The Money-Saving Advice I Happily Ignore….

If you’ve spent any time on social media lately, you’ll probably have seen countless money-saving tips pop up on your feed sharing so many different hints and tips that promise to shave pounds off your budget (or in some case, just pennies).

Some are genuinely brilliant and tips that I’ve seen online have honestly saved me a fair amount of money over the years, but others just make me wonder whether people have forgotten that life is actually supposed to be enjoyed. 🎉

Don’t get me wrong, I’m always looking for ways to spend less where it makes sense. I love finding a bargain, buying second-hand and making the most of what we already have. But I’ve never believed that saving money should mean making life harder than it needs to be.

These are some of the money-saving tips that I happily ignore…

Making Everything From Scratch

I love cooking and baking, and there are plenty of things I make myself because they’re cheaper and taste better. I’ll happily spend an afternoon baking or batch cooking meals for the freezer and I like to think our freezer is a good mix of convenience and good home cooked food.

What I won’t do is feel guilty for buying a loaf of bread, a jar of pasta sauce or a ready-rolled pastry every now and again. Sometimes convenience is worth paying for, especially after a busy day when the alternative is ordering a takeaway because I’m too tired to cook from scratch.  My mam used to say that life was too short to make your own pastry and I couldn’t agree more. 😁

Never Putting The Heating On

We’ve all heard the advice to put another jumper on instead of turning the heating up, and I do think there’s some sense in that to a certain degree. We don’t have the heating blasting all day for no reason, and we’re careful not to waste energy. We’ve all seen the figures that suggest you could save around £90 a year by turning your thermostat down from 22°C to 21°C, but if anyone in our house is genuinely cold, that’s more important to us.

I’m not going to sit wrapped in three blankets, wearing gloves indoors and counting down the minutes until bedtime just to save a few pounds, and I’m certainly not going to expect anyone else in the house to do that either.

Home should feel comfortable, and if it’s cold enough to need the heating, then the heating goes on with no discussion!

Driving Across Town To Save A Few Pence

I’ll always compare prices when I’m already shopping, but I’m not driving miles out of my way because one supermarket has butter that’s 12p cheaper. By the time you’ve added the fuel, the extra time and the temptation to buy things you hadn’t planned on, you’ve probably wiped out any saving anyway.

The one exception to this is petrol. Fuel prices seem to fluctuate so much around here, and there’s a service station not too far away that regularly drops its prices well below everywhere else. If the saving is big enough, I’ll happily make the extra journey, but only if I’m filling the tank. Saving £5 or £10 on a full tank is very different from driving further just to save a few pence on a loaf of bread.

Buying Something Just Because It’s Reduced

This is one I’ve definitely become better at over the years.

A yellow sticker doesn’t automatically make something a bargain. If it’s something we’d never normally buy, or it’s likely to end up sitting at the back of the freezer for months because nobody fancies eating it, then it isn’t saving me money at all.

The best bargains are the ones you were going to buy anyway.

Keeping Things ‘Just In Case’

I used to hang on to all sorts because I convinced myself I might need them one day. Spare kitchen gadgets, clothes that didn’t fit, random cables and ornaments I’d gone off all sat in cupboards because I thought they might come in useful eventually.

Now I’d much rather sell them, donate them or pass them on to someone who’ll actually use them. When we moved house earlier this year, we made a conscious effort not to bring anything with us that we hadn’t used for six months or more. We got rid of so much before moving, but if I’m honest, we still have plenty left to sort through.

It’s definitely a work in progress, but over the last couple of months I’ve taken at least one bag to the charity shop every fortnight. Little by little, we’re getting there, and every bag that leaves the house makes it feel a bit lighter. I’d much rather have a home filled with things we use and love than cupboards packed with ‘just in case’ items collecting dust.

Doing Every Job Myself

I actually enjoy having a go at DIY, and we’ve certainly tackled plenty of jobs around the house ourselves recently as my partner is pretty handy. We’ve saved ourselves a fortune by doing what we can ourselves, and there’s something really satisfying about standing back afterwards and seeing what you’ve achieved.

That said, there’s a big difference between learning a new skill and taking on something that really needs an expert. Sometimes paying someone who knows exactly what they’re doing is actually the cheaper option once you consider the cost of putting mistakes right.

And you know what? That old saying that time is money really is true. Sometimes it’s worth paying someone else to do a job that’s going to take you all weekend, leave you stressed and still not look quite right. I’d much rather we spend our time doing something we enjoy than struggling through a job we could pay someone else to do.

Giving Up Every Little Treat

This is probably the biggest one for me.

I don’t think saving money should mean removing every bit of joy from your life. If a coffee with a friend, a family day out or the occasional takeaway fits comfortably into your budget, then I don’t see that as wasted money.

I’d much rather cut back on the things that don’t really matter to us so we can comfortably afford the things that do.

That’s what I call intentional spending. For me, it’s all about saving money on the things that aren’t important to us so we can spend it on the things that are. I’d much rather skip the purchases that don’t add anything to our lives if it means saying yes to making memories, travelling, days out or whatever else brings us genuine happiness.

Buying The Cheapest Version Of Everything

There are some things where the cheapest option is absolutely fine, but there are others where spending a little more saves money in the long run.

A decent pair of shoes that lasts for years is often better value than replacing cheap ones every few months. The same goes for plenty of household items that get used every single day.

For me, it’s never really been about spending the least amount of money possible. It’s about spending wisely.

Over the years, I’ve realised that the best money-saving advice isn’t about following every tip you read online. It’s about finding what works for your family, your budget and your lifestyle.

I’ll happily use cashback sites, buy second-hand, batch cook meals and wait for a good sale, but I won’t make myself miserable just to save a few pounds.

I’d much rather be intentional with my spending than obsessed with cutting every possible cost, and I think that’s probably why so many of these habits have stuck with me for so many years. They’re realistic, they’re sustainable and, most importantly, they still leave room to enjoy life along the way. 😁

I’d love you to follow me on Twitter and it would be amazing to see you over on my Facebook page and on Instagram. If you’re interested, you can find out more about me here and while I’ve got your attention, if you’re wondering why some of my posts lately are a little bit less frugal then have a read of this post. 😉

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