It’s been a while since I last shared a round-up of the frugal things I’ve been doing, October, in fact!

While I’ve always leaned toward being thrifty, I’ll admit I haven’t been quite as careful with money lately. But with prices creeping up everywhere and the economy feeling uncertain, I’ve decided it’s time to get back on track.

From now on, I’m planning to post five frugal things I’ve done each month, whether they’ve saved me money or helped me make a bit extra. I used to really enjoy writing these posts, and sharing them helps me stay motivated and accountable.

Here are five frugal things I’ve done in the month of May.

Cheaper Bills 

May’s been a month for switching things up. Our energy contract ended, so we decided it was a good time to move to a new supplier. We’ve switched from British Gas to Octopus Energy, which is already saving us money, and thanks to a referral code, we’ll also get a £50 cash bonus. Octopus has an app too, with extra perks for customers, which is a nice little bonus.

We’ve also shaved a bit off our car insurance and broadband bills with recent renewals. The savings aren’t massive, but every little bit helps.

Olio 

I used to use the Olio app quite a bit a few years ago and managed to pick up some great freebies, everything from food to household items. Lately, I’ve started checking it regularly again and was thrilled to spot these large bottles of shampoo and conditioner being given away.

I’m not fussy about sticking to one brand these days, and I’ve used these ones before with good results. They should last us a while, and it feels great to grab something useful for free.

Use It Up

Since we were heading off on holiday this month, I made it a mission to use up all the fresh food in the fridge before we left. I put together some tasty lunches with a mix of plum tomatoes, peppers, feta cheese, and couscous, simple but so good. I also encouraged everyone to help clear out the random yoghurts that had built up over the month. Nothing went to waste!

Holidays Savings

We’re going on a caravan holiday this year, and normally I’d end up spending a small fortune on toiletries and cleaning bits beforehand. But this time, I’ve just packed what we already had at home instead of buying new. I even found some old buckets and spades in the shed to take to the beach.

Small savings like these really add up and leave us with more to spend on actually enjoying the holiday.

Free Fun

We enjoyed a free day out to Chester Zoo at the start of the month after I won some tickets in a competition. Of course, I packed us some lunch and drinks to keep our spending at a minimum inside the zoo.

We also enjoyed a free game of bowling thanks to another competition win from last year. Winning tickets for days out is my favourite thing to do; it makes it a lot more affordable when the price is free!

Have you done anything frugal this month? Leave me a comment, I would love to hear about it.