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.
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Monday, 21 September 2009
Snowballing to save
If you have debts, have you tried ‘snowballing’ to pay them off as quickly as possible? This is a simple way to make sure your money is working for you in the best way possible. Simply pick the debt with the highest interest rate and pay that back first. Then, when that one has been repaid, move your money on to repay the next debt.
This way you pay the least interest on what you owe. It is also cheaper than consolidating your debt. Just don’t forget to make the minimum payment on each debt or negotiate with the lender to spread payments in an affordable way. And think about why you have debts in the first place too: try to spend less!
This way you pay the least interest on what you owe. It is also cheaper than consolidating your debt. Just don’t forget to make the minimum payment on each debt or negotiate with the lender to spread payments in an affordable way. And think about why you have debts in the first place too: try to spend less!
Are you saving or spending?
The BBC has just reported that Brits have lost the saving habit and are paying off debts instead. The recession has driven savings rates down so more and more families are seeing little point in putting money in savings accounts. At the same time the cost of borrowing has risen. July was the first month where, as a nation, we paid back more than we borrowed.
This means it makes sense to pay off debts as quickly as you can. Look at your outgoings and see if you can find some ways to make savings. If you stop smoking or cut back, for example, you could use that extra few pounds each week to repay a credit card debt. Walking to work when you might have got the bus or used the car is a winning option too. You win three times over: you are healthier, you save on the cost of the cigarettes or travel, and you save again when you have less interest to repay on your debts. Give it a go and let us know how you get on.
This means it makes sense to pay off debts as quickly as you can. Look at your outgoings and see if you can find some ways to make savings. If you stop smoking or cut back, for example, you could use that extra few pounds each week to repay a credit card debt. Walking to work when you might have got the bus or used the car is a winning option too. You win three times over: you are healthier, you save on the cost of the cigarettes or travel, and you save again when you have less interest to repay on your debts. Give it a go and let us know how you get on.
Saturday, 5 September 2009
The Mirror: Save on your petrol bills
Credit crunch crusader has some good tips on how to save on your petrol bills due to the 2p per litre hike in fuel duty.
If you have a Sainsburys' locally then it's worth ordering our Sainsburys' Gift Cards which will save you 5% on your petrol each time!
You can find your local Sainsbury's here: http://tinyurl.com/lhc6on
BaBeeCard is £9.95 to buy for 2 years, on an average weekly spend of £41.75 you would save £108 a year in fuel alone that's not including the additional saving of 5% on all your groceries, drink and other items you could purchase from Sainsbury's if it's your supermarket of choice.
If you have a Sainsburys' locally then it's worth ordering our Sainsburys' Gift Cards which will save you 5% on your petrol each time!
You can find your local Sainsbury's here: http://tinyurl.com/lhc6on
BaBeeCard is £9.95 to buy for 2 years, on an average weekly spend of £41.75 you would save £108 a year in fuel alone that's not including the additional saving of 5% on all your groceries, drink and other items you could purchase from Sainsbury's if it's your supermarket of choice.
Thursday, 20 August 2009
Tescos' gives new meaning to buy one get one free!
Every little helps is Tesco's slogan, and in the case of handing out double at the ATM, it seems their slogan is ringing true.
Imagine the delight when putting in your bank card and requesting £20 and getting £40 back, I am sure some people must have thought there was a camera somewhere for a "youv'e been punk'd" episode.
I am such a worry wort and have a massinve guilt complex, so much so that I just put the last Smarties Mini Bite back in the fridge for my son when he wakes up from his afternoon nap, even though that little gooey chocolatey bite is a calling me and won't let up!
Just as Tesco launch their big PR campaign to inrease footfall by doubling the clubcard points they manage to give out an extra £5000 in cash due to computer blip at the ATM. It seems it would cost more money to chase each customer to retrieve the money so they have just written it off as a loss.
Technically, taking the money and not reporting it is theft, but the Crown Prosectution Service has said there is no crime that deals specifically with being overpaid by an ATM.
It's funny how things always seem to balance out in the end, some families are desperately struggling with the rise in food prices and general living costs. Life works in mysterious ways and some prayers are answered in the way you would least expect. It seems every cloud has a silver lining, so, ENJOY your windfall people and be grateful to Tescos' for giving you a helping hand.
You can read the full article here
Imagine the delight when putting in your bank card and requesting £20 and getting £40 back, I am sure some people must have thought there was a camera somewhere for a "youv'e been punk'd" episode.
I am such a worry wort and have a massinve guilt complex, so much so that I just put the last Smarties Mini Bite back in the fridge for my son when he wakes up from his afternoon nap, even though that little gooey chocolatey bite is a calling me and won't let up!
Just as Tesco launch their big PR campaign to inrease footfall by doubling the clubcard points they manage to give out an extra £5000 in cash due to computer blip at the ATM. It seems it would cost more money to chase each customer to retrieve the money so they have just written it off as a loss.
Technically, taking the money and not reporting it is theft, but the Crown Prosectution Service has said there is no crime that deals specifically with being overpaid by an ATM.
It's funny how things always seem to balance out in the end, some families are desperately struggling with the rise in food prices and general living costs. Life works in mysterious ways and some prayers are answered in the way you would least expect. It seems every cloud has a silver lining, so, ENJOY your windfall people and be grateful to Tescos' for giving you a helping hand.
You can read the full article here
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
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.
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Phil & Teds 3-wheeler - Save 20% with BaBeeCard and Babyworld.com combined discount
Now that I have finally come to terms with having another baby (took me a while to get my head around my life turning upside down again), I have started to think about all the little hiccups that may present themselves whilst nurturing a newborn and a toddler tearaway. The pram issue is first on my list to solve!
I ADORE my Quinny travel system and bought it purely on the hydraulic system, the shape and of course, the acid green colour only a Shrek fan could love. I then bought a lightweight foldaway buggy which I hate, it's so flimsy, I have already broken it in a temper when trying to fold it away and worst of all, it's black, which I find totally boring. Give me colour, stripes or polka dots, anything but boring black but after seeing a Phil & Teds on http://www.babyworld.com/ with a 10% discount, coupled with my BaBeeCard 10% discount, I may just have to settle this time for something a little more understated. (wonder if they do any diamonte or blingtastic accessories?)
I really don't want to spend another £400 plus on a new buggy system but it'll be sods law that once I make the decision to buy a toddler board for the Quinny, my son will decide he doesn't like walking anymore at all and will be a total pain to take anywhere. He is already displaying some early signs of "carry me mummy, walking is tooooo much like hard work" with arms stretched upwards, big puppy dog eyes and blocking my path whenever I want to take a few steps forward, so heaven knows what he will be like when his rival sibling is cacooned in the buggy and is being pushed.
I have heard some very good reviews about Phil & Teds and a few bad ones but then even my Quinny drove me mad occassionaly as I live in the country and the woods really don't like the pram wheels, also it says up to 3 years old but the straps are impossible to release to accomodate even a 2 year old!
Original price: £426.45
Babyworld members price: £383.00 (10% discount)
Additional BaBeeCard discount: £38.30 (10% discount)
Total: £344.70
You save a total of £81.75 when purchasing from babyworld.com and using the BaBeeCard discount code - if you don't have a BaBeeCard then paying the £9.95 to get one will STILL save you £71.75.
Before I take the plunge, do any of you have a Phil & Teds 3 wheeler and what are your views on it's usability, value for money etc?
I ADORE my Quinny travel system and bought it purely on the hydraulic system, the shape and of course, the acid green colour only a Shrek fan could love. I then bought a lightweight foldaway buggy which I hate, it's so flimsy, I have already broken it in a temper when trying to fold it away and worst of all, it's black, which I find totally boring. Give me colour, stripes or polka dots, anything but boring black but after seeing a Phil & Teds on http://www.babyworld.com/ with a 10% discount, coupled with my BaBeeCard 10% discount, I may just have to settle this time for something a little more understated. (wonder if they do any diamonte or blingtastic accessories?)
I really don't want to spend another £400 plus on a new buggy system but it'll be sods law that once I make the decision to buy a toddler board for the Quinny, my son will decide he doesn't like walking anymore at all and will be a total pain to take anywhere. He is already displaying some early signs of "carry me mummy, walking is tooooo much like hard work" with arms stretched upwards, big puppy dog eyes and blocking my path whenever I want to take a few steps forward, so heaven knows what he will be like when his rival sibling is cacooned in the buggy and is being pushed.
I have heard some very good reviews about Phil & Teds and a few bad ones but then even my Quinny drove me mad occassionaly as I live in the country and the woods really don't like the pram wheels, also it says up to 3 years old but the straps are impossible to release to accomodate even a 2 year old!
Original price: £426.45
Babyworld members price: £383.00 (10% discount)
Additional BaBeeCard discount: £38.30 (10% discount)
Total: £344.70
You save a total of £81.75 when purchasing from babyworld.com and using the BaBeeCard discount code - if you don't have a BaBeeCard then paying the £9.95 to get one will STILL save you £71.75.
Before I take the plunge, do any of you have a Phil & Teds 3 wheeler and what are your views on it's usability, value for money etc?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
