Find a penny pick it up....

Everyone seems to be tightening thier belts lately! Us included! My attentions are turning to christmas. Especially with my toddlers second birthday just 3 weeks before i've already started the how many presents to buy him? Which ones are birthday and which are xmas? debate.

There are lot's of simple ways of saving money.

1. We have a finished Baby Formula tub in the cupboard which I washed out and now we pop all our small change in there. Closer to xmas we'll empty it into a coinstar!
2. Keep the lights off. If your just sitting watching the TV in the evening then turn the rest of the lights off unless you need to get up for something. The amount of people I know that have every light in the house on all evening.....- turn them off and save ££££'s.
3. Switch to cloth nappies and wipes. Tiny Nippers is one of my favourite cloth nappy shops. They also do wipes, Rock - A - Thigh baby socks and bandana bibs with some fabulous exclusive deigns and in the long run this can save you ££££'s. Read thier page Why Cloth Nappies? page to see the savings you could make aswell. Save even more by joining thier Facebook page and keeping your eye out for some fantastic offers.
4. Ebay Ebay Ebay! If you no longer need it- but someone can make some use of it sell it on. Dn't just chuck it out. Dig out those jeans and boots you bought for a splurge and make a few £££'s from them rather then them sitting in the back of the wardrobe doing nothing. Get's you a few pounds and someone else gets a bargain!
5. Don't Hide it. Swap it! There are lots and lots of Swap Shops on facebook these days. If you no longer have a use for something thier may be someone who could, for e.g., swap you some toddler clothes in exchange for some of your baby clothes etc. need to Swap your Single for a Tandem? Well chances are you'll be able to come to a deal there too!!
6. Water. I don't know about you but we're on a water metre here! Key's to saving money here are. Turn off taps when brushing teeth. Have a shower instead of bath for a few days a week. Don't leave the cold tap running to get 'colder water' for your drink! Fill a bottle and keep in your fridge.
7. Gas. Well it's coming up to winter sooo. My advice is set a timer for the morning before the earliest riser usually gets up. If you wake up feeling freezing cold you are more likely to keep that heat blasting all day! Getting out in the chilly air for a walk is great for the whole family and also will make your house seem a lot warmer when you get back. it's always worth setting an evening timer too. Especially if your going out. You want to come home to a cosy house. But Don't set the thermestat so that it ends up clicking on every two mins. I suggest starting at 24 and work your way down. if there is a baby in the house start at 21 and work you way down until it's a comfortable temp. Try not to flick it on more than 3 times a day. So Morning Timer- Luch time re heat and Evening timer. No later than 7. You can always take a hot water bottle to bed- having a cover on it will keep it warmer for longer!! Those jumpers nanny knitted for xmas last year might just come in handy!!!
8. Bulk it out. I don't know any meal, even burger and chips, that cannot be 'bulked out' with veggies. Encourage kids to eat them first so that the 'more appealing' parts of the dinner are more satisfying and veg isnt the last thing they remember. This worked for me as a child. And still does to this day!! This should keep everyone full and hopefully cut out snacking and evetually save you money. Also try cheaper brands. You may find you like them just the same and make sure to keep reciepts if your supermarket has a comparison offer. A penny's a penny at the end of the day!!
9. JOIN BABY CLUBS. if you have a baby or are pregnant join EVERY baby club you can possible find. Evey voucher, free jar of food or free spoon will go a long way to helping you save those pennies. Especially Join nappy clubs if you decide not to choose Cloth. Nappies and milk are about to become one of your biggest outgoings....don't say I didn't warn you!!

There are many many ways of Saving money. As my blog prgresses I will do more and more posts like this. Now go turn the lights and heating off and slip a jumper on!! x