Cost of living tips from real giffgaffers

Is the rising cost of living playing on your mind? Well, you’re not alone.

To lift some of that weight off your shoulders, our wondrous community of giffgaffers have shared some handy tips to help you save your pennies. Here are 10 of our favourites.

10 giffgaffer tips to kerb the cost of living

1. Use off-peak energy

Running your everyday appliances can be pricey, but there are a few things you can do to keep costs down. Try running expensive gadgets (like dishwashers and washing machines) during the night to keep your energy bills low. You can also give your energy provider a ring to ask what their off-peak hours are.

Brontobyte: “Make use of off-peak electric. Shower early morning. Cook with oven early morning ready for evening meal reheat in microwave.”

2. Switch to non-branded products

It’s no secret that non-branded products are miles cheaper than their branded alternatives - from Ketchup and Coco-Pops to toilet paper and baked beans. Many of us will want to cling to our household favourites, but you may find some non-branded items taste pretty much the same.

Court10pika: “I’ve switched to non-branded foods and bulk buying on cheap brands to make my food-shop last longer.”

3. Use pedal power

Petrol prices have shot up, so why not hop on your bike? Oil up the gears and don the lycra – if you’re brave enough.

mandycaruana: “On ya bike! Try cycling to places instead of getting in the car or taking public transport. Zero cost and you get a workout at the same time - win-win!”

4. Scrape the bottle

Waste not, want not. Throwing away near-empty jars, bottles and tubes can be tempting. But this giffgaffer’s here to tell you that scraping every last drop is 100% worth it.

Jfh: “I cut open tubes off toothpaste or cosmetic bottles as there is always a significant amount left after it stops squeezing out.”

5. Buy and sell second-hand

The jumble sale has been around for ages, but now, free online-selling apps have made it easier than ever for us to make extra pennies from our unwanted items.

sha_shah1: “Sell your unwanted clothes, shoes and old electrical items that are just taking up space in your home and sell them on eBay, Vinted, or Gumtree etc. You’d be surprised how much you can make.”

6. Be savvy with your finance products

Some costs can slip under the radar. Your car insurance, for example. Or your energy rates. But you don’t have to stay with the same supplier. In fact, you could snag a better deal by switching things up. Check out Money Saving Expert to help you find the best tariffs.

M1ke: “Shop around for insurance products at renewal time. You should also review any financial products such as life insurance and pensions if you’ve not had a review in the last few years.”

7. Look for bulk-buy deals

Buying more than you need might seem bonkers, but hear us out. When it comes to dry food, tins or frozen items, bulk buying could actually save you cash in the long run.

Anonymous member: “Buy more if you have the space in your home to store stuff. When comparing prices, always compare per piece/kg rather than per packet. Also, never miss looking at the discount aisle- you never now , there might be a gem hidden.”

8. Get smart with credit card reward schemes

Using reward or cashback schemes on your credit card is a great way to earn some money back on your everyday costs. Or, if you only have debit, the airtime rewards app] is a great way to earn money from your mobile bill every month. You can even earn rewards with some of your favourite shops, such as Boots, Greggs, Wilco and plenty more. Yippee.

chand311: “Use only your debit/credit card rather than cash for payments, and use cash back options either on your bank or airtime rewards app. It’s like getting free money!”

9. Save on school uniforms

School uniforms can be expensive, especially when our kids are growing so fast. Joining parent communities is a great way of helping each other out, saving money and stopping uniforms in good nick from being thrown away.

bloom99: “Kids don’t need brand new school uniform every year. Get free or cheap second-hand uniform from a local uniform swap (either run via school/PTA, local churches or children’s centres or Facebook groups). It’ll save you hundreds over the years.”

10. Batch cook

If you’re cooking for two, why not cook for four? You’ll save money on energy and you might even cut down on wasted ingredients. Plus, you’ll spare yourself a whole evening slaving away in the kitchen. Winning.

DTJ: “Batch cooking is a great way to save cash. My easy veg-based meals can last up to 5 days in the fridge. Or add in a bag of vegetarian chicken for a cheap alternative to meat.”

Feeling inspired? A huge thanks to all our members who shared their pearls of wisdom to save us all some cash in these hard times. We can’t wait to test some out.

If you think you’ve got a trick up your sleeve, come and spread the love on the giffgaff community forum.