Old Fashioned Economy and Super Savings

If you are tightening your budget, why not look back sixty years or more for some simple savings tips. During the Second Work War rations were introduced and everyone was encouraged to ‘make do and mend’. If you ask your parents or grandparents they will remember being encouraged not to waste anything, and that’s a lesson we could all do well to follow today.

One big area of potential waste is food, and there is a simple way to save here. Just make a weekly meal plan and shopping list. When you shop ONLY buy foods on the list. You will soon work out a plan which includes regular family favourites which saves you time and stress planning what to cook each evening too. You can make additional savings on food from your favourite supermarkets by joining a discount club like BaBeeCard.

Sainsburys': from paper voucher to Gift Card

We have now moved to a Gift Card from paper vouchers for the Sainsburys' 5% discount available to BaBeeCard cardholders.

You can still use your discount on petrol and can also use your discounted Gift Card to purchase other companies Gift Cards instore at Sainsburys.

Here is a link to the FAQs surrounding the Sainsburys' Gift Card.

With summer sunshine and BBQ's galore, I am sure the 5% discount on everything in-store will come in handy this summer.

You can use the Gift Card at the till against other in-store promotions or coupons from magazines and newspapers.

London, a cheaper city! you sure?

Well, before I fell head over heels with my now husband (yes, it really was one look and ooeer missus) I used to live in East London in a bubble, yes you read that right, I literally lived in a bubble called Bow Quarter which had it's own fitness centre, underground shop, bar, restaurant, estate agent, telephone box and statue in memory of all the little matchbox girls.

If someone had told me then that London was inexpensive to live in I would have laughed them outside the big iron gates that seperate "the bubble dwellers" from the real world but apparantly London has droped 13 places to number 16 in the annual worldwide cost of living survey from Mercer.

It seems that the recession and the weak pound have helped London become more affordable.

Now that I live in the countryside and have a son and another baby on the way, I view my cost of living in a totally new light, my money used to be spent on me, me, me and now it's spent on the family so I tend to equate things to how many nappies, wipes and toys could I buy with the same money I just blew on a light bite or meeting a friend for lunch.

When I think back to my days of singledom, I cringe at just how much money I spent on completely unecessary things like another handbag, going out 4-5 times a week and an obscene amount on convenient and tasty food & drink!

I am still not convinced London is really cheaper than it was, I think people have altered the way they live and are consuming less and tightening their purse strings more.

It will be interesting to see where London sits on that list in the next couple of years as we slowly claw our way out of a recession.

Some London facts:

- Over 300 languages spoken
- In 2008 52 Michelen stars were awarded to London restaurants
- 5 airports server 155 worldwide destinations
- Every week the 409 escalators in the London tube cover equivalent of several trips around the globe

What are your thoughts on London, do you still find it a very expensive place to live or have you noticed (apart from interest rates dropping) a decrease in your living expenses day-t0-day?

Check out the TimesOnline for London living on the cheap http://tiny.cc/livingcheaplyinlondon

If you already have a BaBeeCard then why not take advantage of the London based offers we have available to you, some examples below such as:

Taste London:
Eat well, pay far less! Taste London membership gives you half-price meals at 400 of London's best restaurants for 12 months.

Annual membership normally - £69.95
BaBeeCard special rate - just £34.95!

Supermarket discounted vouchers
Save 5% on every shop at ASDA, M&S and Sainsburys' (all in-store products)

Clothing:
10% discount at GAP
8% discount at TopShop, TopMan, Dorothy Perkins, Outfit & New Look
5% MotherCare

Department stores
5% discount at Selfriges & Co
10% discount at Debenhams & House of fraser
8% discount at John Lewis

Out & about
8% off at London Eye & London Zoo, Theatre Tokens, Madamme Tussauds, London Dungeon

Plus many many more offers at over 100 retailers.