Seven ways to save lots of money this week - and every week!
Monday
It's the start of the working week. As you drive to work, I'm sure you've thought countless times how costly petrol is. Do you wince a little every time you fill up at the pumps? Well, wince no more because there's one easy way you can pay rock bottom prices for your fuel.
All you need to do is check petrolprices.com before you next fill up to find the cheapest stations in your area.
If you've got a tip of your own on how to save money every Monday, please post it below to help other lovemoney.com readers!
Tuesday
If there's going to be a good day for getting your housework out of the way, we think Tuesday fits the bill. But, how can you save a bit of cash on all those dull chores?
Well, for starters, have you ever noticed how expensive cleaning products are? You don't need them. Instead, you can use items you probably already have in your kitchen – such as baking soda, lemon juice and white wine vinegar – to get your home sparkling clean.
You can also save a bit on your laundry costs by putting your washing machine on a timer and running it overnight using off-peak electricity.
It's also a good day to sit down every week and do some budgeting. If you can spare a few minutes, once a week, to look through your bills and bank statements and check all the deals you are on are still competitive, you'll always know what you're spending and that your finances are in tip-top shape.
Wednesday
It's time for a spot of midweek exercise. If you pay for an expensive gym membership, consider whether you can live without it, especially if you don't actually get round to pumping iron all that often.
There are plenty of ways you can exercise for free, so get walking, cycling or jogging today. And if you fancy a frugal workout there are plenty of fitness programmes you can download online for free. Just check out the many exercise videos on Youtube.com or the tips on websites like Fit Map and Net Fit.
Alternatively, check with your local council whether there are any free fitness classes being offered in your area or local facilities you can use for free, such as tennis or basketball courts. It's also worth signing up to your local freegle group to see if you can get free sports equipment, as often people fall out of love with expensive pieces of equipment they have barely used.
Finally, if sport isn't your thing, consider exercising your mind instead – again, it's easy to do so for free. Check out the GOV.UK website for details of how to sign up to a free course near you!
Thursday
If you normally have a weekly night out with your friends, try a night in with them instead. Staying in is the new going out after all, and wine and nibbles bought from the supermarket are far cheaper than pub prices and rip-off bar snacks. If you each take it in turns to provide the food and drink, that'll keep the costs down for everyone. For some recipe inspiration, take a look at our sister site lovefood.com.
Alternatively, why not watch a free film online? Blinkbox.com allows you to watch over 1,000 movies absolutely free! Of course, many of these free films are a little old, so if you’d prefer to watch something more recent, you can also buy or rent a selection of films for a small fee – from as little as 99p.
As well as being able to catch up on your favourite TV programmes, the BBC iPlayer also has the last week's worth of films shown on the four main BBC TV channels available for streaming.
And YouTube now offers some free films alongside its millions of hours of free videos.
Friday
Savvy spenders will already be familiar with our fantastic Frugal Friday blog. Every Friday, lovemoney.com writers round up all the best discounts and deals for the week ahead. So if you're planning to go shopping or you're looking for a bargain day out this weekend, Frugal Friday is the first place you should look.
Saturday
Saturday is probably the day many of you do your weekly food shop. Food prices are rising well above the official inflation rate, so you should try to cut costs wherever you can.
Try mysupermarket.co.uk where you can compare prices at Asda, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose. You can then buy your groceries online from the supermarket which offers the cheapest trolley. Alternatively, try shopping at deep discounters such as Aldi or Lidl. Don't be put off by no-frills products because these cheaper supermarkets are beating the giants in the popularity stakes.
And if you fancy a night out – it is Saturday after all – make sure you check out our Frugal Food blog for all the latest restaurant deals. There are so many two-for-one and discount meal deals around at the moment that, as long as you've got one friend, you could eat out at a different restaurant every week for next two months and never pay more than half-price for your meal. Just remember to print out the voucher beforehand.
Sunday
Enjoy the day by inviting family and friends over for a delicious Sunday lunch. Ask each of your guests to bring something with them: a bottle of wine, a dessert or a starter so the costs are evenly spread.
And if you dare to deviate from a traditional Sunday lunch menu, why not try one of these great Frugal Recipes created by lovemoney.com's very own chef, Paul Warburton.
Alternatively, have a day out each week with your nearest and dearest – absolutely free! Sites like free-events.co.uk list hundreds of free local events across the country, including festivals, carnivals, parades, shows and fireworks.
Finally, if you've got a tip of your own on how to save money on Sundays, please post it below to help other lovemoney.com readers!