Saving money!

I wonder if any lovely people out there have ideas of how my boyfriend and I might locate free food and save money on other items needed in the comings and goings of daily life? We are trying to save money on bills, travel, food, clothes and pretty much anything and everything. Obviously we want try to stay within the realms of legal.

I recently picked blackberries from a hedgerow and made a lovely cheesecake with the findings. It was much nicer that those on offer from a supermarket but by the time we'd bought the other ingredients, even though many were on offer, it was still rather pricey. We buy items that are on offer (two for one, money off and so forth), even if that means buying things that you hadn't planned on or are not that keen on! We tend to focus on items from the basic range in shops, we turn our appliances off, never leave on standby, the heating won't go on for ages yet (and if Mark has anything to do with it, it never will!), we walk rather than catch buses, we don't use a car (in fact I don't drive but Mark does and chooses not to). Mark will shortly be having a Water Meter installed and uses cards for gas and electric. This forces you to keep greater control of your usage. We reuse packaging, in part for environmental reasons but also because it saves on purchases of tubs, bottles and the like. We shop at charity shops, this has an obvious ethical benefit too. Many of the things we do help to protect the environment as well as our fragile purse strings.

We probably sound like cheapskates and erm there is something in that but in the current economic climate, ever increasing bills to pay, cost of utilities etc etc it makes sense to save money where possible. So any ideas, outrageous or otherwise would be gratefully received.

If you read this blog, please comment on it with helpful suggestions. Spread the word, start your own blog on money saving ideas. Help yourself, live ethically and dodge capitalism wherever possible.

Here's to being frugal!

Love to all,

Haze
XXX