Raising a family is expensive, so knowing how to save money as a parent is crucial if you want to make your family's budget go further, and build a savings pot for the future. The last couple of years have seen budgets stretched more than ever before, leaving households scrambling to figure out how to make extra money to help make ends meet.

Even if your finances have weathered the cost of living crisis storm, it's always going to be worth cutting costs where you can. Personal finance analyst Alice Haine from Bestinvest says: "By slashing the amount you spend on everyday bills and cutting costs elsewhere, you can quickly create a small sum that will either boost your current account or be saved or invested into a separate pot for a rainy day."

Follows these family-friendly tips to reduce how much you spend on things like days out, entertainment, toys and food to ease the pressure on your budget and put more money away for your family's future.

1. Swap takeaways for fakeaways 

Takeaways are all too tempting for tired and busy parents, but they are much more expensive than cooking food at home. If you have a weekly takeaway treat, try to reduce it to once a month instead as a way to save money. You could always try making a homemade takeaway whenever you get a craving for your favourite fast food.

2. Create snack packs for whenever you leave the house

We've all been there. You nip out with your little human, packing everything you need for changeable weather and to keep them entertained, but when they utter those three little words 'I am hungry' you realise that you have no snacks in your bag and have to resort to buying them while you're out. But this can prove really expensive, especially if you are somewhere like a theme park or zoo.

Instead, make up a few snack packs using non-perishable snackarooneys that you can leave in key places, like your handbag, car or byy the front door, so you can avoid getting caught out again.

3. Start a babysitting circle

As any parent will attest, taking time away from the kids for yourself, or for you and your partner, is key to keeping on top of your own mental health and wellbeing. But forking out for a babysitter can often put parents off taking this valuable step. But setting up a babysitting circle with your friends can be a great way to help each other out, without breaking the bank. To keep it fair, try setting up a rota, or work on a token system, where you earn a token every time you babysit, and it costs a token to get a babysitter.

4. Label your child's school uniform and other belongings

Sometimes, saving money is about making what you do buy last as long as possible. When it comes to your child's belongings or school uniform, this means making sure everything is labelled with their name so it can be returned to you if it gets left at a friend's house or in a classroom at the end of the school day. You can buy simple personalised washable and no-iron labels on Amazon for around £10-15. Some even come with cute designs, like this Amazon bestsellers.

5. Make your own playdough

Looking for a really inexpensive way to keep kids entertained? Why not make your own playdough? Let kids pick their favourite colours and let them unleash their creativity. To make your own, you will need:

• 1 cup flour
• 2 tbsp cream of tartar (which you can get in the baking aisle at the supermarket)
• ½ cup salt
• 1 to 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 cup water
• food colouring

Mix the flour, cream of tartar and salt in a saucepan. Add the water and oil and cook over medium heat until thick. At this stage you can either add a few drops of food colouring to the mixture and kneed in. If you want two colours, split the mixture and add different colours to each half. Then hey presto, home-made playdough.

6. Swap toys and clothes with other families

Buying toys and clothes for your kids can be expensive, especially when they outgrow things so quickly. But remember, this is the same in every family, so why not team up with neighbours, friends and school mums and see if you can arrange a toy or clothing swap? This works best if you can set up a group of parents with kids of different ages, but if your kids are the same age, it's a good way to swap toys your kids no longer play with for something new to them.

7. Make packed lunches

Making packed lunches for the whole family is a no-brainer when it comes to saving money, especially when you tot it up over the course of a week. If mornings are hectic in your family (we hear ya!), then it's a good idea to get into the habit of making lunches the night before. It can also help to give everyone in the family their own colour-coded lunchbox so that there's no worry about someone taking the wrong lunch to school or work.

8. Accept hand me downs

There's no shame in accepting hand me downs if you are trying to save money. In a lot of cases, you'll be helping someone out by helping them find a new home for their belongings. As well as easing the strain on your bank balance, it's also really good for the planet and reduces the amount being sent to landfill.

9. Buy own brand painkillers

In many cases, if you choose to buy branded medicines, you're paying more for the brand name and a snazzier box, rather than for high quality or more effective ingredients. When you're looking to buy medicine, check the branded box for a nine digit code, which is called the Product Licence Code. Then take a look at the retailer's own brand version. If the two codes match, it's not just the same active ingredient, it's the exact same tablets. Check out this real life example highlighted by money saving expert Martin Lewis.

10. Shop around for fuel

While we have been benefitting from a temporary fuel duty cut since March 2022, this is due to end in March 2024, so it's vital that you keep an eye on how much you are paying for fuel, especially if you need your car for the school run and weekend activities with the family. Use this fuel prices tool from Go.Compare to find the cheapest fuel near you.

Remember there are lots of other ways to save money on fuel, including keeping your tyres inflated, accelerating and braking gently and not driving around with unnecessary cargo. Car sharing where you can and avoiding unnecessary short journeys can also help you to use less fuel.

11. Grow your own veg

Save money and start a hobby with your kids by growing your own vegetables. For beginners, veggies like beetroot, potatoes, salad leaves, peas, radishes and courgettes are a good starting point. And if you don't have the garden space to plant your seeds, according to Gardener's World there are lots of things you can grow in bags, pots and even on your windowsill.

12. Book early and in advance for any activities

Keeping the kids occupied can gouge a big chunk out of the family budget especially in the school holidays. Save money by booking big trips to the likes of zoos and theme parks online rather than rocking up on the day, or see if you can cash in supermarket loyalty points. You could also keep your eyes peeled for free adult ticket promotions that regular appear on Kelloggs cereal boxes.

13. Do you really need a TV licence?

If you exclusively use streaming services to watch boxed-sets or films on demand, but are still paying for a TV licence, you may be wasting money. You need a TV licence if you watch or record live TV, on any channel or streaming service. But if you only watch programmes on demand (with the exception of BBC iPlayer), you don’t actually need a TV licence so could save yourself £159 per year (if you pay annually), rising to £169.50 from April 2024.

14. Team up with another family for days out and holidays

Joining forces with another family on things like day trips, mini breaks or holiday can be a great way to share the cost on things like accommodation, car hire and fuel costs. You could also benefit from discounts on group entry tickets to popular attractions. Make sure you agree how joint costs will be split ahead of time to avoid any fallouts.

15. Be a savvy shopper

Whether you are shopping online or in a shop or supermarket, keep in mind that a retailer is always trying its best to make you buy things - and the more things the better. It might be that it displays more expensive items at eye level with cheaper items lower down, or sends you regular emails with multibuy or money-off offers. (We reveal the sneaky supermarket tricks to look out for!).

GoodtoKnow’s Money Editor Sarah Handley says: “If you’re looking to save money, you need to be savvy about all of the moves that retailers make to encourage you to buy things you don’t necessarily need. To avoid temptation, unsubscribe to the emails, turn off app notifications and plan purchases ahead of time and budget for them rather than buying on impulse.”

16. Try a different supermarket

Switching to a different supermarket can be a great way to save money on your food shopping, especially when you consider the price difference between the most expensive and cheapest supermarket. Buying online if possible is a great option. It’ll help you avoid impulse buys, and you can check your fridge, freezer and cupboards as you are adding items to your basket to avoid buying items you don’t need. But if you do buy online, try to choose the collection option rather than delivery to keep costs low. If you do need your shopping to be delivered, try to be flexible on the day and time you want it delivered to get the cheapest delivery price.

17. Remember your loyalty card - and your bags

If you’re shopping somewhere with a loyalty scheme, make sure you flash your supermarket loyalty card. In some cases, you’ll get exclusive discounts or coupons, and in others you’ll be able to exchange loyalty points for things like restaurant vouchers, theme-park and cinema tickets and more. Save enough points and you can get a family day out for free! Also remember to take your own bags with you - you can pay anywhere from 10p to 50p for a reusable bag from your local supermarket which can soon tot up if you are doing a big shop.

18. Try to reduce leftovers

We throw away a whopping £700 of food per household each year but there’s lots of ways to reduce food waste..

This might be:

•  Using every part of the fruit and vegetables that you buy 
•  Making your own stocks and sauces 
•  Freezing leftovers 
•  Having a ‘use up’ day once a week.

You can always try using your freezer more to increase the shelf life of your shop. You can try this cheese hack if you're wondering whether you can freeze cheese, or even try freezing avocado or cooked pasta.

19. Buy a brand level lower

If you normally buy branded products, like Walkers, Kelloggs or Coca Cola, try buying supermarket own brands instead. If you already buy supermarket own brands, then try out the value or basics range to see if you can tell the difference. In many cases, you and your family won't notice the difference anywhere other than your bank account. To test the waters, try it with the following items:

•  Rice and pasta 
•  Over the counter medications, such as paracetamol or hay fever tablets 
•  Hand soap and shower gel 
•  Canned foods like beans and chopped tomatoes 
•  Cereals 
•  Nappies 
•  Baby wipes 
•  Washing up liquid 
•  Laundry detergent

Even if you end up going back to old favourites for some items, if you stick to the new brand level for certain products, you’ll save some money.

20. Don't leave appliances on standby

Many of us tend to think of an appliance on standby as being off. But when you look at it in terms of energy consumption, ‘standby’ and ‘off’ are two very different things. Some appliances can even use as much energy while on standby as they do when they are on, which means you could be wasting money unnecessarily.

Another way to reduce your energy use is to use a smart plug, which can be really useful for devices in kids bedrooms. A smart plug will allow you to control them from your smartphone, and turn them off remotely. As well as saving energy, this can also help you if you need to impose a cut off time for your kids using specific devices.

21. Do you really need to use a tumble dryer?

When you are doing family-sizes loads of washing, sometimes multiple times per week, your tumble dryer will feel like an essential. But tumble dryers are energy-guzzling appliances, so it makes sense to use this particular appliance less, where you can. If you’re looking for how to dry clothes without a dryer, you might choose to dry your clothes outside on dry days, or dry them on an airer or on radiators indoors. We've ranked the cheapest way to dry clothes to help. If you need to dry clothes quicker, it could be worth investing in a heated airer or a dehumidifier which both cost less to run than a tumble dryer.

22. Turn the thermostat down

According to the Energy Saving Trust, you can save around £80 a year by turning your thermostat down by just one degree - and it’s likely you and your family won’t even notice a difference in your comfort levels. You could also look at how many hours a day you have the heating on, and see if you can reduce that number to help save money.

23. Bleed your radiators

Bleeding your radiators can help your heating system work more efficiently, improving how effectively your home is heated. This means you might be able to have your heating on less which can save you money. It’s an easy task to complete yourself. You just need a towel, a bowl to catch any drips and a radiator key.

24. Do you qualify for any council tax discounts?

Council tax is one of those priority bills that you must pay, however there’s still ways to save. Check what qualifies for council tax reduction and whether your circumstances mean you are eligible (if you're a single parent, definitely check out whether you could be receiving a 25 per cent discount on your bill. Even if you don't qualify for a discount, you can reduce how much council tax you pay each month by arranging to pay your annual fee in 12 monthly instalments rather than 10.

25. Save on train travel

If you’re after cheap train tickets, book in advance and see if you can save by split ticketing, where it can cost less to buy one or more tickets to cover a single journey on the same train. With rising pump prices – filling up the car is a luxury so you could save money taking the train instead of driving. Plus you’ll save on car parking too!

26. Buy second hand

Whether it’s clothes, homewares or toys and games - buying second hand is a brilliant way to spend less and save money. Local charity shops are a good choice, but you can also check out apps like Vinted, Depop and Preloved, as well as eBay and Facebook Marketplace. You can get in on the action and sell your unwanted items online too. Read our guides to how to sell clothes online and how to sell your old gadgets for clear tips to see you through the process.

27. Buy in bulk or extra value sizes

Buying extra value sizes (or buying in bulk) can be a great way to save money on household and food items, like toilet roll, surface cleaner, washing tabs, crisps and cereal. But it’ll only prove to be a bargain if you use up everything you buy. Avoid bulk buying a product you’ve never used before, even if it’s a good deal, because if you don’t like it, you're either lumbered with having to use up a product you hate, or you’ll end up buying an alternative.

28. Cut your childcare costs

Pay for child care while you work? See if you're eligible for 30 hours free childcare or claim some cash back from combination of Working Tax Credits, or the new tax-free childcare scheme that pays out up to £2,000 per child. Different options suit different people, but it’s worth wading through the Government website Childcare Choices to find what works for you.

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If you shop at Tesco, and don't have a Clubcard, then you are missing out. When you shop with a Tesco Clubcard, you'll not only get exclusive pricing on hundreds of grocery products, but you'll also earn points which can be turned into vouchers that can help cut the cost of everything from your food shop to days out with the family.

While Tesco might not be the absolute cheapest supermarket, it does offer a really good reward scheme with its Clubcard. Even if you don't shop at Tesco, it's a really good idea to sign up to your supermarket's loyalty scheme to access a host of perks.

Clubcard vouchers are valid for two years from when they were issued, although there is a trick you can try if you are worried about your Tesco vouchers expiring soon.

If you're not sure what to do with your vouchers, we've found 14 family-friendly ways you can spend them.

1. Save money on your groceries with Clubcard vouchers

One of the simplest ways to use your Clubcard vouchers is to get money off your grocery shop, whether you are shopping in-store or online. Just save up your Clubcard vouchers and enter the code online or show them at the till when you checkout.

But remember, you get more value from your Clubcard vouchers if you choose to spend them with a Tesco Reward Partner rather than in-store or online at Tesco.

2. Use your Tesco vouchers to get money off F+F clothing, including back-to-school basics

Save some cash and put your Clubcard vouchers towards clothing or shoes for the kids - or for you - at F+F. Tesco’s clothing range is great quality and excellent value so it’s well worth saving up your Clubcard vouchers and putting them towards some items for next season’s wardrobe. And when the time comes for school uniform shopping, Clubcard vouchers come in especially handy.

3. Use your Clubcard to cut your fuel costs

You can use your Tesco Clubcard vouchers to save money on fuel when you fill up at any Tesco filling station. You can also use the vouchers at any Esso petrol station with a Tesco Express on site. So if you have a £5 Clubcard voucher, you could use it to get a fiver off your fuel bill.

4. Get Disney+ for three months with just £12 of Clubcard vouchers

Did you know you can exchange your Tesco Clubcard vouchers for a Disney + subscription? And because Clubcard vouchers are worth two times more when you spend them with a Reward Partner instead of at Tesco, a Clubcard voucher worth £12 is actually worth £24 when you spent it with Disney+.

If you pay monthly, Disney+ costs £7.99 a month, so with just £12 worth of Clubcard vouchers, you can get three months of Disney+, worth £24. (There are other ways you can get Disney+ for free if you've not got enough vouchers.)

5. Pay less for an English Heritage membership with Clubcard vouchers

An English Heritage membership grants you unlimited access to more than 400 historic places - as well as free or reduced entry to seasonal events. And for every £1.50 you have in Clubcard vouchers, you can claim £3 off the cost of an English Heritage membership.

Individual Adult Membership costs £69 and includes free entry for up to six accompanying children under 18 within the family group. Visit the English Heritage Membership website for more information on using your Clubcard vouchers in this way.

6. Use your Clubcard vouchers to book a mini-break

Everyone loves a mini-break but hotels can be expensive. So why not save your Clubcard vouchers and put them towards a fun-filled family getaway? If you save up to £30 in Clubcard vouchers, you can exchange them for £60 off a booking with Cottages.com.

You can also get double the value of your Clubcard points when you trade them for a booking with selected hotels, including Best Western, Novotel, Mercure and Warner Leisure, where every £5 you collect in Clubcard vouchers counts as £10 off your booking. If you want to head across the Channel, you can also use vouchers to save on LeShuttle crossings. Heading to the airport, you can also use your vouchers to save on airport parking with APH. Check out the Clubcard website to find out more.

7. Get RAC breakdown cover using Tesco vouchers

Why not use your Clubcard points to save some money on something pricey but practical? The RAC offers breakdown cover for Tesco Clubcard members and you’ll get twice the value of your vouchers off the cost of breakdown cover. You can choose from three levels of cover - Standard, Advanced or Ultimate - and each includes roadside rescue wherever you break down.

If you don’t have enough vouchers to cover the full cost of the cover you wish to buy, you can top up using a debit or credit card. Returning Clubcard customers get the same prices as new Tesco Clubcard members, too.

8. Take the family to a theme park using your Clubcard vouchers

From Alton Towers to the Eden Project, you can exchange your Clubcard vouchers for Reward Partner codes to get money off adult and child general admission tickets for a range of fun family days out and experience days.

Participating theme parks include Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures, LEGOLAND Windsor, and Drayton Manor. You can also use Clubcard vouchers for a wide range of days out. Fancy checking out the view from The Shard, taking a London Open Top Bus Tour, or visiting the London Eye? Or how about a trip to London Zoo or a day out at Madame Tussauds in London or Blackpool?

There are so many trips and experience days on offer - you're spoiled for choice.

9. Use Tesco vouchers to save at Cineworld or Picturehouse cinemas

Your Clubcard vouchers are worth two times more than their value when you use them to pay in part or in full at Cineworld or Picturehouse cinemas. So for every 50p you earn in vouchers, you’ll get £1 off at these venues. You can also use your vouchers to purchase snacks or refreshments as well as cinema tickets.

Make sure you check out these other ways to bag cheap cinema tickets to keep the cost of your trip as low as possible.

10. Take the family out to eat for less with your Tesco vouchers

Give yourself the night off and use your Clubcard vouchers to take the family out for tea. For every 50p you earn in vouchers, you'll have £1 to use at the following restaurants:

• Pizza Express
• Bella Italia
• Cafe Rouge
• Prezzo
• Zizzi
• ASK Italian
• Hungry Horse pubs
• Chef & Brewer

11. Save money on train travel and Virgin flights with your Clubcard vouchers

If you're planning a day out for your family, or even a short trip abroad, you can bag some great discounts if you have a Clubcard. But before you book, factor in that you can use your Tesco Clubcard vouchers to get money off flights and transport - including Eurotunnel and Railcard tickets.

With Virgin Atlantic, for example, you can turn every Clubcard point into 2 Virgin Points. That means £1.50 in Clubcard vouchers will bag you 300 Virgin Points. You need to be a Virgin Atlantic Flying Club member to participate, but it's quick and easy to create an account.

12. Use your Tesco vouchers to reduce your mobile phone bill

If you’re a Tesco Mobile customer, you can use your Clubcard vouchers to cut the cost of your monthly phone bill. Or you could use your vouchers to knock money off the upfront cost of a new pay monthly phone or SIM contract.

In addition, if you link your Tesco Mobile phone to your Clubcard you’ll earn a Clubcard point for every pound you spend on your phone bill.

It’s easy to convert your Clubcard vouchers into Tesco Mobile partner vouchers - you can do it in the Clubcard app or on the website.

13. Buy something for a special occasion using your Clubcard vouchers

Whether it's for a birthday present or a special life event like a wedding, jewellery is a luxury that often comes with a hefty price tag. But there's no shame in boosting your value for money by putting your Clubcard vouchers towards your purchase. You can exchange your vouchers for twice their value on lots of brands (some exclusions apply) in one of 100 Goldsmiths jewellers in the UK. However, you'll need to shop in person as you can't exchange the vouchers online.

14. Use your Tesco vouchers to donate to a good cause

You can also use your Clubcard vouchers to donate to a selection of charities including The British Heart Foundation, WWF, British Red Cross, Diabetes UK and Cancer Research UK. Simply sign into the Clubcard website to use your vouchers to make a donation.

How to collect Clubcard points

When you collect Clubcard points (by shopping in-store or online), you'll earn one point for every pound you spend, and once you've earned 150 points, you'll get a Clubcard voucher worth £1.50. You can save your vouchers up and use them to get money off your food shop or exchange them for twice their value on other goods or experiences through Tesco Reward Partners. Vouchers used to be worth triple their value when spent with reward partners, but the rules changed in 2023.

Finally, if you've just remembered that you're a Clubcard member but don't know what you've done with your vouchers, remember that you can reclaim up to two years' worth of lost Tesco Clubcard vouchers.

Where do kids eat free this summer? We've got the lowdown on restaurants and eateries offering free food for kids or child-friendly meals for just £1, throughout the summer holidays.

While you might find some cheap things to do with kids over the summer, school holidays usually mean the family budget is stretched thin. And with the unpredictable British weather, you might find you need to plan some last-minute indoor activities. If that sounds familiar you're not alone, and there are lots of ways that you can save money in the school holidays.

To help give you some inexpensive ideas, we've compiled this list of all the places kids eat free (or for just £1), so you can save money on keeping the kids fed. Our handy guide to the many great kid's dining deals you need to be aware of this summer holiday takes the stress out of hunting them down yourself. This will help to squeeze a little extra out of the weekly shop, and help you save some extra cash in the process.

Where do kids eat free?

1. Angus Steak House

When? Daily until 1 September 2024

Kids under eight eat free when accompanied by a full-price paying adult.

2. Barbican Kitchen, London

When? Ongoing

At London's Barbican Kitchen, children under 10 can get a free kid’s meal from the children's menu with every adult meal over the value of £10 purchased.

3. Beefeater

When? Ongoing

Two kids under 16 eat breakfast for FREE with every adult breakfast purchased.

4. Bella Italia

When? Sunday - Thursday

Kids eat free all day Thursday, or for just £1 between 4 and 6pm Sunday-Wednesday.

5. Bills

When? Weekdays until 30 August 2024

Up to two kids aged 10 and under can eat free ALL DAY until Friday 30 August (excluding Saturday & Sunday), if one adult orders any main dish (breakfast, lunch or dinner).

6. Brewers Fayre

When? Ongoing

For every adult purchasing breakfast, TWO kids under 16 can eat breakfast for free. For more: brewersfayre.co.uk/en-gb/school-holidays

7. Burger King

When? From 19 August to 4 September 2024

Kids can get a free King Jr meal when an adult buys a burger meal via the Burger King App (which is available on Google Play and the App Store). Offer is not valid at Burger King's in motorway services, airports, train stations or holiday parks. And can only be used once per transaction.

8. Dobbies Garden Centres

When? Daily from 12 noon until 3pm

Get a free kid’s meal (from the children’s breakfast or lunch menu) per adult traditional or vegetarian main course lunch purchased. Offer is available daily from 12 noon until 3pm. £1 supplement applies to kid’s roast dinner on Sundays. Offer valid in Dobbies Restaurants with the exception of Beaconsfield, Hungerford, Keston, Andover, Lelant, Marple, Reading, York & Anchorwood.

9. Dunelm

When? Daily after 3pm

For every £4 spent in the Dunelm Pausa Cafe, kids can eat one mini main, two snacks and a drink for free. This offer is available after 3pm.

10. English Heritage sites

When? Ongoing

if you are an English Heritage member and spend at least £10 in participating cafes, you'll get two free child's lunch bags, including a sandwich, snack, sweet treat, juice box and fruit. Children must be under 18, and present at the time of purchase, and you must show a valid membership card.

11. Future Inns

When? Ongoing

At Future Inns in Bristol, Cardiff and Plymouth, under 5's always eat for free with any meal purchased by an adult. This includes breakfast, lunch and evening dinner.

12. Gordon Ramsay Restaurants

When? Ongoing

Kids aged 8 and under can eat free from the Ramsay kids menu when ordering an adult main meal from the a la carte menu. There is also the option to add a sweet treat for dessert for just £3.50 extra. Available at selected UK restaurants only – BSK Battersea Power station (weekdays only), Heddon Street Kitchen (weekdays only), all Bread Street Kitchen & Bars, Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill, and Pizza East

13. Heathrow Airport

When? Until 1 September 2024

If you're flying between now and 1 September 2024, then remember that kids eat free when an adult chooses an item from the main menu. Participating restaurants only.

14. Morrisons Cafe

When? Ongoing

Kids under 16 eat free at Morrisons Cafe when an adult spends £5 or more on a meal. This is an ongoing offer.

15. OK Diners

When? Ongoing

For every adult purchasing a main course from the a la carte menu, a child under 10 can eat free from the children’s menu. This offer is available all day every day at all OK diners except those on the A1. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer, discount or promotion.

16. Premier Inn

When? Ongoing

Interesting fact, you don't have to be staying to tuck into breakfast at a Premier Inn. Which is just as well as up to two under-16s can eat breakfast for free when one adult orders a full Premier Inn Breakfast or a Meal Deal.

17. Preto

When? Weekdays from 4pm

This Brazilian restaurant has an ongoing offer that kids (up to 10 years old and proof of age might be requested) eat free every week day from 4pm, with a maximum of one child for full-paying adult. You'll need to download a voucher and show it to a member of staff.

18. Purezza

When? Ongoing

For every full-paying adult at vegan Purezza pizzerias in Brighton, Hove, London, Bristol and Manchester, one child under 10 can choose a free mini pizza.

19. Sainsbury's Cafe

When? Daily from 11.30am

Kids eat a hot meal or lunch bag (kid's mains include one main, three sides and a piece of fruit) for free with every purchase of a hot adult meal over £5.50.

20. Subway

When? Daily until 25 August 2024

Get a free 4” Sub, snack, and drink, with any full price Footlong Sub or SubMelt, at participating venues.

21. The Real Greek

When? Ongoing

Get a free Kids Meal for every £10 spent by an adult. Offer includes Kids meal from Kids Menu, drink and ice cream/sorbet. One free kids’ meal per adult only. Available to all children under 12.

22. Tesco Cafe

When? Until 30 August 2024 (16 August in Scotland)

Get a free kids' hot Meal Deal, kids' breakfast or kids' Pick ‘n’ Mix deal per any adult item purchased in The Café for dine-in.

23. TGI Fridays

When? Ongoing

Kids eat free all day every day when Stripes Rewards Members purchase a full priced adults main meal. If you're not a Rewards Member, download the app before your visit and still claim your free food.

24. Travelodge

When? Ongoing

Up to two children aged 15 and under eat breakfast free per paying adult (excludes breakfast boxes).

25. YO! Sushi!

When? Weekdays until 30 August 2024

Kids aged 12 and under eat free all day (weekdays only), when dining with a full-paying adult (£10 minimum spend).

26. Whitbread Inns

When? Ongoing

Two children under 16 can eat breakfast for free with every adult breakfast purchased at any Whitbread Inns pub or restaurant.

In addition kids can eat for £1 at the following places:

1. Asda Cafe

When? Ongoing until end of 2024

Asda's Kids Eat for £1 all day, every day, will now continue until the end of 2024. Asda also provides free Ella's baby food pouches for children under 18 months with any purchase.

2. SA Brains Pubs

When? Wednesdays

On Wednesdays all day, kids can eat for £1 with every adult meal purchased.

3. Bella Italia

When? 4 - 6pm Sunday to Wednesday

Kids can eat for just £1 at Bella Italia with the purchase of any adult main meal.

4. Hungry Horse

When? Mondays only

Kids can eat for £1 with every adult meal purchased on Mondays only at Hungry Horse.

5. Sizzling Pubs

When? Monday to Friday, from 3pm

Choose from kid-friendly favourites like fish fingers, pasta, chicken wraps, pizza and veggie nuggets. For every adult 'sizzling meal', you’ll also get a kid’s main meal for £1.

Alternatively, if you can't afford to eat out there are some great meal-saving ideas below that will help you shop well for less.

How to feed the family for less

1. Make a list of household items you have

While making a list tells you what you need to get, it doesn’t tell you what you don’t need. You can shave a little off your shop each week by checking what you’ve already got at home. If you’re looking for a cheap food shop, this is also a good way to plan your meals. Rather than going for something that will require you to buy a whole host of new ingredients, take a look at what’s in the cupboard, fridge, or freezer, and base your meal plans around your existing ingredients.

2. Plan out meals for the week

Planning your meals is a must if you’re trying to shop on a budget, try money-saving store cupboard meal recipes and look up clever food hacks to keep our food fresher for longer. Making these changes means you can buy only what you need and make sure you’re not wasting money on food that will end up in the bin or uneaten. It enables you to focus on the items that you actually need rather than browsing the aisles and picking up whatever takes your fancy.

You can also add up how much the shop will be online and make adjustments if needed to manage your money using a spreadsheet, budgeting current account or app. The UK currently produces the highest amount of food waste in Europe, throwing out around 9.5 million tonnes of food waste in just one year. Planning your meals effectively will help reduce the impact of food remaining unused with so many living in food poverty.

3. Stock up on the cheap basics

Most supermarkets do their own brand or cheaper version of essential items such as tinned tomatoes, beans, rice and pasta. You can often buy them in bulk or in much larger quantities, meaning that you can use them as staples for your meals for many weeks to come. Frozen fruit and vegetables are a cheaper alternative to fresh, and can be just as nutritious, as well as less wasteful.

Spices and dried herbs are another good shout when it comes to keeping your costs down, as they are relatively cheap and can save you from having to buy more expensive sauces or marinades. For an even cheaper shop, look for versions of these essentials in the world foods aisle.

4. Try to batch cook

Batch cooking is a great way to save money at the supermarket. Many people find this to be the case as batch cooking uses more individual ingredients, which tend to make for a much cheaper shop than ready meals. Ingredients will also stretch further in batch cooking with just a few simple additions, check out these best batch cooking recipes.

Sometimes batch cooking can mean that you end up eating the same meal over and over again. If you want to avoid this, try freezing some of your portions to have another week. It will also save you time, giving you more chances to explore the great outdoors.

5. Search for money off coupons online

Weekly food shops can be very expensive no matter how much you budget and plan. To try and reduce the costs, have a search for any coupons or discounts for supermarkets in your area. Printable coupons used to be the most commonly found, but in this digital age, finding them online and via apps is the most popular way of accessing them.

To find extra coupons and if your inbox can take it, signing up to newsletters can occasionally come with the reward of birthday freebies or money off vouchers for certain celebrations and occasions. Vouchercloud often has a list of the discounts available for the week ahead, and there are loads of other websites offering similar coupons or advice on how to get supermarket groceries for free.

6. Use reduced sections in supermarkets

If you aren’t too fussed about what you’ll be eating in the week ahead, the reduced section could be your best friend when it comes to saving on your shop. Larger supermarkets will often have plenty of reductions on items set to expire, and so you can pick up a few things to last you the week at a fraction of the cost.

The times supermarkets place the yellow "reduced" stickers on food can vary - although it is usually early in the morning, or into the evening just prior to closing. It's best to research when your local supermarket is likely to add the stickers, to enable you to go in at an optimum time and pick up the best bargains.

7. Try one meat-free day a week

Reducing your meat consumption can be beneficial for your wallet as well as your health and the environment. By switching out meat just one day a week, you could halve the price of one of your meals and reduce overall shopping bills by 1/3. This is another money-saving option that is also good for the planet, reducing emissions, deforestation and soil degradation.

Information from Oxford University shows that Vegan diets were the most likely to reduce food bills by one third, with vegetarian diets coming a close second. Flexitarian diets with low meat and dairy content reduced costs by 14 per cent. They concluded that pescatarian diets actually increased costs by up to two per cent.

Eat seasonally

Eating seasonally doesn't have to be difficult, and looking for the well stocked fruit and vegetables in the supermarket will indicate the seasonal ones - they'll be the most reasonably priced too because they won't have travelled very far to reach the shelves.

This handy fact sheet from Love British Food, has plenty of information regarding which meats, fruit and vegetables are in season. Not only will seasonal eating result in fresher and more nutritious meals, it will also reduce energy and O2 emissions, and support the local economy - a win all around.

For even more ways to make more of your food shop, and great ideas for cheap, quick and easy meals, look no further. One savvy shopper has shared how she saved £121 on monthly food bills by making one simple change.

Yes, there really is such thing as cheap family meals, and this collection is all under £2 a head and includes vegetarian options, meaty favourites, and more we're sure the whole gang will love.

Cooking dinner on a budget can be tough; deciding what to make, where to buy it from, how much to spend, any dietary requirements or certain things the kids don't like, making sure you choose healthy family meals... the list goes on. As it's still such a challenge to feed a family nutritious food on a budget, we’ve brought together a collection of cheap family meals that are all under £2 per portion, with ingredients from Tesco, Morrisons, Asda, and Sainsbury's.

“I try to keep food costs down by switching to less expensive alternatives, stretching pricey protein with seasonal veg or beans, and slashing food waste. For example, using chicken thighs rather than breasts, and frozen white fish rather than fresh cod," says Faith Archer, mum-of-two, personal finance journalist, and money blogger at Much More With Less. "What makes the difference is planning meals over a week or more, rather than focusing on a single recipe," she adds. "That way if, for example, I splash out on a pack of soured cream, bacon, or fresh coriander for one meal, I can make sure to use the rest in a different meal another day. Binning food is like setting fire to fivers.”

From cottage pie to spaghetti Bolognese, here are our favourite family meals for parents looking to save money on food...

Cheap family meals

1. Spaghetti Bolognese

Serves: 4 | Cost per person: £1.57 | Total cost: £6.29

Priced at Tesco

Ingredients:

• 2 medium onions, 24p
• Beef mince (500g), £3.49
• Garlic, 24p
• Mushrooms, £1.10
• 1 can chopped tomatoes, 35p
• Tomato puree, 59p
• Hearty Food Co. Spaghetti Pasta, 28p

Faith says: “Spaghetti Bolognese is one of my children’s favourite meals, and a budget favourite too. You can pick up value range spaghetti for just 20p and stretch the sauce with vegetables, such as mushrooms or grated carrot, and finely chopped celery. I make Bolognese sauce in my slow cooker to save energy costs too.”

Another great thing about recipes using canned food is when considering 'how long does canned food last?' the answer is indefinite. As long as the can isn't damaged in any way, e.g. bulges, leakages, or rust, they can remain good to eat for several years. Once opened, just pop it in the fridge in an air-tight container and consume it within three to five days.

Get the recipe: Spaghetti Bolognese

2. Cottage pie

Serves: 4 | Cost per person: £1.49 | Total cost: £5.96

Priced at Asda

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, 33p
• ASDA Crunchy & Sweet Carrots, 35p
• JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA Beef Mince, £2.49
• ASDA Mild & Versatile White Mushrooms, 95p
• JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA Peeled Plum Tomatoes, 35p
• JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA White Potatoes, £1.49

At just £1.49 a portion, this classic cottage pie is the perfect budget meal for the whole family. You can make this dish even cheaper by mixing the mashed potatoes with mashed carrots, which are cheaper per kilo. Adding in the mushrooms makes the meat go further, as well as adding to your five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

Get the recipe: Cottage pie recipe

3. Bacon and pea risotto

Serves: 4 | Cost per person: £1.52 | Total cost: £6.10

Priced at Sainsbury’s

Ingredients:

• Sainsbury’s Arborio risotto rice (500g), £2.40
• Stamford Street Co. Cooking Bacon (500g), £1
• Sainsbury's Garden Peas (910g), £1.45
• Sainsbury's dried grated hard cheese, £1.25

This delicious bacon and pea risotto is made with ready-mixed risotto but it’s a pricy way to buy it, so we’ve used regular risotto rice which you can cook as normal with stock. Bacon is always a great addition to a risotto because it’s so flavourful and not too expensive either. Opting for a strong cheese means you won't use loads of it in your recipe so you'll have leftovers for another recipe - a great money-saving tip.

Get the recipe: Bacon and pea risotto

4. Tomato-baked chicken

Serves: 4 | Cost per person: £1.37 | Total cost: £5.50

Priced at Asda

Ingredients:

• ASDA Chicken Thighs (1.1kg), £2.80
• ASDA Bolognese Pasta Sauce (500g) 95p
• ASDA Extra Special British Baby Potatoes (500g) 80p
• ASDA Mild & Versatile White Mushrooms, 95p

For this recipe, we’ve used our favourite cut of chicken: tender and juicy thighs. Even though they taste better than chicken breasts, thighs are always cheaper, making them a complete bargain. To keep the per head price down you can make two meals worth. Buy the chicken mushrooms and sauce twice, and use all the potatoes and 1 ball of mozzarella over the top.  You can keep the second portion in the fridge overnight and reheat it the next day.

Get the recipe: Tomato baked chicken

5. Tuna pasta bake

Serves: 4 | Cost per person: £1.26 | Total cost: £5.04

Priced at Asda

Ingredients:

• JUST ESSENTIALS by Asda Tuna Chunks in Brine (145g), 59p
• Red onion, 33p
• ASDA Mild & Versatile White Mushrooms (250g), 95p
• Sweetcorn in Water (198g), 65p
• JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA Peeled Plum Tomatoes, 35p
• Tomato Puree, 65p
• JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA Pasta Shapes, 41p
• JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA 10 Single Cheese Slices (200g), 65p
• JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA Lightly Salted Sharing Tortilla Chips, 51p

This tuna pasta bake is so tasty and delicious, it’s always welcome for dinner. The melty cheese topping is one of the best parts, but cheese is an expensive extra on a shopping list (starting at around £4.42 for the per kilo price). These cheese slices are a handy cheat - you can just place them over the top of the past bake before you put it in the oven and it will melt in place.

Scrunched-up crisps or tortilla chips make a nice crunchy topping. You can get a similar effect from breadcrumbs made from stale bread which may end up being cheaper too. And a nifty way to use up leftover bread.

Get the recipe: Tuna pasta bake

6. Turkey mince cottage pie

Serves: 4 | Cost per person: £1.38 | Total cost: £5.52

Priced at Morrisons

Ingredients:

• Morrisons Turkey thigh mince (500g), £2.99
• Morrisons tomato passata (500g), 60p
• Onion, 34p
• Morrisons Savers Marrowfat Peas (300g), 39p
• Carrots (500g), 50p
• 4 Potatoes, 70p

This warm and comforting potato-topped pie is a perfect weekend supper for the whole family. It’s packed with meat, potatoes, and vegetables, a whole meal in one. Turkey mince is slightly more expensive than beef but it’s tasty and healthy - a lean source of protein. This Woman's Weekly turkey mince cottage pie is perfect for Sunday dinner. We've used tinned peas instead of frozen to keep them cheap.

Get the recipe: Turkey mince cottage pie

7. Macaroni cheese with peas

Serves: 4 | Cost per person: £1.38 | Total cost: £5.55

Priced at Sainsbury’s

Ingredients:

• Sainsbury's macaroni (500g), 72p
• Sainsbury's garden peas (910g), £1.45
• Stamford Street Co. Cooking Bacon (500g), £1
• Stamford Street Co. Mild Cheddar Slices x10 (200g), £1.39
• Sainsbury's British Crème Fraîche (300ml), 99p

This is such a great classic family meal, made even tastier with bacon and even healthier with peas. Faith says: “Adding the bacon and peas to macaroni cheese lifts it from a side dish into a main meal, and this recipe is easy to scale up if you have loads of kids to feed.

Using cooking bacon keeps the costs down. You end up with the same great taste, it’s just that rather than paying extra for neatly packaged rashers you get a mix of streaky and back bacon, some chunks and some slices, some with rind and some not.”

Get the recipe: Macaroni cheese with peas

8. Cauliflower curry

Serves: 4 | Cost per person: £1.23 | Total cost: £4.94

Priced at Asda

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower head, £1.10
• 3 onions, £1
• Indus Madras Curry Powder Mild, 99p
• ASDA Coconut Milk (400ml), 85p
• ASDA Mild Tender Baby Spinach, (180g) £1

This cauliflower curry is a great alternative to a classic meat curry. Swapping meat for vegetables is a great way to keep your meals cheap and on a budget - plus it’s fabulously healthy. If you think you’d make this lovely curry twice, upgrade the bag of spinach for a 1kg bag of frozen spinach. It will last for ages with no chance of leaves going soggy in the bottom of the salad drawer.

Get the recipe: Cauliflower curry

9. Bean burgers

Serves: 4 | Cost per person: £1.12 | Total cost: £4.48

Priced at Morrisons

Ingredients:

• KTC Red Kidney Beans (400g), 65p
• KTC Butter Beans (400g), 65p
• Spring onions 55p
• Fresh coriander bunch 85p
• Morrisons Sliced White Rolls (6), 85p
• Onion 34p
• Morrisons Shredded Iceberg Lettuce, 59p

Faith says: “Tinned beans are a good way to add protein for less, and your kids may be more willing to try them when shaped into these tasty burgers. This recipe is priced on using the two spare burger buns to make breadcrumbs, but if you have crusts of bread knocking around you could grate them into breadcrumbs and use the buns for a packed lunch.”

Use the two spare burger buns to make breadcrumbs for the burgers and instead of binding them with egg, add a small splash of milk - just enough to bring them together.

Get the recipe: Bean burgers

10. Courgette pesto pasta

Serves: 4 | Cost per person: £1.17 | Total cost: £4.69

Priced at Tesco

Ingredients:

• Green Pesto Sauce, £1.30
• Hearty Food Co. Spaghetti, 28p
• 2 courgettes, 92p
• 1 onion, 12p
• Cook Italian Grated Hard Cheese, £1.55
• Fresh cut basil, 52p

Light yet filling, this spring courgette and pesto pasta dish is simple to make - you can have it on the table in just 20 minutes. You’ll use about half a jar of pesto here, leaving the other half for another meal (or to make this one again). 

If you want to jazz this recipe up, swap the regular pesto for red pesto instead. Leftovers can be easily reheated the next day and served for lunch or served cold with a leftover side salad from a previous meal.

Get the recipe: Courgette and pesto pasta

11. Root vegetable layer bake

Serves: 4 | Cost per person: £1.42 | Total cost: £5.68

Priced at Tesco

Ingredients:

• 2 onions, 24p
• Garlic, 24p
• 1 celeriac £1.20
• 2 parsnips 40p
• 3 carrots 30p
• Baking potatoes 70p
• Richmond 12 Thin Pork Sausages (340g), £2.60

This root vegetable layer bake uses dried herbs to keep it under budget. Rather than 24 chipolata sausages (4 per person), we’ve gone for regular sausages and allowed for 3 per person. If you want to make it vegetarian, skip the sausages and top with cheese instead, or swap for vegetarian or chicken sausages. Making this dish vegetarian will also cut the cost per person.

Get the recipe: Root vegetable layer bake

12. Easy sausage and potato casserole

Serves: 4 | Cost per person: 96p | Total cost: £3.84

Priced at Tesco

Ingredients:

• Onion 12p
• Tesco Baby Potatoes 1kg, £1.20
• Green pepper 55p
• Woodside Farms pork sausages (8 pack) £1.50
• Hearty Food Co Tomato and Herb pasta sauce (440g) 47p

This sausage and potato casserole is so cheap you could buy fancier sausages and still keep it under £2 a head. Though there is a pepper in the sauce, you’ll probably want to serve it with another portion of veggies to add to your five-a-day. Curly kale goes really well with the tomato-y sauce and a 180g bag (87p) would take the spend up to £1.17 per person.

Get the recipe: Easy sausage and potato casserole

13. Winter vegetable soup

Serves: 6 | Cost per person: 75p | Total cost: £4.55

Priced at Asda

Ingredients:

• COOK by ASDA Scratch Cook Casserole Root Veg Mix (1kg),  £1.50
• ASDA Delicious 10 Unsmoked Back Bacon Rashers (300g), £2.25
• White cabbage, 80p

Start this week with a bowl of this deliciously filling winter vegetable soup, serving six. It’s so simple to make - just 10 minutes to prep and then about three-quarters of an hour to cook. It’s also one of our cheapest dishes at 75p a portion. It freezes well, so you can batch cook it too.

To make more of a meal, serve with JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA Garlic Bread Baguette at just 37p, taking the per portion to spend up to £1.23.

Get the recipe: Winter vegetable soup

14. Chicken and spring onion pancakes

Serves: 4 | Cost per person: £1 | Total cost: £4.00

Priced at Sainsbury’s

Ingredients:

• Stamford Street Co. Cooked Chicken Breast (240g), £1.95
• Sainsbury’s British Free Range Eggs, £1.50
• Spring onions, 55p

This recipe is one of our oldest and still really popular. In fact, it first appeared in 1924 in Woman's Weekly magazine. Lots of the ingredients are things you will already have in the store cupboard, so there are only three items to add to the shopping list.

It’s also a great way to use up the last of the roast chicken if you had one for Sunday lunch - you don’t need all that much per person to make a nice, tasty meal.

Get the recipe: Chicken and spring onion pancakes

15. Bean hotpot

Serves: 4 | Cost per person: £1.30 | Total cost: £5.20

Priced at Sainsbury’s

Ingredients:

• Celery, 57p
• Loose sweet potatoes, £1.78
• Yellow pepper, 55p
• Stamford Street Co. Green Beans (220g), 89p
• Napolina Butter Beans (400g), £1.05
• Stamford Street Garlic Baguette, 36p

This 20-minute bean hotpot is packed full of veggies. Instead of ciabatta topped with thyme and cheese, we’ve served it up with two garlic baguettes. This makes a really lovely filling vegetarian dinner.

Feel free to add more veggies if you have them lurking at the bottom of the fridge: carrots, parsnips, or swede would all work well, for instance. It's a great dish for using up leftovers.

Get the recipe: Bean hotpot

16. Spanish-style tortilla

Serves: 4 | Cost per person: £1.16 | Total cost: £4.65

Priced at Morrisons

Ingredients:

• Wonky Potatoes (1kg), 99p
• Morrisons Medium Free Range Eggs (6), £1.50
• Onion, 33p
• Garlic, 24p
• Morrisons Savers Salad Peppers, £1.59

Spanish omelettes are filling and healthy as they're made with spuds and peppers. Try this simple Spanish-style tortilla recipe for a weekend lunchtime. There’s enough money left in the budget to get a packet of salad tomatoes (95p) alongside. Slice them up on a large plate, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle a little olive oil over the top to make a pretty tomato salad.

Get the recipe: Spanish-style tortilla

17. Meatballs with spaghetti

Serves: 4 | Cost per person: £1.09  | Total cost: £4.39

Priced at Tesco 

Ingredients:

• 11 brown onion, 12p
• 500g minced pork, £2.50
• 1 garlic, 24p
• Hearty Food Co. Spaghetti Pasta, 28p
• 1 egg, from a pack of 6, 25p
• Tomato Puree, 65p
• 1 can Grower's Harvest Chopped Tomatoes, 35p

Meatballs are a great cheap family meal. A nifty trick is to bulk up mincemeat dishes using vegetables to make them go further. Adding an extra onion and a couple of finely chopped carrots would cost less than 50p. It would add another portion to the sauce and the 500g pasta will easily serve five.

Stay under budget by using dried herbs in this recipe and skipping the Parmesan and pesto, but use store cupboard ingredients to boost the flavour instead. Half a crumbled beef stock cube, for example.

Get the recipe: How to make meatballs

18. Farmhouse chicken braise

Serves: 6 | Cost per person: £1.20 | Total cost: £7.23

Priced at Sainsbury’s

Ingredients:

• 2kg British Fresh Chicken Skin on Thighs, £4.30
• 500g carrots, 50p
• 2 leeks, 79p
• 150ml double cream, 95p
• Sainsbury's English mustard, 69p

Faith says: “I’m a big fan of using tasty chicken thighs rather than more expensive chicken breasts, and the creamy mustard sauce makes this dish special. It goes well with value range rice if you have hungry teenagers to fill up.”

Chicken breast is probably the nation’s favourite cut, but it’s expensive and it’s not nearly as tasty or tender as thighs. You can get a really good deal on this large pack, which portions out at two thighs per person. Remove the skin if you like, to keep the fat content lower but it's not necessary.

Get the recipe: Farmhouse chicken braise

19. Slimming World's bacon and broccoli pasta salad

Serves: 4 | Cost per person: £1.42 | Total cost: £5.70

Priced at Asda

Ingredients:

• JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA Pasta Shapes, 41p
• Butcher's Selection 12 Unsmoked Back Bacon Rashers, £3.50
• Mild Tender Baby Spinach, £1
• Broccoli, 79p

This Slimming World recipe for bacon and broccoli pasta salad is not only cheap to make but healthy too. We've doubled the ingredients so it serves four. We swapped the Tenderstem broccoli for regular broccoli which is more affordable. When you prepare the broccoli, don’t discard the stem - you can cube it and use it in the pasta sauce too. It has a lovely texture.

We used back bacon here, but check the prices of the streaky bacon too as it’s often cheaper. Keep any bacon leftovers in the freezer and you’ll have some ready for next time.

Get the recipe: Bacon and broccoli pasta salad

20. Lentil and spinach curry

Serves: 4 | Cost per person: £1.41 | Total cost: £5.64

Priced at Asda

Ingredients:

• 1 tin green lentils, 49p
• Tinned spinach leaves, 85p
• Smart Price peeled plum tomatoes, 35p
• Red onion, 33p
• Garlic, 25p
• Pataks Madras paste pots, £1.85
• Fresh coriander, £1
• Smart Price Long Grain Rice, 52p

This veggie curry is a lovely weeknight supper. We’ve served it with rice rather than naan bread and chutney to keep the price down. Faith says: “This curry can be whipped up from store cupboard staples. Onion, garlic, rice, and tins all last for ages.

The tinned spinach and paste pots keep costs down for a single meal. But if you have the cash and might repeat the recipe, or cook other curries, A jar of balti curry paste for £1.50 and an 850g bag of frozen spinach for £1.40 would make at least four meals and be cheaper over the long run.”

Get the recipe: Lentil and spinach balti

21. Pork goulash

Serves: 4 | Cost per person: £1.23 | Total cost: £4.95

Priced at Sainsbury’s

Ingredients:

• Extra Lean British Pork stir fry (300g), £2.50
• Onion, 37p
• 1 red pepper, 55p
• Tomato puree, 59p
• Garlic, 24p
• Hubbard’s Foodstore Chopped Tomatoes (400g), 35p
• Stamford Street Co. Low Fat Natural Yogurt (500g), 35p

This hearty pork and pepper goulash recipe is flavoured with paprika and packed with veggies such as red onion, tin tomatoes, and roasted red pepper. To save money we’ve used a fresh red pepper - you can roast it yourself in the oven in about 45 minutes. Chop it in half, place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and bake for 40 minutes. The skin will be blackened and ready to peel off.

Get the recipe: Pork goulash

22. Spicy sausage and cheese bake

Serves: 4 | Cost per person: £1.38 | Total cost: £5.52

Priced at Tesco

Ingredients:

• Hearty Food Co penne pasta (500g) 41p
• Woodside Farm pork sausages (8 per pack - 454g) £1.50
• Cathedral City Mature Sliced Cheese (150g), £2.40
• Fresh cut thyme (20g) 52p
• Creamfields mozzarella (210g) 69p

You may already have some of the ingredients, such as butter, flour, and milk, to make this delicious sausage and cheese bake. Prep in just 15 minutes. We used normal pork sausages instead of spicy ones to keep the recipe on budget. Slice the mozzarella ball thinly so you get lovely gooey layers of soft white cheese in the dish.

Get the recipe: Spicy sausage and cheese pasta bake

23. Courgette, garlic, and herb oaty crust quiche

Serves: 6 | Cost per person: 82p | Total cost: £4.94

Priced at Tesco

Ingredients:

• Tesco Scottish Rough Oatcakes, £1
• Soft Cheese with Garlic & Herb, £1.30
• 3 courgettes, £1.39
• 2 eggs (from a pack of 6), 50p
• Sour cream, 75p

This makes a lovely, vegetarian-friendly Sunday lunch. With the homemade pie case, it does not feel like a budget dish at all. You can use any cream cheese with garlic and herbs, and we swapped the crème fraîche for sour cream as it works out a little cheaper. Butter is one of our store cupboard staple ingredients, but you do need a large portion for this recipe - about half a pack.

This recipe is great for sharing and as you've got a bit of budget left over you could easily serve it with a salad for a summer meal. Leftovers also make the perfect lunch option the next day.

Get the recipe: Courgette, garlic, and herb oaty crust quiche

24. Tomato tart

Serves: 6 | Cost per person: £1.02 | Total cost: £6.15

Priced at Sainsbury’s

Ingredients:

• Cherry tomatoes (500g), £1.35
• Green pesto, £1.30
• Jus-Rol Puff Pastry Ready Rolled Sheet, £1.75
• Iceberg lettuce, 75p
• Sainsbury’s balsamic dressing, £1

One of our favourite cheap family meals that use readymade pastry. Check the frozen aisle for readymade puff pastry, as it’s often cheaper than the chilled versions. This tart is quite big and serves six people. We’ve served it with a dressed salad here, which still comes in just over £1 per person.

Get the recipe: Tomato tart

25. Beer-battered fish and double-cooked chips

Serves: 4 | Cost per person: £1.41 | Total cost: £5.66

Priced at Morrisons

Ingredients:

• Morrisons Savers fish fillets (450g), £2.16
• 4 baking potatoes, 70p
• Whitstable Bay Pale Ale Bottle (500ml) £2.25
• Morrisons Chip Shop Mushy Peas (400g), 55p

Faith says: “Rather than splashing out on a takeaway, save by making your own fakeaway fish and chips instead. Frozen white fish fillets are often much more affordable than fresh fish, and will last a lot longer in your freezer. Value range frozen peas are another of my freezer favourites, and if you get some for the macaroni cheese recipe above, you could substitute some of the rest of the bag for the mushy peas.”

You will need enough sunflower oil to deep fry your fish and chips. You can actually re-use oil around 10 times before you need to replace it so keep this in mind when cooking.

Get the recipe: Beer battered fish and triple cooked chips

• All prices in a particular recipe relate to a single supermarket.
• Most meals serve four people, except where otherwise stated.
• Prices may vary but are correct at the time of publication.

How to cook on a budget - expert tips

We spoke to food blogger Caroline Hartley from The Happy Food Kitchen to find out her top tips and tricks when it comes to cooking on a budget. From batch cooking to supermarket-own brands, here's everything you need to know about cooking cheap family meals...

Batch cook everything

“You'll save on fuel by batch baking, so never use your oven with one item in it – always fill it. If you're using two shelves to cook dinner, bake a tray of flapjacks or roast some veg for tomorrow at the same time," says food blogger Caroline Hartley from The Happy Food Kitchen. 

“Get into the habit of cooking double what you need. Bolognaise, stews, curries, and pies freeze brilliantly so ‘eat one, freeze one’ and soon you will have a wealth of choices in your freezer.”

Don't always follow 'best before' dates

"Check the dates on your perishable food and bear in mind the sniff test for things like milk – it is often fresh for days after the date on the packet but if you're worried about drinking it, use the milk in pancakes and Yorkshire pudding so you're not throwing it down the drain," says Caroline. Equally, over-ripe fruit can still be used. 

“Black bananas have the best flavour. Make pancakes or freeze the banana before blending it with cocoa powder and a splash of milk for a delicious healthy chocolate ice cream. Or blend with berries for a cold, thick smoothie.” 

Choose your cooking appliances wisely

"Slow cookers, microwaves, and air fryers are cheaper to run than trying to heat a whole oven if you are cooking smaller amounts or reheating, so it is worth adapting recipes to use these," says Caroline.

Prevent food waste

"Some people find a meal planner the best way to do this, others buy online to prevent impulse purchases or shop the offers in the supermarket before deciding our meals," says Caroline.

Make inventive use of leftovers

"It can be fun to have a ‘random’ or ‘use up’ meal every week, where all the things that need using from the fridge and freezer – like small bits of cheese or the odd slice of ham and the end of a bag of oven chips – are put together with jars of pickles and sauces to make a meal in itself,” says Caroline. 

“Got half a courgette, an onion, a bit of garlic, and a couple of sad carrots in the bottom of your fridge before shopping? This is a quick and easy soup! Or leftover mashed potato can be used as the base for another dish. It's perfect with a tin of tuna or some ready-cooked mackerel to make fish cakes.”

Make the most of your freezer

We all use our freezer to house a packet of frozen peas and a tub of ice cream, but there are more inventive money-saving uses for it. “Pre-packaged lunch box treats are expensive, so do a cheaper version of the treat box in your freezer. Make brownies, flapjacks, cookies, and rice krispie cakes and portion when cool before wrapping and freezing. The night before, take one out and pop it into the kid's lunch bag,” says Caroline. 

“And if you see a loaf of reduced bread but you don’t need any bread, freeze it or turn it into ready-prepped sandwiches. Cheese, jam and peanut butter, ham or chicken sandwiches can all be pre-made on buttered bread and frozen. Wrap and label them before freezing then they can be placed in a lunchbox the night before. The cheese version can be toasted straight from the freezer too.”  

Increase your veggies and cut the meat

“Meat is one of the most expensive products to purchase, so reduce the amount you use and you will immediately save money. Beans and lentils are far cheaper and can be used to bulk up meals. So if you're using mince, add a tin of lentils to the mix. If you're making a stew, add root veg, chopped mushrooms, and a tin of mixed beans,” says Caroline. 

"Make your usual chilli recipe with a couple of tins of beans and a sweet potato instead of mince and you'll make a great saving as well as feeling really full."

Buy supermarket own brands

By switching 12 big brand items for a supermarket's own-label goods, you could save nearly £15 on each shop – and more than £500 a year, according to research by The Sun newspaper. So imagine how much you'll save by ditching major brands altogether. 

This month, Heinz Baked Beans are £1.40 at Sainsbury's, while their own brand, Stamford Street Co, is a mere 27p, nearly five times less. Asda's own brand of ketchup, meanwhile, is £1 for 550g while a (smaller) bottle of Heinz ketchup is a whopping £3.40. Those are quite some savings. 

There are plenty of other ways to save money on food including reducing food waste, and using up those leftovers. We've also got an array of clever tips, tricks and food hacks created with thrifty parents in mind. 

For more dinner inspiration, we'd recommend having a browse through our best 15 minute meals and 20 minute dinner ideas - both of which are perfect for the midweek madness.

We share the expert-approved ways your family can save money when shopping with Amazon and make sure you are getting value for money.

Ask any parents at the school gates, and you'll be hard-pressed to find one that doesn't shop on Amazon. Not only is it really convenient, but nine times out of ten, its got what you need at a reasonable price. Become an Amazon Prime member, and you'll get a whole load of extra benefits too - including exclusive deals when Amazon Prime Day comes around.

However, there are plenty of other ways you can keep costs low when shopping with Amazon year-round, if you know where to look.

10 ways to save money when shopping with Amazon

1. Sign up to a Prime membership

If you regularly shop on Amazon, it's worthwhile becoming an Amazon Prime member - even if it's just for the free postage. Membership guarantees free and fast delivery, exclusive member-only discounts on select items, and early access to Amazon sale events, as as access to Prime Video, 12 months free Deliveroo Plus and more.

You can start by signing up for a free 30-day trial. If satisfied, an annual membership will set you back £95 (or you can pay a monthly fee of £8.99, but this is a more expensive way to pay as it will cost you £107.88 over the course of 12 months rather than the annual fee of £95). If you know there is a Prime sale event on the horizon (there's usually one in July, one in October and the Black Friday sale at the end of November) then you can time your trial to coincide and bag some bargains.

2. Use 'Subscribe and Save'

If you regularly buy consumable items from Amazon, like toiletries, nappies or laundry products, then Subscribe and Save could help you save money. Subscribe and save offers up to 15 per cent off the original price of these when you schedule repeat deliveries of these items. The good news is that it's flexible too. You can choose a repeated delivery time frame that suits you and Amazon will additionally check in with you via email before shipping your products to ensure they're still required.

"There is no commitment once you subscribe," reads the Subscribe and Save information page. "We will send you a reminder email before each delivery showing the items, price and any applicable discount. Skip your deliveries if you have enough already, or cancel your subscriptions at any time."

3. Save even more with Subscribe and Save vouchers

Savings on savings. Yes, you read that right. In addition to the 15% off repeated delivery items, you can also get exclusive Subscribe and Save vouchers that can be applied on top of the original discount. These additional vouchers boast extra deals that vary from five to 20 per cent off. They're not all Amazon brand items either, with many of these Subscribe & Save vouchers also applying to well known household names like Finish, Andrex, Listerine and Garnier.

Next time you go to order or check into your repeat delivery subscription be sure to check out the Subscribe & Save Vouchers page first to make the most of your money.

4. Keep your eyes peeled for Amazon vouchers

As families are probably used to with the weekly food shop, coupons are a great way to cut the cost of your shopping, and Amazon is no exception. To reap the rewards, check out the Amazon Voucher homepage to see the exciting deals. Some are percentage based - with up to 60 per cent off products like clothing, footwear, tech and toiletries, while others specify an amount, e.g. save £3.00.

Applying them to your order couldn't be easier. Simply select the 'collect voucher' button on the deals page and then after you've added all your items, head to your basket where the voucher will automatically apply.

You might even see money off promotions on a specific product page, which could be a small percentage off, or a buy one get one free offer. If you want to redeem the offer, just click on the promotion link and you'll see it applied when you check-out.

5. Shop Amazon's Daily Deals

While the most deals drop during big sale events, like Prime Day, there are always offers available thanks to Amazon's Daily Deals. These boast discounts on thousands of different products like books, toys, baby gear, personal hygiene products, clothing, electronics and more. "Amazon offers two types of one-off deals: "Deals of the Day", running daily for 24 hours from 00.01am to 11.59pm and "Lightning Deals", posted as often as every 15 minutes and lasting between two and six hours," explains MoneySavingExpert Martin Lewis. You can find both of these on the Today's Deal homepage. And they'll often highlight how long the offer is available for.

Another clever money-saving hack is to select the 'Upcoming' category link on the side-bar of the deal page. This will come up with a hundreds of future deals - some of which might be expensive products you're wanting to treat yourself to but want to pounce on at the right deal-saving time. It'll show you the items and when the deals are expected to go live. So make sure you set a reminder to save those £££s.

6. Check out the Amazon Warehouse

Save money when shopping pre-owned items with Amazon. Be it big name electronics, baby essentials like the best pushchairs or handy kitchen gadgets like slow cookers, the retailer has thousands of previously purchased and refurbished products available to buy online that are like new and significantly cheaper that buying brand new.

As Martin Lewis explained during a recent appearance on This Morning, Amazon Warehouse is where you can buy items that have been returned to Amazon by other customers. In some cases, the item may be completely unused, but the box is missing, or slightly damaged.

The good news is that each product up for sale on Amazon Warehouse goes through a rigorous quality control check, so you'll know what condition it's in before you decide to purchase. Amazon says: "We thoroughly test the functional and physical condition of each item and give the product a specific grade before selling it. We also inspect our products for missing accessories and packaging damage."

After this testing process, the item will be given one of the following condition categories:

• Used - Like New: Almost perfect working condition. The item is fully functioning and comes with all relevant accessories but may bear some minimal damage.
• Used - Very Good: An item in very good condition will work as it should but could feature some minor cosmetic flaws. "It may arrive with damaged packaging or be repackaged and could be missing some non-essential accessories," Amazon adds.
• Used - Good: 'Good' products will show signs from moderate use previously. There could be some scratches, missing accessories and it might not come in it's original packaging.
• Used - Acceptable: "An item may have clear signs of usage but still serves its main function," Amazon states. Expect more visible scratches, dents and a few worn corners. Plus some parts may have been replaced to ensure it works properly again.

7. Bag a bargain with Amazon Outlet

From refurbished to discontinued and overstocked items , Amazon Outlet is another sub-section to know about when trying to save money when shopping with Amazon. "Amazon Outlet is becoming the go-to place for customers to shop for highly discounted markdowns, overstock deals and clearance products," says the retailer. "Amazon Outlet offers a wide selection of items, such as Car & Motorbike products, electronics, clothing and toys." Check out the Amazon Outlet store for yourself and see what savings you could nab.

8. Save when you choose No-Rush shipping

If you're shopping on Amazon and you don't need your order the next day, why not chose a more flexible delivery option? Not only is it better for the environment, but sometimes Amazon will reward you for it too. "No-Rush Shipping helps us prioritize our fastest deliveries for customers with urgent needs," Amazon states on their No-Rush shipping Q+A page. In return for being more flexible, Amazon will add either an automatic discount to your current order or give you a reward to apply on your next order. No-Rush shipping usually means it will arrive in 3-5 days. It's worth noting that if you later cancel or change the speed of your delivery, the discount will no longer be valid.

9. Prime 'Try Before You Buy'

If you want to buy clothes or shoes for the family on Amazon, and you're a Prime member, then you can take advantage of the mega retailer's Try Before You Buy service. This means you place your order, and get a few days to try it on before you are charged. You get seven days to try them out, and you'll be charged for any items you decide to keep. You'll see a Prime Try Before You Buy badge on all eligible items, which can include women's, men's, kids' and baby clothing as well as shoes, bags and accessories.

You can order up to six items at a time under the service. And as its part of your Prime membership there's no delivery or shipping fees, and a returns label is provided for free - should you need to send them back. Visit the Try Before You Buy homepage for further details.

10. Make the most of Amazon sale events

Amazon holds at least two sale events each year that are exclusive to Prime members. The mega retailer usually holds one in July, and for the last couple of years, Amazon has added another two-day sale event to the calendar in October. While these haven't been called Prime Day, they are essentially the same thing - 48 hours of discounts for those with a Prime membership. Amazon can also be relied upon to hold a Black Friday and Cyber Monday event too - this sale is often longer than 48 hours, with discounts often available for more than a week (although the specific deals change during that time). This year, keep your eyes peeled for huge discounts on Amazon products like the Fire Stick or bestselling Amazon Echo Kids devices, amongst the thousands of products discounted.

When Prime Day does roll around, make sure you know how to get the best deals.

Families can save £6 off a month's Disney+ subscription but only if they act fast.

The ever-increasing cost of living crisis means parents are having to cut back on non-essential expenses by looking at ways to save money on TV subscriptions and takeaways. 

But when your teenagers can't wait to watch Thor: Love and Thunder and you or your partner want to see the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law to see if the Marvel show lives up to its promises, you can say yes while saving big on a Disney+ subscription by taking advantage of the streaming platform's special month offer of £1.99.

The offer, which is available to new and eligible returning Disney+ subscribers over 18+ only, ends on September 19th but will give you a month's viewing for a fraction of the usual subscription price, meaning you and the whole family can enjoy watching the very best films and TV shows that Disney+ has to offer.

To take advantage of the £1.99 month offer, a subscription is required but providing you cancel it in time then you won't be charged the usual £7.99 per month subscription fee.

The best time to cancel the subscription is as soon as you have subscribed and are logged in as then you won't forget to do it if you have no intensions of keeping the subscription longer than the offer period.

You can usually cancel the subscription at any time and you won't risk being charged any extra providing it is before the renewal date or the subscription will automatically renew on a monthly basis at the current retail price of £7.99/month until it's cancelled.

It's simple to subscribe, simply pop in your email address, create a password and complete payment details.

Disney+ opens up a whole host of shows for the whole family and grants access to Hulu platform where you can stream Mike, the Hulu miniseries based on Mike Tyson. Or perhaps you' prefer Doctor Strange or Season 2 of The Kardashians.

There is plenty to choose from, simply subscribe and start browsing and set aside some time to binge watch some amazing shows or classic Disney movies.

For further details visit Disney Plus online.

With rising energy bills and food prices going up, families everywhere are feeling the impact of the cost of living crisis. Trying food hacks, using a supermarket loyalty card and switching to the cheapest supermarket can help shoppers to save money on food, but a weekly meal plan can also help to keep food costs down and reduce food waste. You might be wondering are frozen foods healthy, but luckily freezer meals can be both cost effective and nutritious when done right.

To mark the first-ever Frozen Food Week, TV nutritionist Lily Soutter has created Aldi's frozen family meal plan PDF to help families eat well for less thanks to some simple frozen food swaps. As well as helping families spend less than £29.77 per week, the plan features recipes which are packed with nourishing ingredients and form part of a well-balanced diet. Dishes include King Prawn Fish Pie, Pesto Chicken Traybake and Plant Sausages with Mustardy Mash. Each family meal costs as little as £1.98 or under 50p per head using items available at Aldi.

In addition to working on Aldi's frozen food meal plan, Lily has shared these top tips for making the most of your freezer:

Lily Soutter's top 10 frozen food tips:

• 1. Don’t fear frozen fish - Frozen fish is a convenient way to incorporate the government-recommended two portions of fish a week into our diet. Try adding a frozen fish mix to your fish pie or step it up a notch with Aldi’s Jumbo King Prawns. For those essential omega-3 fats, defrost some sea bass or salmon and grill with olive and lemon juice. The key to using frozen fish is to safely defrost by following the instructions on the food label.
• 2. Get savvy on the food you never thought you could freeze - Ever tried freezing bread? Simply slice first and freeze to extend the shelf-life. If you’re tired of those mouldy avocado halves in the fridge, simply cube your avocado, and freeze. Frozen avocado provides a lovely cool creamy flavour to smoothies and is a source of fibre and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats!  If you’re looking to reduce waste, freezing herbs and spices is a must. Try chopping garlic or onion, add to ice cube trays with a dash of oil, and freeze. Pesto and tomato sauces also freeze well in ice-cube trays and is a great way to portion out just what you need. You can even freeze pizza dough and cheese, which makes pizza night much more convenient.
• 3. Freeze food flat - If you’re short on freezer space, maximise storage by placing your food into freezer bags flat on a table whilst ensuring that excess air is removed. Stack the bags into the freezer flat and aim to leave no water on the outside otherwise they may stick together. Try portioning out your frozen meals and sauces into separate bags rather than one large container. This means you can use just what you need for each meal, and it’s much quicker to defrost. Use the same method for storing frozen goods such as berries and sweetcorn as it’s much more space efficient than storing goods in one large clump.
• 4. Stock up on frozen fruit - It’s just as nutritious as fresh. There’s a big misconception that frozen fruit is less nourishing than fresh, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Research has illustrated that frozen produce retains vitamins, minerals and even antioxidants, which are beneficial to health. Better yet, they’re often cheaper than their fresh counterparts, particularly when enjoying produce out of season.
• 5. Eat your frozen greens - The old saying ‘eat your greens’ shouldn’t be ignored. Broccoli, green beans and peas are jam-packed with fibre, vitamins and minerals. With just 8% of children and 27% of adults consuming their 5-A-day many of us are simply not eating enough. Having frozen greens with a long shelf life can increase our chances of including them without our diet.
• 6. Freeze your meat (and plant-based alternatives) - Frozen meat is the perfect solution for a busy household; it’s adaptable as you can defrost and cook it whenever is convenient without the pressure of it going off. Meat provides the high-quality protein required for maintaining bone and muscle health, but it can quickly spoil with a short shelf-life. Therefore, having a batch of frozen meat to hand in the freezer can mean fewer trips to the supermarket and less waste.
• 7. Save time and hassle with this one frozen ingredient - The hard nature of butternut squash requires patience and some serious work in the kitchen. Opting for Aldi’s frozen butternut squash chunks can eliminate the hassle of chopping and prepping this vegetable. What's more, there is no compromise on the nutrition profile! Roast the butternut squash from frozen with herbs and oil and try blending it into a delicious soup.
• 8. Say goodbye to watery eyes with frozen onion - In the busy world we live in today, frozen onion is one of the biggest time savers. Pre-chopped and ready to cook, there’s no faffing with peeling - and no watery eyes. Simply add a handful of Aldi’s frozen onion to your dish to shave off minutes of prep time. This frozen veg tastes excellent in a tomato-based sauce for pizza and pasta dishes, in homemade burgers, fish pies, soups, casseroles and stews. The list is endless!
• 9. Always label your frozen food using a permanent marker - If you find yourself defrosting your evening dinner without knowing what it is or if it’s still even edible, labelling your frozen food will be a game-changer! Using a permanent marker on freezer bags, mark what the item is and the date that it was cooked. Whilst frozen food has a significantly longer shelf-life than fresh, it doesn’t last forever, and labelling can help prioritise which freezer goods to consume first.
• 10. Defrost and reduce food waste - Whether you're batch-cooking freezer meals or freezing leftovers, your freezer can be your best friend in the kitchen! And there's nothing more frustrating than precious space being taken up by blocks of ice. Defrosting the freezer is hardly a beloved task for most of us but doing so can help you to reduce food waste and even save energy.

Foodie influencer and mum Ashleigh, aka Cardiff Mum, has joined forces with Aldi to put the meal plan to the test and review the recipes for Frozen Food Week, sharing them with her 251k followers on Instagram.

Ashleigh says her followers had been ‘crying out’ for a frozen food meal plan due to its ease, low cost, and ability to help shoppers to minimise food waste. 

An Aldi spokesperson said: 'The meal plans are designed to provide quick and easy inspiration for families who may be finding mealtimes strenuous on the bank account during the ongoing crisis. These recipes will help people make their money go further whilst being assured their family is getting the nutrition they need. Using frozen food also helps to keep food waste to a minimum.'

The Aldi frozen food meal plan initiative, which covers breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a family of four for five full days, has been devised to help shoppers tackle the cost-of-living crisis. This follows reports that around nine in 10 households have felt the impact of rising costs, with 35% of Brits now cutting back on spending on food shopping and essentials, according to official data from the Office for National Statistics.

Harley Street and TV Nutritionist Lily Soutter said: 'From nourishing breakfasts to hearty dinners, our meal plan – created using a range of Aldi’s frozen foods – has breakfast, lunch, and dinner covered for a family of four for five days and is less than £2 per meal. This wonderfully nutritious and versatile plan we’ve created will not only help money go further but will also make mealtimes simpler and most importantly – affordable.'

'We know that families across the country will be feeling the effects of the cost-of-living crisis, so we’re determined to provide Aldi shoppers with the tips and tools they need to relieve any strain when it comes to putting food on the table. I’m delighted to be working with Aldi to support those looking to cut down on cost without compromising on quality and healthy eating.'

One way to save money is by cooking with an air fryer, slow cooker or microwave oven may instead of using an electric oven. Take a look at these deals:

• Ambiano 3.5L Chalkboard Slow Cooker - £19.99 | Aldi
• KENWOOD K20MW21 Solo Microwave - WAS £160, now £79.99 | Currys
• Tower Xpress 5-in-1 Digital Air Fryer - WAS £119.99, now £99.99 | Amazon

Knowing how to sell your old gadgets can be a great way to make some extra money. Most of us have a variety of unwanted gadgets gathering dust in a cupboard at home. But with the cost of everything from food to energy bills on the rise, now is the perfect time to stop procrastinating, get decluttering and find out how much cash you could get for selling those old items. While you're decluttering, you might also want to sell your unwanted clothes too. 

A study by global technology firm OKdo found that the average UK household has 60 items of old and unused tech lying around, and these have an average trade-in value of between £100 and £7,750. 

Tim Brennan, global digital director at OKdo told us: “Trading in old tech items is not only a good way to make extra cash, but it also ensures your old gadgets don’t end up in landfill and cause harm to the environment.”

Gadgets can include any electronic devices, such as mobile phones, laptops, smart watches, cameras and games consoles. So if you have any of these items to get rid of, here’s how to sell them.

How to sell your old gadgets

There are a number of different ways you can sell your old gadgets to earn some extra cash. Andrea Knowles, personal finance expert at vouchers.co.uk advises: “The best way to sell your gadgets is to have a quick look online. There are various comparison sites that will show you which company will offer what for the devices you want to get rid of. It’s then a case of boxing your gadgets up and posting them off.”

Some of the comparison sites and recycling websites that are worth looking at include:

• Envirofone
• Sell My Mobile
• Sell My Gadget
• Money 4 My Tech
• Mazuma Mobile
• GadgetGoGo

If you’d prefer not to post your items, EcoATM has kiosks at 180 locations across the UK in major shopping centres as well as stores like Sainsburys. The selling process takes around 10 minutes and the majority of payments land in the user’s bank account within 90 minutes. Some kiosks even give instant cash right there and then. MusicMagpie also has automated kiosks in some Asda stores which work in a similar way. 

Another option is to explore how much money you might get from certain providers. For example: 

• Apple lets you trade in an old device for credit towards your next Apple purchase, or for an Apple gift card to use at any time. 
• The Amazon trade-in programme lets you trade in items such as Kindle e-readers, Fire TV streaming devices, Alexa Echo smart speakers and Ring doorbells for an Amazon gift card and a discount on the purchase of a newer device. 
• Three also offers a recycling scheme where you can get paid for your phone, tablet or wearable device.
• With EE you can trade in your old device and use the value towards benefits like your early upgrade fee, the upfront cost of a new device, new accessories or to pay off your next bill. Or you can have the money transferred to your bank account.

Alternatively, you could look to sell items on places such as Facebook or eBay, or even offer to sell your old phone to a friend, as long as it’s in good working order.

How much money can I typically get for selling my gadgets?

Below is a table with some of the most popular gadgets you could sell and how much you might earn for them.

Source: MusicMagpie. Prices correct at the time of writing.

Note that the price you actually get for each item will depend on whether the item is in good working condition, whether it’s faulty or damaged, and whether it includes a battery and charger. For mobile phones, the price can also depend on what network it uses - you’ll generally get more money if your phone is unlocked.

What should I do before selling my gadget?

Before selling any gadgets, you’ll need to make sure that all personal data, including passwords, photos and videos, has been removed to reduce the risk of financial fraud.

Dan Hatfield of pawnbrokers London Road Jewellers told us: “This process is pretty easy, however older tech may be a little harder and each gadget will have different methods of erasing and reverting to factory settings. Don’t be daunted though - remember that with the internet we have the world's biggest library at our fingertips and just by searching how to erase data on your gadget, you will get the results you need to rest easy when selling.”

As an example, if you have an iPhone, you’ll need to go to the settings menu, select General > Reset > Erase All Content And Settings. With an Android smartphone, you'll need to find the factory data reset button. This can vary depending on your phone, but it’s often found by tapping on Settings > System > Reset Options > Erase All Data (Factory Reset).

Alternatives to selling your old gadget

If you are unable to sell some of your old gadgets, you could donate or recycle them instead. Tim Brennan of OKdo says: “If your device isn’t in working condition and can’t be refurbished, you could start by researching collection points around you. Electrical items usually contain materials such as gold, copper and cobalt, which can be extracted and potentially reused in new products when the old devices are recycled correctly. This could also mean a reduction in the risk to the environment linked to extracting these finite resources from the Earth.”

You can’t usually hand over unwanted tech to charity shops, but the British Heart Foundation will take some items so it’s worth checking with them to be sure. 

Alternatively, Three’s Reconnected scheme enables you to donate your old phone to help disadvantaged people get connected, and offers the recipient six months unlimited data, calls and texts. WeeeCharity will also collect electrical goods free of charge which it then recycles, refurbishes and resells, while the Restart Project can help you donate computers or laptops locally, as well as work out what to do with broken electronics.

Store cupboard meals are always good to have in mind, for when the fresh stuff in your fridge is running low and you'd really rather not spend any more money on groceries.

Now that food and energy bills are soaring during the cost of living crisis, these store cupboard recipes are a great way to save money on food – they're cheap to make and reduce food waste in the process. They'll last longer for leftovers and mean you don't end up with a surplus of fresh stuff that could go to waste.

"I feed our family of six for around £35  a week and I am very inventive and creative with cooking," says Vicky Saynor, a waste warrior for her local council who educates schools and communities on food waste reduction. She saves a lot of money by shopping for and cooking with, dry store ingredients. Vicky even gets a lot of her store cupboard foods by seeking out 'yellow sticker' reductions. "For tinned tomatoes and pasta, rice and noodles, damaged packaging means the items can be heavily discounted – last week I bought tinned veg for 2p per can." She also makes meals go a lot further with her kitchen cupboard ingredients. "Any leftovers get used in packed lunches the next day, or I bulk them out with cans of chickpeas and lentils, and make another meal from them."

These money-saving store cupboard meal ideas are all based on cheap ingredients you will find in your kitchen cupboards. Think kidney beans, chopped tomatoes, pasta, dried herbs, tinned veg, and more. From bean burgers to tuna linguine, there are so many delicious, healthy, and filling dinners you can make from your store cupboard, and most of these recipes only have a short list of ingredients, so are easy to make too.

Money-saving store cupboard meals

1. Tuna and brown rice salad 

Serves: 1 |  Total time: 10 mins

Store cupboard ingredients:

• Cooked brown basmati rice
• Red kidney beans
• Canned sweetcorn
• Bottled or canned peppers
• Tuna steak in brine

A salad is always a good choice for a summer lunch or a light dinner and you don't need a fridge full of fresh stuff to make one, either. With this tuna and brown rice salad, you'll get all the vitamins you need from the tinned sweetcorn and bottled peppers, while the tuna steaks provide a healthy dose of omega-3 and protein. It's also low-calorie.

Get the recipe: Tuna and brown rice salad

2. Moroccan chickpea cakes

Serves: Makes 16 |  Total time: 1 hour

Store cupboard ingredients:

• Canned chickpeas
• Ground cumin
• Paprika
• Polenta

These Moroccan chickpea cakes are a really inventive way to use that can of chickpeas that have been lurking in the back of the cupboard for months. Using only stored cupboard ingredients (just swap out the fresh herbs for dried ones if you don't have any) and a couple of frozen vegetables from the freezer, they're delicious with a couscous salad, which can also be made from dry store ingredients. 

If you're wondering 'how long does canned food last?' the answer is indefinitely. As long as the can isn't damaged in any way, e.g. bulges, leakages or rust, they can remain good to eat for several years. Once opened, just pop in fridge in an air-tight container and consume within three-five days.

If you have some yogurt, garlic, and cucumber in the house, you could also knock up quick tzatziki to serve with the cakes.

Get the recipe: Moroccan chickpea cakes

3. Lentil and chickpea soup

Serves: 4 |  Total time: 35 mins

Store cupboard ingredients:

• Chickpeas
• Lentils
• Stock cubes
• Cumin
• Chilli powder
• Turmeric
• Paprika

Made from just store cupboard ingredients, this soup is packed with protein from the legumes, and is super hearty, comforting, and will keep you fuller for longer, so you won't be tempted to snack between meals. It's also totally plant-based so perfect whether you're vegan or just want to reduce your meat intake. Serve with Turkish flatbreads or a big chunk of French bread for mopping up purposes.

Get the recipe: Lentil and chickpea soup

4. Sweetcorn fritters

Serves: Makes 8-10 |  Total time: 20 mins

Store cupboard ingredients:

• Plain flour
• Baking powder
• Canned sweetcorn

These fritters are made with cupboard-found ingredients, including canned sweetcorn, and make a great lunch or a starter, especially for an Asian-style dinner. They're fabulous served with a tomato and onion salad and a dipping sauce – most of us have a bottle of sweet chilli sauce or a bottle of Sriracha lurking in the cupboard, that will accompany them very nicely indeed.

Get the recipe: Sweetcorn fritters

5. Spicy baked chickpeas

Serves: 8 |  Total time: 45 mins

Store cupboard ingredients:

• Canned chickpeas
• Cayenne pepper
• Garlic powder
• Cumin

Step away from the crisp cupboard, because this fantastically spicy and healthy snack is super easy to make and a great protein hit. Just dry out the canned chickpeas, drizzle them in olive oil, coat them in salt and spices and bake. Perfect for summer garden parties, or just for grazing while watching the telly. And an ideal accompaniment to a cold beer or a large gin and tonic, if you ask us.

Get the recipe: Spicy baked chickpeas

6. Spicy mixed bean tortillas

Serves: 4 |  Total time: 35 mins

Store cupboard ingredients:

• Tortilla wraps
• Canned chopped tomatoes
• Kidney beans
• Canned mixed beans in a mild chilli sauce

Kinda like quick veggie chilli, but served in a wrap and with added cheese, these spicy mixed bean tortillas are easy to make and even easier to eat. They're a hit with kids too and pack a proper protein punch. If you're out of fresh carrots or onions, it's perfectly acceptable to use tinned or frozen varieties.  Definitely a comforting one, and ideal for a midweek dinner.

Get the recipe: Spicy mixed bean tortillas

7. Deliciously Ella's three-bean stew

Serves: 6 |  Total time: 50 mins

Store cupboard ingredients:

• Canned chopped tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons tomato purée
• Canned butter beans
• Black beans
• Canned cannellini beans

For a quick lunch or light dinner, try this stew from the healthy recipe guru. This dish uses canned tomatoes and butter beans, black beans, and cannellini beans to create a nutritious and filling meal that has also earned its vegan stripes. It's also one worth batch cooking so that you can freeze portions for another day. Use canned veggies if you're all out of fresh, and serve on a bed of rice (brown, if you're feeling particularly virtuous). Ella recommends serving with mango salsa, or you could try to use Greek yogurt or sour cream if you have any in the fridge.

Get the recipe: Deliciously Ella's three bean stew

8. Quorn sausage bake

Serves: 4 |  Total time: 40 mins

Store cupboard ingredients:

• Dried spaghetti
• Canned chopped tomatoes
• Dried mixed herbs
• Smoked paprika
• Tomato ketchup
• Vegetable stock cube

A store cupboard triumph, this delicious twist on the traditional meaty sausage bake dish has full vegetarian credentials and is low fat, thanks to the Quorn sausages (straight from the freezer). You will need dried spaghetti (though other pasta shapes are available and could even work better), chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, herbs, and cooking spray. Hearty, tasty, and ideal for an easy midweek family dinner, especially if you're trying to cut back on meat.

Get the recipe: Quorn sausage bake

9. Smoky beans on toast 

Serves: 3 | Total time: 15 mins

Store cupboard ingredients:

• Canned baked beans
• Brown sugar
• English mustard
• Smoked paprika
• Ground cumin
• Chilli powder

Who doesn't love that iconic British dinner of beans on toast? But, much as we adore the humble baked bean, there are times when it pays to pimp it up into something a little more special. Here, served on toasted sourdough, we give you beans made smoky with the addition of some flavoursome store cupboard staples like mustard and paprika. The bacon gives a delicious salty twist (though it could be ditched or swapped out for some grated cheddar if you're not a pork eater). A smashing brunch, lunch, or TV dinner dish.

Get the recipe: Smoky beans with bacon on toast

10. Tuna, lemon and chilli linguine

Serves: 4 |  Total time: 15 mins

Store cupboard ingredients:

• Dried linguine
• Canned crab meat or tuna in brine

This linguine is traditionally made with crab, but, if you don't have any in the cupboard, it can easily be swapped out for tuna in a versatile recipe like this one. Using a sprinkle of chilli (flakes, if you don't have fresh) and the zest and juice of a lemon, it's a simple, speedy, refreshing meal with tastes of the summer that'll give you a spring in your step and have you dreaming of holidays on the Amalfi coast.

Get the recipe: Tuna, lemon and chilli linguine

11. Bean burgers 

Serves: 4 |  Total time: 30 mins

Store cupboard ingredients:

• Cannellini beans
• Can of butter beans
• Red kidney beans

A store cupboard staple recipe if ever there was one, you can use any combo of tinned beans, and even chuck in some lentils too if it takes your fancy. These burgers are meat-free and vegan friendly and cost a fraction of their beef counterparts. If you like your veggie burger with a bit of spice, we can highly recommend stirring a spoonful of harissa paste into the mix. Failing that, add some chilli sauce to the top after cooking, or some sliced jalapenos from that jar at the back of the fridge. Hopefully, you've got some baps in the freezer but they're also perfectly acceptable without.

Get the recipe: Bean burgers

12. Homemade pot noodle

Serves: 1 |  Total time: 20 mins

Store cupboard ingredients:

• Canned sweet corn
• Chicken stock cube or stock pot
• Dried fine egg noodles
• Soy sauce

A pot noodle is a retro classic that gives us that warm nostalgic glow of youth. It's also totally devoid of nutritional content and riddled with additives – but not if you make your own version. Using instant noodles and canned or frozen vegetables, with stock and soy sauce for flavour, simple comfort food makes a refreshing change from that cheese sarnie when you want to grab something swift during a working lunch.

Get the recipe: Homemade pot noodle

13. Tuna pasta bake

Serves: 1 |  Total time: 30 mins

Store cupboard ingredients:

• Canned sweet corn
• Chopped tomatoes
• Tomato purée
• Dried penne pasta
• Canned tuna fish in sunflower oil
• Ready salted crisps

Tuna is a great store cupboard essential as it's packed with protein and omega-3. This is a classic family recipe and it contains mostly tinned foods like sweetcorn and cupboard-stocked ingredients like pasta. There's even the addition of a smashed-up packet of crisps to create a crunchy topping in a rather in-genius twist. A proper crowd-pleaser that'll warm the cockles when you're tired and emotional, or want some comfort food on a dreary, drizzly day.

Get the recipe: Tuna pasta bake

14. Jambalaya

Serves: 1 |  Total time: 35 mins

Store cupboard ingredients:

• Long grain rice
• Canned tomatoes with chillies and peppers

With only six ingredients, this homemade rice recipe, all the way from New Orleans in America's deep south, is one to whip up in a flash. You can always swap the chorizo for sausages, or use frozen prawns and other seafood instead – there are no rules. A great one to batch cook, and it will get tastier the next day as the flavours deepen, so makes a cracking quick lunch.

Get the recipe: Jambalaya

15. Macaroni cheese with broccoli

Serves: 4 |  Total time: 40 mins

Store cupboard ingredients:

• Macaroni
• Canned sweet corn
• Plain flour

Using pasta from the cupboard, cheese (that you can freeze if you want it to last longer), and frozen broccoli, it's easy to make this comfort food classic, universally beloved by kids (and most grown-ups too, to be fair). Swap the broccoli for frozen sweetcorn or peas to up your vitamin quota if that's what you have in, or cauliflower will work nicely too.

Get the recipe: Macaroni cheese with broccoli

16. Crushed potatoes with tuna

Serves: 4 |  Total time: 15 mins

Store cupboard ingredients:

• Canned tuna in spring water
• Sweetcorn

A good one if you've got some potatoes to use up is this simple lunch inspired by the joys of a Nicoise salad, but with fewer ingredients. Another great use for the humble tin of tuna, paired with some store cupboard olives, a drizzle of oil, and topped with a hard-boiled egg for an extra protein hit, it hits the spot on flavour and costs a mere 59p per serving. Take it to work to save on pricey sarnies.

Get the recipe: Crushed potatoes with tuna

17.  Salmon fishcakes

Serves: 4 |  Total time: 15 mins

Store cupboard ingredients:

• Canned salmon
• Jarred small capers
• Tabasco

If you've got any leftover potatoes about the place, this is a great one that, if you have any salmon in the freezer, is a super tasty supper dish (and you could always use tinned salmon instead). Jarred capers and a splash of Tabasco sauce bring the flavour, and it's an excellent use for stale bread – blitz it up into breadcrumbs for the crispy outside. Steam up some frozen spinach or serves with garden peas from the freezer, and a dollop of mayo or sweet chilli sauce.

Get the recipe: Salmon fishcakes

18. Homemade Hobnobs 

Serves: 8 |  Total time: 20 mins

Store cupboard ingredients:

• Porridge oats
• Plain flour
• Wholemeal flour
• Caster sugar, golden
• Golden syrup
• Bicarbonate of soda

You'll need some butter for these delicious cookies, but all the other ingredients come straight from your store cupboard, and it's the ideal recipe if you've got lots of porridge oats lying around. However much you love the crunch of McVities Hobnobs, you know that your own homemade versions are going to be superior, especially when all squidgy and warm from the oven. Essential with a big mug of builder's tea and a sit-down.

Get the recipe: Homemade HobNobs 

19. Chocolate biscuit cake 

Serves: 16 |  Total time: 10 mins

Store cupboard ingredients:

• Caster sugar
• Cocoa powder
• Golden syrup
• Digestive biscuits
• Walnuts
• Raisins
• Vanilla extract

Although there may seem to be rather a lot of ingredients in this chocolate biscuit cake, they can (almost) all be found in your store cupboard – you'll just need some butter and a drop of milk. And other than melting together a few of the ingredients, there's no cooking involved, which is always music to the ears of those of us who are a little challenged in the baking department. It's also a marvelous one to do with kids – and a bit more exciting than a Rice Krispie cake, at that.

Get the recipe: Chocolate biscuit cake

20. Bread pudding bites

Serves: 6 |  Total time: 2 hours 15 mins

Store cupboard ingredients:

• Mixed sultanas
• Glace cherries
• Dried apricots
• Mixed peel
• Shredded suet
• Demerara sugar
• Mixed spice

Normally served in a bowl with custard or ice cream, or serve simply as you would cake. Use any stale bread you have around, plus sugar and dried fruit from the cupboard. This is ideal if you've got a surplus of baking cupboard ingredients that didn't get used in your Christmas cake/pudding. Top tip – you can also use condensed or coconut milk if you don't have fresh milk. Another top tip – if you don't have any eggs or are vegan, you can substitute them with olive oil  (use 50ml of oil in place of each egg). You're welcome.

Get the recipe: Bread pudding bites

21. Mary Berry's flapjacks

Serves: 24 | Total time: 40 mins

Store cupboard ingredients:

•  Golden syrup
• Muscovado sugar
• Rolled oats

This recipe from a baking icon is so simple. There are only four ingredients, so even a baking rookie could handle making these soft, chewy flapjacks. If you want to jazz them up, throwing in some raisins or a sprinkling of desiccated coconut works a treat. They'll keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. Mary stores hers with a slice of bread to stop them from drying out. And what Mary does, we do.

Get the recipe: Mary Berry’s delicious flapjacks

22. Jamie Oliver's five-ingredient chocolate orange shortbread

Serves: 24 |  Total time: 40 mins

Store cupboard ingredients:

• Plain flour
• Golden caster sugar
• Dark chocolate

It might have a mere five ingredients, but, oh, it feels fancy. Jamie's shortbread is simple and delicious for high tea (yes, we are that posh). You will need to buy a bar of dark chocolate and orange. The zest is to sprinkle over the shortbread, making it a cut above your average shortbread.

Get the recipe: Jamie Oliver's 5 ingredient chocolate orange shortbread

Related features:

• Canned tuna recipes
• Best canned chickpea recipes
• Canned tomato recipes 

You can find other great recipes on our site, using the recipe finder.

Video of the week

Understanding how to save energy in homes and keep those bills as low as possible has never been more important. While the energy price cap dropped to £2,074 as of July, we're still paying considerably more for our energy than we were before the energy crisis began.

While switching to a new energy provider is normally a simple way to keep energy bills low, the energy crisis means there are no cheap deals to be found right now. So the best way to keep energy bills as low as you can is to reduce how much energy you use at home. And it helps to really get to grips with reading your bill - we've got loads of tips if you need your energy bills explained.

Peter Smith, director of policy and advocacy at National Energy Action, said: “We have some of the least efficient housing in Europe. This has left the UK more exposed to the current soaring gas price compared to many other countries and we are wasting billions of pounds each year as heat escapes through leaky roofs, floors and ceilings.” 

For those worried about how much their energy bills will cost, there are simple changes you can make to use less energy at home and improve your home’s energy rating.

How to save energy in homes

We've listed 25 ways you can reduce how much energy you use in your home. While many won't cost you a penny, some might require you to spend a little in order to save a lot. Even if you don't commit to everything on the list, by just adopting as many as you can will make a difference to your energy bills. 

You might also be wondering if you can lower your bills by using cheaper electricity at night, but whether you can save this way will depend on the type of tariff you have. You can see if there is a cheaper tariff available to you by checking a price comparison website, such as our sister site Go.Compare.

1. Replace halogen bulbs with LED lights

You can’t buy halogen bulbs in the UK anymore – they were banned from sale in September 2021. Luckily LED bulbs last much longer and use 80% less power. So if you have any halogen bulbs in your house, now is the time to change them. 

Uswitch.com calculates that each 50-watt halogen bulb swapped for an LED alternative will save £3 a year. Multiply that by the number of bulbs in your house and the savings really add up.

2. Buy energy efficient appliances

Appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers and fridges are rated A to G for energy efficiency, with A the most efficient.

According to Which?, the least efficient appliances would add an eye-watering £490 a year to your energy bills, but choosing the most efficient would cut this down to just £154.

If any of your appliances are on their last legs, replacing them with more efficient alternatives will help to provide long-term savings. 

You might also want to switch to using a different more energy-efficient appliance - for example if you look at how much it costs to run an air fryer compared to an oven, you might decide to invest in an air fryer and use your oven less. 

3. Don't leave electrical items on standby

When your electrical devices are on standby they go into a type of sleep. They’re not actually turned off but are powered down into an energy-saving mode. 

However, this still uses energy. According to the Energy Saving Trust, leaving TV, computers and other electrical items on standby can add up to £86 to your annual electricity bill.

According to experts, these are the seven most expensive household items to leave on standby.

4. Buy a smart power strip

If you or your family can’t remember not to leave gadgets on standby, invest in a smart power strip to do it for you. This multi-plug will completely cut off the power to devices when it senses that they’re not in use. 

5. Use smart devices

Although there can be considerable initial outlay, smart devices can reduce the amount of energy you use. 

You can control smart thermostats, plugs and lights from your smartphone – meaning you can remotely turn the heating down if you’ll be late home or turn off the iron if you left it on when you went to work.

If a smart thermostat is out of your price range, investing in some smart plugs. Plug in any existing appliances and you'll be able to control them from a smart phone. Some are even compatible with smart assistants like Alexa. 

6. Unplug your phone after charging

If you keep your phone plugged into the charger after its battery is full, you’re using more energy than necessary. This is because the charger will keep using the same amount of electricity as long as your phone is plugged into it, whether the battery is charged or not. 

The same goes for other rechargeable devices such as smartwatches, power banks and handheld games consoles.

7. Only boil the water you need

The number of people asking how much does it cost to boil a kettle has skyrocketed since Boris Johnson suggested buying a cheaper appliance could save on energy bills.

Boiling more water than necessary each time you make a cup of tea could cost you £36 a year, according to calculations from the Energy Saving Trust. Boiling less water will mean it boils quicker too.

You could also try this kettle hack to save hundreds of pounds each year.

8. Swap to an aerated shower head

Wondering how much it costs to run a bath and whether it's cheaper than having shower? In fact, showers, especially quick ones, are more energy efficient than baths. But you can make your shower super-efficient by switching to a water-saving shower head. This'll mean there is less water to heat each time you shower, and it won't impact your shower experience at all.

Switching your shower-head to an aerated version could save a family of four about £35 a year, according to EDF Energy. 

9. Only wash full loads

No more half washes – wait for a full load before using your washing machine. Energy supplier Bulb says doing one less wash a week could save you £8 on your annual energy bill, plus a further £6 on water if you have a water meter. 

10. Dry your washing outside

Tumble dryers are some of the most energy-guzzling appliances (check out our guide on how much does a tumble dryer cost to run) so it helps to avoid using one unless you have to. While this is easier in the summer months, when you can dry your clothes outside for free, in the winter, try and use an airer to dry clothes where you can. 

Bulb says hanging your clothes outside or on a clothes horse, instead of tumble drying, will save you £35 a year.

If you can't dry clothes outside and don't want to use your tumble dryer, a heated clothes dryer might be a suitable alternative. Find out how much it costs to run a heated clothes dryer with our guide. 

11. Wash clothes at lower temperatures

According to the Energy Saving Trust, washing clothes at 30°C will use 40% less energy than when washing at higher temperatures. 

Don’t worry that your clothes will come out dirty – modern detergents are able to get good results at lower temperatures. 

Combine washing at lower temperatures with cutting down on one washing load per week could save you £28 per year, according to the Energy Saving Trust. For more ways to reduce your energy usage when doing laundry, see our 'how much does it cost to run a washing machine?' guide. 

It can also be a good idea to follow Martin Lewis' washing machine plea to help lessen energy demand at specific times of day.

12. Use eco cycles

It might sound counter-intuitive but using longer washing cycles on washing machines and dishwashers can save you money. 

According to Bosch, longer cycles mean that the water doesn't not need to be heated as much compared to shorter programmes. It also means your dishes or clothes will be soaped for longer, which means there is no noticeable difference in cleaning capability.

13. Don't put hot food in the fridge or freezer

While batch cooking can save you a fortune on your grocery bills, don’t put your hot freezer meals in the freezer straight away. 

Let food cool down first – otherwise it takes extra energy for the fridge to cool it down. 

14. Use the microwave instead of the hob

According to the Energy Saving Trust, using a typical microwave (800W, category E) for five minutes will use about 0.09kWh of electricity

In comparison the typical gas consumption each time a gas hob is used is about 10 times as much at 0.9kWh.

Check out our guide to how much it costs to run a microwave to see how the costs compare. 

15. Buy a smaller TV

Do you really need the biggest TV on the market? According to calculations by Uswitch.com, an energy-efficient 32-inch LCD TV will use 50% less power than a 42-inch plasma screen. Turning down the brightness setting will save you cash too. Find how much electricity a TV uses with our handy guide.

16. Prepare for holidays

Turn off your boiler if you’re going away in the summer. If you’re away during winter, set it to low, or frost protection mode, to stop your pipes freezing up.

You can also save a few pounds by making sure kettles, coffee makers, toasters, microwaves, dishwashers, and washing machines are all switched off and unplugged. This will reduce the fire risk to your home too. Also turn off your wi-fi router and any chargers you normally leave plugged in.

17. Turn down your thermostats in cooler months

The Committee on Climate Change recommends thermostats are set at a maximum of 19°C in the battle to combat global warming. Whatever your preferred temperature, Uswitch.com calculates that households could potentially save up to £128 a year by turning the thermostat down by 1°C. By turning it down by a single degree, it's unlikely you will notice any adverse affects on comfort levels. 

You could also look at cheapest ways to heat a room to help keep costs under control. 

18. Keep the heat you generate in

Draughtproofing is a great way to use less energy in the winter months as it means the heat you do generate in kept in, rather than leaking out. Check your home for any gaps around doors, windows and floors which are prime areas for heat to escape. 

Citizens Advice says blocking any holes where you could get a draught could save you about £30 a year.

19. Bleed your radiators

Bleeding your radiators removes air bubbles trapped in the pipes in your home, allowing water to circulate more freely.

This will get more surface area heat out of your radiators and reduce cold spots, lowering the amount of energy needed to heat your home.

20. Use an electric heater

Although electric indoors heaters use a lot of energy (find out here how much it costs to run an indoor heater), they can save you cash if you only need to heat one room.

For example, if you work at home, it might be cheaper to use a portable electric heater in your home office and keep the central heating turned off during the day.

21. Get a smart meter

A smart meter records your gas and electricity use and sends automatic meter readings to your supplier.

Gareth Kloet, energy spokesperson for Go.Compare, says: “Installing a smart meter won’t save you money on its own, but they can help you manage how you use energy within the home and make changes accordingly.

“Many will link to a device where you can get a real-time picture of the energy you use, and how much this then costs.”

22. Turn down your boiler's flow temperatures

Flow temperatures are the temperatures the water leaves your boiler at to heat your home, or provide hot water.

Energy supplier Octopus warns that default flow temperature settings are usually too high. If you have a combi boiler, it recommends setting your flow temperatures to 50°C for heating and 55°C for hot water.

23. Only heat your home when you need it

Don’t leave your boiler running 24 hours a day. Most boilers or thermostats will let you set a schedule, so the heating only comes on for certain hours each day.

Think about your routine – what time you get up, when everyone will be out, and what time you all get home – when setting a schedule.

Check out our guide to how many hours a day should heating be on in the UK and what the ideal room temperature is to help you set the best schedule for your central heating. 

To keep warm without resorting to putting on your heating, we've pitted two alternatives to heating against each other to see which is cheapest to use - electric blanket or hot water bottle?

24. Install radiator reflectors

Radiator reflectors, or standard tin foil, installed behind radiators reflect heat back into the room, and help the radiators warm the room more effectively. This is because they prevent heat escaping to the outside. This radiator hack makes sure you’re getting the most out of the heat you are generating.

25. Turn off lights

Make sure that you – and your kids – always turn off the lights when leaving a room.

According to Utility Design, about 10% of us leave lights on in empty rooms. It says households could be wasting £2.30 a day by leaving lights on unnecessarily.

By taking on as many of these changes as you can, you will keep your bills as low as they can be, which will be incredibly important in the event it takes a while for energy prices to come down again. 

How to improve your home's energy rating

An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) shows how energy efficient your home is. Carried out by a qualified assessor, an EPC rates homes from A to G, with A the most efficient. The EPC also suggests ways to reduce your energy bills and carbon emissions.

Here are six ways to improve your home’s energy rating:

1. Install loft and wall insulation

According to Which? insulating both your loft and cavity walls can save you up to £290 a year in heating bills. It recommends laying loft insulation to a thickness of 270mm.

2. Insulate your hot water cylinder

If you have a hot water cylinder, insulating it will keep the water warm inside. E.ON calculates that for an initial £15 outlay, you can make savings of up to £20 a year.

3. Invest in double or triple-glazed windows

A government study shows that 18% of heat loss occurs through windows, but 7% of UK homes only have single glazing. Installing double glazing could save you up to £155 on your annual energy bill, depending on the size of your home. 

4. Upgrade your boiler

Your heating is responsible for more than half of your energy bill each year and old boilers can be expensive to run. 

Installing a modern condensing boiler will involve a significant upfront cost but it will knock about £300 a year off your energy bill, according to Ovo Energy.

5. Install heating controls

A spokesperson for the Energy Saving Trust says: “Heating controls is a broad term covering timers, thermostats and plumbing and electronic components, which help manage when the heating should be on and what temperature your rooms should be. By installing and using heating controls effectively, a typical, gas-heated home could save £85 a year.”

6. Consider renewable energy sources

Where suitable, renewable energy sources such as solar panels, ground-source heat pumps and biomass boilers can improve the energy efficiency of your home. 

According to the Eco Experts, the average solar panel system for a typical family home costs £4,800 to install, and typically knocks £411 a year off your heating bill.

Supermarket giant Asda is launching a new Kids Eat for £1 initiative to help parents cope with the cost of living crisis over the summer holidays. 

Families will have seen food prices going up, alongside rising energy bills and fuel prices, as the cost of living crisis really takes hold. While switching to the cheapest supermarket and using your supermarket loyalty card can help to save money on food, many parents will be worried about how to keep their kids fed and entertained over the six-week break. 

To help families through, Asda has revealed its Kids Eat for £1 deal which will be available throughout the summer holidays. As part of the initiative, children under 16 will be able to get a hot or cold meal for just £1 in Asda cafes across the country. The offer will be available seven days a week with no minimum adult spend required.

An Asda spokesperson said: “We know that families can find the summer holidays tough and our customers are telling us that this year more than ever, they’re concerned about holiday hunger. With that in mind, we are so pleased to be able to offer children’s meals for just £1, with no minimum adult spend, to ensure that those who would normally rely on a school meal aren’t left without.”

The Kids Eat for £1 initiative is already available in Scotland and will be rolled out in England and Wales from 25 July 2022. It will run until 4 September 2022. 

Those with younger children won’t be left out either - the supermarket is offering a free 70g pouch of Ella’s Kitchen baby food to little ones during the school holidays too.

Helping parents with costs over school holidays

Asda's new scheme will be a relief for many families struggling with rising costs and feeling daunted by the prospect of additional costs over the school holidays. But more relief is on the way for many. 

More than eight million low-income households will receive the first of two cost-of living payments (totalling £650) from 14 July as part of the Government’s cost of living support package. 

If you haven’t yet received your £150 council tax rebate (available to those in council tax bands A-D), then that could be with you imminently. Check out your local council’s website for details of when you can expect your rebate, or for further information on what to do if you haven’t yet received it. 

You might also find that from July you have some more money in your pay packet thanks to a change in the National Insurance threshold - for some people, this means that April’s National Insurance increase is effectively cancelled out. 

On top of this, it's always time well spent to see if you are paying more than you need to for your household bills. When it comes to mobile phones and broadband, as well as car or home insurance, it’s always worth using a price comparison site like GoCompare to see if you could switch to a cheaper deal. Similarly, you may be paying more in council tax than you need to, so it’s worth understanding how council tax is calculated and if you are eligible for any discounts or reductions.

Now that energy prices have started to fall, should I fix my energy prices is an important question to ask yourself.

Many households are still concerned about how much their energy bills will cost, even though the energy price cap dropped by 17% as of July. It will also fall by a further 7% from October. Prices might be coming down, which means cheaper energy bills, but they are still considerably higher than they were before the energy crisis began. Before the crisis hit, fixing your energy tariff was a great way to protect yourself from increasing energy prices and help you budget. For the duration of a fixed-price energy tariff, the price you pay per unit of energy won’t change. 

There were many complex reasons why energy prices went going up, but when prices started soaring, many fixed-rate tariffs were removed from sale, and any that remained were more expensive than the energy price cap. (The energy price cap is decided by Ofgem, the energy regulator, and sets a limit on the amount you pay per unit of energy that you use.) But as more suppliers start to offer fixed price deals again, which you will be able to find on our sister site Go.Compare, should you fix or stay on the price cap?

Should I fix my energy prices?

Whether you should fix your energy prices right now is a difficult question to answer as there are fewer suppliers offering fixed-rate tariffs than before the energy crisis, and most of those are only being offered to the supplier's existing customers. As the details of those fixed deals aren't published publicly, money saving expert Martin Lewis has called on Ofgem to instruct suppliers to publish their customer-only deals to help make families make informed choices and understand what kind of deals are available. 

Suppliers offering fixed price deals to existing customers include the likes of:

• EDF
• British Gas
• E.On
• Ovo
• Octopus Energy
• So Energy 
• Utility Warehouse

But only British Gas, So Energy and Utility Warehouse are offering fixed deals for new customers at the moment. Right now, prices are roughly the same or slightly under the current price cap.

Fixed price tariffs were withdrawn from the market when the energy crisis hit, as suppliers would not have been able to afford to sustain them. The few that cropped up were priced at significantly more than the price cap, or the now-defunct Energy Price Guarantee. But now that prices are starting to come down, we might start to see more fixed-price deals returning.

Energy supplier Ovo became the first supplier to offer a 12 month fixed-rate deal that was cheaper than the price guarantee in March - although money-saving expert Martin Lewis has pointed out that households should be cautious before jumping on a fixed deal, saying: "People need to be very careful not to just jump on a fix because it costs less than they're paying right now."

When fixed deals do come back in abundance, it'll be important to check whether a deal is just cheaper right now, or whether it will actually be cheaper over the length of the fixed tariff, especially if the price cap were to drop again. 

In the meantime, use the calculator below to see how your energy bills could change if any further price cap changes are announced. 

Fixed-rate tariffs have traditionally been popular as they protect households from energy price rises. If you’re on a fixed rate tariff, changes to wholesale gas and electricity prices won’t affect what you pay. A fixed tariff fixes the price you pay per kilowatt hour (kWh) of energy for the duration of the plan. It doesn’t mean your bill will be the same each month – that will depend on how much energy you use.

In normal market conditions, when energy prices have stabilised, fixed tariffs often work out cheaper than standard or default tariffs.

Important terminology explained

• Energy price cap - This is not the maximum amount you will pay for your energy bills, it's actually the average maximum price you will pay per unit of energy that you use, but is usually stated as an annual average price a typical household would pay, if paying by direct debit. It's set by the energy regulator Ofgem and is reviewed every three months. As of July 2023, this is £2,074. From October 2023, it will drop to £1,923
• Energy Price Guarantee - when the energy price cap got so high during the energy crisis the government introduced a temporary cap, the Energy Price Guarantee, that meant that typical annual energy bills would be no more than £2,500. This scheme ended at the end June 2023. 
• Energy tariff - this is set by your supplier and used to calculate your energy bill. Most people will be on their supplier's standard variable, or default, tariff, which means the price you pay is governed by the energy price cap. Some people might find they are being offered fixed-rate tariffs (where the price you pay per unit of energy won't change for the duration of the tariff - normally 12 months)

My fixed tariff is due to expire, should I fix my energy prices again? 

If you’re currently on a fixed energy tariff that is due to expire soon, it is worthwhile seeing if you are offered another fixed-price deal from your supplier, although this is likely to be considerably more than you were paying on your previous tariff. You should also check a price comparison website, like Go.Compare, to see if there are any new tariffs that suppliers have released. It's also important to understand how the energy price cap might change again over the course of the next 12 months. It has been confirmed that from October 2023, the energy price cap will drop to £1,923 from its current level of £2,074. Analysts at Cornwall Insight are predicting that the price cap will rise slightly to £1,932 from January 2024, before falling again in April 2024. But these predictions are changing all the time, and nothing is certain until Ofgem confirms what the next cap will be. So deciding whether to fix or not is something of a gamble. 

Energy policy expert Sarah Broomfield says: “When your fixed deal is due to expire, your supplier will notify you and then automatically roll you on to their standard variable tariff. You will be free to switch to another deal if you wish to do so, but staying on the standard deal at the moment is most likely the cheapest option."

Whatever tariff you’re on, your bill will be impacted by how much energy you use. So, the key is to try and use less energy if you want to keep your bill low. 

Is a fixed energy tariff worth it?

Ultimately, whether you should fix or not is a gamble. Fixing now could protect you from further price hikes, but exclude you from price drops. If you value price certainty more than the cheapest tariff possible, then fixing might be suitable. You can use a price comparison website, such as our sister site Go.Compare, to check what energy tariffs might be on offer and how they compare to what you are paying now.

In normal circumstances, when there isn't an energy crisis, a fixed energy tariff protects you against potential increases in energy costs throughout the duration of the tariff. But at the same time, this means you won’t benefit if prices fall further. Some people prefer being on a fixed-rate tariff as it can help them manage their household budget. This is because the rate you pay per unit of energy won’t change. 

But those looking to keep their bills as low as possible, might prefer to stick on a standard variable tariff, and have the price they pay for their energy governed by the energy price cap. If latest predictions come true, this could be cheaper than current fixed price deals that are available. 

However it is important to remember than the current price cap of £2,074 is an average annual cost based on typical use. If you live alone in a flat or apartment, your annual bill is likely to be lower than this, and if you live in an larger than typical house and use lots of energy, it's likely to be considerably more. While it is often expressed as an annual figure, the price cap actually caps the price you pay per unit of energy, and not your bills as a whole. 

If you're looking to keep your energy bills as low as possible, it's important to know how to save energy at home, and whether you might be able to benefit from a tariff that offers cheaper electricity at night.

Video of the Week 

Local food banks offer help to approximately 14 million people in the UK. And with the current cost of living crisis and the recent increase in food and drink prices, food banks are being used more often.

According to the latest stats from The Food Foundation CPI data suggests that food and drink retail prices have risen by 5.9% in the last year up to March 2022. Why are food prices going up? we hear you ask, well according to Goodto's personal finance expert, Harriet Meyer; "increasing labour, energy, and transportation costs are behind the majority of increases."

Food banks are designed to offer emergency support to people during a crisis. As well as relieving the initial pressure by providing essential food items in the short term, food banks can give additional support so people don't need to come back to the bank again. The same goes for a baby bank, which supplies baby essentials such as nappies and toys, to those in financial hardship. But as each food bank in the UK serves different areas, each bank has different needs and requirements.

What is a food bank and how do they work?

Food banks provide free, nutritionally balanced, tinned, and dried food to those who need it. This might include people who have been hit by an unexpected financial crisis, such as redundancy, unexpected bills, or the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Care professionals, such as social workers, school staff, and health visitors, identify those in need of help and give them a food voucher for their local food bank. This voucher provides a food parcel of three days' worth of non-perishable food from the bank. Other problems, such as rising period poverty, mean that food banks also accept and offer donations of toiletries within the parcel.

But as well as providing these emergency items, food banks work so that people don't need to use them again. Specialised members of staff can provide additional support to help people resolve problems with their finances, such as debt, mental health issues, and a lack of access to government benefits. Some banks also offer services like childcare and educational courses.

All food banks rely on public donations, which are collected from places like supermarkets, schools, and local businesses. The Trussell Trust operates the most food banks in the UK, with 1200 food banks nationwide. Invite your children to get involved too, it's a strong segue into talking to your kids about the cost of living crisis.

How do I find food banks near me?

Visit the Trussell Trust's website to find your nearest food bank at www.trusselltrust.org/map by entering your postcode or nearest town.  If you are unable to travel to your local food bank due to transport costs, you can call them and check if they can deliver your food parcel.

There are also a number of private/independent food banks - these are run by local churches or charities. You may find them advertised in your local paper and usually, you can visit one of these without a referral. FoodCycle helps connect people within their local community to help reduce food waste and poverty. Like food banks, they are maintained and run by volunteers who usually have arrangements with local supermarkets to cook food for the homeless and poor. There are 40 locations around the UK.

FairShare is a charity that uses food that would otherwise be wasted at the manufacturing end of the chain and gives it away to the homeless and poor. Donors include Sainsbury's and Nestle. They were just one of the organisations that saw a demand for food packages following the MPs vote against free school meals for children during the half-term holidays in 2020.

How to get food from a food bank

The easiest way to get food from a food bank is to call Citizens Advice, where an adviser will be able to issue you with a voucher to get an emergency food parcel from your local food bank.

• England or Wales, call 0808 208 2138.
• Northern Ireland, call 0800 915 4604.
• Scotland, search for your local Citizens Advice centre using your postcode.

All lines are open from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, but are closed on public holidays.

On the other end of the line, the trained advisor will ask you about your circumstances, income, and needs. They'll also ask if it's just you that needs the emergency parcel or if you've got other people living in your household who are also in need.

While you can be referred to a food bank for lots of different reasons, it can be difficult to get a voucher unless you're facing extreme circumstances. According to The Trussell Trust, the primary referrals to food banks in 2018-2019 were due to income not covering the cost of essentials, changes to a person's benefits, or delays in receiving their benefits.

Food bank referral form

As well as directly calling the Citizens Advice Bureau, you can also get advice and a food bank referral from:

• A doctor, including your local GP
• Jobcentre
• Social worker

You might get a food bank referral if:

• You've been made redundant or have reduced working hours
• Unexpected bills have left you with no money
• A change in your circumstances has affected your entitlement to benefit or the reduced the amount you receive
• Payment of benefits has been delayed
• You are turned down for a crisis loan
• Ill health
• Domestic abuse
• You have a low income or are in debt

The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated these needs so dependence on food banks is currently higher than before.

Food banks without referral: can you go to one without a referral?

The Citizens Advice Bureau explains that you can visit an independent local food bank without a referral, but if there aren't any local to you, you'll need to get a referral.

How many times can you use a food bank?

You can get up to three vouchers (only one at a time) for any one crisis. This gives you a total of 9 days worth of food. These vouchers are individually exchanged for three days' worth of emergency food at your local food bank.

How to get help from a food bank

Whatever additional help you need from a food bank, whether that's support applying for benefits, housing help, or debt advice, the best way to find it is to contact the food bank directly. Visit The Trussell Trust's website to find your local food bank.

You can also use The Trussell Trust's Grants Search function on their website to find out whether there are any governmental grants you might be entitled to. Similarly, there is another function on the site that helps you find out whether you're entitled to any benefits.

How can you become a food bank volunteer?

According to The Trussell Trust there are more than 40,000 food bank volunteers operating across the UK.

Food bank donations - Find your local food banks and call them to ask what to donate to a food bank and where to drop it off. Your food bank donations are vital during school summer holidays with figures showing 87,496 food parcels went to children in the UK during the summer holidays in 2018 - a 20% increase from the summer of 2017.

Food bank volunteers - Become a food bank volunteer at your local food bank. Find out more information on their website - call or email them to find out more. Volunteers can help out by sorting and packaging food parcels, or

Donate money - If you don't have time to donate then you can always donate money. Either directly or via the Trussell Trust's website.

Related features:

• Cheap family meals under £1 a head
• Cheapest supermarket for 2022 revealed
• How to reclaim Tesco clubcard vouchers
• How I talk to my kids about the cost of living crisis, tips from a mum and finance expert

Video of the week

Whether you commute to work, your kids go by train to school or you take regular rail journeys as a family, train travel in the UK isn’t cheap.

‘Regulated’ train fares, which include season tickets, will rise by up to 5.9% in March 2023. Fares normally increase in January each year, but this year’s price hike has been delayed until March to help people struggling with the cost of living crisis. There is also news of return train tickets being scrapped in favour of single journey pricing, leaving families worried about how much rail travel will cost in the months to come.

Almost 6% might sound a lot, but train travellers narrowly escaped an even bigger price hike as fares normally rise in line with inflation. But with inflation in double figures the government stepped in to stop rail fares going up this much.

David Sidebottom, director at independent watchdog Transport Focus, said: “No one likes prices going up. In our latest research, less than half of passengers think the railway currently performs well on delivering value for money tickets.

“After months of unreliable services and strike disruption, it’s clear that too many passengers are not getting a value for money service. Capping fares below inflation and the delay until March is welcome and will go some way to easing the pain, but the need for reform of fares and ticketing in the longer-term must not be forgotten.”

Train passengers are also being forced to cope with regular strike action at the moment, making train travel not just expensive, but unreliable too.

1. Book as early as possible to get cheap train tickets  

You’ll usually find that tickets are available up to 12 weeks in advance, so note the date in your diary if you’re planning a trip and want to get the cheapest tickets. Network Rail usually releases a set timetable 12 weeks ahead of travel, but keep checking if tickets aren’t yet available to book. If you’re travelling with London North Eastern Railway (LNER), tickets may be on offer 24 weeks ahead for some journeys.

Topcashback.com spokesperson Abigail Yearley said: “The Trainline has a free to use Price Prediction tool so you can roughly see when the cheaper tickets will sell out. Setting up email alerts for when tickets go on sale is another really easy and potentially cost-saving exercise to do.”

Of course, it’s not always possible to plan that far ahead, but advance tickets may still be available up until your travel date. However, book as soon as you can, as prices usually gradually rise over the weeks. Even if you’re only booking the night before, it’s worth doing so as you could potentially save money.

2: Opt for e-tickets

When buying tickets in advance, opt for print-at-home or e-tickets as this will save you the postage on getting your tickets mailed to you. 

Train operators normally charge a pound or two for regular postage but last minute orders and special delivery postage can cost up to £5.

With e-tickets, you will get a QR code send to your email address and if you have your emails set up on your phone, you can just show that to the ticket inspector on the train or scan it to go through barriers.

3. Try splitting tickets

Long train journeys can be enormously expensive. But often you can cut the cost if you divide your journey by buying two or even three tickets covering different parts of the journey. This is known as ‘splitting tickets’ or ‘split ticketing’.

Rhiannon Philps, personal finance expert at NerdWallet, explained: “If you were planning to travel from Nottingham to London, it may be cheaper for you to get a ticket from Nottingham to Kettering, then another from Kettering to London. The tickets would be valid for the same train, but you’d present several tickets when prompted, rather than just the one.”

Which? previously found that it’s possible to save 52% on a journey from Ipswich to Sheffield, by splitting the ticket at Peterborough and Doncaster. You'd pay £94.30 for an anytime direct ticket, but just £45.26 for a ticket with these two splits.

There are several websites that make splitting fares easier. Check out TrainPal, TrainTickets.com, Split My Fare, and Split Your Ticket.

4. Avoid booking fees

When you’re booking train tickets on any website, check for extra fees, as you don’t have to pay these, and they can add up. You can find train tickets fee-free on London North Eastern Railway. Also check out RedSpottedHanky and Avanti West Coast for cheap ways to book ahead.

If you’ve a specific journey in mind, check a few sites to find the cheapest ticket you can. It should only take a minute or two, and since sites sometimes list different tickets, it’s worth doing to be sure you’ve grabbed the best deal.

A spokesperson for London North Eastern Railway (LNER) says: “Customers can book direct and reserve their seat, fee-free, and also find the best value fares using LNER’s mobile app or website. They can also sign up for LNER’s loyalty reward scheme, LNER Perks, which offers a number of exclusive benefits.”

5. Use a railcard - there's one for families and another for young people aged 16-25

Railcards slash a third off the majority of fares and cost from £30 a year. Check out Railcard.co.uk for the different types. You can easily find the one that’s most suitable for you using the search tool, putting in your location station, age, and whether you usually travel with kids.

For example, the Network Railcard offers a third off journeys in London and the South East, the 16-25 Railcard is specifically for younger people, and the Family and Friends Railcard cuts costs if you’re travelling as a group. Up to four adults and four children can travel together, with adults getting a third off fares, and kids getting up to a 60% reduction. That’s a massive saving on a big trip. You can even use your Tesco Clubcard points to get money off railcards.

Railcards are usually valid for a year and can be renewed online. They usually pay for themselves after a few uses, so they’re really worth having. If you’re a couple, the Two Together Railcard is another option that can save up to £129 a year on travel, and comes with special partner discounts.

Check out our sister brand MyVoucherCodes for Railcard promo codes to see if you can save even more. 

In addition to Railcards, most train companies offer discounts for groups of three or more people travelling together. Larger groups of 10 or more people may even get additional discounts when booking tickets directly. 

6. Take a coach instead

Sometimes it’s worth looking at other means of transport to get to your destination. For instance, it may be cheaper to get a coach instead of a train, especially if you’re not restricted by timings.

For example, you can get from London to Manchester for as little as £6.88 with Megabus – although the journey will take up to six hours, compared to just two hours on the train. 

Students might also be able to get discounts on coach travel, for example they can save an extra 10% at Megabus with a Totum card. 

National Express offers a Coachcard scheme which offers a third off fares. There are three options available: Young Persons Coachcard, Senior Coachcard and Disabled Coachcard.

What time of day are train tickets cheaper?

Train tickets are cheapest if you travel off-peak from around 09.30 to 16.00, and after 19.00 Monday to Friday. But the exact times depend on your train operator and location. The more flexible you are, the cheaper the tickets you’ll be able to find. 

For example, if you wanted to get the train from London to Newcastle on 6 February, the 16.00 train would cost £108.90. But if you wait until the 18.18 train, you can get a ticket for £70.

Travelling by train from London to Newquay on 9 February would cost £131.70 if you got the 08.04 train – but the cost falls to £71.50 if you get the 12.04 train instead.

You’ll usually find weekends and Bank Holidays are off-peak all day. If there’s more than one off-peak fare for a journey, the cheapest one with most restrictions on when you can travel will be called ‘super off-peak’.

Generally, off-peak and super off-peak tickets apply during quieter times. The trains you can catch and times you can travel off-peak depend on the train operator, journey and date of travel. But bear in mind that they’re not as cheap as advance fares, which are available on a first-come, first-served basis. However, you don’t have to travel on a specific train with an off-peak ticket, unlike an advance ticket bought well ahead of your journey.

Do train ticket prices go up on the day?

Train operators usually release advance tickets around 12 weeks before the date of travel, and these rise in price up until the day. So, it’s best to book well ahead if possible. If you download the Trainline’s app, you can use its live tracker to find the cheapest prices right up until the day. To use this, type the two stations you are travelling between and search for trains for the day you want to travel. This will find the cheapest tickets for your journey. But remember not to book through Trainline to avoid booking fees (see above for sites that don’t charge these fees).

Some train operators let you buy advance tickets on the actual day of travel, if they haven’t already sold out, or the day before. So make sure to check if there are any available at a cheaper price before you travel. Remember, though, that advance tickets are for specific trains and are usually non-refundable.

How can I get my money back if my train was cancelled or delayed?

If the train you were meant to travel on is delayed or cancelled and you then don’t travel, you can claim a full refund. You should be able to get this immediately by going to the ticket office if you’re at the station. You can also claim a refund by post if you submit a claim form to the train operator within 28 days of the ticket’s date. Forms are usually found at ticket offices or you might be able to submit a claim online, which is the best option if you bought your ticket online or through an app. Go to the site you bought your ticket from, and find the refund section. Your refund should be with you within 10 days.

Even if you still took the train, you may be entitled to claim for delay. The scheme Delay Repay enables you to claim compensation if your arrival time is delayed for any reason. It entitles you to 50% of your ticket price if your arrival is between 30 minutes and an hour late, and a full refund if you’re more than an hour late. Some train operators also pay out 25% compensation if your train is delayed between 15 minutes and half an hour. 

Can I get a refund if my train is cancelled due to a strike?

Train drivers who are members of RMT and ASLEF are among workers striking this month in ongoing disputes about pay and conditions. 

If you have an advance ticket booked for a strike day and your service is cancelled, delayed or rescheduled, you are entitled to a refund. You'll need to contact the original retailer of your ticket to get your money back and provide a photo or screenshot of your ticket, including the barcode if you have an e ticket.

Adam French, personal finance editor at The Money Edit, says: “For single or return trips, if your journey is cancelled by strike action, or heavily delayed and you decide not to travel, you're entitled to a full refund from where you bought your ticket from.

“If the return leg is cancelled or heavily delayed by strike action, you should be entitled to a full refund under delay repay rules. Exact rules can vary between train companies. You shouldn't be asked to pay an administration fee and you don’t have to accept rail vouchers, even if you bought your ticket with a rail voucher.”

Video of the Week 

Need to know how to pay off debts fast? Whether you’ve built up a hefty overdraft or run up a big bill on your credit card that you can’t afford to pay off, follow these tips to become debt-free

Knowing how to pay off debts fast will be a high priority for those who might be pushed into borrowing with the cost-of-living crisis biting at most family budgets. Whether it's the increased energy price cap, or national insurance on the rise, millions of families are feeling the pinch. Even the most careful budgeters will know that it’s all too easy to get into debt - whether that’s going into your overdraft or running up a big bill on your credit card that you can’t afford to pay off.

“When your finances are spread thin it’s all too easy to put off paying off debts,” says Martyn James of consumer website Resolver. “But the most cost-effective thing you can do is clear what you owe, simply because debt interest and charges will only compound your debts the longer you leave them. You don’t have to clear everything in one go. But make a plan to get those debts cleared, one by one.”

How to pay off debts fast

1. Get organised

The first step to paying off debts is to get organised. After all the faster you can clear debt, the less interest you will pay. Set aside enough time to go through your debts and make a note of what you owe to who, what interest rate is being charged, and how many months left to pay. Then it’s time to make a plan on just how you’re going to become debt-free. Our tips below should help you on your way.

You might also benefit from creating a budget planner to keep all spending under control.

2. Focus on your biggest debt first

It makes financial sense to repay the most expensive debt first to reduce the number of interest payments you’re making as much as possible. “Having gone through your finances, you should have everything you need to work out what’s costing the most,” says Martyn James. “In other words, seeing what debts are charging the highest rate of interest.”

It’s likely to be your overdraft that is costing you the most, with typical interest rates at around 40% compared to a typical credit card rate of 20%. But it’s important to double-check the rate you’re being charged so you have all the accurate information to hand.

Even though overdraft agreements don’t come with any set repayment plan – like you’d get for a personal loan, for example – you can create your own plan to repay in a number of regular instalments. Set yourself goals for each month to chip away at the debt.

With credit cards, you might be able to move to another card on an interest-free deal. Martyn James warns: “Check what the fee is for doing so, and how long you get versus what you can afford to pay off – so you make a big dent in the debt.”

Personal loans tend to charge much lower rates of interest so this might be last on your list. Plus there’s not usually the flexibility to overpay month to month. You might even be charged a fee for clearing it early. Make sure you check with your lender.

3. Move your overdraft to a 0% money transfer credit card

To clear an expensive overdraft fast, one option is to use a specialist money transfer credit card. It works by using the card to pay cash into your bank account. The cash clears your overdraft, so you owe the card instead, but at 0%. You then make monthly repayments to the credit card during the interest-free period, meaning that every penny you repay goes towards clearing the debt, and not towards bank charges. There is likely, however, to be an initial outlay for the transfer card in the form of a “handling fee” of 3-4% of the money you borrow. Look for cards that don’t come with a fee.

Find out more about how credit cards work with our handy beginner's guide.

4. Consider a low rate personal loan to pay off your debts

You could take out a personal loan to pay off your overdraft. With interest rates still relatively low, borrowing is pretty cheap with the best loan rates on offer at around 4%. Paying a lower interest rate will save you money in the long run, which means you can clear your overdraft faster and pay less interest to the bank. Don’t forget to compare loans to ensure you apply for the one with the cheapest rate.

5. Switch credit card debt to 0%

Balance transfer cards can help borrowers get debt under control. They offer the chance to switch debt built upon another card - where typically it will be charging around 21% - to a new card that offers zero interest for a set period.

Paying no interest at all means that every penny you repay goes towards paying off the debt, rather than going into the bank’s pockets. Some cards offer as much as 36 months interest-free. However, the longest interest-free deal might not be the most cost-effective, as these interest-free cards usually charge a fee each time you switch. Luckily, not all cards apply such a fee. Find the best deal at a comparison site such as moneyfacts.co.uk.

4. Track your progress with a weekly spreadsheet

Martyn John of Resolver suggests keeping a weekly spreadsheet or using an online app to monitor how you’re doing. He says: “It might seem helpless at first, but you’ll really feel like you’re making a difference when you see those debits come down.”

5. Look out for better deals - and switch if you can

Spend a day going through your bills and phone each supplier to see if you are eligible for better deals, discounts, freebies or trials. This might involve navigating lots of touchtone menus and call queues. But make a (large) pot of coffee and be patient. By the time you reach the bottom of the list – which will include the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ TV streaming subscriptions, mobile phone, broadband and line rental– you should achieve some decent savings that can be put towards reducing debts.

6. Look out for duplicate payments

While you comb through your bank statements for savings to be made on bills, check on every direct debit registered to your account. Anti-virus software is a common one to forget about or double up on, according to Martyn James at Resolver. “When you buy a new laptop or desktop computer you will likely sign up for anti-virus software, without cancelling old ones, perhaps. We’ve seen people with a whole trail of annual subscriptions they’re paying for unnecessarily.”

7. Check automated card payments

Checking card payments – both debit and credit – is essential to spot any “continuous payment authority” commitments that could save you money. They differ from direct debits or standing orders and – unhelpfully - there is no list available of those you’ve signed up to. Payments made for a subscription service via this payment method are automatically renewed - usually annually – but you may have no paper (or email) trail of such a sign-up.

8. Get paid to spend with cashback cards

You can use a cashback credit card to pay for weekly spending. You earn a percentage on your spending and the money is typically credited to your card account once a year. Just make sure you repay every penny each month or it negates any benefit.

Search for the best cashback card on a comparison site such as moneyfacts.co.uk. You can also use cashback websites such as Topcashback.co.uk and Quidco.co.uk. Once logged on, you click on the links to retailers and start shopping. Each offers a different cashback percentage for assorted items. Just don’t overspend for the cashback - use just for things you’d be buying anyway.

9. Switch to a new bank account

Plenty of banks are offering cash rewards for switching your existing current account. First Direct and NatWest are paying £150 for new customers. At Nationwide you can earn £125 for moving your current account. Check for eligibility before you apply.

10. Be a babysitter

You can earn around £12 an hour for babysitting. You can spread the word locally or on social media and online such as yoopies.co.uk where you can register and advertise for free. Having a good set of references, experience, and being a parent (or grandparent) yourself will stand you in good favour. Having a DBS check will give you an added advantage. Earning extra money in your spare time can be a great solution when wondering how to pay off your debts fast.

11. Earn while you walk

Lockdown prompted many families to get a dog. Now getting back to the office, dog sitters and walkers are in demand. Register with an app such as Rover or Trusted House Sitters and make some money while on your daily walk. You can choose your own fees. Typically you could earn £10 or more per walk.

12. Sell your old items to raise some cash

If you haven't had a clear out for a while, see what you can find in your garage, spare room or loft space that’s worth selling. Sell on auction website eBay or Amazon Marketplace which allows you to sell second hand and new versions of an item already sold on its main site. You can also try cash-for-clutter website musicmagpie.co.uk, which takes smart phones, tablets, DVDs, CDs, games and electronics off your hands. Type in what you have to sell and get an instant price. You can direct proceeds to paying off debt. This is one of the easiest solutions when it comes to how to pay off debts fast.

13. Clear our your old sports gear

Use a specialist firm geared towards selling certain equipment you have upgraded or perhaps items for hobbies you may have given up. For example, golfbidder.co.uk will buy your golf clubs. Website camerajungle.co.uk does a similar job for those who want to sell photography equipment.

14. Get paid for taking part in surveys

Earn money for your opinion at survey websites. They can be about anything from tourism, food, media, shopping or public affairs and politics. Surveys often take 30 minutes. While some operate under a reward scheme where you earn points for surveys completed that can be exchanged for shopping vouchers, others pay cash – up to £15 per survey.

Check out surveycompare.net, crowdology.co.uk, yougov.co.uk and ipsos i-say.

Never pay to register and set up a new email address so your personal account doesn’t overload.

15. Be part of a focus group

Many market research companies pay well for your time at a focus group session. You can earn anything between £10 to £350 for offering your point of view on the chosen subject which can be anything from bank accounts to holidays. Some projects may involve product testing. You can also opt for Amazon or shopping vouchers. Visit paidfocusgroup.co.uk where registration is free.

16. Get paid to recycle and reduce debt

Dig out old phones and sell them online at websites such as envirofone or mazuma. You can also part exchange them for a new one with some retailers. Some websites even pay cash for empty printer cartridges. Take a look at cashforcartridges. As most households have several old mobile phones that are no longer used, this is a great solution when it comes to how to pay off debts fast.

17. Reunite with lost prizes

Premium Bond prizes worth a combined £74 million remain unclaimed, according to the latest figures from National Savings and Investments (NS&I). You can check to see if you’ve won by using the online prize checker as long as you know your holder number. If you’ve lost all documents NS&I can trace them for you.

18. Refer a friend

Rewards for referring friends to retailers are a very simple way to earn money. Many offer credit off your next spend but there are some websites that pay actual cash. For example, Topcashback.co.uk, pays out for referring mates. Members get £25 referral bonus once the friend has earned more than £10 cashback. There are plenty of retailers that have a referral reward scheme. Check with those you already shop with.

19. WFH? Get £125 back from the taxman

If you've worked at home for even one day over the last year because of Covid, then you could be entitled to £125 back from HM Revenue & Customs. The relief is to cover extra costs incurred such as higher heating, electricity and internet bills. Check if you are eligible and to make a claim here.

If you do claim yourself, how much you will get depends on the rate of income tax you pay. You can backdate your claim for up to the last four tax years, as long as you qualify.

20. Claim money-saving grants

You might be able to save money on soaring energy bills by making your home more energy efficient. Find out if you’re eligible for a home energy grant to help pay for things like loft and cavity wall insulation.

21. Check benefits

Millions of people are missing out on around £15 billion of unclaimed benefits, at the last count. This includes housing benefit, income support or income-related employment and support allowance (ESA), which increases the risk of individuals being pushed into financial hardship.

Anyone on a low income needs to regularly check that they’re getting all the help available to them. Search at turn2us.org.uk to ascertain what benefits you might be eligible for.

22. Check your tax code

If over the past four years you have been issued the wrong tax code you may be due an income tax rebate. Every year, millions of people pay too much tax. Find your tax code on your payslip and use an online checker such as the one on MoneySavingExpert. Brace yourself just in case you find you owe the taxman rather than being owed.

23. It pays to talk

If you’re struggling, speak to the card or loan company and ask what help they can offer you while you get back on your feet. If they refuse to help, or make the situation worse, you may be able to complain to the Financial Ombudsman - for free.

24. Avoid payday loans

Payday loans are an expensive way to borrow - and are never a good solution when it comes to how to pay off debts fast. They were designed to tide people over until payday but if you use them regularly and can’t pay on time, the charges, and debt, can spiral out of control. Avoid them at all costs.

25. Know when to get help for your debts

If you are unable to repay debts and even borrowing more to make repayments, it’s time to speak to a professional. Getting help from a debt charity is free and they can go through your finances and advise you on the best path on how to pay off debts fast. They can also deal with the bank on your behalf in some cases, sometimes getting them to freeze interest charges. Try Stepchange.org or Nationaldebtline.org.

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The 1p savings challenge is an easy way to help families get into the savings habit and the new year is the perfect time to start. 

In fact, the 1p savings challenge could help boost your bank balance by almost £700 by the end of 2026. This could be invaluable to families at a time when the cost of living is still high and knowing how to save money for your family's future can be challenging.

GoodtoKnow's Money Editor Sarah Handley says: "The thought of saving money when costs are high can feel really daunting, but if you aren't regularly putting money aside, then a savings challenge can be a great way to get you into the habit of saving."

When it comes to cash savings, one in 10 UK adults (five million people) have less than £100 to put away, and one in six (nine million people) have no savings at all, according to research from the Money and Pensions Service. If that sounds like you, then this challenge is an easy way to get into the habit of saving little and often. 

What is the 1p savings challenge and how does it work?

The 1p savings challenge involves saving little and often over the course of 12 months. On day one, you start by putting 1p aside, then you save 2p on day two, 3p on day three, and carry on in this way, saving an extra penny a day every day for a year. The amount you save goes up each day. The most you save will be on the final day, day number 365, when you put in £3.65. It really is as simple as it sounds. It's an easy way to kick start a regular savings habit. 

The traditional way to do the challenge is to start on 1 January and finish on 31 December, but there are no hard and fast rules. You can start the 1p savings challenge any day of the year.  The most important thing is to keep going! You can always try and get the whole family involved too.

How much money could I save by the end of the challenge?

If you stick to the 1p savings challenge and save an extra penny every day for a year, you will finish the year with a savings pot worth £667.95, based on a 365 day year.

Here’s a table to show how those monthly savings start to stack up.

A big part of the fun is ‘ticking off’ those daily savings, and there are lots of websites including MoneySavingExpert and Skint Dad where you can download and print off a ‘tick’ sheet. This helps you keep track of where you are in the challenge, and if you miss a day, it’s easy to spot, and you can top up your fund the next day.

Director at Love Savings Group, Adrian Yearwood, says: “We all love a good saving, but saving is not always easy. With the 1p savings challenge, saving is painless.”

You could even do the challenge in reverse. This is especially useful if you start in January as it means you’re paying less into the savings pot in the lead up to Christmas.

How should I save the money during the 1p savings challenge?

There are no rules on where you should save with the 1p savings challenge. Some people prefer using a large glass jar, as this way you can see those savings start to stack up, which acts as an incentive to keep going.

However with more of us going cashless these days, for some it may be easier to do the challenge online. An online option might also be preferable for those who think they will be tempted to dip into the large glass jar throughout the year.

You could put it straight into a savings account. If you're on a low income, it's a good idea to see if you qualify for the Help to Save scheme where you can get a government boost on your savings up to £1,200.

Rather than making small daily deposits (which your bank may not actually allow), you might want to just transfer the money to your savings account once a month. The amount will vary each month - if you wanted to save this way, this is how much you will need to save each month:

But if you're busy with family life and just want a super simple option, the easiest way to tackle the challenge is to set up a standing order to transfer £55.67 per month into your savings account. This equally splits the total you would save during the challenge by 12. By doing this, you will actually end up with £668.04 by the end of the year.

Money expert Joseph Seager of Thrifty Chap says: “Automatic transfers are the best when doing any savings challenges as you don't have to physically do anything once it's all set up. You can just enjoy life knowing that your challenge is happening and your dedicated savings account (with the best possible interest!) is filling up.”

You can pop into your local branch or speak to your bank on the phone if you need help setting up a standing order. 

You could also consider investing your savings in a stocks and shares ISA. Thrifty Chap’s Joseph Seager says: “Even though saving accounts have seen rising interest rates, you could still see your money grow more by paying into a stocks and shares ISA. These are long-term savings and you should only invest money you are happy to lock away for a minimum of five or 10 years. 

“Just like all investments, they can rise and fall and you might get back less than you invested, but if you look at the past performances of your stocks and shares ISA provider, you can see just what is possible with the cash you put away.” ISAs are tax-efficient, so any income you make from them is tax-free.

How can children join in the 1p savings challenge?

Children can definitely get on board with the 1p savings challenge - it's totally adaptable and is a brilliant tool to teach kids about money. One easy way to do this is by encouraging them to put aside just one penny a day for a whole year, which will give them £3.65 at the end of the 12 months. To encourage them to save more, you could increase this to 10p a day, which would give them £36.50 after one year.

For a child to take on the challenge, it's a good idea to get them a money box that they can open so they can regularly see how much they have saved. Here are some fun options:

You could set a regular time in the calendar to check in on progress and count how much they have managed to save - a great opportunity to start teaching those all-important money lessons.

Variations on the 1p savings challenge

You can easily adapt the challenge to make it work for you. If you think you’ll forget to put aside money every day, or want to save in an online account, you can do the 52-week 1p savings challenge instead. The idea is the same, but instead of putting money aside each day, you tot up the daily savings once a week and put in a lump sum. This means you will need to put in 28p in the first week of the challenge and £25.34 during the last week.

Alternatively, Love Savings Group’s Adrian Yearwood suggests using a round-up scheme which many banks now offer. He says: “There are multiple schemes out there that will automatically round up to the pound and place the rest into your savings. We all know just how many items are priced at x.99p, so why not save one pence each time you buy? Or make more substantial savings on those items priced much less than £1.” 

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Both Netflix and Disney+ have hiked their prices, so knowing how to reduce how much you pay while still enjoying your favourite TVs will be important to many families. 

While some people might know how to get Disney+ for free, or have already cancelled payment plans for the services they watch the least, there are still plenty of other ways you can reduce how much you pay to watch TV and movies. When you consider that more than six million households in the UK are signed up to more than one streaming service, according to Finder, and the cost of living still high, price hikes are hard for households to factor into their family budgets. 

Luckily, we've found 13 ways you can (legally) watch your favourite shows and movies for less. 

1. Downgrade your subscription to a cheaper plan

Streaming giants Netflix and Disney+ have started offering different levels of subscription plans, with the cheapest offering the same shows and movies, but with ads and a limit on other features, like how many devices can watch it at one time, or whether it's possible to download programmes or films to watch offline. At the other end of the scale, premium subscription plans are ad-free, streaming in high definition, and with capacity for multiple devices to stream at the same time. 

So if you are on a mid-range or premium plan, you could save money by downgrading to a cheaper plan. For example, if you're a Premium Netflix subscriber, you could save £5 per month by dropping to a standard plan. Or if you were prepared to have adverts as part of your subscription, then you could make a significant saving, paying just £4.99 per month instead of £15.99.

If you are an existing Netflix subscriber, you might have been paying £6.99 (although this was upped to £7.99 in October) per month, which is the cheapest way to enjoy Netflix without any ads. But unfortunately, as of July 2023, the streaming giant no longer offers this package to new or rejoining customers. If you are on this cheaper subscription plan, you can remain on it until you change plans or cancel your account.

With Amazon, you could save money by switching from an Amazon Prime account, which costs £8.99 per month, to Prime Video, which costs £5.99 per month. You won't get the other perks of Amazon Prime membership, such as free premium delivery, but it's a move worth making if you just want to stream TV content without paying extra. 

As of 1 November 2023, Disney+ has introduced new subscription plans, including a premium one at £10.99 per month and a standard-with-ads version at £4.99 per month, as well as the standard ad-free version at £7.99 per month. Existing customers will automatically be moved to the premium version and will need to downgrade to the standard version if they don't want the premium version. 

2. Set a diary reminder for your subscription renewals

Whether you've signed up for a free trial of a TV streaming service or opted for a regular monthly or annual commitment, it's worth making a note of when your streaming payment is due for renewal. They tend to roll over without notice - almost as if the providers are hoping you might, well, forget about them.

Consequently, you can end up paying for services that you've forgotten you signed up for or no longer use. To avoid wasting money, set a reminder on your phone's calendar so you'll be prompted to reconsider your subscription each time it comes to an end.

3. Pay annually instead of monthly when you renew your subscription

It's always tempting to opt for a monthly payment when you're forking out for a subscription so that you can spread the cost over the year. However, this is usually more expensive overall. 

It's generally more cost-effective to pay annually - so if you can afford to sign up for an annual subscription and pay upfront, you'll save money in the long run.

For example, an Amazon Prime subscription is £8.99 per month, which works out as £107.88 over the course of 12 months. But an annual subscription costs £95, which is almost £13 cheaper. 

Similarly, the standard ad-free plan for Disney+ costs £7.99 per month (£95.88 over 12 months), or £79.90 for an annual subscription, which is a saving of just under £16 and effectively means you are getting two months Disney+ access for free.

4. Start the cancellation process

Even if you don't actually want to cancel, starting the cancellation process can bag you a cheaper streaming fee. This trick doesn't work with Netflix, Amazon Prime or Disney+, to our knowledge, but it does with Sky and Now TV.

Don't take the first offer - the deals usually get better the further along the cancellation process you go. 

Goodto.com's Money Editor Sarah Handley saved £5 a month doing this with her Now TV subscription: "I'm a big movie fan and had the Now TV cinema package which was costing me £9.99 per month, that I felt was too expensive for how many films I was watching on the service. I signed into my account, and went through to cancel it. I started going through the process and before I got to the end I was offered a deal for six months at £4.99 a month - which I was much more prepared to pay."

5. Rotate streaming services instead of subscribing simultaneously

This works well if you have multiple film and TV streaming subscriptions on the go at once. The beauty of TV streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney + is that you're not locked into a contract so you can pause your account any time - and then subscribe again in a month or two.

You can only watch so much TV, after all, so to save money on Netflix and other TV streaming services, consider picking one streaming service per month to subscribe to. And remember that you can usually catch up on whatever you missed from the month you weren't subscribed.

However, do be wary of doing this with Netflix if you are on the Basic plan that used to cost £6.99 per month, and now costs £7.99. As this plan is no longer available to new customers, if you cancel your existing subscription, you will have to pay £10.99 per month if you rejoin and want an ad-free experience. 

6. Plan your viewing

We all love a good scroll through the TV streaming menu. But it pays to put an end to mindless scrolling and instead plan your TV viewing. You wouldn't usually turn up to the cinema and decide what to watch when you got there, so apply the same forward planning to your TV streaming to get more value from your subscription. By planning what you're going to watch in advance you can make the most of your streaming subscription and even work out where you can watch something for the cheapest price.

Streaming apps like JustWatch, ReelGood, and WatchPlayStream not only tell you which platform you can legally watch your favourite shows on but also where you should watch them to get the cheapest deal. 

7. Look out for streaming services as add-on bonuses to other purchases

If you're in the market for a new phone contract and want to save money on your streaming subscription, it's well worth shopping around for a mobile deal with a free streaming offer. Mobile phone providers often throw in streaming memberships to entice you to sign up for a new phone contract. EE and T Mobile offer free Netflix subscriptions. O2 is currently offering a free six month Disney+ subscription to customers when they upgrade. Alternatively, existing O2 customers can add Disney+ to their account, where the fee is included on your monthly phone bill, and save £2 per month on the subscription charge. That makes Disney+ £5.99 per month instead of £7.99 (which over the course of the year works out about £8 cheaper than the annual Disney+ fee).

But it's not just phone contracts that offer these perks, if you book a holiday to Disneyland Paris, you can also get Disney+ for free for a year. 

8. Check the freebies if you've bought an Apple product

If you have bought an iPhone, iPad or Apple watch, you will likely also get a free subscription to Apple TV. This could be anything from a free month, up to 12 months free. 

And with popular Apple-exclusive shows like Ted Lasso, See and Bad Sisters - it's worthwhile taking advantage of those free offers when you find them. 

Similarly, if you have bought a Samsung product, you could be eligible for up to 12 months free Disney+ so it's worthwhile seeing if your purchase qualifies. 

9. Don't forget that free streaming services still exist

Of course, you don't actually have to pay for your streaming service. While the likes of Netflix and Disney+ might have hugely popular shows, lots really good shows are quite often available to view for free elsewhere. Check out All 4, ITV Hub, My 5, and, of course, Freeview to see if what you want to watch can be found for free. 

10. Opt for a free trial - but don't forget to cancel it

A lot of streaming platforms offer a free trial before you sign up for a subscription, especially the newer ones, like Apple TV+, Paramount+ and Lionsgate+. But sadly, out of the big three (Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+), it's only Amazon Prime that still offers a free trial.

So if something's coming up that you know you're going to want to watch, it could be worth signing up for a free trial subscription to whichever platform is showing it. It's also a good way to try a platform out and see if you enjoy its programmes before you part with your cash.

The danger of this strategy is that free trials are cleverly designed so that you're likely to forget about them, which means you can end up wasting cash on something you don't need or use.

11. Use a cashback site and take advantage of vouchers

If you're not familiar with how cashback sites work, it can seem a bit shady at first but it's not. The premise is simple; if you purchase something online through a particular cashback website, you can earn some money back as a sort of commission. 

At Quidco, for example, you can claim £10 cashback when you use the site to pay for an annual subscription to Disney Plus.

You can also use your Tesco Clubcard vouchers to save on Disney+. You can exchange your Clubcard vouchers for twice their value when you spend with one of Tesco's Reward Partners, which means you only need £12 of Tesco vouchers to be able to get three months of Disney+ (worth £24). If you've got unused vouchers, this could be the perfect opportunity to keep your favourite streaming service for less.

12. Share a streaming account - legally

Most streaming service providers - including Amazon Prime and Netflix -  let you set up multiple user profiles on your account so that you can 'share' access with other family members in the same household rather than paying for multiple accounts. 

Generally, this is more affordable than paying for separate accounts so this is a good idea if you've got teens in the house. You could even persuade them to contribute to the Netflix bill.

Each streaming company has different rules for sharing accounts - Apple TV+ says it applies to students living outside of the family home, for example, whereas Amazon states that you must live in the same household to share an account. Best to check the small print before you share your login details.

As Netflix has launched a crackdown on password sharing, it has updated it's pricing structure to allow for a certain amount of extra accounts as part of your monthly fee. For example, if you pay for the Standard plan at £10.99 per month, you can add one extra member who doesn't live with you. If you have the Premium plan, which is £15.99 per month, you can add two extra members. (Netflix states that: "Extra members have their own account and password, but their membership is paid for by the person who invited them to share their Netflix account. Your plan determines how many extra member slots you can add.")

13. Work out value for money

You might find you have the perfect set up of streaming services right now, but it is worthwhile regularly checking in with which streaming services you tend to use the most. If you have one you only watch occasionally, or only watch one show, then it's definitely time to think about whether you really need to be paying for it. 

For example, if you pay £6.99 a month for a standard Netflix subscription, but only really watch Bridgerton, which across two seasons is 16 episodes, you're paying 44p per episode each month. 

But if you have a Disney+ subscription, which is £7.99 if you pay monthly, watch more shows, like Modern Family, The Simpsons and any of the Marvel or Star Wars collections, then the price you pay per episode will be much lower, and you'll be getting much better value for money.

If you're trying to decide which streaming service you want to keep, bear in mind if Pain Hustlers based on a true story, who is in Only Murders in the Building, and Dopesick vs Painkiller to help make your choice.

Drivers could save money on petrol by avoiding the one big mistake of riding around with the boot full of unnecessary items.

Petrol prices have hit a record high of costing more than £1.60 a litre so you'll be wanting to make the fuel last longer now it's causing a bigger hole in your purse of wallet.

With the rising cost of living only set to get worse as fuel prices rise due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with the UK changing where it gets its oil and gas from, and more families are looking at ways to save money on their energy bills.

There are plenty of ways to save energy at home including this radiator hack and kettle hack but do you know you could save while on the move too when it comes to saving money on fuel with a simple cleaning hack to help your fuel go for further.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when driving around is having clutter inside their vehicle as this contributes to a higher fuel consumption. So the basic cleaning hack of making sure your car is kept clutter free at all times can help you shed pounds off your car fuel costs.

When a vehicle is carrying a heavier load it doesn't perform as well on the road and long inclines will become harder work for your vehicle and many motorists will have to put their foot down harder or change down a gear to speed up - and all of these methods use more fuel.

So instead of carrying around unnecessary items in your car, motorists are advised to have a clear out of items in their cars.

This week the RAC published its tips for saving money on fuel and it advised motorists against keeping "unnecessary items in your boot as they add weight to your vehicle" as the heavier a vehicle, the more fuel it will use.

Lightening the load won't make a difference to the miles per gallon but it could stop you from filling up with fuel as often and help your fuel economy in the long run.

Professional racing driver Rebecca Jackson broke the world record for the most countries visited on a single tank of fuel, so you could say she knows a thing or two about how to drive economically.

She advised, "To set any kind of fuel efficiency world record you have to be looking ahead as much as possible to pre-empt oncoming hazards. This is a good general driving habit but it was absolutely crucial for us.

"It’s all about keeping moving and not losing momentum. Accelerating from being stopped is very costly in fuel consumption terms and so is going up any steep incline.

"We tried not to use the brakes as much by easing off the throttle to reduce speed. If you can keep moving slowly rather than stopping in traffic that’s good, but you do have to be conscious of not being a pain to other drivers by leaving too much of a gap behind the car in front.

"You need to listen to the engine to make sure you don’t use excessive revs but you need to use enough, so it’s a fine balance as you don’t want the car to be labouring too much either."

So if you're wanting to make that full tank last that little bit longer, it's time to delve into the boot and back seats to see what items you've forgotten about.

The summer picnic blanket won't be needed for another few months yet, and the spare pair of boots you put into the the back when you couldn't decide which would look best with your Christmas outfit or perhaps you've still got the charity shop donations bag that you've not yet had chance to drop off taking up space, have a proper clear out and see what you really need.

There’s one huge household mistake most people are probably guilty of making that could see your energy bills rise dramatically -  leaving items on standby

We’re all looking for ways to save on electricity bills amid the current energy crisis, with Brits across the country likely wondering what to do if their energy supplier goes bust after a record spike in global gas prices. There are now more ways than ever to help people calculate how much energy bills will cost each month.

Whilst handy hacks are springing up to give guidance, from the genius kettle hack that could save thousands and the smart radiator hack you might've missed. But it seems that whilst many of us are still seeking out the best energy-saving tips, we could be making a costly household mistake on a daily basis - not switching off electrical items.

According to new research from electricity and gas supplier Utilita the average household in the UK has 10 items left plugged in and switched off, although they’re used. 

Meanwhile, it’s estimated that 30% of UK homes have items left on standby that haven’t been used for a whole year. Speaking about the huge impact of this household mistake, sustainability lead at Utilita, Archie Lasseter has claimed that standby is an “energy drainer”.  

He explained, “Standby mode is a real energy drainer – some items use the same amount of energy as when they’re switched on. In each home, leaving just one TV on standby can waste up to £16 of electricity a year, which is a staggering £432 million for all UK households.”

Even the smallest of cost increases can add up and with energy bills already rising, it’s important to think of the items that are the worst when you make this household mistake.

Most expensive items to leave on standby:

1) Xbox and Playstation  - According to Utilita’s research games consoles such as an Xbox or PlayStations use 10 watts of electricity when on they're left on standby. This works out to 4.45 pence a day, or £16.24 a year. When they're being played with, PlayStation costs 2.41 pence per hour, and the Xbox is slightly less at 2.22 pence per hour.

2) Televisions - Watching your TV for five hours costs 3.7 pence. According to the electricity and gas supplier, just leaving your television on standby could work out as 4.45p a day and £16.24 a year.

3) Printers - How often do you actually use your home printer? If it's not very often, it could be worth unplugging the machine. Printers apparently use 4 watts when not being used, totalling 1.78p by the end of the day and £6.50 a year. 

4) Baby monitor - Meanwhile, Utilita has suggested that your baby monitor could be costing you an additional £4.87 a year if you keep them on standby. They use 15 watts of energy in use and 3 watts on standby.

5) Laptop - According to Utilita, it costs an average of 6.96 pence to work a laptop for five hours. On idle mode most devices will still use 3 watts of energy, amounting to 1.33 pence day or £4.87 each year.

6) Smart speakers - It’s even easy for people to make this household mistake and add to their own energy bills with smart speakers. Though a smart speaker will supposedly only need around 2 watts of energy when on standby, this could equate to an extra £3.45 to your bill per speaker.

 7) Mobile phone chargers - Choosing the optimum time to plug in your charger can also help reduce your bills slightly. It's not a huge amount, but leaving your charger plugged in when it's not being used could still add 32p to your bill, and that’s without the energy used to charge it. 

With so many little ways to save money, avoiding this household mistake could help you avoid making your rising energy prices even higher in 2022. Try using a smart plug to help you control your devices and appliances from your smart phone and turn them off remotely. 

A simple kettle hack could save you hundreds of pounds a year on your electric bill amid soaring energy prices. 

Saving on electric and gas bills is vital for thousands of Brits every year in winter. And this year, with the cost of living hitting new highs, many households are unable to cope as gas prices continuing to spike.

There are steps that can be taken if you want to know how to save money on your bills, some of which are as simple as making a few adaptations and tweaks to your regular routine.

Some people may be considering switching energy suppliers to get the best offers, but Martin Lewis has warned that there is "no market fix" and urged those thinking of jumping suppliers to stay put.

But it turns out simply changing the way you use your kettle could save you hundreds on energy bills a year.

According to a money-saving specialist known only as scott8bits, boiling your kettle costs roughly £400 per year.

So, rather than boiling your kettle every time you want a cup of tea, he suggested filling it up to the max and turning it on just once a day.

Once you've poured enough for your tea, transfer the rest of the water into a thermos or flask and keep it for later. You won't need to use the kettle again that day because the thermos will keep the extra water warm until the next time you want a brew.

The savvy expert predicts doing this means you be saving hundreds when it comes to making tea every year.

@scott8bits how to get cheaper energy bills how to save money #moneytips #savemoney #green #electric #save #hack #lifestyle #lifehack #energy #free #advice #top ♬ original sound - scott8bits

Captioning the video the money saving user urged, "The trick means you always have instant hot water - and it even means there's less limescale in your kettle.

"As an extra bonus, it saves the planet too - win, win!"

According to Uswitch data, a normal 3kW kettle costs roughly 9p if used for 10 minutes. It's important to remember that not everyone will spend £400 a year on boiling their kettle. It depends on your appliance's power rating and how many hot drinks you drink per day—but every little helps.

Some energy experts suggest that, opposed to what scott8bits suggests in his TikTok video, filling the kettle only with what you need is the most cost-effective approach to save money.

Knowing how to collect extra Clubcard points will help maximise the vouchers you get, which can be used to save money on your food shop or pick up some family-friendly deals and discounts at one of Tesco's Reward Partners. 

With food prices still high, many families are trying everything they can to keep costs under control. This might mean swapping to a cheaper supermarket, but could also involve making the most of the perks that come with your supermarket loyalty card. 

If you shop at Tesco, and are a Clubcard member, then you'll probably already know the surprising things you can spend your vouchers on. But while it helps to know the trick you can use if you're worried about your Tesco vouchers expiring, or how to reclaim any lost vouchers, it's worthwhile understanding how you can earn more points in the first place.

Try these 13 quick and easy tips and tricks to clock up some extra Tesco Clubcard points, besides swiping your Clubcard at the till when you check out. 

How to collect more Clubcard points

1. Forgot your Clubcard? Save your receipt to claim your Clubcard points at a later date

You'll earn points every time you swipe your Clubcard or scan the app on your phone at the till when you check out. But, if you forget to use your Clubcard, all is not lost. You just need to remember to hang on to your receipt. Take it to the Customer Service desk, along with your Clubcard next time you are in store, and ask for your points to be added to your account manually afterwards. 

It's a good idea to add your digital Clubcard your phone’s Wallet so you’ll always have it with you.

2. Give all family members a Clubcard keyfob to maximise the points you earn

An easy way to earn more Clubcard points is to get the whole family on the case. This can be especially handy if your child tends to walk past a Tesco on their way home from school or if your partner has one en route to work. 

Issue everyone in the family with their own Clubcard fob and remind them to use it at the till so their purchases can clock up points on your account. It can easily be attached to car and house keys, or even clipped to a child's purse or wallet zip.

You can request extra fobs through your online account.

3. Make sure you've downloaded the Clubcard app to get any special offers

If you’re a Clubcard member and you’re not using the Tesco Grocery and Clubcard app when you shop in-store or online, you could be missing out on special offers for Clubcard members. Download it from the App Store or on Google Play. 

4. Complete online surveys to earn more Clubcard points

Shopper Thoughts is a market research company owned by Tesco. It offers Clubcard points to members as an incentive for them to complete online surveys. With most of the surveys taking just a few minutes, it couldn't be easier to stack up extra points.

5. Make Tesco your shop of choice to maximise the Clubcard points you earn

You can collect one point for every pound you spend in-store, so it’s worth heading to Tesco whenever you need to pick up some extra bits and bobs. It's a good idea to shop smart too. Bulk-buying in-store is a great way to top up your points without spending any extra. Look out for special in-store offers on items you buy frequently - you could bulk-buy nappies or formula milk, stock up on wine, or stockpile the kids’ favourite biscuits.

6. Shop online to stock up on Clubcard points

Consider booking a monthly delivery of the household essentials you always end up running out of, such as toilet roll, toothpaste, and laundry detergent. As with in-store shopping, you’ll earn one point for every £1 you spend.

Shopping online can be much easier for parents as you can shop from the comfort of your own home at a time that suits you. It can also help you stick to a shopping list  and avoid the sneaky tricks supermarkets use to get you to spend more money. 

7. Do your clothes shopping at F&F to earn more points

Next time the kids have a growth spurt, take a look at F&F kidswear from Tesco. You’ll collect Clubcard points for every £1 you spend at Tesco on essentials like pyjamas, underwear, and school uniform.

But you can also earn points for any adult clothes you buy, so take a look in your local store if you fancy a wardrobe refresh to maximise your point-earning potential. 

8. Fill up at Tesco to earn extra points

When you need to refuel, head to your local Tesco filling station. Use your Clubcard when you fill the car up at a Tesco petrol station and you’ll collect one point for every £2 you spend. If any other family members drive, encourage them to fill up at Tesco too (and remind them to always show their Clubcard).

9. Or choose Esso petrol stations that have a Tesco Express shop

If you don't have a Tesco filling station nearby, choose any Esso branded service station with a Tesco Express instead. Here you'll still be able to collect Clubcard points when you refuel, so it's a great alternative. 

10. Join Tesco Clubcard Pay+ to earn extra points

Clubcard Pay+ is a savings account with a debit card from Tesco Bank. Tesco explains: "The Clubcard Pay+ account comes with a debit card that you can use anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted, and you'll collect Clubcard points on most of your shopping, both in and out of Tesco. It also comes with a Round Up savings account, which lets you build up your savings pot seamlessly by rounding up your spending to the nearest £1 and saving the difference for a rainy day. Your Round Up balance can be transferred out of the account to any other UK bank account in your name at anytime."

You’ll earn Clubcard points every time you use the debit card, even when you’re not shopping at Tesco. And for the first three months after opening your account, you'll earn an extra Clubcard point for every £1 you spend in Tesco. That means two points for every £1 you spend rather than the usual one point per pound. 

11. Use a Tesco Bank credit card to earn more Clubcard points

If you have a Tesco Bank credit card, you’ll earn one Clubcard point for every pound you spend every time you use it - even when you’re shopping somewhere other than Tesco. If you don’t live near a Tesco petrol station, for example, you could pop your fuel on a Tesco credit card then clear the balance each month, collecting points every time you refuel. 

Before you apply for a Tesco credit card, always check your eligibility first to avoid any negative impact on your credit score. You can use the eligibility checker on our sister site Go.Compare.

12. Earn more Clubcard points by switching to Tesco Mobile

If you have a Tesco Mobile contract, you can collect one Clubcard point for every £1 you spend on your Tesco Mobile bill. 

But if you are not yet with Tesco Mobile, you can use your Clubcard to access exclusive prices (which will be frozen for the duration of the contract). So when your existing contract is up, it's worthwhile checking whether you can get a cheaper deal by using your Clubcard with Tesco Mobile. 

You can maximise points by encouraging your family to consider Tesco Mobile for their phone contracts too. 

13. Join Clubcard Christmas Savers

Joining the Christmas Savings Scheme means you’ll receive all your Clubcard vouchers in November in time to get money off your Christmas shopping at Tesco. To join, log in to your online Clubcard account and select Clubcard Christmas Saver via the ‘voucher schemes’ page. If you choose to top up your account with your own money, you can earn up to £12 in bonus vouchers.

Perks of having a Tesco Clubcard

As a Tesco Clubcard member, you'll get the following perks:

• You’ll earn Clubcard points every time you shop online or in-store at Tesco
• Once you’ve earned a certain number of points, you can claim them as vouchers and get money off your shopping
• You can also swap the vouchers for double their value with a range of Tesco Clubcard Reward Partners

It’s free (and quick) to become a Tesco Clubcard member. Simply download the Tesco Grocery and Clubcard app on your phone via the App Store or on Google Play and register. Then scan the app when you checkout online or in-store to collect points. 

You can also apply online at tesco.com and print off a temporary card to use in-store (before your official card arrives - just tap it at the checkout or add your Clubcard number to your Tesco account to collect your Clubcard points as you shop.

If you don't shop at Tesco, you might be wondering if Aldi is cheaper than Lidl or how to reduce food waste to keep your food bill as low as it can be.

Video of the week 

Wondering how to reclaim lost or unspent Tesco Clubcard vouchers? The good news is it's surprisingly easy and it means you can take advantage of a whole host of perks that Clubcard vouchers bring. 

You might already be shopping at the cheapest supermarket to keep the cost of your food shopping under control, but it's worthwhile checking that you are signed up to your supermarket's loyalty card scheme so you can make use of any perks they offer. This could be anything from exclusive pricing, to money off your food shop, or even days out with the family. In the case of Tesco, this will be the Clubcard.

Goodto.com's Money Editor Sarah Handley explains: "There are loads of great benefits that come with being a Clubcard member, from exclusive discounts and money off your food shop, and the opportunity to exchange your vouchers for twice their value with a host of Reward Partners, including Hotels.com, Disney +, and Virgin Atlantic."

It's important to remember that you only have two years to spend your vouchers once they have been issued, although there is a simple trick you can use if you're worried about your Tesco vouchers expiring. But what do you do if you've lost your vouchers? 

How to reclaim lost Tesco vouchers

It's easy to reclaim lost or unspent Clubcard vouchers. Simply log into your Tesco Clubcard account - you’ll need your email address, password, and Clubcard number handy - and click on 'My Clubcard Account' to check for unused vouchers. You can print them out at home to use in-store or use the codes when you shop online.

Do note that if it's been more than two years since you last used your Clubcard, you'll need to register for a new Clubcard account.

How to earn Tesco vouchers

To earn Tesco vouchers, you will need to be a Clubcard member, and use your Clubcard when you shop in store or online. You'll earn one point for every pound you spend. Then, once you've collected 150 points, you'll get a £1.50 Clubcard voucher to use in-store or online, or you can save them up to spend with one of Tesco's Reward Partners. 

You'll receive your Clubcard vouchers in the post every three months once you've earned at least 150 points. If you don't want to wait for your vouchers, you can request for your points to be turned into a Faster Voucher, through your online Clubcard account, that you can get within 24 hours. But there are limitations on when you can receive Faster Vouchers. You can't usually get them in the two weeks before regular Clubcard vouchers are sent out, which happens in February, May, August and November.

While Tesco Clubcard vouchers are valid for two years, Faster Vouchers expire after 21 months. And if you join the Faster Vouchers scheme, you will no longer receive a Clubcard statement in the post - you'll get a quarterly statement by email instead. 

How much are Clubcard points worth?

The value of a Clubcard point depends on what you choose to spend it on. If you want to spend your points in Tesco, every point is worth a penny. So when you’ve collected 500 points you'll get a voucher to get £5 off when you shop in Tesco. 

But if you really want to maximise the value of your points, then you can get twice their value if you spend them with a Reward Partner. For example, if you have £12 worth of Clubcard vouchers, you can exchange these for a three-month Disney+ subscription, which normally costs £24. If you don't have enough vouchers for this, there are other ways to get Disney+ for free. 

Take inspiration from these ideas for what you can spend your Clubcard vouchers on. 

How to collect Clubcard points

To collect points, you will need to make sure you use your Clubcard every time you shop at Tesco (in store or online). For every £1 in-store or online, you’ll earn one point. If you use your Clubcard when you’re filling up your car with fuel, you’ll earn one point for every £2 you spend at Tesco petrol stations.

You can also earn Clubcard points if you use Tesco Mobile, Tesco Clubcard Pay+ or Tesco Bank. And if you'd like to collect some extra points without spending any money, check out the Clubcard website where you can take part in surveys in return for Clubcard points.

What are Clubcard Prices?

Clubcard prices are exclusive to Clubcard members, and mean that members get special discounts on hundreds of products when they shop at Tesco. If you're shopping in-store, simply open the Tesco Grocery & Clubcard app on your phone and scan it at the checkout or show your Tesco Clubcard or key fob at the till. If you're shopping online, you'll automatically be shown Clubcard Prices.

What is Clubcard Plus?

Tesco Clubcard Plus is an additional loyalty scheme that is available to Clubcard members and costs £7.99 per month (£95.99 per year). With this scheme, you can save up to £20 (10%) off two separate grocery shops (in-store only) up to the value of £200 each every month. 

You can also get 10% off non-grocery Tesco brands including F&F, Fred & Flo, and Tesco Pet. And if you have a pay-monthly Tesco Mobile contract, you can get double data through Clubcard Plus. You're not tied into a contract and can cancel at any time. But it's worth remembering that the scheme doesn’t apply to fuel or other exemptions including infant formula milk, prescription medicines, and purchases in Tesco in-store cafés or coffee shops. 

How to get a Tesco Clubcard

It’s quick and easy to become a Tesco Clubcard member - and it's free! Simply download the Tesco Grocery and Clubcard app on your phone via the App Store or on Google Play. Then scan the app to collect points when you checkout online or in-store. You can also use the app to check your balance and even spend your vouchers using your phone.  

Alternatively, you can apply online at tesco.com and print off a temporary card to use in-store - just tap it at the checkout or add your Clubcard number to your Tesco account to collect your Clubcard points as you shop.

As a Tesco Clubcard member, you'll get the following perks:

• You’ll earn Clubcard points every time you shop online or in-store at Tesco
• Once you’ve earned a certain number of points, you can claim them as vouchers and get money off your shopping
• You can also swap the vouchers to access discounts and deals from a range of Tesco Clubcard Reward Partners

There are other ways to earn Clubcard points too. You can collect them at Tesco fuel stations and every time you use a Tesco Bank credit or debit card, if you have one. If you're restocking the kids' wardrobes - or your own - head in store to F&F Clothing to earn points and don't forget to consider other Tesco services like Tesco Clubcard Pay + or Tesco Mobile.

Even if you have a Clubcard, it's worth knowing how to save money on food, and if you don't shop at Tesco, we did an experiment to see if Aldi was cheaper than Lidl.

They're springing up on rooftops around the country - but what's the big deal?

Solar panel electricity systems, also known as Solar PV, capture the sun's energy to help you save money off your energy bills. And there's also the opportunity for you to make money, too.

You can use them to

• Cut your electricity bills (once you've paid the initial set up costs you electricity bills will be reduced)
• 
  
• Get paid for energy that you generate, even if you use it.
• 
  
• Sell energy that you don't use back to the grid

How much can you save?

Current calculations by the Energy Saving Trust (EST) estimate that a typical domestic system could save and generate an income of £770 every year. This is based on current rates which are set to fall again in April. An installation of this size generates 3,700 kilowatt hours of electricity - enough to power a typical home's electricity for a year.

Why are the rates falling?

The rates, called Feed in Tariffs (or FiT) have been falling every year in line with government energy targets - so the sooner you sign up the better.

How much do solar panels cost?

The average domestic system costs between £6,000 and £9,000 for an average of 16 panels on a roof - but it depends on how many panels you want to install. Costs have fallen significantly over the last year but they do vary between installers and products. Get at least three quotes from Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accredited installers to see how they compare.

Is there much upkeep required?

There are a few maintence costs. You will just need to keep panels clean and make sure trees don't start to overshadow them. The panels should last for 25 years or more but a piece of technology, called the inverter, is likely to need replacing during this time. This usually costs about £1,000.

Can you get them?

Not every dwelling is suitable. To qualify for a FiT payment you need to have an Energy Performance Certificate of grade D or above - this rates your property on how energy efficient it is. You need one of these whenever you want to build, sell or rent a property. You can find out information on how to get one from the gov.uk website.

You home would usually need to have a south facing roof, with no shade and other buildings or trees. Solar panels still work on cloudy days - so there's no need to worry about that. Obviously they're more effective in bright sunlight, so the summer months are the most productive because of the longer daylight hours.

Are you tempted by solar panels? Tell us in the comment box below. 

Where to next?

• The latest price glitch  
• 
  
• 10 energy saving myths busted 
• 
  
• How to switch energy suppliers

Use your smartphone to help save you cash. We round up the top 15 money-saving phone applications to download today

Use your smartphone to help save and make money by downloading the best money saving apps. We round up our top 20!

A smartphone is pricey but there is a way to help save money and make money. Yes, make money!

We've rounded up our 20 favourite money saving apps - which can be downloaded onto a whole host of gadgets including iPhone, iPad, iPod, Windows Phone and Android phones and tablets.

From never forgetting to collect your Tesco points to making money doing market research and online surveys we have rounded up all the best apps.

Don't forget to download the app when you're connected to a Wi-Fi connection so that you don't drain your data allowance - unless you're on an unlimited data contract!

And don't forget to let us know about any apps that you use that we've forgotten to include. We'd love to hear from you - email Tara_Evans@IPCMedia.com or write them in the comments below.

1. PetrolPrices Pro

You might have sussed out the cheapest place to buy petrol near you, but what about when you're driving to see friends or going on holiday? Here's where the Petrol Prices Pro app comes in handy. It gives you access to fuel prices at 11,000 petrol stations in the UK and it claims to be the only iPhone app to show you the exact price of petrol at the station you're visiting. Avoid paying the charge by using the website for free.

Price: £2.99

Available on: iPhone and iPod Touch

2. Say No To 0870

From time to time we all find ourselves needing to call a pricey 0870 number, and when you do, the saynoto0870 app is essential! You type in the premium number you're calling (it works for 0870 and 0845 numbers) and it will try to find you a cheaper version to call with an 01 or 02 prefix, which can come out of your free minutes. It doesn't work every time, but even with a 50% success rate, it could still save you a packet. If you want to avoid paying for the app then use the website for free.

Price: 69p

Available on: iPhone and Android

3. Tesco Groceries

If you're always forgetting to take your Clubcard out with you, Tesco's Groceries app will ensure you never forget to claim your points again. You can set the app up with your card number and then show it at the till to claim your points. You can also check your points balance, redeem eCoupons and vouchers and find all the best offers instore, as you're shopping!

Price: Free

Available on: iPhone, BlackBerry and Nokia smartphones

4. Skype

Downgrade your mobile contract and use the Skype mobile app to call your friends instead! Skype lets you call using the internet for free, rather than a telephone connection - so you can wave goodbye to hefty phone bills. The best bit is, if you have friends or family abroad, you can stay in contact absolutely free using this app on your phone - amazing!

Price: Free

Available on: iPhone, iPod Touch, most Nokia smartphones and Android

5. Red Laser

Turn your phone into a mean barcode-scanning machine with the Red Laser app. Take it round the shops with you and scan items that you're interested in buying. The app will then compare the product's price and tell you the cheapest alternative cost for the item. It works best with big buys like electrical appliances, rather than a tin of beans.

Price: Free

Available on: iPhone, Android and Windows Phone

6. Direct Debit Control Centre

Do you find that unexpected Direct Debit payments sometimes put you in the red and get you big bank charges as a result? This handy app will alert you before any Direct Debit is due to come out, so you've got time to move money around. all you need to do is add in all your direct debit payment dates and the app will do the rest.

Price: Free

Available on: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Android

7. Onavo

If a big part of your mobile bill comes from browsing the net or going over your data allowance, this app could help you save. Onavo lowers the amount of data you use by compressing the information from any web page you visit or app you use, resulting in smaller amounts of data being transferred, which in turn, lowers the cost for you. If you ever need to use the internet on holiday, this will also stop you racking up huge bills abroad.

Price: Free

Available on: iPhone, iPad and Android

8. WhatsApp

Fancy free texts? Yes please! Download WhatsApp Messenger to your phone and get your friends and family to do the same - that way, you can text each other for free, using the same data plan that you use for email and browsing the web. It also has group chat so is great for catching up with friends and sending pictures and videos.

Price: Free

Available on: iPhone, Android and BlackBerry

9. Viber

Like WhatsApp, with Viber you can make calls and send texts that are completely free - even to friends and family abroad if they've also downloaded Viber. It uses 3G or Wi-Fi with the allowance from your existing tariff and connects up to your current address book, so you can see who already uses it. You don't need a pin or username so it's really easy to start using.

Price: Free

Available on: iPhone, iPad, Google Play, Windows Phone, Blackberry and Nokia

10. thetrainline.com

If you use travel by train, this handy app from thetrainline.com is a must. Apart from giving you info on the next train home, the app also helps you plan your trip so you can avoid peak times and the more expensive routes. A must-have if you're confused by complicated rail timetables and fares.

Price: Free

Available on: Apple, Windows Phone, Android, Blackberry and Nokia

11. musicMagpie

If you've got lots of old DVDs, CDs and games lying around, why not make some quick and easy money from them with musicMagpie? This nifty iPhone app lets you scan in your item using the phone's camera and then tells you what it's worth. You can sell your CDs etc, and check the status all from your phone.

Price: Free

Available on: iPhone and Google Play

12. mySupermarket

It can be tricky to work out the cheapest location for grocery products, so iPhone users can search for 'mySupermarket' in the App Store and compare the cost of products by scanning them in. It works out their like-for-like value (not always on multi-pack products). It'll show you the best deals in-store for different categories and products. Eventually you'll be able to send a 'basket' to your chosen store and book a delivery slot.

Price: Free

Available on: iPhone (Android will be available soon)

13. Currency converter

The XE Currency Converter app is a must-have app if you're on holiday. You can convert almost any world currency on the go with this simple calculator app which is regularly updated. It's perfect for checking prices when you're shopping and invaluable if you're bartering at markets. You can even store the last updated rates so it'll work when you don't have coverage.

Price: Free

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, BlackBerry, Android and Windows Phone 7

14.TicketySplit

Splitting a train journey could save you money and the TicketySplit app works out the cost of walk-on train fares. This app doesn't cover advance or return tickets - only 'single' today tickets, so always double check the return price too.

Price: Free

Available on: iPhones

15. Vouchercloud

Search for vouchers in your area by using the Vouchercloud app. It locates all the nearest local deals and you can download them to your phone - no need for printing!

Price: Free

Available on: Apple products, Google, Windows Phone and Blackberry

16. Wotwine?

Wonder if the bottle of wine you're buying is worth the price? Choose your wine in the supermarket, scan the barcode and get the true 'value' of the bottle using the Wotwine? app. Experts calculate the value of bottles of wine so you don't end up buying a bottle that isn't really a good deal.

Price: Free

Avalable on: iTunes

17. Field Agent

The Field Agent iPhone app allows you to conduct small scale market research tasks...and get paid for it! Your 'mission', should you choose to accept it, is to take photos of products and pen reviews - each task usually pays £4.50, but sometimes you could get as much as £10. The money is paid back to you via PayPal and you can collect your money whenever you like.

Price: Free

Available on: iPhones

18. Kayak

Compare hundreds of travel sites to find the best deal on your hotel, flight or car booking for a holiday with Kayak. Set up price alerts so that you get notifications of when the price of something you want to book changes. Keep your eyes peeled for 'special' last minute holiday deals.

Price: Free

Available on: iTunes, Android, Windows and Amazon Kindle Fire

19. Swagbucks

The Swagbucks website pays you for your opinions. Complete a survey, watch a video or try out a tool and earn points, called Swagbucks. Once you've earned enough you can exchange them for gift cards at major stores.

At the moment you can exchange 849 Swagbucks for a £5 Amazon voucher or 1,689 for a £10 Marks & Spencer's gift card.

Price: Free

Available on: iTunes and Google Play

20. Delay Repay

This app costs 69p but it helps you submit claims for compensation if your train is delayed. If you're a regular traveller it will also monitor the line you travel on and will notify you if you can make a claim. Click 'claim' on the app to fill in the form - the Delay Repay app will do the rest.

Price: 69p

Available on: iTunes and Google Play

Where to next?

• Get paid to shop in our cashback area
• Your money questions answered
• 111 money-saving tips for mums

Do you immediately call out the gas man when your central heating stops working or phone the plumber when your toilet is blocked or your cistern overflows? You might be surprised at how many jobs you can fix yourself – if you know how.

Do you immediately call out the gas man when your central heating stops working or phone the plumber when your toilet is blocked or your cistern overflows? You're not the only one, but you might be surprised at just how many jobs you can fix yourself - and save money too.

Whether it's a dripping tap, a door with loose hinges or your washing machine door won't open, it's easy to pay someone to come out and fix it. Sometimes, you will have to call out the professionals and we're not saying you should fix everything on your own by any means. But before you make that call, read on to find out what you might want to try out on your own and save money while you're doing it.

How to unblock a toilet

Nothing worse than a blocked toilet but it can be easy to fix. If it's a small blockage, the easiest way is to quickly pour a bucket of water into the toilet bowl which should dislodge the blockage. You can also use a standard rubber plunger to do this. Remember, if the water doesn't shift the blockage, you'll have a toilet bowl full of water so be prepared with plenty of towels to hand.

If you know what the blockage is e.g. a sanitary item or nappy, put on a pair of (preferably long) rubber gloves and pull it out. However, if the blockage is of a more 'natural' substance and not something you can pick up, use a short piece of garden hose (about a metre long) and push it into the toilet and around the U-bend - this should shift the item along. It's not nice, but this can save money on a call-out.

It's worth reminding the family to only put toilet paper into the toilet - nappies, tampons, sanitary towels, condoms etc should all be wrapped up and binned.

How to fix a dripping tap

Admittedly, this is one of those jobs that you may not want to fix yourself, but if the problem is just replacing the washer, it’s relatively straightforward and will save you a call-out fee. Just take your time and follow these steps.

First, find out which type of valve you need, so you can buy the correct replacement. Most taps have one of three. The most traditional is a rubber washer on the end of a compression valve inside the tap. A more modern type is a ceramic disc washer that’s part of the valve inside the tap. The third type is actually a ceramic cartridge, used in monobloc’ taps where one handle controls both water flow and temperature. To work out which one you have, turn on the tap. A tap which rotates through one or more turns probably has a rubber washer. If it only does a quarter of a turn, it’s a ceramic disc.

You’ll need two screwdrivers (slothead and Philips/crosshead), adjustable pliers, an adjustable spanner, a cloth and a new washer. Make sure the tap is off by turning off the isolation value, usually on the supply pipe below the sink. Use a slothead screwdriver to do it this – you’ll know the valve is off because the slot on the screw won’t be aligned with the pipe – the line will run across it instead.

If you don’t have isolation valves, there may be a handle to turn. If there isn’t, and there are no other stop valves on the pipe, you may have to call a plumber as you can’t do this unless you’ve turned off the water

Next, turn the tap on to flush out water that’s left in the pipe. The next step is removing the tap handle. You may be able to unscrew it by hand, with the spanner, there might be a screw inside the handle or you can use a slothead screwdriver to remove the tap lid. If there’s a shroud/cover around the tap, you need to unscrew it or use slip-joint pliers to loosen it.

Once the valve is visible, use the spanner to grip the base of the valve (where it connects with the main tap) then, using pliers and a cloth to keep the tap in position, use a spanner to undo the valve itself.

You’re almost there. Loosen then unscrew the valve and either replace the ceramic disc valve with a new one or remove the old rubber washer using the end of a screwdriver and fit the new one. You then need to reassemble the tap (easier since you've just disassembled it). Finally, turn on the water and the tap should be drip-free. If not, you may need a plumber but if all it needed was a new washer, you've done it.

How to unblock a sink or plughole

One of the cheapest ways to unblock pipes is pour a mixture of bicarbonate of soda and vinegar down the drain. Just sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda into the plughole then slowly pour vinegar (a cheap one will do) until it fizzes up. Leave it overnight. Repeat this each evening until the water flows better. Avoid using caustic or highly chemical drain unblockers as they can damage the pipes.

You can also use use a plunger. Remember to block the overflow holes at the top of the sink/bath (use a damp kitchen towel or an old rag) as this means the pressure of the water as you plunge will go through through the system and not back out of the overflow. Place the plunger over the plughole and fill the sink/bath with just enough water that it covers the rubber part of the plunger. Move the plunger up and down quickly until the the water flows quickly.

To maintain a clean, fast-flowing drain, use a plunger regularly. Also, buy plughole strainers (available from the pound shop and supermarkets) which collect hairs etc instead of them clogging up the pipes.

How to bleed a radiator

If radiators aren't heating up properly, there's probably excess air inside them and they need 'bleeding'. You just need a bleeding key (available at DIY stores) which fits the valves. Before you start, make sure all the radiators valves are on, then turn the central heating on for about 10 minutes before turning it off.

Put the bleeding key into the valve (top corner) and turn it slowly anti-clockwise. If there?s any air trapped, you'll hear a hissing sound as the air escapes. As soon as any water escapes, close the valve - use an old towel to soak up any excess water. That's it!

Some radiators might have their own air release valve in which case, you don't need a bleeding key. It's usually a small red valve which you turn in the same way as above. Repeat the process for other radiators then turn the heating on to check they're working. If any water is dripping, you just need to tighten the valve.

Note: if the radiators are cool in just one part of the house, it could be they're not balanced properly - the radiators closest to the boiler might be taking more hot water than they need. To rectify this, you will need to call out a heating engineer. Similarly, if the radiators remain cold at the bottom even after bleeding, it could a build-up of rust or sludge and you would need a heating engineer to flush out the system.

How to fix low boiler pressure

Often, if the central heating stops working, it could be simply that the boiler's water pressure has dropped. If this is the reason, it's surprisingly simple to fix yourself. Most boilers have a water pressure indicator on the front, either a digital one or a dial, and it should show between one and two bars of atmospheric pressure. If it's less than one, your boiler pressure is too low.

You need to find the cold water feed to your boiler, typically a plastic tube under your boiler or next to it. There may be a panel below your boiler which you need to remove. There will be a small tap on this plastic tube - turn slowly until you see the pressure indicator hit somewhere between one and two, at which point turn off the tap. Turn the boiler on to check it's working. Of course, if you're in any doubt then you should contact an engineer straight away.

How to hang a picture frame

It's not that hard to hang up a frame - take your time and it's easy to do. An extra person is useful, if not essential, to make sure it's straight though. For smaller paintings and unframed ones, you just need a picture hook and a small nail (around 3cm). With a pencil, mark the spot where you want to hang the hook - ask someone to hold the painting so you can stand back and check its position. Before you hammer it into the wall, angle the nail upwards just slightly then knock it into the wall until about 1cm is still sticking out. Make sure you're not hammering into the wall near light switches or electrical points.

If you want to hang a larger picture, especially if framed with glass, then a simple picture hook may not be enough. If the painting has a string along the back, you can use two picture hooks, as above, and hang it up in the same way, using a spirit level to make sure it's straight.

Remember, if the wall is a plasterboard stud wall, you will need something called a toggle bolt which is designed for thin/hollow walls. A stud detector is also useful - it helps to detect wood studs so you can secure the hooks to something stable, otherwise the painting could fall down.

How to fix cracks in a wall

Cracks in the wall often look worse than they are. They don't necessarily signify structural problems but obviously if they get bigger, you may have to call out a builder. However, small cracks are easy to fix. The main thing you need is an all-purpose filler (either powder which you mix with water or a ready-mixed paste) that's suitable for walls.

It's tempting to just fill over the crack but do clean it first. Use an old paint brush to do this then use a filling knife to apply the filler. Press it in firmly and scrape off any excess. Always allow plenty of time for the filler to dry out before you start sanding it. If the crack is quite deep, you may need to do a second application. You can then repaint. Simple!

How to fix a loose door

If a door is proving hard to close, you may have a loose hinge. There are several ways you can fix this. Firstly, try tightening the screws on the hinge. In some cases, that will be all you need to do but if it doesn't work, you can try replacing the screws with longer ones.

Make sure you buy the right replacements too - just work out how many screws you need, then remove one to take with you to the DIY store and buy that type but 1cm longer. Remember to buy slotted head screws (with just one line across them) as crosshead screws are harder, if not impossible, to remove if you paint over them. Replace them one at a time so that your door doesn't fall off the frame!

Some people also buy wooden dowels and tap them them into the holes before rescrewing as this makes the screws sit tighter and makes the hinge sturdier. If you find that the door is still loose or not closing properly, you could sand the area which is getting stuck.

How to fix a washing machine

Washing machine problems can be a nightmare as it's an appliance you can't do without. Before you call the plumber, you might be able to troubleshoot yourself. Some of these initial solutions might sound obvious, but always good to eliminate them. Make sure other items are working as it could be a power cut. Also check it's plugged in and that the door is securely closed. If you've had any plumbing work done recently, check the water inlet isolation taps (usually under the sink) are open and that there are no kinks in any hoses. You should also keep your manual to hand as many common problems and solutions are highlighted in there.

If the washing machine is filled with water, you can drain the water, but be prepared for a little mess. Turn the washing machine off and find the outlet pipe - this is the one which usually links up with the sink's waste water system. Pull the drain hose out and put it into a bowl so the water can come out. If the bowl is filling up, hold up the hose above the washing machine's water level so you have time to empty the bowl. Remember though, if you've taken out the drain hose from a connection under the sink, don't pour the excess water back into the sink as you will flood your floor! Put it into another bowl and get someone to empty that in the bathroom and bring it back empty.

Another problem is the door not opening. It could be the load hasn't completely finished - time-delay systems vary but make sure you've waited or heard the click. Some doors won't open if there is any water left inside in which case you will need to do the process above - this can happen before or after you've put a load in. Check the programme selection knob is in a stop position too as it may not open if it think it's mid-programme. If it still won't open, you may need to call out a plumber.

If you've opened the washing machine door and it's flooded your kitchen, the first thing you need to do is turn it off completely. If that doesn't stop the water flow, turn off the inlet taps or isolation valves - these vary in terms of where they are so check your manual. Don't use the 'drain' programme setting if the machine is leaking or flooding though. You may need to call a plumber to find out why it flooded and have it fixed.

Tip: familiarising yourself with your washing machine is one way to avoid potential problems. Also, keep your filter clean. The outlet filter is usually at the front of the machine behind a removable panel. You can empty it when the machine is off and clean it out to prevent blockages.

If your washing machine smells of damp, run a short wash cycle on your washing machine on a hot water setting and add 2 small cups white vinegar into the powder drawer - it has a deodorising and disinfecting properties. Always wipe the seal around the washing machine door after each wash to avoid damp building up inside the drum.

How to fix an overflowing cistern

If your cistern is overflowing, it's usually because the inlet valve inside the cistern isn't in the right place - it's either letting in either too much or too little water. As long as your cistern is easy to access and not hidden, you should be able to fix it - all you need is a screwdriver.

There are three ways of changing the water level, depending on what controls the water level in your particular cistern. When you open the cistern cover, it should make sense which valve you have from the descriptions below.

If you have a torbeck valve - a valve with a little float dangling - it's very easy. To raise the water level, slightly turn the float clockwise. To lower the water level, turn the float anti-clockwise. If your cistern has a modern plastic float arm, the water level is controlled by the plastic screw and nut - you can see it next to the inlet valve on the float arm. Here, you do the opposite - turn it anti-clockwise to raise the water level and clockwise to lower it. The third type is a traditional metal float arm where there is a metal or plastic ball on the end of a metal arm. Bend the arm up to increase the water level and down to lower it.

Where to next?

Back to the start

Things you can make at home instead of buying

Spruce up your kitchen on a budget

Are you spending too much on prescriptions, contact lenses or gym membership? Staying healthy might seem expensive, but there are lots of great money-saving tips to help you spend less without compromising on your health. 

And at a time where it's never been more important to know how to save money, it's important to reduce costs wherever you can. Read our tips, from how to reduce your medicine costs to making homemade cold remedies so you can save money on your essential health needs.

Bulk-buy prescriptions

If you need lots of medicines, you could be spending a small fortune at £7.85 a pop, unless you’re exempt from paying e.g. over 60, pregnant, have a valid medical exemption certificate (MedEx) or live in Scotland. However, you can buy a prescription prepayment certificates (PPC) in England which will save you money.

A three-monthly PPC costs £29.10 and is worth it if you need four or more items in three months while a 12-month certificate cost £104 and will save you money if you need 14 or more items in 12 months. You can pay via 10 monthly direct debit instalment payments and it means you will get all the prescriptions needed for £2 per week.

You can find out more about this at nhs.uk or call 0300 330 1341.

Buy own-brand painkillers

When it comes to painkillers, what matters are the active ingredients. However, we often pay more for branding, packaging and the advertising that goes with that. In many cases, the active ingredients in branded pills are identical to the big brands - and half the price. If you want to be sure, check the product license numbers on the pack. They can often be the same, which means it's the same product. Even if you’re convinced your branded pills are better, at least try chemist-own or supermarket painkillers and other medicines. You may find they work just as well...

Buy contact lenses online

As with many things now, buying online can be a real money-saver. It depends on individual opticians and the deals they have at any given time, but as a general rule, buying your lenses online offers significant savings. You will still have to go for your sight test and contact lens check-up at an opticians but you can then email your prescription to an online lens specialist and order from there.

Prices vary depending on the type of contact lenses you wear (daily, monthly etc) and also on the brand, but websites worth looking at include getlenses.co.uk, welovelenses.com, contactlenses.co.uk and asda-contact-lenses.co.uk.

You can also pick up cleaning solutions online although one of the cheapest products around is Asda’s All-in-one solution (360ml) for £4.98.

Make your own sore throat soother

Don’t waste money on products which promise to get rid of your sore throat – you can make your own. All you need is honey, fresh lemon and own-brand Paracetamol. Just squeeze a lemon into hot water and add a few spoons of honey. You can take a couple of painkillers afterwards too for the full effect.

Honey works wonders because it traps bacteria and makes it difficult for them to move about. Lemon is packed with vitamin C and because it stimulates saliva, makes swallowing less painful. You can even just mix lemon juice with honey and lick it off the spoon!

Got a cold? Use menthol crystals

Inhaling steam is one of the oldest, most effective ways of clearing a bunged-up nose and relieving congestion. You can buy a small pot of menthol crystals for under £2 from your local chemist – you only need to add a tiny amount as they are concentrated so very strong. Just cover it with a towel to trap the steam, get underneath it and inhale. It’s cheaper than Vicks and other products and just as effective.

Menthol crystals also work well for aeroplane ear’ - if your ears hurt while flying, just ask the crew for a cup of hot water, dissolve a few of your crystals and inhale (it helps to unblock the Eustachian tube where pressure builds up!)

Go over-the-counter

Sometimes, you may be prescribed a painkiller or cream which is actually available over-the-counter, often saving a significant amount – especially given the rise in prescription costs to £7.85 from April 2013. It depends on how much of the medicine you need – a bulk prescription can be cheaper if you need vast quantities. Hydrocortisone and aqueous are among those which are far cheaper bought directly.

You can also ask your pharmacist if there is an alternative to the prescribed medicine that is cheaper although it depends on how severe or chronic your problem is as you may not want to, or be recommended, to use a substitute.

Free sight tests

Unless you qualify for free sight tests (they are free in Scotland for everyone), you will have to pay for any eye tests. You may already know they’re free for under 16s, over 60, on Income Support, but you are also eligible if you are have been diagnosed with diabetes or glaucoma, you’re 40 or over, and your mother, father, brother, sister, son or daughter has been diagnosed with glaucoma or you’ve been advised by an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) that you’re at risk of glaucoma. For a full list of those who are entitled to a free eye test, check nhs.uk.

However, you can also get free eye tests on the high street. Tesco Opticians offer free sight tests (no obligation to buy glasses or lenses there) and Boots and other major opticians sometimes have vouchers or place adverts in magazines and newspapers offering free sight tests so it’s worth looking out for those.

Use the free outdoor gym

You may have noticed an increase in outdoor gyms in a designated area of your local park with a range of equipment such as exercise bikes, high bars and cross trainers, usually aimed for adults. These outdoor exercise areas are designed to remove the two main barriers which some people face when it comes to going to the gym - cost and getting there. With gym memberships often pricey, or not easy to get to, these al fresco gyms are a great way of exercising so if you have one near you, get fit for free.

Photo credit: The Great Outdoor Gym Company - www.tgogc.com

Cut down on dental costs

Dental charges vary depending on what treatment you need but are broadly split into 3 bands. Band 1costs £18 and covers examination, diagnosis (e.g. X-rays), advice and scale and polish if needed. Band 2 costs £49 and includes the above plus fillings, root canal work or any teeth extraction. Band 3 costs £214 and covers Band 1 and 2 plus crowns, dentures and bridges. To find out if you’re exempt from these costs, visit nhs.uk/nhsengland

If you’re not exempt from costs, there are various options. Dental insurance or private medical insurance can work out well if you have serious dental problems, as they will cover a certain percentage of your treatment but you must read policies carefully. To cut down on Band 1 check-ups, invest in an electric toothbrush to keep your teeth in good condition. As with many health issues, prevention is cheaper than cure so brush your teeth regularly and eat healthily to avoid avoidable treatment.

The wonder of salt

Suffering from mouth ulcers or a blocked sinus? It’s tempting to go and buy specialist products from the pharmacist but you can make your own salt gargle/saline solution by bringing water to a boil, mixing salt into it until it dissolves then letting the saline mixture cool before placing in a clean covered jar or bottle.Some people add baking soda to the salt. You can also use this solution to clean a wound.

Having a pet is brilliant but it can be costly too with everything from insurance and vaccinations to pet food and holiday care to think about. Read our money-saving guide for your favourite furry friend.

According to a Blue Cross survey in 2011, Britain's 26 million pet owners spend about £14.9 billion a year on their pets' care - which works out at almost £600 a year each.And that's just an average for all pets - the average cost of owning a dog is about £1,183 a year. But you can save money on your pet without compromising on their welfare with our savvy tips.

Consider upkeep costs

If you're thinking about getting a pet, make sure you know the ongoing costs for that pet. Just like some cars have very expensive car parts and attract higher premiums, it's the same for pets. Insurance for crossbreed dogs, for example, is often cheaper than for pedigree or purebreds. Rabbits are often seen as cheaper pets, but remember they should be bought in pairs which will increase costs, so think wisely. Fish, reptiles and rodents probably have the lowest costs, but they all need care and time, especially if they become ill.

A rescue animal is another option. Not only is it a lovely thing to do, you'll usually be paying less than if you bought it from a pet shop or breeder, although the ongoing costs remain the same. Upfront costs usually include a donation to the charity and you may get subsidised vaccinations, neutering and other assistance.

If you're thinking of getting pet but aren't sure which one's best for you, have read through our feature on picking the right pet for your family.

Get insured

goodtoknow top tip! We may have the NHS for emergencies but there's no pet version and vets' bills can be sky high, so it's better to pay a little each month so you're covered. You need to find the right level for your pet and check that the excess is affordable. Obviously the higher the excess, the lower the premium, but then you must be prepared to pay that excess.

Ensure there's no time limit on how long you can claim for each illness. If your pet gets a chronic illness where they need treatment for the rest of their life, an annual cover policy will only pay for the first year.

Make sure there's no 'cut-off' age as you want your pet to be covered no matter how long they live for.

Third party cover is, for example, if your dog causes an accident and someone injured sues for loss of earnings. You should call your home contents insurer too as the policy may include your pet.

Like home, car and contents insurance, switching is key to getting good deals so don't stick to the same pet insurance. If you can get a higher level of cover for a better price, why not? Remember, though, that most insurers won't insure your pet for any pre-existing conditions or anything that they've already been treated for, so it's not always worth switching in those situations.

If you're looking for pet insurance, check our cashback partner Quidco for a great deal that you could earn money on too!

Remember to vaccinate

There's no point paying for insurance if you invalidate a claim by not making sure routine jabs are up to date. Genuine vaccinations by a vet with a certificate are what you want, especially if you need to provide evidence to the insurance company. Keep these certificates in a safe place, too.

You don't necessarily have to have these vaccinations to get a quote, but if you end up claiming for something which may not have happened if they had had routine jabs, the claim could be jeopardised. Also choose which vaccinations you really need - the RSPCA website has an excellent guide.

Prevention is better than cure...

It's worth scheduling regular check-ups for your pet, whether they're yearly or more frequent. As you may have already found out, it costs more money (and it's riskier) to treat certain illnesses, whereas protecting against them may have cost a fraction of the price.

Other good prevention tips include brushing your pet's teeth, using a topical flea treatment, not smoking around your pet and controlling how much they eat to avoid pet obesity.

Neutering and microchipping...

goodtoknow top tip! Spaying or neutering your pet can be a real money-saver as it can prevent more serious health issues down the line, such as uterine, ovarian and testicular cancer (as well as unwanted pregnancies!). If you claim benefits and live in one of The Dog Trust's campaign areas, your dog might even be entitled to free or subsidised neutering.

It's not compulsory, but obviously microchipping can make reunions easier if you are separated from your pet. It costs about £20-£30 per pet, but more and more insurers are offering discounts if your pet is microchipped. In fact, some insurers may contribute to the costs of microchipping if you buy your insurance from them - so look out for deals.

You might even be able to get your dog microchipped for free at one of The Dog Trust's rehoming centres.

Join The Dogs Trust

If you've got a dog, it's worth joining The Dogs Trust for £25 a year (or £12.50 if you're over 60). Membership includes 3rd-party insurance for your dog which gives you up to £1,000,000 per claim if your dog causes damage or injury to another person, their property or pets. This is in addition to your pet insurance, but it means you can choose a different level of cover and leave the 3rd-party insurance to this policy. It covers all dogs you own (dangerous dogs excluded).

You also get unlimited access to Vetfone, a 24-hour emergency advice service from veterinary professionals and a free Canine Care Card which guarantees that the Dogs Trust will take care of your dog should anything happen to you. And you'll get Wag! Magazine 3 times a year.

More than one pet?

As with combined home and car insurance policies, many insurers will offer a 5-10% discount if you take out a couple of policies, but it;s still worth shopping around as 2 good-value policies can still work out less than a multi-policy.

Some of the best comparison sites include comparethemarket.com and gocompare.com, but it's also worth checking the likes of aviva.co.uk and directline.com as they're not included on comparison websites.

Bulk-buy pet food

Pet food isn't always that cheap but there are lots of deals and multi-buy offers which you can take advantage of. As the expiry dates are fairly generous, you should always take advantage of BOGOF offers. It's a good idea to opt for good-quality pet food as it's better in the long-run, although that doesn't mean the most expensive brand.

Have a look at pet-supermarket.co.uk which offers free delivery and petshopbowl.co.uk (free delivery on orders over £19.99). Also, many pet shops offer good deals on pet food. You can find free and cheap pet food recipes online and consider garden weeds which can be nutritious for rabbits, guinea pigs and small rodents. Fish are usually over-fed so have one food-free day a week for healthier fish (and cleaner water).

Our cashback partner Quidco also often have deals for Pets at Home - so watch out for these.

Don't overspend on pet toys

goodtoknow top tip! Don't buy expensive pet toys. Kids' toys can be brilliant for pets (as long as there are no small parts) or use old favourites like a sock and a ball, dog treats inside a plastic milk bottle or an unstuffed cuddly toy.

Just make sure that toys are appropriate for your pet, as some can be bad for their health (for example, gerbils aren't supposed to go in balls as it's bad for their spines).

Going away?

Leaving your pet at home can cost a small fortune if you're paying for a dog- or cat-sitter to feed your furry friend and spend time with them. Instead, why not form a 'pool' with friends and neighbours so you take it in turns to look after each other's pets at various intervals.

If you're going away for a while and have several pets, you could try a service like homesitters.co.uk or the National Association of Registered Petsitters as it can work out cheaper than kennels and catteries, with the bonus that your home is being looked after. Alternatively, find holidays where your pets can come with you like these dog-friendly hotels, campsites and holiday parks!