Frugal?
Use Cash,
Withdraw the money in note form at the cashpoint instead of using the chip/pin machine for small purchases. Having tangible £10's and £20's in your hand makes a difference as you shop. Some places still give a discount for cash purchases. I saved 25 quid on this laptop for paying cash for it still kept the same amount of warranty.

Cars:
Some things you can save on some things you can't. Even though its a penny cheaper I don't use Supermarket Petrol, I seem to get a better mileage out of Shell. Regarding Cars, as people have said, service them regularly, make sure the tyre pressures are spot on, and wash your car, A clean car is more fuel efficient.

Plan:
Your meals, buy in bulk, freeze things, I use a shopping delivery service, stops me impulse buying, saves on fuel going to the supermarket and time spent there.

Online banking:
I check my bank accounts every day, it takes seconds and enables me to keep a track of my money.

Ebay:
Great source for bargains, clothes, shoes, DVD's, electronic goods, all delivered to your door. And a useful way to sell things on , once you have finished with them. Also Freecycle, Music Magpie, Mazuma, for getting rid of unwanted items.

Make friends:
With your neighbours, everyone has a skill that can be traded, Talk to them, find out which Builder/Garage/Plumber does a good job and which ones rip you off. In the summer BBQ's and parties make for a cheap night out. A sense of community watching out for each other reduces burglary and crime, And if such crimes occur, word gets passed around quickly.

Quality:
Quality items does not always equal well know brand names. How much are you paying for the label and how much are you paying for the quality of the item? A pair of high end leather shoes made by a craftsman costs about the same as a pair of trainers made in the far east. Once the leather has formed itself to the shape of your feet, they will last longer. And are better for your feet because the leather 'breathes' allowing sweat to escape, instead of rotting the trainer from the inside. Plus your feet don't tend to stink. A quality leather jacket will last decades coming in and out of fashion.

And whats the deal with i-phones/player? they seem to be a device designed for sucking money out of your bank account in small payments? I have a generic samsung mp3/video/audio recorder. It does everthing I wanted it to do without needing constant uodates and the continual purcashing of apps.
(Gru being trolled since 1998, Wed 16 Nov 2011, 11:12, 8 replies)

Good ideas.
Not sure about the cash one - I find whatever cash I have, I spend.

If I don't have any, I'm much less likely to buy something, I'd never go spend a fiver on a magazine with my debit card.

Not totally convinced by the clean car/fuel efficiancy one either. If it's true, I'm fucked, I hate washing my car.

The rest are good though, some original suggestions there.
(username failed moderation, Wed 16 Nov 2011, 11:58, closed)

There is an element of truth about the dirty car thing...
Dirt = more weight / less aerodynamic = less efficiency

But, you'd have to have an incredibly dirty car for it to have any real impact. I think Mythbusters tackled this one at some point.
(anonymousreality tickled your fancy on, Wed 16 Nov 2011, 12:29, closed)

I seem to get a better mileage out of Shell
It all comes out of the same big tank. Buy the cheap stuff.
(uncle_bud is not the jelly roll king., Wed 16 Nov 2011, 12:47, closed)

No it doesn't...
not here anyway. The base product might come from one of several major manufacturers, but different additives (octane enhancers, lubricants and detergents etc) are added for different brands (mostly). I have found significant differences in milage from different fuels, this also can depend on your vehicle's engine management system as well.
(M61A1 CUPID- STUNTS, Wed 16 Nov 2011, 14:27, closed)

Who buys magazines from ebay?
Also, I prefer to pay stuff on chip and pin, that way I don't have cash burning a hole in my pocket.
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Wed 16 Nov 2011, 12:54, closed)

Cash
Doesn't work. My route home takes me past the pub. If I have cash, I pop in for a quick one on the way back, and leave £30 poorer. If I pay for even small purchases by card, I walk straight past the pub because I have no money on me anyway.
(bblgoose, Wed 16 Nov 2011, 14:07, closed)

That's precisely the design philosophy behind all apple products.

( P-MONKE We're all fucked, Wed 16 Nov 2011, 16:24, closed)

Not just Apple
If fifteen years ago I'd shown you a little electronic spirit level, a game on a computer, or a message board, I'd been seen as geeky or just a bit of a nerd from the majority of the population.

Now phone companies are more than happy to sell you 'apps' to do just these very things, which have been hyped up to 'cool' and 'essential'. All the while making sure you've got to pay for network access in handy monthly installments.

Apple are probably the worst of the bunch, but marketing seems to have gotten hold of a way of taking your money bit-by-bit in the name of fashion.
(Kliper Filllets Getting noticed by twats on the internet since, Thu 17 Nov 2011, 7:31, closed)