I have become obsessed with checking my till receipts and each year I get returned approx. £50 of my own money just by checking the till receipt.

Favourite shop mistakes are:

1) Buy one get one free - you actually get charged for both as the computer is not updated

2) Discounted items - scanner still reads original price instead of reduced price so you are not getting the bargain you think.

3) Bar code is wrongly coded. I bought some tinned spray cream (around £1) but on checking the receipt it came up as toys (YES!!!) and I got charged £4 for it.

4) Price on shelf is completely different to what is on till receipt. Recently purchased sun cream for £4.50 but on receipt it came up as £7. Staff had put wrong lables on shelf.

5) Half price offers: Actually you still get charged the full price at the till.

The bigger the shop you are doing the better it is to try and keep a mental account of what you are spending. When it seems much more at the till start checking the receipt throughly. What is that item, was it on offer, how much you been charged. It applies to anything you buy and now I have friends doing it as well they are all getting money back each year and cant believe how they just used to pay up and never check.

Simple motto is CHECK, CHECK, CHECK on everything, everywhere. Food, clothing and DIY seem big places for "mistakes" to be made in any shop.

Hope it helps someone.

Hi

Thanks for the advice on the ebay matter.

Totally agree with you on the need to check till receipts. Have always done it and it seems that one in three receipts are wrong when dealing with the big supermarkets. Sainsburys always seems the worst. It is amazing how these small errors can really leave you out of pocket.

Carl

Many of the things I have learned over the last few years especially are:

1) Energy life bulbs - use them everywhere and save a fortune.

2) Buy one of those power out extension socket things that cuts of all connected items to your TV and/or PC when the main button is switched off.

3) Cut off gas supply to fires in summer as a 3 month pilot light bill easily runs to £15 per quarter (shocked when I had to pay it recently on an empty property)

4) Come out of the shower 2-3 minuites earlier - save a small fortune. You can even set up a shower "timer" to cut you off if you cant do it yourself.

5) Tumble dryers are not essential - we have brainwashed ourselves that they are. I have only used mine 2 times last winter when I used to have it on 5 times at least every week. I put the wet washing on the landing and radiators and it dried quiet quickly without electric. Heating was on anyway due to the cold.

6) Shop online - its much cheaper than local stores. Just google the words "cheap ****" and often you see a price much cheaper than the high street - beware of any sites without security precautions and DONT phone you credit card details through.

7) See which local shops to you give discounted food in the evenings or nighttime and buy what is suitable. No point spending £3 in petrol to save £1 on a pack of food - that waste's money.

8) Find your local FREEGLE or FREECYCLE SITE on Yahoo. Here you can pick up everything under the sun for free. Your first post must be an Offer (anything) and you can regular post (Wanted) ads. Please DONT do what someone else done and put on "Offer: Broken biro - Wanted - laptop".

9) Save your money for the sales rather than shopping outside sales. You can make large saving especially for household items.

10) Ebay is a great place to get items at large reduced prices and it costs nothing to buy - the sellers pay the fees.

11) Try to have meals at a friend and/or family instead of cooking yourself. Mum we will come around every Sunday for dinner comes to mind. Save gas, cleaning and food so long as the travel costs are worth it. How long since you last seen those old friend??????

12) If you havent been in your local charity shop lately you will get a shock to see how they have changed. Most look like high street stores and at one tenth of the price. Today I got a brand new designer top that retails at £60 with labels attached for £3. (They no longer do electrical stuff)

13) If you need to cut back on your pampering sessions search out your local Groupama site on the internet. Recent 5 star meal costing £30 was purchased for £7.50 and it was great, lots of ladies pampering. Hair cut from £40 to £10, etc. etc.

14) Pointins are doing holidays at £15 per night - great deal but dont go to Southport - you will regret it according to my very recent experience.

15) Ask you local council for cheap days out for the kids or check internet sites. Taking a picnic and snacks are often much more fun for kids than eating at MacDonalds and much cheaper.

16) Car share - if travelling to work check out car share schemes on the internet. With the cost of petrol continually rising it can save you a lot.

17) Dont hire skips if you have a car - a few trips to the local tip can save you loads even if it is builders rubble (just got rid of mine on my local Freegle site and garden soil as well - cost £0).

18) Home cooking - now old fashioned but works out much cheaper than frozen food. Cook your own and freeze it yourself, much better than purchased stuff and you know exactly what is in it.

19) Washing machine should only be used when full - no half loads. Get more clothes from the charity shop, saves electric, time, effort, soap, and conditioner. If possible turn down the spinner spead on your machine when its summer as it will be creased less and need less ironing.

20) Dont hand wash those dirty dishes - its cheaper to use a dishwasher!!! and think of the time it saves as well.

Amazing what you can do when you have to and it really does take very little effort once it becomes a way of life.

There was a few more things I didnt have time to mention in my earlier post so including them below:

1) Join all the companies online (free) for vouchers and discount codes to be emailed to you - will save you on many high street stores costs

2) If you are cold in bed switch off all heating at night time and upgrade you quilt to a 15 tog one or whatever higher tog you need, dont forget any kids as well. Quilts will range from £10 upwards to £200 depending on what you spend (when I get straight I will have a 100% duck down 15 tog quilt) Anyone want to send me a present??

3) Put the TV off and listen to the radio instead and at nighttime just put the TV onto the timer so it switches itself off when you sleep. Very easy to do for anyone just look at the remote.

4) ONLY do food shopping when you are NOT HUNGRY. Shopping when hungry means you put more snacks and junk into the trolley. Better still only shop online again a list and look up your emails or voucher codes for discount codes to save on the delivery and other costs. Specialise in 2 for 1, half price, special offer and stock up when they really are bargains.

Mysupermarket will compare "some" prices for you and let you know which shop is cheaper to buy from including calorie counting and letting you know what is similar but cheaper (often means cheaper quality as well!!).

5) Change your current account to a bank that PAYS YOU £5 a month to have your money go to them. Recently changed to Halifax but you need £1000 a month into your account at any time and now get £60 a year to bank with them. They do all the transfer work for you and move your direct debits but I phoned the companies as well just to be on the save side.

6) Make sure you are claiming working tax credits if you have an low to medium income (think its less than £30,000 per year). Paid directly into your account.

7) Search the web for cheap hotel deals for your holidays and low flight prices (always beware of the extras put on). Can save hundreds on a holiday as can booking last minute (means within the last 2 weeks, not the last 2 hours).

8) If you like reading books try and find your local "bookcrossing" site. All books left for free.

Good luck everyone and hope it helps

Thanks for additional info.

I will merge your posts so they all together.

Oops there was 2 others ?

My top tip is using the local Freecycle group for furniture - ours is a very active group and I've had some great stuff from them, got rid of odds and ends through them too...

Another tip is making soups from leftovers, shove all the leftover veg and spuds in a blender, add milk, cream (if liked) and some herbs/spices and blitz. Store in a flask to take to work for lunch during the week... I do a mean parsnip and potato soup, flavoured with chili....

Don't forget to take buttons and zips out of old clothing as they can be reused, (this is if the old clothing is past being handed down/taken to charity shops. Old teeshirts make very good dusters...

Saving money on energy bills - all energy companies vary but I am with Atlantic and once a year they give you your monthly contributions back as a goodwill gesture for being with them for a year. Also every energy company has to help out customers finding it hard to pay their bills especially people on benefits. They dont roll over backward to tell you this but if you ring your company and say your finding it hard you might be please what they have to offer you. I now get £50 a year knocked off the gas and electric. You do have to give them a statement of your livings costs but worth it to save £100 a year. Also found the cheaper deals are those on the internet and paid by direct debit. Beware of comparison price guides as they dont take these discounts into comparision but I insist on being told the kW per unit rate and then compare it to my own bills. Recently told by another company they would save me £300 a year if I switched but when I checked it myself it came down to £9, didnt want to change them as they hadnt told the truth. All is not true until you see it in black and white (print) as the people on her know only too well.

Great thread

I have become obsessed with checking my till receipts and each year I get returned approx. £50 of my own money just by checking the till receipt.

 

Favourite shop mistakes are:

 

1) Buy one get one free - you actually get charged for both as the computer is not updated

 

2) Discounted items - scanner still reads original price instead of reduced price so you are not getting the bargain you think.

 

3) Bar code is wrongly coded. I bought some tinned spray cream (around £1) but on checking the receipt it came up as toys (YES!!!) and I got charged £4 for it.

 

4) Price on shelf is completely different to what is on till receipt. Recently purchased sun cream for £4.50 but on receipt it came up as £7. Staff had put wrong lables on shelf.

 

5) Half price offers: Actually you still get charged the full price at the till.

 

The bigger the shop you are doing the better it is to try and keep a mental account of what you are spending. When it seems much more at the till start checking the receipt throughly. What is that item, was it on offer, how much you been charged. It applies to anything you buy and now I have friends doing it as well they are all getting money back each year and cant believe how they just used to pay up and never check.

 

Simple motto is CHECK, CHECK, CHECK on everything, everywhere. Food, clothing and DIY seem big places for "mistakes" to be made in any shop.

 

Hope it helps someone.

Good advice. It amazes me how many times they get it wrong & never in my favour.

But why leave it and check at home later ?

Why not check it before leaving ther store ?

4) Come out of the shower 2-3 minuites earlier - save a small fortune. You can even set up a shower "timer" to cut you off if you cant do it yourself.

You can also turn off the water while you shampoo and/or soap yourself.