40 ways to make your cash further; More tips to beat the CREDIT CRUNCH CRISIS.LOOKING GOOD MAKE REALISTIC CHOICES Before buying anything new, think about your lifestyle and only select items you'll wear often enough justify their purchase. AVOID DRY CLEANING dry cleaning, process of cleaning fabrics without water. Special solvents and soaps are used so as not to harm fabrics and dyes that will not withstand the effects of ordinary soap and water. Dry cleaning began in France about the middle of the 19th cent. This is especially true of garments that will need frequent cleaning - you'll pay at least pounds 2.50 each time a shirt needs cleaning. FOR ALL SEASONS Choose fabrics take you through different seasons soft, crisp cottons, lightweight wool, soft knits, silks and fabrics with a hint stretch are great all year. BUY KID'S CLOTHING Avoid VAT if you're petite - up to 5ft 4in tall and size 10. FIND CHEAP DESIGNER LABELS Knowing where to go can save you more than 50% on prices. Go to www.shoppingvillages.com for a list of factory outlets. BUDGET BEAUTY A top model agent happily admits to using E45 cream as her night-time moisturiser, at pounds 3.99 for a 125g tub. Vaseline is also a great all-purpose every day moisturiser. BUY DENIM One of the most comfortable and cheapest materials. It gives lots of wear and even grows in style with age. SALON QUALITY Instead of buying specialist products at the hair salon A hair salon (also called 'Hairdresser' and 'Hair Parlour')is a place where one goes to get their hair cut, as well as styled, highlighted or coloured. There are many different types of hair salons that one can choose to go to. , where they cost a packet, try www.salonlines.co.uk and take advantage of the savings. INVEST IN A PAIR OF CLIPPERS For men or boys who like short, cropped hair, invest in clippers at under pounds 20. With a haircut costing pounds 10, they'll repay the investment in just two cuts. SPECIAL OFFERS Try the website www.vouchercodes.com, which lists all the latest discounts available in shops around the UK. FINANCES LOYALTY DOESN'T PAY Some savings accounts offer as little as 0.1% interest. If you've never switched your bank account you could get a better deal. DON'T TAKE CASH OUT ON CREDIT You face an extra charge if you draw cash on your credit card, from 2% to 2.5% of the money you take out. SWITCH SUPPLIERS Try a website such as www.saveonyourbills.co.uk to compare prices and it will help you switch to better value energy suppliers. COMPARE If you want to pay less for your next telly and other electrical equipment, shop around online. A quick search on www.moneysupermarket.com will help you bag the best bargain. GET CASHBACK Some mobile phone contracts offer money back on the condition you stay with them for a year. But beware offers that involve you sending in vouchers. EXTENDED WARRANTIES They are criticised for being an expensive waste of money as electrical goods are much more reliable nowadays and the cost of repair is often less than the cost of the warranty. CUT UP STORE CARDS Many charge scandalous MATTER, SCANDALOUS, equity pleading. A false and malicious statement of facts, not relevant to the cause. But nothing which is positively relevant, however harsh or gross the charge may be, can be considered scandalous. 4 Bouv. Inst. n. 4163. 2. rates of interest, exploiting customer loyalty with rates up to 30%. TELL YOUR BANK If you're about to go overdrawn o·ver·draw v. o·ver·drew , o·ver·drawn , o·ver·draw·ing, o·ver·draws v.tr. 1. To draw against (a bank account) in excess of credit. 2. , warn your bank or you could have to pay twice as much interest on the overdraft as you would on a personal loan plus other charges. PRUNE prune, popular name for a dried plum. Fruits of the many varieties of Prunus domestica, which are firm-fleshed and dry easily without removal of the stone, are gathered after falling from the tree, dipped in lye solution to prevent fermentation, dried in the DIRECT DEBITS Do you use that magazine subscription or gym membership? If not, ditch it now. CUT THE POUNDS you act before it's too late. Call the Consumer Credit Counselling Service The Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) is a registered charity in the United Kingdom which has has followed the creditor funded American model of debt counselling. CCCS is currently the largest debt advice charity in the UK, and is funded entirely by the credit industry. on 0800 1381111 or go to website www.cccs.co.uk TO buy a copy of How To Pay Less For Just About Everything for just pounds 11.50 (rrp pounds 12.99) including p& p call Mirror Direct on 08700 703 200 or send a cheque made payable to MGN MGN Membranous glomerulonephritis, see there Ltd to Mirror Direct, PO Box 60, Helston TR13 0TP - please remember to put your name and address on the back of the cheque. WEEKLY SHOPPING MAKE A NOTE Keep a notebook and pen in your kitchen. As you get close to using up a necessity such as tea or milk, add it to the list. CHECK THE NEWS When you see local newspaper adverts with special prices on foods you buy regularly, circle the dates and clip them to your list. GROUP YOUR LIST Organise your shopping list in the same way as the store is laid out to prevent wandering - and buying impulse treats you don't need and can't afford. STICK TO YOUR LIST Research shows the average shopper buys one off-the-list item from every supermarket aisle every time they go shopping. CHEAPEST TIME TO SHOP Shop late in the day when perishable per·ish·a·ble adj. Subject to decay, spoilage, or destruction. n. Something, especially foodstuff, subject to decay or spoilage. Often used in the plural. items - such as tomatoes, chilled soups and yoghurts - are often discounted. SEASONAL FOODS Seasonal, locally grown produce tends to be cheaper and is likely to taste better because it is not picked too early. SALAD SENSE Pre-packed bags of pre-washed salad can be 70% more expensive than buying all the ingredients yourself and making your own salads. STAPLE DIET Fill spare freezer space with kitchen staples such as milk, cheese and bread on special offer. GRATER SAVINGS Bags of pre-grated cheese cost 30% more than a block of cheese - so use your own grater for greater savings. VALUE INGREDIENTS Consider healthy cheaper alternatives - tinned sardines, mackerel mackerel, common name for members of the family Scombridae, 60 species of open-sea fishes, including the albacore, bonito, and tuna. They are characterized by deeply forked tails that narrow greatly where they join the body; small finlets behind both the dorsal and and pilchards instead of salmon, and turkey instead of chicken. At under 50p a tin, lentils, peas and beans are also an inexpensive mainstay for vegetarian dishes. HOME IMPROVEMENTS PAY LESS TO TRADESMEN Try to avoid emergency plumbers and electricians, always ask for a quote before, as some charge huge call-out fees and pounds 100 hourly rates. KEEP A LIST OF CONTACTS Compile a list of tradesmen you or neighbours have used and trust. USE CARPET UNDERLAY Quality underlay extends the life of a carpet 40%. PAINT LEAKS For an emergency repair to a leaking flat roof, paint the areas with a roofing treatment such as Flexacryl - pounds 15 for 1kg. REPLACEMENT TILES Keep an eye on builders' yards, skips and demolition sites for cut-price or free tiles matching your roof colour. WEATHERPROOF WALLS Bricks in old walls often absorb water. Paint the exterior with two coats of silicon waterproofer, about pounds 20 for five litres. SAVE ON A NEW KITCHEN As most ex-display kitchens are sold as-seen you can't get a refund for any faults, but you can save 50% on the price. SHUT CURTAINS Stop heat escaping - especially if you don't have double -glazing - by closing the curtains. FIX TAPS A dripping tap can fill half a bath a week. If it is the hot water it wastes energy and costs money. TROUBLE-FREE PATHS Brush paving with thin bleach (25p a litre LITRE. A French measure of capacity. It is of the size of a decimetre, or one-tenth part of a cubic metre. It is equal to 61.028 cubic inches. Vide Measure. ) instead of weed killer weed killer: see herbicide. (about pounds 5 for 1kg). It'll kill the shallow-rooted weeds and won't harm the plants that have deeper roots. CAPTION(S): CUT THE POUNDS Ditch your gym NOTE PERFECT Stick to a list in supermarkets JEANIUS Denim never goes out of style |
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