How can I save money on a day to day basis?

Well, the cash flow ain't so good at the moment... I'm half way into my overdraft, credit card is near it's limit, and just starting a new job. I have a new home and a holiday next year to budget for.





SO - how do I save money from day to day? My partner and I share all bills, rent and other expenses equally. We already cycle to work, or take the cheapest route possible ie. bus. We have a lot of homemade foods so as bread, healthy pizzas, pasta sauces etc, as this works out a lot cheaper. We take lunch to work rather than buying it, and only go out for a few drinks on the rare occasion. We shop at Asda, which seems to be the cheapest supermarket. As you can see, we are really trying to be economical here! Also I do all the washing on a 40 cycle to keep electricity down, and we turn lights off and all that.





Does anyone have any tips as to what else we can do?|||Simple, reduce your spending, or you will have to increase your income. Which do you have the most control over?





Buy one - Get one free is only a deal if you really need one to start with. If you don't need it, don't buy it.





Store brands are cheaper than name brands. (but I don't recomend the green beans)





Watch the dates in the meat department. The prices drop fast for perishables. Ever notice someone buying a cart full of meat with all those stickers on the packages? We eat good at a fraction of the cost. (not to mention our freezer stays full thereby reducing the cost of running it)





Canned or frozen veggies last longer than fresh, reducing waste. Again, find the store brands you can live with. Some items are definetly lacking in taste or quality.





Use coupons and shop on double coupon day(s) if they have them. But do not buy things just because you have a coupon.





Don't forget the hidden costs.


Such as the cost of the electricity to run your bread maker and other devices as well as the cost of the hot water to clean them.





If you have an electric water heater, shut it off when not in use. This cut our electric bill by almost half. The downside is when you forget to turn it on a half hour before needing it. It still beats paying for it when we're not using it though.


There is also an on demand type available (around $200) which heats the water as it passes through the unit rather than in a tank.





And quit with the credit card!


Why owe someone to spend money you don't have?|||Sounds as if you are already doing everything you can and still sinking. Maybe looking for a better paying job would help.|||I recommend this simple little book that has been around for almost 50 years: How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt, and Live Prosperously. I will send you the Amazon link, but save your money and get it from you local library.|||make your own coffee or tea at home istead of buying it on your way to work.|||Sounds like you're doing all the right things. If you're not budgeting monthly, start immediately. The idea is to spend the money on paper before you actually spend it. You may find some areas to save once you see all your expenses on paper. Focus on getting out of debt and start an emergency fund if you don't have one already. Look at how much goes to your creditors and imagine having that money to yourself every month. This should be your motivation. Look at your debt from smallest balance to largest and start tackling the smallest more aggressively. Have a goal to pay it off and pay as much extra as you can put towards it. Oh yeah, also, cut up that credit card.|||Try online business, as far as I know, there are many opportunities out online, but it鈥檚 hard to find a legal one. I personally doing online business, it's possible to make money but you have to be consistent and dedicated to it, I have done lots of research on this online business and I found they are totally scam-free (BBB Certified!) if you need more information, click on my profile or email me. I am sure you will find it鈥檚 worth a click.


Hope this help and good luck!|||yeah - stop smoking