Money Saving Tips Part 2

Leading on from Part 1 here, these are some more of my money saving tips.

1. Join the library

Not rocket science but if you are a book lover like me, buying books can be addictive and costly. You'd be surprised what your local library is stocking and it's a chance to take a risk on books without reaping the expenses and building up clutter. My philosophy now is to rent or borrow fiction books and if I am going to invest in a book, it's usually for reference. Some reference books are invaluable to have in the home, especially if they teach you a skill or how to avoid paying someone else for a job you can easily learn to do.

If you are going to buy a book, think SECOND HAND before you wander into Waterstones or Easons. Such is the quality of some second hand books, that I would not be embarrassed to give them as gifts. Online, I find play.com to be the best source of second hand material and I have never been disappointed with the physical state of the books. And it's free shipping!

2. Barter

Look at those around you, family, colleagues and neighbours and identify what skills you can trade. The easiest way to approach this is the to be the first to offer a favour to someone and most times, they will remember it and repay you in some way. I started bringing excess freshly caught fish to work to offer to colleagues and I have since received fresh rabbit, pheasant and baked goods in return. Which brings me on to my next tip....

3. Take up fishing

You do not need a licence to sea fish in Ireland, and during the summer any fool with a cheap rod can catch a bounty from the shoals of mackerel that migrate towards land. It's a delicious, healthy, oily fish that almost wants to be caught and it's not unusual to through out a line with six hooks and to fill the whole line in a matter of seconds. Once you catch your first mackerel, you'd be hard pushed to pay the price they are charging for measly fillets in supermarkets.

4. Keep shopping bags in the boot of your car

Small savings to be had but at 22c each, not to mention the waste, it's a good practice to keep a stock of shopping bags in your vehicle. They don't weigh anything so no harm carrying them around. On that note, if you have a roof rack on your vehicle that never gets used, take it down. It is wasting fuel.

5. Buy your hobby magazines in second hand shops

If you are not fussy about keeping up to date, there is no reason to spend the usual €5-€6 that hobby magazines cost. If you like arts and crafts or cooking, you'll hardly notice if the magazine is recent or from three months ago.


I'm sure I'll be back in a few weeks with some more tips I've thought off.