are often reduced by supermarkets if they’re close to expiry.
Buy wonky carrots, too – they don’t taste any different and are much cheaper.
A 50p 1kg bag of carrots, a 10p stock cube and a 25p piece of ginger can make at least 4 bowls of soup for only 21p a bowl.
Meanwhile Heinz soup now costs £1.70 a tin.
Cost (Heinz) – £6.80 x 14 weeks = £95.20
Cost (own) – 85p x 14 weeks = £11.90
Saving = £83.30
Cut store-bought coffees
This also sounds obviously, but cutting bought coffees in the morning and taking your own before you leave home can save a huge amount a year.
I have a Tassimo machine and buy pods in bulk with discount codes. Look on www.vouchercodes.co.uk and find verified codes to use on the Tassimo account.
Tassimo coffees are just as good, if not better, than many high street coffee chains.
The average cost of a coffee is £3.40 a cup according to Fresh Ground, with speciality coffees costing much more.
My favourite Tassimo coffee is ‘Morning Café.’
My last order was £34.93 for 160 pods with free delivery, which works out at 22p a cup + milk – about 30p.
5 Tassimo coffees will only cost you £1.50 a week.
If you cut out 5 coffees a week, that’s £17 a week in your pocket.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
Saving – £15.50 x 14 weeks = £217
Total Savings – £846.10
How to save money on your food shop
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save hundreds of pounds a year:
Odd boxes – plenty of retailers offer slightly misshapen fruit and veg or surplus food at a discounted price.
Lidl sells five kilos of fruit and veg for just £1.50 through its Waste Not scheme while Aldi shoppers can get Too Good to Go bags which contain £10 worth of all kinds of products for £3.30.
Sainsbury’s also sells £2 “Taste Me, Don’t Waste Me” fruit and veg boxes to help shoppers reduced food waste and save cash.
Food waste apps – food waste apps work by helping shops, cafes, restaurants and other businesses shift stock that is due to go out of date and passing it on to members of the public.
Some of the most notable ones include Too Good to Go and Olio.
Too Good to Go’s app is free to sign up to and is used by millions of people across the UK, letting users buy food at a discount.
Olio works similarly, except users can collect both food and other household items for free from neighbours and businesses.
Yellow sticker bargains – yellow sticker bargains, sometimes orange and red in certain supermarkets, are a great way of getting food on the cheap.
But what time to head out to get the best deals varies depending on the retailer. You can see the best times for each supermarket here.
Super cheap bargains – sign up to bargain hunter Facebook groups like Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK where shoppers regularly post hauls they’ve found on the cheap, including food finds.
“Downshift” – you will almost always save money going for a supermarket’s own-brand economy lines rather than premium brands.
The move to lower-tier ranges, also known as “downshifting” and hailed by consumer expert Martin Lewis, could save you hundreds of pounds a year on your food shop.
