MISS MONEYSAVER: 10 Budgeting Tips You (Maybe) Haven’t Thought Of Yet

Oh joy of joys, a bunch of bills will go up this month.

Council tax rises by between 3 and 5 per cent, depending on where you live; Water bills increased by 7.5 percent, on average; Broadband and cell phone bills are up over 17 percent in some cases, and of course, the energy discount that kept us going through the winter is over.

Admittedly, pensions and some benefits are also on the rise, but overall it looks like we’re going to have to find more ways to save.

So I set my team at MoneyMagpie.com to task and here’s what we came up with. (If you find some new stuff for yourself, let me know at AskJasmine@MoneyMagpie.com.)

n According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the average British household spends £4,296 on groceries annually. Even small changes can help a little, so don’t throw away old, bruised, and soft fruit: They make great smoothies, or turn them into pies to prevent food waste.

Get as much free and cheap food as you can with the food sharing apps Olio and TooGoodToGo and go to ApprovedFood.co.uk for the cheapest out-of-season items.

It is worth remembering the strength of your local community. According to Nextdoor.co.uk, a third of us have cut costs thanks to neighbours, saving up to £200 a year. So get into platforms like Nextdoor (or set up a group chat) where you can trade items with people in your community, engage in babysitting, and get free furniture, food, and clothes provided by others.

With the price of stamps on the rise, it is worth considering ways to reduce the cost of postage. One of my team found that it was much cheaper to split a light gift that he mailed than to send it all in one package.

“I paid for two large letters (now £1.45 each) instead of paying for a ‘small parcel’ at £4.45,” he says. inch thick. Take spare envelopes with you to the post office and see which option works best.

Make sure you get the most out of your business. Double check what employer discounts and benefits you qualify for, if any. Large companies often have additional links with supermarket chains, restaurants and mobile phone companies, among others, and may get you discounts of up to 10 percent. Also take advantage of any additional pension payments your employer offers, even if it means you have to increase your income a little each month.

It may not be a glamorous place to hunt for bargains, but don’t forget the local dump. Many waste treatment centers stock a lot of furniture, televisions, games and more if they are basically good. Then you can buy it from their “charity store” at a fraction of the usual cost. This includes flat screen TVs for £25-60 and bikes for £30-40 each.

Reduce the cost of beauty. Sephora’s “pick-n-mix” section offers five baby products to try for free (though you have to pay £3.95 for postage). Go to sephora.co.uk/pick-n-mix.

Buy clothes and home goods cheaply at Simon Charles Auctioneers (simoncharles-auctioneers.co.uk). You can find former High Street items from companies such as John Lewis that have been brought back into the shop.

There is nothing wrong with the products, it’s just that they weren’t necessarily returned in their box or they may have slight dings.

You can also bid on new clothes, including branded designer items, beauty products, toys, furniture, and equipment.

If you’re planning a spring cleaning or refurbishment, instead of wasting money on things you’ll only use once, rent cleaning equipment, power tools, cooking or sewing supplies and more at Libraryofthings (libraryofthings.co.uk).

Think of ways you can reduce your water use. Put the plug in the bathroom when you take a shower, then use what you collect to wash the bathroom and your water bill will be cheaper.

Or put a jug in the sink and collect cold water while you wait for the hot water to arrive. Keep a jug or bottle of water in the fridge to keep the tap running all the time.

Reduce the cost of household essentials. Cut the sponge in half and you will have twice as many sponges to use in the kitchen. Scoop the toilet rolls before using them because then the sheets will be more difficult to unfold and you won’t waste much.

Cut off bottom tubes of toothpaste, tomato puree, etc. so nothing goes to waste. To ensure there is no leakage, use a clothes clip to close the tube.

Do you have a question for Jasmine? Email her at AskJasmine@MoneyMagpie.com

Sicilian sunshine – for only half the price

The Easter weekend is a popular time to consider booking another holiday. And there are some great deals that mean you can get away for less.

SeeSicily offers tourists 50 flights, a free tourist attraction and a free night’s accommodation if you stay in Sicily for at least three nights (excluding July and August) until the end of September 2023. Simply book your flight through an affiliate partner.

If you are flexible about where and when you go, you can take advantage of price glitches. The Jack’s Flight Club (jacksflightclub.com) newsletter sends subscribers details of routes and dates below advertised airline prices.

Some of her recent heists include the London-Tokyo return for just £261, the Glasgow-Toronto return for £142 and even a flight from London to Perth in Western Australia for £461. Sign up and save for your next trip.

A group holiday has advantages but you can often travel cheaper independently.

For example, if you want to sail around the Caribbean, book a cheap flight to the former British colony of Dominica and then take a ferry to the neighboring French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. Ferries cost about £88 (express-des-iles.fr/travel-by-boat-from-castries-to-martinique-dominica-and-guadeloupe).

Kuoni is looking for a creative hobbyist to be their official “Honeymoon Photographer” for a period of three weeks. You can bring a guest and you will be charged £2,885. Go to photographer.kuoni.co.uk. Closing date is 28th April. good luck!

Get a 20-pack of bamboo toilet paper

Switch to eco-friendly toilet rolls with Bumboo, made from 100 bamboo sticks with a tree planted per box ordered. The toilet paper contains 300 sheets of 3 ply. Get 20 pcs off your first order with my code JASMINE20 at bumboo.eco. Offer ends April 22nd.

Get 25 pcs out of the house emergency cover at HomeEmiticalAssist.com. Provides cover for boiler, central heating, plumbing, drainage, utilities, security, pest infestations and more. In an emergency, you can call Home Emergency Assist, who works with qualified merchants who are ready to help you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Use the exclusive promotional code JASMINE25 on the site to get 25 pcs of emergency cover at home.

Earn money at groceries

Nationwide is offering 5 PCs cash back at your supermarket through April 30th. Customers can earn up to £10 a month at a range of stores when they use their Nationwide Debit Card. If you have a joint account, you can earn £10 per account. See nationalwide.co.uk.

Pets at Home is running free workshops for kids in stores through Sunday, April 16th. The 45-minute sessions allow kids to learn how to care for a range of baby animals, including making a fodder for furry friends. They will also receive a My Pet Pals certificate. Visit petsathome.com for details.

Free donut!

Do you have cut easter eggs? Take her to your nearest Krispy Kreme store by Monday and you’ll get four packages of Easter cookies in return. The Easter eggs will be donated to a network of 9,500 charities and community organizations across the UK with the FareShare charity partnership.