This sounds so obvious, but for some reason it’s a relatively new trick for me: cutting the tops off product tubes. I used to squeeze and flatten and try to smoosh out everything I could get from a tube and then just chuck it. What a waste! Now I cut the top off and there’s usually a good 5-6 uses left in the container.

Here’s how it works.

Step 1, cut the top off.

Step 2, dip into the remaining product!

Sometimes you have to trim one or two more times to get to the bit at the very bottom.

Side note: This is GoodSkin Labs Exten-10 Youth Boosting Moisturizer SPF 15. I got a free tube at BlogHer last year and I am NOT kidding it made me look 10 years younger. Seriously. I think so anyway! Now it’s come to the UK and you can buy it at Boots (at least I have bought it at Boots but I don’t see it on the website. And I’m out again, so go figure).

Guest post by Muzammil Bashir, senior editor of freestuff.co.uk.

Everyone loves a bargain, and there’s nothing better than finding great free offers and discounts to help your cash go a little further. So here is a quick guide for budding bargain hunters:

1. Jumble Sales, Yard Sales & Car boots

Summer time is in full swing and if you didn’t know already; it’s yard sale season. This is the time of year that walking round a field at 8am suddenly looks like a pleasant day out, and if you have got a keen eye for a bargain, what better opportunity?

There is sure to be a sale near you, so have a look in your local paper, and make sure you turn up early to snag the best deals before someone else does.

2. Bargain Shops & Money Saving

Some people raise their eyebrows at thrift stores and the like, but if you are on the hunt for good deals, you can do a lot worse than rummaging in your nearest charity shop. Sure enough, some-times you won’t find a whole lot, but it only takes the occasional gem to make it all worthwhile.

The best fun of the exercise is that you never know what you might find. These types of stores can have anything from books and clothes to gadgets, games consoles and I even found a pair of skis one time!

3. Recycling / Freecycling

The green revolution has brought with it a new opportunity for lovers of free stuff the world over. Free recycling or freecycling as it is known works like this:

Family buys new sofa and hence; no longer needs old sofa

Can’t be bothered to sell old sofa, but doesn’t want to send to landfill

Sofa is given away free to a good home…

There really are people out there with big ticket items, used but in good condition who simply want to give them away to anyone who will collect. Find your local freecycle network and see what treasures await.

4. Outlet Stores and Seconds

The previous few ideas have all been about getting second hand stuff for cheap, which can work really well, but what if you want something new, and perhaps a little nicer?

Well, outlet stores are a worthwhile place to start. Rather than shopping at your local sports store, or branding clothing shops, why not go online and see if you favourite brand has an outlet mall near you?

5. eBay!

I’m not going to say a lot here to be honest, but in simple terms, you have been going pretty darn niche before you will find a product that isn’t available on eBay.

eBay is a big business now-a-days, and there are a great deal of measures in place to help keep you safe. Ok so this is a bit of a boring suggestion, but if all else fails, it is always worth checking on eBay to see what the prices are like.

On Sunday I finally got back to working on DSD’s quilt and as I was sitting there sewing while streaming an episode of Glee at the kitchen table I realised that I should share my free TV tips with all of you.

This post is for you if you want to watch telly while you’re cooking, folding laundry, getting ready for work, in bed or anywhere you don’t have a TV. Or if you want to catch up on old episodes or old series of shows you missed. Or if you want to watch particularly crap American telly that hasn’t made it’s way over here (or American shows one series ahead of where it is here!)

This is also for you if you’re not that bothered about quality. There are clever ways to download pirated video and other methods I haven’t figured out yet – but this is about watching online and sometimes there’s awful quality out there. But if you’re only half watching while you do dishes, do you care? I don’t.

The free TV revelation started when a friend turned me on to SurftheChannel.com. She was living in France and now she lives in Spain – places where it is pretty hard to find Glee and 30 Rock, I would imagine. Now I have a few go-to sites when I can’t find the links I need! Here is the cheat sheet:

SurftheChannel.com – Good site, very community driven – which I like – but sometimes poorly organised as a result. I tend to head here now more for films.

Sidereel.com – My latest favourite for telly, although they seem desperate to monetise so you’ve got some annoying videos and adverts popping up. Well organised. A bit crap for films but great for telly.

Yidio.com – Similar to Sidereel but seem to have fewer links. Also a bit crap for films (I think this is because they don’t want to annoy studios.)

Blinkx.com – Great for finding films but I can’t work out how to find telly on here.

Now before you go trying this I have a few more words of advice. These sites basically aggregate links to the shows that are around the web. Some you pay for, some are free. I always look for links from Megavideo. Why can’t I just search on Megavideo? I don’t know, but you can’t, search is rubbish on the site. Megavideo only lets you watch something like 120 minutes at a time before they ask you to buy a subscription or wait an hour. Sometimes I buy a subscription.

The companies that make these shows have caught on to this stuff and now pull a lot of links down so you may get some “removed due to copyright infringement” messages but don’t be discouraged – keep clicking the next few links and you’ll almost always find one they’ve missed.

So what should you watch? Check out Amy Poehler’s Parks & Recreation if you want to fall of your chair laughing or Hellcats with HSM’s Ashley Tisdale playing captain of her university cheer squad for a seriously guilty pleasure.

Any sites I’ve missed? TELL ME NOW!!

It’s been a long time since I posted so I’m bringing you something special! It’s my latest favourite money-saving hack: half price coffee at Starbucks every single day with no voucher necessary.

Step 1: Get a Starbucks card

Step 2: Register it

Step 3: Put some money on it

You can now get a tall filter coffee for 99p when you use your card to purchase. But to take it to the next level…

Step 4: Bring your own cup

You now ALSO get 25p off for doing your part to save the planet (and saving Starbucks money on cups). You’ve now spent just 75p for a tall filter coffee. No voucher. Every day. Yay!

We bought Starbucks design-your-own cups and let DSD decorate them. One is an oil painting and the other is this one – a picture she drew of her father and me “at our wedding.” The wedding is not until September – I love that E is wearing a silver suit and I’m wearing a red dress.

Tesco Greener Living have created a quiz to show how much money you can save by saving energy. For example, ditching a tumble dryer could save £58 a year.

It didn’t ask me how good I am about shutting off lights when I leave a room or tell me how bad it is to leave the telly on as background noise, but it is still quite enlightening.

While you’re there, you can check out the Tesco Greener Living eco house to learn money-saving green tips that could save you over £3,500! Plus one Greener Living member will also get the chance to win a Samsung 40-inch LED eco TV.

As it is apparently National Knitting Week (thanks to Hobbycraft for letting me know…) I thought I’d republish some tips for knitting on a budget that I originally posted on 11 September 2009 (plus a new one). Enjoy!

• NEW TIP: Read knitting blogs! Helpful and friendly knitters and knitting shops out there will share free patterns and inspirations. I’m currently spend a lot of time on the Purl Bee but there are oh so many more out there once you look.
• Join local knitting circles—when you have friends who knit you can borrow needles and books or swap yarns. In London, try Stitch and Bitch London or the knitting group and Sunday knit roast with iKnit.
• Use Google video search to find free online demonstrations when you’re trying to learn a new stitch.
• Sign up with Ravelry, the online social network for knitters, for free (and not free) patterns, advice and tips.
• Recycle yarn, either by taking apart your old clothes or shopping thrift stores for items that can be easily deconstructed. Look for pieces with seams that are woven rather than sewn, so the yarn can be pulled apart in one long piece.
• Check your council’s libraries for knitting books rather than buying them.
• Make friends with your local knitting store (or local John Lewis) so you’ll find out ahead of any sales or discounts.
• Consider substitutions. For example silk can be expensive and a silk blend or even an acrylic yarn could be just fine.
• Don’t throw anything away. Bits and bobs of extra yarn can be used to make doll clothes or in quilts, or small projects like oven mitts.
• Skip the fancy accessories. We’d all love to have a Cath Kidston knitting bag but that free tote you got in last month’s Marie Claire will do the trick and you know it!

Happy knitting!

Yesterday I got a lovely little bit of recognition for the blog by none other than The Times! I was incredibly pleased to be included in the Top 20 twitter accounts to save you money by Laura Shannon. The Times website does cost money now, you know, so to save you some I’ve pasted the whole entire article into this post.

This blog takes a lot of time sometimes and while I really enjoy it it is nice to have someone come along and give me a pat on the back like this. Yay! And I’m in such good company too.

Read on for the list and for goodness sake go follow these tweeters if you want to save some money!

Guest post by Simon Moore, Managing Director at Computershare Voucher Services

More than one in three parents has considered giving up work because they feel unable to cope with childcare costs, according to our recent research at Computershare Voucher Services.

For me, it is worrying that many parents believe it is more cost effective to stay at home than pay for childcare – especially because in my experience many parents aren’t fully aware of the cost savings available to them. I think that this demonstrates explicitly that more must be done to raise awareness of what’s available to parents.

I believe – and I know it’s what you’d expect me to believe – that Childcare Vouchers are one of the most crucial money-saving options offered by many employers. As a salary sacrifice scheme, they are advantageous to both employers and employees, as neither party pays National Insurance on salary exchanged for the vouchers.

Saving money with these vouchers is such a simple process. All working parents have to do is request Childcare Vouchers from their employer to pay for registered childcare. A proportion of their gross salary will be exchanged for the Vouchers, which can provide parents with the equivalent of 31 per cent* saving on the first £243 that they spend on registered childcare costs per month. During the course of a year, Childcare Vouchers can thus provide a saving of up to £904* for a basic rate tax-payer.

I’m also a parent – so I shuddered, the same as everyone else, to hear from the Daycare Trust that the cost of a nursery place is rising at twice the rate of inflation. Added to that, the government will remove child benefit for higher and additional rate tax payers from 2013, money which many parents may rely on to pay for their childcare needs. To me these are further incentives to save costs wherever possible.

Surprisingly, many parents do not realise the extent of the flexibility of the Childcare Voucher system. They can be exchanged for care for children right up to the age of 16, not just for nursery but for pre-school care and various out-of-school or holiday clubs. I find that parents are often relieved that the vouchers can help them look after their older children too.

At Computershare Voucher Services, we offer a postal service for voucher delivery, but we are increasingly seeing parents switch to our e-voucher service, which has the convenience of being exclusively online. More information on the options available to parents can be found at our website: www.computersharevoucherservices.com.

One thing I feel parents opting for Childcare Vouchers should know is that the Childcare Voucher scheme is changing for new applicants in 2011. From 6 April all new users of Childcare Vouchers, regardless of how much they earn, will receive the same income tax relief as basic rate taxpayers. I must stress, however, to any existing users reading this blog, that these alterations will not affect them.

* Subject to individual circumstances. Higher or additional rate tax-payers may save more.

Guest post by Jade Moon, yummymummyfashion.com

Pregnancy is one of the few times in your life that you can justify an entire new wardrobe of fabulous clothes that you will probably only wear for six months.

Now, for the thrifty among us, that sounds like a bit of a waste when money could be spent more wisely elsewhere, like on the enormous list of expensive things that you need before the baby arrives.

But, you don’t have to compromise if you know where and when to shop for maternity clothes and you really can stay stylish and feel comfortable on a budget by following some simple guidelines.

Turn yourself into a habitual bargain hunter and don`t be scared of shopping for clothes alongside your groceries. The three biggest supermarkets all have their own clothing ranges, including maternity wear and they are a revelation if this isn’t your regular choice for bagging the latest fashion.

They sell everything you will need for a decent collection of maternity clothes, including work wear, dresses, coats and all the basics you are going to need at great prices.

If you’re a designer label devotee this may fill you with horror, but if you want to cut costs without compromising on style, get your basics such as maternity jeans, trousers, leggings, wrap tops and tees more cheaply and you can still team them up with something indulgent and no-one will notice that you`re wearing a supermarket maternity top.

Don`t be shy about borrowing from friends or visiting a charity shop either. If you’re lucky enough to have a friend or relative that has had a baby recently, then this is a great opportunity to have a dig through their maternity clothes before they pack them away.

Charity shops are brilliant for maternity coats and jackets and they often look like new. There is usually a good selection of maternity wear in second hand shops and because it isn`t worn for very long it will still be fashionable. In more affluent areas you may be lucky enough to pick up designer labels at a fraction of their original price as well.

Ask the staff which day new stock is put on the rails and if, for example, you’re specifically looking for a black maternity trench coat, bring it up in the conversation. If one comes in, they may be kind enough to put it aside for you.

The high street is always a good choice for bargain basics and most shops have a decent fashionable maternity range. The smartest way to clothes shop is online and you can quickly compare prices and check deals between stores.

Voucher codes are a marvelous tool for the serious bargain hunter and most major retailers have caught on to this relatively new idea. You can save a heap of cash simply by spending a little time looking around special voucher code websites to see which shops have the best money off deals. They often show which stores are having sales as well.

You can get a substantial percentage discount, free delivery with an order over a certain amount or any combination of buying something to get something else free at a lot of maternity clothing websites, but keep checking back as offers change fairly quickly.

It`s not just the ordinary maternity ranges that benefit from discount codes, you can even get a good selection of tall and petite maternity jeans from plenty of online retailers. One of the few advantages of having to buy so many new clothes is that you will most likely be eligible for any free postage offers.

The Resourceful Cook is a new meal-planning website and I’ve been meaning to check out the site for a while now. I just used the site’s calculator to find out how much it can save me and it estimated £1117 by avoiding waste and controlling costs. Wow!

I’ve written about meal planning sites before, but what I love about The Resourceful Cook is how customisable and detailed it is. Even if  you don’t want to fully commit to a meal planner, I can see how it could really make your life easier (and save you money!) Plus just reading it makes me hungry and excited to cook.

You choose your family size (one, two or four), what type of pantry you keep (basic, typical or cook’s) and the supermarket you frequent. Then choose from a range of menu plans, from home take-aways (fish & chips!) to Mediterranean medley (king prawn paella) to low cal and great value options. I chose great value and narrowed it down to four meals for the week that we’d cook in. The groceries would cost me £17, according to the site. You then have the option of adding more things to your list (biscuits? toilet roll?) before finalising and creating a printable version.

There are other options too. Really busy? Pick a quick shop menu and you’ll instantly get a shopping list for three meals. You can also plan dinner parties for up to eight using the site.

Meal plans only ever use fresh ingredients in amounts that match the pack sizes available in the shops. According to the site, that means no waste, ever. Plus you get a price per person for ever recipe, which I love. I’m assuming they base that on where I indicated I shop most but I’m not sure. According to the company, prices are based on an average between a range of typical supermarkets but soon they will have it updated automatically according to specific supermarkets.

I haven’t cooked anything yet, but I’m impressed. If it could magically base the menus around what’s on sale at the supermarket  plus what I’ve got coming in my Abel & Cole box it would be even better, but you can’t have everything!! I recommend The Resourceful Cook a look.