What are your top tips for being thrifty?

AIBU? Definitely not

Do free courses on line?

I was quite embarrassed when charity shopping with a friend, she bargained with the volunteer behind the counter and managed to get a bit off the price of an item she wanted. I wouldn't do that in a charity shop. AIBU?

Did well in Tesco where I don't usually go as it's too big. DH thinks the beer is cheaper but IMO four beers for £6 may be good but he's spent much more on petrol getting there and back. I made him buy double for a better saving but I got 5 loin chops for under £3 which will make a good hotpot. We also got a dine in for £10 . The fish cakes were horrid and the strawberry trifle sickly and unpleasant . Not a patch on M&S .

I bought a pressure cooker for £2.99 in a charity shop and found it so good for making soup and cooking veg like swedes etc that take a long time that I couldn't resist getting a second one. Cooks wonderful Christmas puddings in third of the time boiling used to take. Tip: make sure you get the old fashioned kind that takes weights and safety plugs, rather than the fancy modern kind as spares are easy to obtain and relatively cheap. I have had the modern kind with bells and whistles and found that spares cost as much as the cooker. There always seems to be one in every charity shop round here.
All my friends love charity shops as much as I do and we have got some amazing bargains.

That is so true! I am feeling very virtuous today - reckon I walked about 6,500 steps to and from town, bought a charity shop vest, good as new, for my new GS for 50p, two bargain bits if pork - enough to feed six all told, for less than £2.50 AND an outfit for my GS for his birthday - reduced from £20 to £9.90 in M&Co: dungarees with a beautiful embroidered red tractor - we live on a farm - result! ooooh, and a chunky traction police car for £1.30 in another charity shop, to add to 'Granny's toy box'! (Fortnightly 'how many charity shop bargains can you get for £5 challenge is going well ...)

New GS is definitely turning into new hobby too .

Can't help remembering a quote from an English language figure of speech in school (1958?):"Prosperity doth best discover vice; but adversity doth best discover virtue" (Antithesis) (Alexander Pope)

An 'archive' ... yes, I can see how that can happen!

We are trying to keep our heating bills down. We had the car heater on today and were so happy to feel the warmth, knowing we would go home to a chilly house - we did laugh at ourselves!

I don't have a nearby Waitrose, but honestly - given the choice of buying a coffee and spending the money on my brand new GS, I would rather spend it on him.

If you have a local Mc&Co, they have had a brilliant sale - lots of beautiful quality outfits reduced to £3. No contest

I agree with others about making soup and freezing. But my most obvious tip is to actually eat the things you have already put in the freezer. I heard on tv that most people seem to treat the freezer as an archive.

I just bought some needlecord jeans in M& for £6.99 (just hope they fit as I can't take them back )

And you can sit in the cafe and drink your coffee in Waitrose (and read the newspapers too!).

If you have a Waitrose nearby you can still have coffee out. You can get a free coffee with a Waitrose card. There is sometimes a queue at busy times-you just show your card and are given a cup, then help yourself from the machine. There are always loads of older people in the shopping centre sipping their coffees.

Cooo - I am there tomorrow! Actually had a win on euro lotto on Friday ... £13.90! I feel rich!!!!! So when I take the ticket back to be cashed I will be sniffing out the bargains too ... or perhaps bulk buying veg for soup

have just had a result,have been to Tesco for some oddments and have bought jeans for myself marked down from £12-£6 and at the checkout they went through at £4 and a pretty white cotton summer top reduced to £5 went through at 50p,guess who is a happy bunny,also managed to get some new knickers for E not marked down but went through checkout for £2 a pack instead of £6

I expect one or two are hanging around! ?

ann you might well, if you can find the 'pendants'

Alert for the pendants , no punctuation. I will go on the naughty step immediately

I have read most of this thread and would have to agree that the biggest saving I have made in the last two years is shopping at Aldi,not just for the good value but a limited choice is a real saver and you get to know what you like without trying the latest thing out as Aldi probably doesn't stock it.

I agree with Amenhotep about making your own bread sayvng you money - but not just loaves and rolls.

I responded to a similar thread on Mumsnet a while back by posting this on my blog.

Homemade pizzas, Chelsea buns, iced buns, etc, etc, will all save you money hand over fist.

And with pancake day coming up, here's a flour and water pancake recipe that will cost you 1p/pancake as against the roughly 10p one using traditional ingredients.

One other thing I've discovered recently is that keeping veg tightly wrapped in a plastic bag in your fridge will keep fresh for 4-5 weeks. No more using up tired veggies - they keep fresh and crisp until the end.

Do you use the same amount?

My top tip is make your own laundry detergent. I researched recipes on Pinterest etc. and can make mine for 9p per wash load. The ingredients are washing soda, bicarbonate of soda, borax, a bar of soap and optional Unstoppables if you like a nice smell. I buy the borax and bicarb online, usually from eBay with free postage. Soda is about 49p from Home Bargains or Wilkinsons, but £2.49 on eBay, so you have to check. I buy Savon de Marseilles laundry soap when I am in France at 1 euro a large bar, but you could use Simple soap, which has less additives. £1 for two bars at Poundland. You blitz the soap, add the other ingredients and its done. I gave a small pot to various female relatives at Christmas and they rave about it. It works better than all the bio ones without all the nasties.

I don't plan meals but base the weekly menu on what is on offer meat/fish wise at the supermarket. We grow most of our own vegetables but use the local market, which is fantastic, if we have run out by spring.

I do a lot of batch cooking to save on time and fuel and use up any bumper crops by making and freezing soup which we generally have at lunch time. Tip for tomatoes - apart from doing the usual chutneys and ketchup, I freeze a lot of whole tomatoes - as they defrost they separate and the skins slip off easily, so great for soups and sauces. after last year's bumper crop - about 60 Kg! - I made vats of spicy or herby tomato sauces and froze them. again a huge saver in time and fuel, and great for curries. Especially green tomato curry which uses up all the green ones at the end of the season.

I make as many clothes, upholstery, cards, presents as possible and always on the look out for anything reduced in the craft line.

Aldi and Lidl are wonderful for most things, especially skin care and make up, and all cleaning products. I go there first and then get the remaining stuff in an 'ordinary' supermarket.

Still feel impoverished but all made worthwhile as I am fortunate enough to have blue sky and sunshine most of the year, snow capped mountains, wonderful views and hot, hot summers.

Use cash! Apparently you spend 30% more if you use a card. Certainly I find that if I have to hand over actual money I'm much more mindful about what I actually need to buy and much less impulsive.

phizz illness does pull you up short and make you think, but not wasting (or trying not to!) means we can have more of what we enjoy, eg holidays etc.