Cutting back

My nephew does most of my cooking and brings my meals so I bought HIM an airfryer as I seldom cook (just use the mircowave). I refuse to cut down on heating and hot showers as I am arthritic and feel ill and miserable when cold. I dont order in take-aways any more and only buy one bottle of wine a week. I dont smoke or drive a car and re-use as much packaging as possible so I have already done my bit for the community.

Doing the same as most on here.....unplugging all electric devices when not in use. Heating on from about 6pm to 9.30pm, at 19 deg. Not on in the day as we are usually moving about or out. If not wrap ourselves in a fleecy blanket when reading etc.

Bought an Air Fryer and have only used the oven once since (for Christmas Turkey).

Also the same as Gagajo use the shower at the gym to wash and dry hair also. I have been a member for 8 years, and never used to bother, but makes sense.

When using mince for Spag bol, Chilli etc have always made enough to freeze portions, but now add green lentils to make it go even further.

Majority of clothes now are from charity shops, it's amazing the bargains you can find. I can buy 3 paperbacks for £1, cheaper than buying on Kindle.

We don't eat out nearly as much as we used to. Rarely buy new clothes but always buy the most comfortable shoes possible. If they are more expensive that still happens but we usually wait for the sales to buy them. We used to have a second holiday abroad each year but not doing it this year. We don't skimp on heating though as I really feel the cold. Lately the cost of our heating has been so high I'm wondering if foregoing that holiday in sunnier climes is a bit of a false economy 😁

DH, who does most of the cooking, likes those part baked rolls. To save money, he cooks them immediately after having used the oven for something else while it is still warm. All good, except yesterday he forgot about them for well over an hour! Fortunately, although totally black, they did not burn the place down. However, no savings were made, rather the reverse!

I'm trying never to waste food and eating up leftovers. Everything tastes fine if you cover it in cheese sauce.
Previously my CH thermostat has been 21 but this year I've stuck to 19.
I go round at night turning off stand by buttons etc. We are all doing our best.
I wish power and oil companies would stop being so greedy.

I'm going with Urmstongran...

... do I need it, or just want it...

I am not compromising on heating but am being careful about food, I used to be not exactly extravagant but not particularly economical.
That has stopped but my main saving is not buying clothes.
I am reusing coats bought many years ago and tops, jumpers which I never threw away.
Things only go to charity when they no longer fit.

Have reduced the electricity usage by using only the small second oven, filling kettle with just enough water instead of boiling a kettle full each time, reducing how many lamps we turn on at dusk etc ,
but am finding it difficult to reduce gas usage (we have central heating) without sitting and feeling cold. We have lap blankets and follow the sun around the house, but I do hate going to the smallest room and sitting on a cold loo seat 😱!

Going through my wardrobe and pairing off seasonal and colour coded clothes to match up things from ten/twenty years ago with more recent items to create new outfits without buying. Also, wearing old clothes in the house and having going out clothes. Saves money and me wasting stuff.

One of our daughters is attempting to cut back to save for a holiday, at her DH request. I agreed to be her 'idea person'.

So far she has decided to forgo having the windows cleaned, no unnecessary pressies for her GC, and set the thermostat lower.

Do the ironing as speedily as possible - the iron is a high wattage item.

Draw back blinds and curtains as far as possible on sunny days to heat the rooms for free.

We are using the eco programmes on the dishwasher and washing machine. If there are any dishes to be washed by hand, we're doing them in one go, once per day. Also, we're using cold water for washing our hands.

Do the laundry on days when it will dry outdoors.

Try more supermarket own brand products, shop early or late in the day when food might be reduced.

Shop around for the cheapest mobile phone deal.

We've never spent a great deal: both still have clothes we've had for years, we don't have tv subscriptions, we don't often have meals out or take expensive holidays. However, DH is on the vulnerable register so we aren't going to cut down on heating or eating - he is going to be as comfortable as I can make him.

Holidays that cost as opposed to visiting family where its just petrol and some gifting. The house needs rendering.

Like many previous posters I'm using as little power as I possibly can.

I have changed the route of my daily walk to avoid the bakery - good for my purse as well as my waistline!

My electricity bill used to be more than my gas bill so I have turned that around by switching items off on the wall after use and that includes the hob, dishwasher and washing machine. It is not a fortune saved but every little helps.

I refuse to be cold so the central heating is on as and when required.

There are only two of us. I shop at Lidl generally, but also at our local farm shop for meat, veg and fruit. I don’t waste anything! Recycle, compost, make soup out of leftovers etc. Our heating is on for for 2 hours in the morning and in the evening. I put a hot water bottle in our bed at 9pm and it is still warm at 6am.

I’m so fed up with the prices at sainsbury I mostly go to Lidl which are excellent. I buy big packets of meat etc and then split them up into five or six small parcels and freeze them. I’ve found we can do without a lot of meat than before. I fill the corners with beans and lentils. I get my fish there as it is much cheaper. I’ve had an air fryer for a while which is cheaper and good for jacket potatoes which saves putting the oven on.

My favourite is my cuddly electric throw bought last year from Lakeland in the sale. I’ve hardly put the gas fire on since having it

I also ask myself if I really need something now before ordering items. I write down everything I spend money on and have stopped buying clothes and more or less stopped drinking alcohol. What a situation we are all in now (apart from the politicians who have just given Themselves a rise of over 2,000 a year!)

Heating is barely on, we have put a TV in our living room where there is an open fire.
Batch cooking, not tumble drying ,using the instant pot rather than the oven.
Only using the dishwasher and washing machine when I have a full load.
We have also been through all our outgoings and cut down where we can such as Sky and other subscriptions.
This time last year I never gave a thought to any of these things.

Car parks. I look for street parking in side roads where I can.

Being a canny shopper. I went to Waitrose today for the Sunday joint I ordered and saw a sign for 20% on Saturday meat for Valentines. They wouldn't let me have the discount today, despite my piece sitting in the fridge, so I'll go back tomorrow and save around £8.

I've told my DCs not to spend a lot on me for my birthday and Mother's Day (same week) but to put it towards their holidays.

I'm trying to use less hot water. Cutting time off my shower and less water for washing up.

I’d like my current account to look healthier this spring so I’m doing that Needs -v- Wants thing. I see something and ask myself “do I need this or do I just want it?”. I’ve not bought much to be honest this past fortnight.

Heating barely on now. Not putting oven on.

My own personal saving is ONLY showering/washing my hair/blow drying it at the gym. I go most days, for either gym or swim and combine that with my daily ablution and grooming. I'm already paying for the membership so thought I'd save a little more by using their hot water instead of my own.

I also trek upstairs at the gym to the lockers which have a returnable £1 lock, rather than the downstairs ones which lock using a non-returnable 20p.

An usual thing for me. We have a mascerating toilet downstairs which I would use constantly in the past. When it dawned on me the flush is electric I started going upstairs to the toilet. This had the added bonus of strengthening my right leg which was getting weak.

I’m cutting back on electric. Unplugged everything when not in use (ie kettle, toaster, microwave, oven, washing machine ) … not using dishwasher as much. I don’t cut back on heating, because I have asthma / lung problems and I need a warm house….not sitting down for coffee while out shopping . Not eating out as much . What else ? Can’t think 🤔