Frugal Living Tips

I consider myself a minimalist, starting the journey. I am also naturally very frugal which I think is helpful on this path. Today I want to share with you all, some of my tips for frugal living. I’m going to add 10 at a time, so as not to overwhelm you or I!

 

1. Squeeze every last drop out of that tube, if necessary cut it in half. You’d be amazed how much is left at the bottom of a tube of moisturiser or toothpaste!
2. When you get to the bottom of your liquid soap, add a tiny bit of water. That helps to get it all out and doesn’t dilute it too much.
3. Cook from scratch- you will always pay less for raw ingredients. Please, please don’t buy ready meals- they’re full of rubbish like excess salt and sugar.
4. Make do and mend. Learn how to sew, so you can darn that sock or glove, or sew a button back on!
5. Use a scoop to measure out your washing powder- most companies will even send you one for free!
6. Learn how to do basic DIY, like putting a bolt on a door or hanging shelves.
7. Always search around for the best prices (I think I’ll do another blog post on this soon), but there are lots of internet search engines to help you
8. Join up to coupon sites, like www.supersavvyme.co.uk
9. Join up to www.moneysavingexpert.com
10. Share things with others, or join a local swaps/ share group. This can really save you money on big items you might not use that often, like drills or lawnmowers.

My top tips for minimising

Today I thought I’d share with you my top tips for minimising your stuff!

1. Start with one small area- a bookshelf, a drawer, a cupboard
2. Sell the good stuff on eBay. I try everything on there first! You’d be amazed at what sells and you’ll probably get the best price
3. If you have really good stuff to sell, try your local freeads or Preloved
4. Sell your books on Amazon Marketplace. It’s really easy to list items and you’ll generally get a good price. It even has this handy feature which shows you how much you’ll earn and how much you’ll pay in fees, before you list. I wish eBay had that feature!
5. Join up to a group on Facebook and sell your niche items there. For example, I sold the vast majority of my degree books through a book sales site related to my profession. It was dead easy to do and best of all, there are no fees attached. You can take payments through Paypal (for which you will pay a small fee). Or if you’re local- why not arrange to collect/ drop- off?
6. Join up to a local selling group- I found one near me on Yahoo Groups. I found it very easy and straightforward.
7. Sell your books to a trade -in store. I use these as a last resort because the prices won’t be as good, as if you sell the book yourself. Try several and check around for the best price. I recommend; www.webuybooks.co.uk           www.zapper.co.uk www.amazon.co.uk/Trade-In        www.fatbrain.co.uk    www.musicmagpie.co.uk
8. Do a car boot sale. Google your nearest one. In my experience the biggest isn’t always the best- as you have too much competition. Go as a  buyer first, to check it out. Compare fees, as some are really expensive!
9. Give stuff back to its owners! You’d be amazed just how much stuff I had around- mostly books and DVDs that belonged to other people
10. Freecycle it! Search for a group local to you, list your item with a short description and wait for the offers of collection to roll in! Beware, choose your buyers carefully- some are trying to make a quick profit by selling your item on and abusing your kindness. Some will ask for it and never turn up, wasting your time! Don’t be put off though- there are some great Freecyclers out there. There are other similar sites- like Freegle. Find the one that’s right for you
11. Donate it- bag it up and take it to a charity shop, or fill a charity bag and leave it on the curb (I don’t like these schemes, as there are so many non-genuine ones out there!) Or dump it in one of those recycling type, charity banks (especially good for clothes or shoes)
12. Donate all sorts of items to a local re-claim scheme for people on a  low-income. They usually like furniture and appliances. But can take smaller stuff, like pictures, mirrors and cans of paint
13. Some libraries take puzzles and allow people to swap them there
14. Look out for opportunities in your local area. My local Homebase has a thriving book swapping section. They also carry free DIY items and plants/ seeds. Maybe your item could be used as a prop in the school play? Maybe your local Drs surgery would really appreciate that stack of magazines?

Share your tops tips with me now!