I am going to LOVE this blog. I have SEVERAL tips! I will be back in about an hour and add to the list you are surely going to get.

My advice is do a big shop at the biginning of the month rather than various little trips. Buying in bulk works out much cheaper. I kept just nipping down to the local store but would spend £10-20 each trip!! I've saved loads now I just go maybe once or twice a month. Freeze chicken, mince etc in individual portions then you are only likely to cook what you need instead of just throwing the whole pack in. Dont presume cheaper brands are poor quality give them a try.
Turn all electrical sockets off at the wall when they are not being used. Only a small thing but youd be surprised what a difference it makes.
When the kids are in bed turn the heating down or off and light some candles its amazing how much heat they throw off not to mention put you in the mood for creating some heat of your own!
Sell old clothes, nick nacks online. I made £200 once just putting old clothes on ebay!
Dont make your own washing powder!
Consolodate as much debt as you can, one slighty higher payment is better than 4 or 5 small ones.
Walk instead of using the car where possible.
If I can think of anything else Il let you know!

How much do you spend on groceries, how do you save on groceries?

I never buy name brand if there is a generic for something. I hunt ads that come in the mail, paper etc to see which store has what meats/ veggies on sale. I also shop at Winn Dixi who has a bonus card program that gives you discounts on gasoline for buying at their store.

Another tip for saving $ on groceries. Plan your menus for the week! Buy only what you need to make the menu meals. You would be amazed at how much $$ people waste annually due to purchasing food that they never eat and it goes bad and gets thrown out.

For kids snacks I hit dollar stores. I also purchase generic cleaners at the dollar store… lets face it windex cleans windows due to the ammonia in it… why pay nearly $4 for windex… of I can get a blue ammonia window cleaner for $1? I may have to scrub a little harder… but my energy doesn’t cost me anything out of pocket!

How to cut back on the light bill.

Take a look at the light bulbs your using. Replace with 40watt bulbs (regular bulbs) or with low watt swirly bulbs (initially a lot more $$ out of pocket but last forever and use far less electricity).

Check your doors/ windows. Is the weather stripping in good shape to keep heat/ air conditioning from leaking out? If not that is a $5 fix to significantly lower your electric bill.

If it’s your windows that are the problem and they are leaky and there is no weather stripping to replace, go to a hardware store and buy clear plastic sheeting. Cover all windows that leak (esp during winter). Staple or tape the sheeting to the walls around the window to help reduce drafting/leaking.

IF you have a fireplace/ chimney and you aren’t using it: close the flue! You would be amazed how many people leave it open and their heat goes right up the chimney while the electric company plans an employee bonus based off their bill!

How to save on internet and cable
Call them up and try and cancel your account. You would be AMAZED at how much of a discount they will offer you on a “new package” to retain your business.

How to save on gas
Never run errands during rush hour. Heck if you can avoid it, don’t drive during rush hour periods at all. You burn a ton of gas sitting idling in heavy traffic/ stop lights.
If you know you have a bunch of errands to run, make a list of everywhere you need to go and sit and plot your course. Starting at point A and plot your route for the shortest way to reach each destination in one circle, starting and ending at your house so you aren’t criss crossing town multiple times to get the errands done.

How to make laundry detergent, Dish liquid etc.
I don’t make these so these I can not offer advise on. I can however tell you the number 1 way to save money.

LEAVE YOUR DEBIT/CREDIT CARD AT HOME.

At the beginning of each week/ on payday, fill the cars up with gas: allot yourself and your DH $x.00 as an allowance (this includes all lunches, coffee trips, cigarettes etc for the WEEK). You have to use the cash to buy your crap. When you are out of cash for the week: you stop buying.

It is way too easy to just “whip the card out” when you stop at a store with the thought of “Its only $2, or its only $5..$10….$20…” before long all those purchases add up and your looking at your bank statement wondering where in the hell $100.00 went!

Powder Laundry soap…
Powder is …
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup 20 Team Borax
1 cup nefsapal soap. ( I am sure I did not spell that correct) Grated on the fine side of the grater.
Mix all together and use 2 tablespoons per wash.
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Liquid Laundry Soap…(I have not tried this one yet, but will when I run out of the powder.)
3 Tbsp borax
3 Tbsp washing soda
2 Tbsp Original Blue Dawn dishwashing liquid
Find a one-gallon container with a tight-fitting lid. Pour in the borax, washing soda and liquid Dawn. Add two cups of very hot water. Apply the lid and shake until the soda and borax have dissolved. Now fill the container with cold water. Reapply the lid, label and you’re done.
To Use: Add 1-2 cups to each load of laundry depending on the size and soil levels.
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Foaming hand soap. …
I bought a LARGE container of liquid soap. I put 2 TBL of regular liquid soap into an empty, foaming soap dispenser and fill the rest with water.
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I only buy meat when on sale. Then I stock up and freeze what I don’t need. Example…I never pay over 1.49LB for boneless chicken breast.
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I tear laundry sheets into 3rds. They work just as good.
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I make my own glass cleaner. (I have made all purpose cleaner, but just can’t get past the vinegar smell).

Pack lunches. I either have leftovers or I get frozen Stouffer's, etc., for less than $2 each on sale, and always have a coupon , too. Stop buying beverages at convenience stores or machines at work and when eating out, drink only water(if you do that.)

I got 40 cents off per gallon on filling my car yesterday with Kroger shopping points.

We added insulation to the attic of our house, and have saved 25% on electricity every month since (14 months so far). We changed out the inefficient lightbulbs for CF, but be careful to get sufficiently bright ones. I found the "equivalent" bulbs were never bright enough.

We live on the marked down meat and buy only clearance clothing and shoes. Neither of us works where appearances matter for clothes, as long as we're clean!

I almost never leave the grocery store without having saved 25% with coupons and specials. The key is flexibility. If lamb leg steaks in a vacuum sealed bag are marked down to a fraction of the regular price, that's what's for dinner. If cabbage is on sale for 29 cents/lb., we have coleslaw with the lamb. If the organic romaine in the plastic tub is marked down because it's close to its sell-by date, we have salad. (A product like that can be fine for a month after the sell-by date, with no waste.) I never buy salad in a bag, especially marked down, because it tastes like crap and goes bad really fast. I stock up on paper products, oils, pasta, cat and dog food, coffee, etc., when they are on sale. You never have to pay full price.

Take advantage of day-after holiday sales for cards, wrapping paper, holiday-wrapped chocolates (I have a real weakness there), and items like Easter baskets and Christmas decorations, which you might need. I stopped almost all holiday-related purchasing, donated my decorations to the Salvation Army, and loved not having to deal with Christmas tree debris.

I had to retrain my DH to stop shopping. To think about whether he NEEDED something, or just WANTED it. To consider the monthly cost of a daily habit, like that coffee from the convenience store versus making it at home and having an insulated car mug.

You can project the sizes your kids will be, and buy clearance clothes for the next year for new items, but consider Goodwill, etc., for daily wear. People donate very good, lightly or never worn kid's clothes to charities, and you do good in several ways by shopping there. First, by helping the charity, but also by cutting down on the overconsumption of stuff in our culture. You're recycling! Gently used clothing is more comfortable, softer, and you don't have to feel guilty about throwing it out if something unfortunate happens.

Hope this helps. Remember, BE FLEXIBLE!

Coupons! I used to be a generic shopper thinking I was saving money. I often buy name brands now and get them for way less than generics because I use the coupons available and wait til the item is on sale to get a discount off the sale price. I've gotten lots of things free or almost free this way!

Samples. You can always get tons of samples for shampoo, lotion, toothpaste and feminine products totally free through the mail. I hardly ever buy them because I have such a stockpile of samples and more keep coming in. By the time I've used up a little tube of toothpaste, there's another in my mailbox! This only works if you're not picky about what brand you use but it works for me. (Try websites like Hip2Save.com and CouponCabin.com and Walmart.com also manufacturer's websites)

Change all your lightbulbs to the low-energy ones and make sure anything not being used is turned off. Also unplug things you're not using--cell phone chargers, the toaster, lamp in the spare room, etc. They still draw a tiny bit of electricity even when not in use, by unplugging everything you're not actually using you will see a drop in your electric bill!

Wear things a few times before washing them. Obviously, things like underwear need to be clean daily but why not re-wear a sweatshirt a few times before washing it?

When my ex and I first separated I did not get CS for eight months.

Food - I'd cook ramen noodles, and added a little bit of cut up chicken breast and a handful of frozen vegetables to make it more filling.

For clothes and shoes - I shopped at thrift stores. Fortunately I know how to sew so if I found something nice at Goodwill I can tailor it to fit.

Sometimes it's also about knowing where to shop. I was able to find some very nice toys for x-mas at Family Dollar, and pay less for cleaning products and household items at Big lots. Heck, Big Lots is great place for deals on pretty much everything.

How to save on internet and cable - i had to do this when I divorced my XH - I simply cancelled my cable - there are so many over the air channels now, been 8 years, still no cable.

I need internet for work, so I had to maintain that. Downgrade your cell phone bills too, do you really need a smart phone? If you have a smart phone, do you really need internet? Depends how much you need to eat.

I weighed the items against each other.
The must have. (food, shelter, transportation)
The should have.
The could have.
The want.

Then just budget in order of priority, must have has to be paid for first, then down the line - I think most of us don't realize what we really only need to live and the rest is just gravy...

Check out this website: afullcup.com

There are TONS of pointers on how to coupon effectively, and how to shop for the best deals. It is updated OFTEN with every store's deals/coupons. It's also a forum-driven site (like this one), so if you have questions or anything, there is a wealth of people willing and able to give you the best answer.

>How much do you spend on groceries, how do you save on groceries?<

Groceries is our biggest expense. I try to stick to "no-name" brands and tend to only buy things that are on special. Also the store we go to has a points system so whenever they have "Double-your-points" days, that is when we stock up. There are three major grocery chains near me so whenever we plan a big feast (like this upcoming Easter) I take note of which store has the best-priced meats, vegetables, ect.

>How to cut back on the light bill.<

DW and I are at odds with this one. Dw says that we would save money if we pay a flat monthly rate but I believe in "Pay-for-what-you-use". Needs further study

>How to save on internet and cable<

Ooo boy. We are not very lucky where we live. Every cable, internet company has this "pay this reduced rate for 6-months" gimmick and after those 6 months they start tacking on all these BS fees. Last cable utility company I was with was charging me $2 for sending me a paper bill. The general concensus here is that they are all a bunch of crooks so in order to get the best rate, just change providers every 2 years or so.

>How to save on gas<

When we visit my in-laws I always fill up there because the price of gas in their area is cheaper. We have two cars. One is a family car and the other is my "commuting car". I always use my commuting car whenever I can.

Another tip that may or may not work for you ..

We grow just about every vegetable known to man. We have HUGE gardens and can/freeze just about all of it (that doesn't get eaten in-season).

We currently have about 12 jars of homemade salsa in our store room leftover from last year's tomato & pepper crop!

We also have chickens, so we don't have to buy them .. ever. And they're completely organic and taste so much better than anything you can buy in the store. When we start accumulating excess, I sell what we won't eat .. not for much, but it's better than throwing them out!

We make our own laundry detergent, hand soap, and general cleaners (see other posters above). I've made my own lotions and shampoos before, but didn't really like them too much. It's doable, but one thing not worth the sacrifice to me. Essential oils will help cut the smell of just about anything, and run a few dollars per bottle.

Like others, we shop with a list. We don't EVER buy it if it's not on the list. We plan the list according to what's on sale for the week and what we have coupons for. We stockpile on good deals .. anything non-perishable is fair game. You need to have space to store all the excess though. This really comes back to couponing .. use afullcup.com for great tips and pointers on getting started.

On nice days, we hang laundry outside to dry. We wash our clothes almost always on cold or warm .. never on hot. We hand-wash all of our dishes, but really only because we don't have a dishwasher

We keep our hot water heater setting turned down and space our showers accordingly. I shower in mornings, DH showers in evenings. Skids shower/bathe well before DH's shower time.

Switch your light bulbs to energy-efficient ones and unplug anything you're not using. Our local electric company comes out and does energy inspections for free .. it may be worthwhile to check out if you have older appliances.

Good luck!

Keep a price book. It is a real PITA to begin with but gets much easier over time. You would think that stores vary very little in an area with their prices, but you'd be surprised. It is also a good way to start finding out what the "sales cycles" are in your area.

Then budget a little more per month in your groceries to stockpile these sale items. For instance, I know that about every 6 months, our grocery store will have a big sale on (for instance) canned olives. I know about how much we will use in 6 weeks, so I stock up at that time. Over time, your grocery bills will go down because you are using cheaper products consistently. It takes some effort but it is well worth it.

It took a while to get my DH on board but then I started pointing out to him. "Remember when we got this for $x.xx and stocked up?? Look at it now. They are charging THREE TIMES what we paid!" etc

I also do couponing but that could be an all day response if I started on that!! It is a game to me of how great of a deal I can get. It is an adrenaline rush to get a great deal.

Groceries: I always go to Aldi. I save a a ton on produce. And somehow my bill is so much less than when I shop at Walmart. If I can't get to Aldi, then I go to Walmart and they will price match usually without needing to see the add. Read their policy on price matching. I save a lot of money pricematching. There are also coupon matchup sites to help you get the most out of couponing. I use a local site, but Passionforsavings is a good place to start. But I hardly coupon any more because it's too time consuming and I usually end up buying too much and spending too much. I now use coupons for a few things I like, such as my favorite brand of makeup, or higher end coffee. My ultimate goal is to budget, but just haven't got there yet. But if you have an Aldi nearby that's my best recommendation. I save the most there.