[John]

We're looking for frugal living tips - that could be any way you use to save money and hopefully be a bit greener.

Prize - either a copy of my new book Low Cost Living or (if you prefer) one of my other books, Vegetable Growing Month by Month or The Essential Allotment Guide. If you've got the lot then I'll work something out with you!


The competition is open to all members and you may enter more than one tip. The winner will be chosen by Allotment Growing at the end of June

The Legal Stuff

By entering you agree to grant to the allotment growing website group including sub-domains and associated sites thereof a non-exclusive licence to publish and use your recipe and extracts from your recipe on the site.

The prize must be taken as stated and cannot be deferred. There will be no cash alternative. Prize(s) unclaimed after 28 days will be deemed to have been forfeited and Allotment Growing reserves the right to offer the prize to another entrant. The winner will need to provide their name and address in order to receive their prize.

Tips should be in line with the theme of the competition. Entries that do not comply in the sole opinion of Allotment Growing will not be eligible. The decision of Allotment Growing to accept or reject an entry is final. No correspondence will be entered into.

[mark.carline]

My tip is to check out your local freecycle:

Their home page is here:
http://uk.freecycle.org/

and you can locate the network in your area here:
http://www.freecycle.org/group/UK

General rules are:
1) No money or goods are exchanged - everything is free
2) You post a message that reads something like "WANTED" "OFFERED" "TAKEN" OR "RECEIVED"
3) The name of the item and your LOCATION (usually a postcode)

I have got a load of people onto free cycle and its great as not only are you now not throwing stuff away in landfill people come and collect it from your house.

Since getting my allotment in April and then immediatly joining freecycle I have managed to get the following all for my allotment:
1) Various surplus veg - Peas & Beans
2) Car battery & old car stereo
3) Pallets
4) 2 x water butts - one 220 litre and one 600 litre water butt (!!)
5) 50m of hose pipe and a real / fittings etc
6) Concrete slabs
7) Kitchen worktop for shed
bagged manure

and lots more....for not even a penny !

Amazing.

And not to mention met loads of very generous friendly people and got to know Chester alot more.

I have also really sorted my garage out and given loads of stuff away that I had planned on selling on ebay / Car boot / sending to the skip for a couple of quid (sooo much less hassle to freecycle it!).

[Glyn]

Simple organic pesticides:

Garlic - this is a versatile plant and can be used as spray or as a plant. Growing garlic around fruit trees and other vegetables will repel borers, Rabbits, mites and mosquitoes.

To make a spray cook one unpeeled garlic head and one unpeeled cut up onion in three pints of water for about 30 minutes on a low heat. Allow to cool and then use one tablespoon of the liquid to one pint of water to make the spray.

Lavender - planting lavender in the garden is great for attracting butterflies to the garden but will also keep away mice, moths and ticks.

Mint - deters ants, mice and cabbage butterfly.

Slug traps - to keep slugs at bay bury old yoghurt cartons into the ground with the top of the pot level with the ground. Pour a little beer into the bottom of the pot.

Slugs will fall into the pot when they are attracted by the beer (they love beer) and will drown or become too drunk to climb out. Check the pots daily and place captured slugs into a tied bag and throw away. I know it sounds yuk but it works.

[FCG]

When shopping : Look up and down! Many shops tend to stock the highest costing and most recognisable brand names at the eyeline section. Looking at the very top and bottom of the isles you'll usually find an equivalent product that costs less and either tastes the same or does the same job. I.e. Asda's own brand biscuits are made in the same factory as mcvities with hardly any change in ingredients.

[Kristen]

I use www.MySupermarket.co.uk to find the "Best Offer" - often surprises me that small bars / packets work out cheaper than larger ones.

Also compares / recommends equivalent products from Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Ocado.

Usually saved me 10% on my on-line shopping, but can also be used to then print out a shopping list for in-store shopping.

[Patricia]

Make up a batch of serviettes(Napkins for us Americans) out of old cotton sheets or buy some calico. Just do a quick hem around them with a zig zag stitch on your sewing machine and keep on your table in a Napkin holder. This will save on Kitchen paper(towels). And instead of throwing them away you just wash and hang out to dry. Saving trees and extra change in your pocket. I know my use has cut right back since doing this.

[Ropster]

when shopping on line use one of the many cash-back sites eg quidco (I have no association with this site) to get some of your money back

or alternatively always remember to Google for a discount voucher for the shop you are using, it is surprising how often you will find one

[lacewing]

Instead of buying several different household cleaning sprays I buy one large all purpose cleaner, decant some into spray bottles and top up with water. The diluted spray cleans just as good and lasts a lot longer.
   

[home made pie]

"Don't buy anything you don't need"

Seriously though I'm not saying be a miserable miser, we've all got to have some enjoyment out of life but I am amazed how much some people earn and spend.  Me and my OH are both self employed, no benefits what-so-ever, we live off combined income of less than £12k, we eat well, have two vehicles, manage to pay the horrendously high council tax etc etc

I think if you work for yourself you appreciate money, here's an example "I have to work X number of hours and sell £X number of stock to pay for that new coat...mmm do I really need it or do I just want it"

Stop for a minute and think where has that money come from, what else could I do with that money...save it maybe...if I earned £20K like many do I would be putting plenty into a regular saving account

End of lecture! each to their own and all that

[too many girls]

Cut up your credit card, when you have to save for something you'll soon realise if you really need it or not.............

[janet12000]

Accept all offers of grub from your dad's allotment.
If anything like my Dad he will be growing veg for a family of six despite us kids all moving out years ago. He just enjoys growing stuff.
Dad and Mum eat what they can and give the rest away.
 Swap heaps of veg for a supply of free range eggs from your chooks.
Offer to help Dad on allotment which he will decline as you will not do it properly.  :blink:
Enjoy loads of preserves and pickles from Mum during the winter months. Once again offer to help but Mum likes to do it 'her way'.
Mum will continue to cook for a large family despite them only having 2 in the house. She always invites you round for 'leftovers' which usually consists of a huge dinner.
Relax in the fact that you have been fed a wholesome dinner and have not had to do any work apart from taking a few eggs over.
Sorted!

[sunshineband]

Check out the most economical supplier of gas/electricity in your area with an on line search engine like moneysupermarket.com -- could save you a lot of money 

[Ice]

Check out the most economical supplier of gas/electricity in your area with an on line search engine like moneysupermarket.com -- could save you a lot of money 

Absolutely right.  Shop around online for EVERYTHING.  Never just automatically renew things like car insurance as you might just save a lot of money elsewhere.  Never be afraid to switch energy suppliers, it's really easy. 

If you are on your own or there is just two of you then look into getting a water meter.  I capture every drop of water from my gutters for the garden and never run a tap unnecessarily.  My water bill is £5 a month at the moment due to having overpaid the bill for a considerable amount on direct debit at £25 a month.

If you have Sky tv and it breaks down then threaten to leave and they will fix it for free.

[titch]

Check out the most economical supplier of gas/electricity in your area with an on line search engine like moneysupermarket.com -- could save you a lot of money 

If you have Sky tv and it breaks down then threaten to leave and they will fix it for free.

we did this and for £20 they upgraded us to sky plus 

buy some eco balls to wash your laundry with - save a fortune in the long run and wash just as well, soon get used to the lack of soap smell (and if you have irritable skin, these really help, i know, have the itchiest of skins)
also eco cloths - thye work with water only and get every thing shiny clean (if really cant do without 'cleaner' of some sort then a small squeeze of a well know eco brand of liquid cleaner helps you psychologically - we have been using ours for months now - its brilliant -  once a week you a boil in a pan with a v small amount of washing powder (or a run through the machine with a load and the eco balls ) and its good to go again -according to packet should last me around 14 years - havnt bought any new lcoths or cleaner for 6 months - very frugal

[BrianK]

Steal your daily veg, fruit and salad needs from other plots.  If your careful you can probably get away with it for ages.



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