Freeconomy Blog
Sat
19 Sep
My Top 20 Money saving tips
| 28 comments |
Over the course of the last year I've learnt a lot of different ways to save money; well, I suppose I've had to really, given the fact that I haven't been able to receive or spend a single penny during that time. So I thought, why not share some of this with you guys - this project is about sharing afterall. But I guess I should also be honest. I've titled this blog 'My Top 20 money saying tips'. What I am really going to write about here is 'My Top 20 Planet saving tips', carefully disguised as money saving tips. That'd be the end of the disguise then.
The beauty of these, though, is that they help the planet and your pocket simultaneously - they are the classic WIN-WIN-WIN situations. Personally, my interest in not using money is largely down to the fact that I want to tread as gently on the earth, and all that dwells up on it, as I can. Some people are interested in it because they are under a lot of financial pressure and just want to save some money, which I also completely understand and empathise with. So whatever your priority is at this point in your life, there is probably something here that will be useful to you.
Anywhere here goes, My Top 20 Money Saving Tips:
1. Get yourself a wild food book from ReaditSwapit - and hit the hedgerows for lots of free food.
2. Use Liftshare and save yourself fuel money, tax, insurance, MOT expenses, expensive new parts, traffic-jam-stress and all the rest. Or ideally, get even more adventurous and cycle, hitch or walk.
3. If you do choose to cycle, get yourself some punctureless tyres (yes they do exist!) from Green Tyres and save yourself punctures, repair kits, new tubes and tyres. The thread on the tyre also lasts much longer than a normal tyre.
4. However you decide to travel, when you get to your destination don't use expensive hotels and B&Bs - instead go Couchsurfing and you'll not only get to stay for free with other people in this worldwide community, you also get to meet great new people with lots of insider knowledge about where to go wherever it is you are visiting.
5. Don't buy it or bin it - Freecycle it! Four million tonnes of stuff is kept out of landfill each year through this project, and lots of people find exactly what they need for free.
6. Organise a Swishing party and swap the clothes you don't want anymore for clothes you do want!
7. Join Freeconomy (if you haven't already!) and share skills, tools and spaces - and in the process help each other and the planet, learn new skills and meet loads of great new like-minded friends locally. Obvious, really.
8. Ditch the showergel and grow your own soapwort.
9. Organise a local bookswapping club, where everyone brings along the books they are happy to pass on and receive books they are interested in.
10. Take a wwoofing holiday in the country where you live - you meet wonderful people, get to spend some time in the countryside, you help people who need it and probably learn something really valuable in the process.
11. Make your own cider from foraged apples - and then share it with friends and loved ones around a camp fire somewhere.
12. Instead of paying lots of money for platforms and programs such as Microsoft Windows and Office, use Linux and Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) such as OpenOffice instead. For most users its just as good and almost identical, the only difference being is that it is made by the people for the people.
13. Save yourself huge telephone bills and join Skype - its completely free to phone anyone in the world if you phone from computer-to-computer. You may need a headset however.
14. Get yourself an allotment or make use of your garden - it not only saves you money, it also reduces food miles, and anyone who eats the fruits of their own labour knows how satisfying it is. More fun than TV in my experience.
15. Get yourself a compost loo and simultaneously reduce your water bill and carbon footprint, save yourself the cost of buying in fertilisers for your garden / allotment and cheaply create yourself a new bathroom out the back. Go further and use old newspapers instead of toilet roll and help Nature into the bargain. It's not double quilted but it quickly becomes normal.
16. Organise a Streets Alive party for your neighbours and get to know the people on your street.
17. Get yourself a good solar panel, wind turbine or woodburner and save yourself a lot of money on energy bills in the medium term.
18. Approach your local shop, cafe or restaurant and ask for any food that they throw out at the end of the day or the week. It's almost always fine to eat but for various reasons they can't, or choose not to, sell it.
19. Check outside people's front gates, or in skips or tips, for stuff that you need before heading to the shops. Personally I could furnish a whole house for free this way.
20. Go and do something about something you feel passionate about, whatever that is. "How is that going to save me money?" I hear the collective yell. Helping others might just make you happier, and my experience has been that the happier I feel inside, the less I feel the need to go shopping. Shopping fills a void, its escapism. And there has got to be more to life than just saving and spending money. Making other people happy usually has the beneficial add-on of doing the same for us too. Happiness is contagious. Catch it.
What are your money-saving tips? Please let us all know below, everyone has got one! All advice is welcome though I would especially encourage those that also help the natural environment and all that lives on it.
Great to be sharing the planet with you all.
THE FREECONOMY BLOG is written by Mark Boyle, the founder of The Freeconomy Community who is also living without money for one year.
Comment on this Post:
Natalie comments ...
Fantastic tips! When my boyfriend and I moved in together we spent barely any money(and nearly nothing new), most of our stuff came from freecycle, borrowed from friends and family, or even from the tip.
I find second hand stuff has more charm than anything you could possibly find in Ikea! But I know people who are put off by second hand BOOKS, it's insane. Why is second hand so under valued and yet antiques are second hand but worth so much, what is the difference? I found an antique at the tip so it cost nothing, had the same item been in an auction I might not have been able to afford it. There is the difference-money making opportunity. I also like to think second hand lasts longer, if it's survived one owner it probably won't give up on you. The only thing we bought new was our cutlery- and that's falling apart!
People should think twice about their preconceptions of second hand and living frugally, it's all about ego and look where we are now. Living on a landfill.
Second hand is about sharing and giving and as Mark has pointed out there are so many ways to get into it.
Ana comments ...
Very useful post Mark. I only would like to add try to LIVE AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE, DO LESS AND BE MORE. Some of my simple tips: I constantly ask myself do I really need all that many clothes or use that many clothes per week (even if it's recycling clothes), I would save in washing as well. Do I really need to cook apples, beetroots etc. when I can eat them raw, they are more nutritious and save energy, be simple when cooking and creative and don't follow complicated recipes, better I don't follow recipes at all. Stick to one shopping a week (especially if you drive), the extra milk, bread, etc. get it locally. Take the children only to free walking distance activities; everyday I take them to the park next to their school to play with others ( that what children really enjoy to play with friends) at the same time keep them away from the TV, computer, etc. Take the children walking to school, and encourage yourself to take it as your daily physical exercise that we all need everyday to keep healthy. Go to bed earlier and read a book and get up early to make the most of the daylight ...
Meera comments ...
Now, here are some great tips! But I noticed that the most common thing in all these was sharing things one way or the other. And that's the most beautiful thing about sharing. It gives us satisfaction and makes us happy, saves our money, builds relationships (and later, community) and preserves Nature. Everything a sensible customer would want! And yet people are after 'new' things. Logically, nothing can be new in this millions of years old earth. Though the decomposers removed every sign of its history, every thing (as they come from earth only) is old and only a shining appearance cannot be named 'new'. Only things that can be new are thoughts and they must be new in such a way that it benefits all, including mother Earth.....As regards money, I noticed in the 'comments' in Seulo's blog that people think the aim is not using money rather than freeing oneself from the cobwebs of credit and debt, and live for one's own & others' happiness. Spiritual development is something people often huff at today! In our ideal community, materialism must be a matter of shame, only then can people live together happily forever.
Alan comments ...
Great tips - people can throw away so much money on stuff like this so its good to hear about ways of reducing that monthly outgoing. I guess people dont think of ways to do it until its told to you, and i guess the grow my own cider was the most appealing to me!
Does anyone use soapwort and does it make you smell of roses?! the toxic part put me off whilst reading it!
Tod Robbins comments ...
Are there US equivalents to ReadItSwapIt or Liftshare? Such good ideas.
Mark comments ...
Natalie - second hand certainly is the way - we've produced more than enough stuff to go around for a long time, if we could only learn to mend and share.
Ana - great tips! Meera - this certainly isn't a new idea, its just dusting the cobwebs of an old one. Alan - can't say it makes you smell of roses to be honest, but you'll be nice and clean! Tod - not sure of organisations in the US around liftsharing and booksharing as I've never had to look myself, but if you find out of any please let us know.
Mike L comments ...
I just read this quote in your inspirational stuff on this site, a quote by Epicurus saying "If you wish to make Pythocles rich, do not add to his money, but subtract from his desires". I guess that is one way of saving money, reducing your desires.
Cara comments ...
I think being proactive about mending your own clothes is so important, getting them fixed before they go too far, so I'd recommend people learn how to do that. I'd also recommend that people learn how to make their own clothes, even if they just start off with something very small!
Peter comments ...
What about toothpaste? Does anyone know away of making toothpaste from wild growing stuff (or stuff you can grow yourself for that purpose)? I don't use any cleaning products anymore for my house or myself but still haven't come up with a toothpaste substitute! Please help!
Natalie comments ...
Peter- Simply baking soda and if you want, a few drops of peppermint essential oil. Or charcoal... Crush the charcoal into a powder and dip your toothbrush into it. Good for whitening teeth.
Meera comments ...
Hi Peter, salt is a good solution to your problem, but if you want to know more alternatives, read this....http://ecobites.com/eco-tips/1578-alternatives-to-toothpaste
Ana comments ...
I love your tip Mike L remove some of our desires from the root, that I think is a big problem of our materialistic society that "it feeds in desires", have you hear the expression " less means more" or something like that? Meera, salt works wonderful. Two years ago I started noticing that my ordinary toothpaste wasn't deeply enough cleaning my teeth ( I'm a teatotal). Then I start using salt ( I know some yogic practices use salt for internal body cleaning), it was disgusting at first but I got use to it, it is very abrasive so do it quickly and rinse properly. It supposes to cure others mouth/teeth infections, I finish brushing with a bit of toothpaste to get a nice taste. Even my dentist mentioned how clean my teeth where, but I kept the secret I know he wouldn't approve. ; ) If you're in the wild any fresh twig will do.
Mark comments ...
Hey guys, done an interview about The Freeconomy Community today on BBC Radio 4, if you are interested in it go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours/
Also, if you are in Ireland there is a programme on Freeconomy tonight (monday 21st) on RTE2 at 10.25 apparently, with Baz Ashwamy.
Chris comments ...
Great ideas here. I had no idea there was such a thing as 'green tyres', and the book swapping link is one I shall definitely use. As for an allotment, I would love one, but there is a waiting list around here - they're like gold dust, as the saying goes.
GERRY MAC comments ...
WELL LAD HEADIN HOME FROM WORK,LOOKIN FORWARD TO SEEIN YOU ON TV TONIGHT KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
Shena Cooper comments ...
How I agree but its not always easy to motivate people to do the things in your list. We have started The Secret Seed Society to engage young children and parents in a more sustainable existence starting with getting them to grow and eat their own food. We believe that the young are the inheritors of the earth and we can show them fun ways of living which improves their health and the earths health leading to a sustainable tomorrow. How I wish I could say our packs are free but costs are costs and we have the highest ethical standards that are feasible in its production which is never the cheapest way to go. However the good news is that the on-line club for Seed Agents (young people who want to learn to grow and cook) www.secretseedsociety.com is completely free and lots of excitement and information can be found there on how to save the world for a better tomorrow. Also schools and groups can get substantial reductions and sell them to raise money for their funds.
Pat comments ...
@Tod Robbins: I've used Paperback Swap for a while and really like it. All it costs is the postage to send out your book to someone else.
katie comments ...
check out the morsbag site and make bags from old duvet covers (jumble sales) and give them away - makes me smile every time I do!
Imelda comments ...
Heard you being interviewed on Radio 4, was really interested in something this unusual, so checked out the site, thinking to try some of these idea. Will tell people about site too!
Mark comments ...
@ Peter: A tip from Fergus Drennan - if you gather some washed up cuttlefish bones from your nearest shore / beach, and mix if with ground up fennel seeds, then you have yourself a good toothpaste.
@ Natalie - love the charcoal tip! @ Chris: I agree, there are never enough allotments, but apparently your council are meant to do everything they can to help you find one, and the more people ask for one the greater the chance they'll actually do something about it. @ Pat - will check out Paperback Swap, thats great to hear there is something over in the US too.@ Katie - just checked out Morsbags site, I agree, really positive! Imelda - thanks for spreading the word, if anyone else feels the same please tell people about it too, you can easily do this through our spread the word section on the right hand side. @ you all: THANK YOU!
anna comments ...
I wish I had the courage to do what you do.
I spend everyday thinking about how pointless my existence is.
Sandie Roach comments ...
I unpick old jumpers (most destined for landfill) and knit them up into useful new things. Also I knit lots of squares for http://www.knit-a-square.com/ .
Knitting is very relaxing. The other day a friend said to me that, "Knitting is the new yoga, and better too, because you can't yoga someone a present!"
venumadhav comments ...
yur tips are goood and interestng
yrs a great job in helping the planet earth
paul kelleher comments ...
i know a lot of these money saving tips but dont always put them into practice
Sharp19Lorie comments ...
One acknowledges that our life seems to be not cheap, however we require cash for different stuff and not every one gets enough money. Hence to receive fast credit loans or just commercial loan will be good way out.
EttaSnider comments ...
Do you know that it is high time to get the personal loans, which can make your dreams come true.
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