Seven ways to save heaps of money this week - and every week!
Everyday expenditure can quickly add up to a huge drain on your finances. Just take a moment to think about how much you actually shell out every week on things like petrol, a night out with friends and grocery shopping. Now imagine if you could do exactly the same things every week, but spend less.
Sounds like an impossible pipedream? Well, here's how to do just that!
Monday
It's the start of the working week. As you drive to work, I'm sure you've thought countless times how costly petrol is. Do you wince a little every time you fill up at the pumps? Well, wince no more because there's one easy way you can pay rock bottom prices for your fuel.
All you need to do is check petrolprices.com before you next fill up to find the cheapest stations in your area. Where I live, for example, the difference between the least and most expensive unleaded petrol is 8.5p per litre. That would save £5.10 on a 60 litre fill-up.
You might be able to save even more money by ditching your car altogether if you live in walking or cycling distance of your workplace. If that's not an option, think about car sharing with your colleagues, or join a car sharing scheme in your area. To find out how to save money on travelling to work, take a look at Cut the cost of your commute today!
And don't forget to take a packed lunch into work with you too. In fact, you can do that every working day this week.
Tuesday
If there's going to be a good day for getting your housework out of the way, I think Tuesday fits the bill. But, how can you save a bit of cash on all those dull chores?
Well, for starters, have you ever noticed how expensive cleaning products are? You don't need them. Instead, you can use items you probably already have in your kitchen - such as baking soda, lemon juice and white wine vinegar - to get your home sparkling clean. Read Rachel Robson's Clever cleaning tips to find out more.
You could also try doing your laundry with ecoballs. These are clever little devices which enable you to use less detergent. They cost about £30, with a predicted annual saving of £74 - for the rest of your life! You can also save a bit by putting your washing machine on a timer and running it overnight using off-peak electricity.
It's also a good day to sit down every week and do some budgeting. If you can spare a few minutes, once a week, to look through your bills and bank statements and check all the deals you are on are still competitive, you'll always know what you're spending and that your finances are in tip-top shape.
Wednesday
It's time for a spot of mid-week exercise. If you pay for an expensive gym membership, consider whether you can live without it, especially if you don't actually get round to pumping iron all that often.
There are plenty of ways you can exercise for free, so get walking, cycling or jogging today. And if you fancy a frugal workout there are plenty of fitness programmes you can download online for free. Just check out the many exercise videos on Youtube.com or the tips on websites like Fit Map and Net Fit.
Alternatively, check with your local council whether there are any free fitness classes being offerd in your area or local facilities you can use for free, such as tennis or basketball courts. It's also worth signing up to your local freecycle group to see if you can get free sports equipment, as often people fall out of love with expensive pieces of equipment they have barely used.
Finally, if sports isn't your thing, consider exercising your mind instead - again, it's easy to do so for free. Check out the Directgov website for details of how to sign up to a free course near you!
Thursday
If you normally have a weekly night out with your friends, try a night in with them instead. Staying in is the new going out after all, and wine and nibbles bought from the supermarket are far cheaper than pub prices and rip-off bar snacks. If you each take it in turns to provide the food and drink, that'll keep the costs down for everyone.
Alternatively, register for cheap online DVD rental and get your friends to provide everything else. If you sign up to lovefilm, for example, you get a 14 day free trial, and £15 cashback from Quidco or Topcashback if you stay on as a paying customer.
If you do fancy a night out, don't pay for one - have a free one, instead! You can get free cinema tickets by signing up to preview websites such as See Film First and Momentum Pictures and search for free local gigs and concerts via nifty websites allgigs.co.uk and gighit.com. You can also get free theatre tickets if you're 26, or - if you're lucky enough to live near a TV production company - watch a live TV show, free, as part of the audience. Sites to check out include BBC Tickets, sroaudiences, TVRecordings, ClappersTickets, ApplauseStore, HatTrick and LostInTV. Read The secret to a free night out or register for our Cut the cost of going out goal to learn more about socialising on a budget.
Friday
Savvy spenders will already be familiar with our fantastic Frugal Friday series. Every Friday, lovemoney.com writer Rachel Robson, rounds up all the best discounts and deals for the week ahead.
If you're planning to go shopping or you're looking for a bargain day out this weekend then Frugal Friday is the first place you should look. This week's highlights included where to get 70% off footwear, half-price books, the Prison Break DVD box set for £60, computer games for £5, 2-for- tickets, free chocolate and 21 fashion sales!
To get Frugal Friday direct by email into your inbox every week, sign up here.
Saturday
Saturday is probably the day many of you do your weekly food shop. Food prices are currently rising well above the official inflation rate, so you should try to cut costs wherever you can.
Try mysupermarket.co.uk where you can compare prices at ASDA, Ocado, Sainsbury's and Tesco. You can then buy your groceries online from the supermarket which offers the cheapest trolley. Alternatively, try shopping at deep discounters such as Aldi, Lidl or Netto. Don't be put off by no-frills products because these cheaper supermarkets are said to beating the giants in the popularity stakes.
Check out our goal on cutting your food bills, for more great tips from your fellow lovemoney.com readers.
And if you fancy a night out - it is Saturday after all - make sure you check out our Frugal Food series for all the latest restaurant deals. There are so many 2-for-1 meal deals around at the moment that, as long as you've got one friend, you could eat out at a different restaurant every week for next two months and never pay more than half-price for your meal. Just remember to print out the voucher beforehand.
Sunday
Enjoy the day by inviting family and friends over for a delicious Sunday lunch. Ask each of your guests to bring something with them: a bottle of wine, a dessert or a starter so the costs are evenly spread.
And if you dare to deviate from a traditional Sunday lunch menu, why not try one of these great Frugal recipes by lovemoney.com's very own chef, Paul Warburton.
Alternatively, have a day out each week with your nearest and dearest - absolutely free! Sites like free-events.co.uk list hundreds of free local events across the country, including festivals, carnivals, parades, shows and fireworks. And if you live in London, be sure to check out londonisfree.com and allinlondon.co.uk.
More: Save money in every room of your home | 35 things you can get for £5 or less