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Make your money work harder for you, many people shop at the same supermarket simply out of habit, compare prices on the goods you buy most often, look out for deals on goods you buy, one brand of beans may offer a two for one deal for example; and remember its only a deal if it’s something you would normally buy or it will replace your usual brand. It no good buying something on offer that you don’t ever normally buy; as it will just be an extra cost no matter how cheap it is. Also Supermarkets are not always cheaper check your local butcher and fruit and veg supplier they are often cheaper and better. And never shop while hungry
Food shopping forms a significant part of our monthly outgoings and the supermarket is where the bulk of the money is spent. Tesco takes £1 in every £8 spent by UK shoppers. But be warned, stores spend a small fortune studying ways of making us part with more of our money than we would otherwise intend to. Have you ever wondered why your favourite song is playing in the background as you navigate the aisles? Have you even noticed the background music? Possibly not, but you will have noticed at the checkout that the bill is often more than expected. To circumvent this, simply make a shopping list. Dig out the cookery books, plan a few meals and only buy what you need.
Saving: £10 a week = £520 a year
Link: Mysupermarket for price comparisons
When was the last time you went to the market?
One way to beat the supermarkets - that is, to eat healthily for less - is to use your local market stall. Lower overheads should mean lower prices. At the time of writing, cherries were on sale in Asda for £2.99 for 400g, the equivalent at the local market was going for just over £1.
Saving: £100+
Consider own-brand goods
You can buy a tin of Asda own-brand baked beans for 14p and a loaf bread at Asda, Tesco or Sainsbury's for 19p. Enough said.
Saving: £100
Link: Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's
Celebrities are given expensive clothes to wear. You're not. At the end of the day, and let's face it you may only wear the outfit once, can you justify paying hundreds of pounds over the odds because a top designer has had his or her name sewn on the label? And can you honestly say you can tell the difference at a distance between a £600 designer bag and a £9.99 one from the market? Think about it.
Saving: £100s
Link: Prada - note the total lack of prices
ASOS.com offers discounted brands
Learn to say 'no'
It's easy to capitulate to the demands of a screaming child in a packed Woolworths on a Saturday afternoon. But don't do it. Similarly, how often does a 'swift half' after work turn into a £40 drinking session? Saying 'no' a few times a year will do wonders for your bank account.
Saving: £100
Stop trying to keep up with the Joneses
Trying to keep up appearances is little more than a costly illness. Remember, you cannot judge someone by what they have because you don't know how they got it. Chances are they're in more debt than you are.
Saving: £1,000s
Link: This is Money's guide to getting out of debt
So, you bought an American sports utility vehicle (SUV) that nets 15 miles to the gallon on a whim. Obviously we're all very impressed – especially by the personalised number plate. But can you honestly justify the ongoing expense? If not, get rid of it. Then visit a car supermarket, where you can choose from thousands of cars at knock-down prices. If you're a true money saver, consider an ex-rental model which you can pick up for a fraction of the cost of a new one.
Saving: £1,000s
Links: Daily Mail find a car service; Cargiant
Ask yourself: do I really need this?
Imagine the scenario. It's lunchtime and you've got an hour to kill. You find yourself in a department store and there's a sale on. You pick up a beautifully packaged selection of barbecue tools and associated garden paraphernalia. And it's half price. Now, stop! Ask yourself: Do I really need this? Exactly. Now, put it down and walk away.
Saving: £100
Link: This is Money's money savers' guides
The three for two trick
Now, there's a lot to be said for buy-one-get-one-free deals, especially if they pass the 'Do I really need this?' test. Then there's three-for-twos; a particularly cynical way of stores to entice shoppers to buy an extra item they would not otherwise buy. The 'offer' is always priced into the deal so do your sums and shop around.
Saving: It's a principle at stake here
Link: Discuss deals and scams with other readers
So you need a new suit and the one you like comes in at a cool £300. Wait! The chances are that you can pick it up in the sale – and there's always a sale just around the corner – for £150. The same applies for birthday and Christmas presents. Buy in bulk in the sales and you not only save money, but you enjoy stress-free pre-Christmases and no last-minute birthday worries.
Bin the ready meals
If TV chefs such as Ainsley Harriott can knock up a meal from a bag of random groceries including an aubergine and a packet of sultanas – so can you. Ready meals may be convenient, but preparing your own food saves money. A visit to your library will reveal scores of books dedicated to cooking proper meals in minutes.
Saving: £100+
Avoid extended warranties
Electrical goods are more reliable than ever. If your new radio won't last three years perhaps it's not worth buying in the first place. Think about it: how many times has your fridge broken down in the last five years? And do you really need the hassle of claiming for repairs to a £15 toaster?
Saving: £100
Link: Read our guide to extended warranties
The internet is gradually taking over. Online grocery shopping is getting better all the time and there are plenty of comparison websites to help find the best prices for bigger items. Give it a try, unless of course you like fighting your way through supermarket crowds.
Saving: Your sanity
Links: Online grocery service rated; PriceRunner - price comparison site
Saving: £100+
Use quality low-cost clothes shops
I've never been to a Primark. There isn't one near me. But plenty of you have and it sounds like my kind of place - quality clothes at sensible prices. I'm a TK Maxx fan myself. I know the value of things and £90 for a pair of trainers is not good value - especially when you can pick them up at TKMaxx a few months later for £24.99. Annual saving: £500+
TK Maxx | Primark
The idea that Tesco is cheap is a myth. Like all of the big-four supermarkets, it has headline-grabbing bargains to lure you in then leaves you at the mercy of the millions it spends tempting customers to buy everything else at whatever price it chooses. If you must use supermarkets over the local market, I've found Asda to be the cheapest of the big four. But discerning money savers should check out...
Netto | Lidl | Aldi
Pay for your prescriptions in advance
A little-known, but top money saver for those who need regular prescriptions is the ability to pay in advance. Patients who have to pay for more than five prescription items in four months or 14 items in 12 months may find it cheaper to buy a pre-payment certificate. At the time of writing a single prescription costs £6.65 and an annual pass costs £95.30, so every prescription over and above your 14th in a year is free. The downside is that you will save money the more ill you are.
Learn about PPCs | Check if you are entitled to free prescriptions
A 16-pack of Anadin Ultra Ibuprofen capsules costs £2.99. Own-brand aspirin from Sainsbury cost 33p. How bad is that headache now?
When it comes to fashion, sizes matters
I love this tip sent in from a reader – because I have to admit that I've been suckered by it many times. 'Never buy clothes that you will wear once you lose some weight.' I've got a shelf of jumpers and trousers that I'll be able to wear just as soon as I shed a couple of inches. I'm brave enough now to admit that that ain't gonna to happen. What a waste (or is that waist?) of money.
WeightWatchers
Or should we refer to these as the world's most expensive toilets? These places are hateful rip-offs. Coffee up to £3 a pop. Cash machines that charge £1.85 to withdraw your money. Petrol that costs an extra tenner a tank. If you travel a lot, says a reader, take a flask of coffee, fill up before you go. Avoiding these places, just twice a week, could save you £1,000 a year.
Beware the false bargain
Sometimes you get what you pay for. Let me explain. I bought a sandwich toaster for £5 from Asda. A bargain? Well, no. As far as I know the toast is still in it. The catch broke on its first outing and I didn't have the energy to take it back.
Says a reader: 'Doing your grocery shopping online means you don't end up with all those impulse buys like chocolate and snacks.' Yep. I saved enough for a long weekend in Norway by shopping online. Read about 'The best money-saving tip... in the world' here.
Boys: if you only buy one thing from a charity shop in your life, make sure it's a tux. Tuxedos must be one of the great cons - a really expensive suit you wear only once or twice. It'll take time to find one the right size, but for the savings its worth it. Girls: 'Perfectly good designer wear is just hanging on rails for a few pounds - you're doing something to help charity and helping yourself at the same time,' says a reader.
Swap and share books
You can buy a big range of new books on Amazon for 1p - plus postage - making it rather hard for anyone to compete on price. Many charity shops have upped their prices of books to take advantage of the 'do your bit for charity' angle. But if you read a lot you should check out one of the book swapping services. You only pay postage and it works, or so I'm assured by several readers.
Readitswap.co.uk
As John Cleese once said: 'If God did not intend for us to eat animals, then why did he make them out of meat?' But all that rearing can make meat an expensive luxury. So while we traditionally think of a hearty meal as meat and two veg, by twisting this idea on its head and stacking up the plate with loads of veg with a little bit of meat on the side you can save a packet.
If you buy magazines regularly think about getting a subscription
Only follow this tip if you are sure you are going to read the magazine every time, all year! Better, ask for one as a birthday present. I recommend Private Eye - a mere £24 a year - and to Web User, dearer at £40, but packed with useful tips and tactics.
Retailers are pocketing up to 1,000% on a pair of specs, or so it is claimed. If you have a prescription consider one of the online discount stores such as Glasses Direct, where you'll pay as little as £15 for a pair
Avoid loyalty cards at all costs
The first rule of money saving is to SHOP AROUND. Loyalty cards, however, are designed to make you do the OPPOSITE OF THAT. They exist to make you spend more than you intended, to buy more than you intended to be marketed (sold) things you didn't know you wanted because, in fact, you didn't want them. These schemes prey hard on your subconscious. In the back of your mind, every time you use the card you're somehow saving money and taking one step further to reaching the ultimate points prize – which is usually a trip to the zoo.
Loyalty cards - the biggest High St con of all?
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