This year has been tough, with many people having job insecurity and a reduced income. However, there are some things you can do though to save money, so let's have a look at what they are and hopefully you will be able to reduce your outgoings and make your life a little easier.

Food

1. Check out the reduced aisle, usually late in the day for the best reductions. Ask a member of staff when this is for some insider information. 

2. Look for special offers in the supermarket but only buy if you would use them anyway. It can save time if you check the supermarkets' website in advance of special offers. 

3. Try supermarkets own items, rather than branded goods. Some are very good, for example, Morrisons own fresh orange juice is excellent, Tescos bran flakes are very good too. My husband used to be a big brand person but not any more!

4. Shop online with supermarkets. This will help you plan your meals for the week and take advantage of special offers you can see online. It will also stop you buying when you smell the fresh bread being piped through the shop.

5. Sign up to supermarket loyalty cards for vouchers and special offers. Tesco Clubcard is very good, you get points for spend and these convert to vouchers.  Vouchers can be used for food or for things like railcards, theme park tickets and more. 

6. Always make a meal plan for the week ahead if possible and try not to go off this. This can help you avoid waste as you only buy what you need and plan the most cost-effective meals.  

7. Bulk cook for the week ahead. This can save money by meal planning.

8. Invest in a slow cooker. Ok, this is actually spending money but slow cookers use the amount of heat of a lightbulb and make cheaper cuts of meat tender.

9. Grown your own fruit and veg. You can even grow potatoes in a bucket and herbs on a window shelf if you haven't got a garden or allotment.

10. Check out your local market for cheap fruit and veg. Some may reduce prices at the end of the day too.

Household

12. Buy or make an old fashioned draught excluded for doors. Something simple like that can keep your home cosy and keep out the cold.

13, Check out the best broadband deals in your area by using a comparison site. You could also get better download speeds, so its a win-win situation. 

14. Shop around for your utilities.  Always a great way to save money and its usually easy to swap. 

15. Single household? A water meter may save you money. My mum saves loads by using a water meter.  Be sure then to take showers rather than baths, and fix any leaky taps.

16. Make sure you are in the right council tax band. It only takes you 10 minutes to check with your local council. 

17. Cancel direct debits and standing orders you don't need. You may be surprised by how many you don't need. 

18. Look at the costs of remortgaging. This can save you money if you are on a variable rate. A mortgage advisor can help.

19. Check if you are entitled to any energy grants. These grants will help you save money on energy bills and you become more eco-friendly too.

20. Pay off your debts first before you save as this will almost always save you money on any charges.

Kids

21. If you have a baby, the local National Childbirth Trust has nearly new sales, as well as trying other places to buy second hand like Facebook groups, Gumtree, and eBay.

22.  Don't think you have to buy everything new. Some things are fine second hand, check out the usual sites for these. If you have friends that have kids maybe they have baby items they no longer need. Things will need to be thoroughly cleaned, old fabric toys can be hand-washed, plastic toys should be wiped over with antibacterial cleaner. Car Seats and mattresses should be bought new though due to safety. 

23. Two ways to save on nappies are use reusable or supermarket own brands. With reusable you have the initial outlay, then you have to buy liners and of course you have to clean the nappies. 

24. Join clubs for discounts like Boots Baby cCub, Asda and Baby Toddler club, Tescos Baby club, and Bounty. 

25. Make your own baby food and freeze in portions. It's not that hard and saves on jars of baby food.

26. Have a kids birthday? Limit the amount you spend, check out second-hand electronics, Amazon used or open box items, shops like Cash Converters, charity shops, car boot sales, local Facebook groups.

27. Supermarkets have some well-priced clothes these days and are great for school uniform. If you can buy a school badge and sew it on this can save money. 

28. Check out if the school sells old school uniform or will give you school uniforms that haven't been collected at the end of the year. If not put out a request in local groups, you will be surprised how generous people can be.

29. Shop in sales where you can for clothes, especially things that are expensive like shoes and trainers, and if you can, it's worth buy clothes up the next size for future use.

30. Pool together a group of friends or family members that can help with babysitting at no or little cost. Always a good idea to give a gift to say thanks if its a one off.

Luxuries 

32. Do your own pedicure or manicure. Although this will be a small investment at first in nail polish, files and other equipment, it can save on average £20-£30 a time. 

33. If you want a hair cut ask your local barbers, they may do it for you at a cheaper price than at a hairdressers as many are unisex these days.  Alternatively,  get a friend to do it.

34. Check out Groupon for spa breaks, manicures, pedicures, massages and the like.

35. Ban or cut down on takeaway coffees. Instead buy a flask and make drinks to take with you when you are out and about and at work, or get a reusable coffee cup and make a drink to take with you. This can save you an average of £3 a time.

36. Buy your flowers from the supermarket rather than a florist. I've found they often last longer. Remove the label and add a posh bow to make them look more upmarket.

37. Buy expensive items like designer bags and luggage in outlet stores. I have a great Coach bag I bought in an outlet in the US at a third of the price. Macarthur Glen is a local outlet close to me that I get many bargains. 

38. Going on a cruise or to an exclusive party or event? Buy diamond substitutes like CZ or moissanite at a fraction of the price of diamonds, and no one will really know. 

39. Rent a dress. You can rent designer clothes for special occasions and then return it for a much smaller cost than owning the item outright. Great for weddings or a special event.

40. Make your own canapes for entertaining. There are a number of great recipes blogs out there or go old fashioned and buy a recipe book. 

Birthdays

41. Make a cake. If you are not sure how YouTube has some great how-to videos, or crack open a recipe book and go old school.

42. Have a party at home instead of paying for an organised event. This can save a fortune. 

43. Put a budget on the present. It's the thought that counts. 

44. Make a present. From homemade fudge to simple jewellery, to knitting a jumper, a homemade present is always thought of well. 

45. Make your own pinata. This is a decorated figure of an animal containing toys and sweets that is suspended from a height. You then blindfold some kids and they have fun hitting it with a stick until it breaks apart.

46. Combine birthdays with others. This can help cut costs if you have to hire a venue.

47. Get decorations from the local pound store. It's cheaper to buy usually than make yourself these days.

48. Organise cheap or free birthday activities yourself.  It's not hard to draw a donkey for pin the tail on the donkey, play charades, organise a scavenger hunt or write some famous names on paper for Guess Who.

49. Give a voucher for a skill-based gift. Maybe you can offer an afternoon babysitting, an hour walking the dog or something else.

50. Design and create your own birthday invitations. 

Christmas

51. Agree to buy presents just for kids.

52. Put an amount limit on presents, perhaps £10 each to stop you over spending and getting carried away. It will limit expectations and stop people over spending on you too.

53. Buy a chicken instead of a turkey which will less at Christmas,  or take advantage of meat on special offer. Beef can be cheap at this time of the year. 

54. Make a present. You will get the satisfaction of making a gift that a lot of thought has gone into and it could save you money too. Homemade fudge, homemade chutney and homemade Christmas cake are just some ideas. 

55. This one takes a little planning but buying in the January sales for next year can save a load of money.

56. Compare postage delivery services to save money if you have to post gifts at Christmas (and year-round too). Parcel 2 Go is one such site for postage comparison. 

57. Make your own beer or wine for Christmas. There are kits available and if you like the result it can save you in the long run too.

58. Print out free Christmas colouring pages to get the kids in the mood. Many are found online.

59. Make your own Christmas decorations with the kids. This will keep them busy, save on bought decorations and you have a souvenir for years to come.

60. Buy your Christmas food frozen. This will often save you money on buying the ingredients fresh if you on a limited budget and you won't have any waste.

Vacation

61. If you can, go out of high season. This can save you a fortune. Avoid school holidays like the height of the summer, Easter, Spring Break in the US and local holidays to your destination. 

62. Sign up to your favourite hotels' emails or loyalty schemes to keep ahead of special offers and sales. 

63. Shop around for hotels. I use a comparison site like Trivago, check on Expedia and Booking.com then go to the hotels' own site to compare the best prices.

64. Use flight comparison sites like Kayak.com or Skyscanner to find the cheapest flights. Then I recommend booking with the airlines direct as if you book through a third party you may have problems in they go bust. 

65. Take hand luggage on airlines to save money on luggage cost. Many airlines will allow you to take a carry on bag for free which is great for a short break but double-check the terms and conditions first.

66. Look for free or low-cost activities when on holiday. This is especially good for families. Check out the beach, nature reserves and the local parks. Many museums are free in the UK, and often museums have free kids activities to make learning accessible.

67. Save on train tickets by buying in advance, travelling off-peak if you can, and buying a railcard. Alternatively, will the bus be cheaper? Compare prices and weigh up the pros and cons of saving money versus the time it takes to get to your destination. Travelling by a low cost bus service like Megabus can save a fortune too. 

68. Going self-catering can save you money on eating out if you don't mind cooking. If you don't mind more basic accommodation check out hostels.

69. Consider hiring a car abroad vs taxis vs taking the underground or walking. If you are hiring a car for a day it can often be cheaper than a transfer. If you want to take a taxi consider the Uber or Bolt app, if they are available to save money at your destination. If you are thinking of hiring a car using a comparison site like rentagile.com can save you pounds on car hire by finding the best deals. On the underground, a weeks ticket may work out cheaper than daily tickets so compare the costs. Of course, walking is the cheapest of all. 

70. Book your parking in advance. If your accommodation doesn't provide free parking, if you book your parking in advance it could save you money. First, check with the hotel or accommodation provider then check out sites like Just Park in the UK.  Holiday Extras is great for airport parking and will compare different parking options, as well as offering you a discount if you sign up to their emails. 

Eating out

71. Check out restaurant deals and vouchers. For example on Tuesday, Dominos do special offers like buy one pizza get one free. It's always a good idea to sign up to your favourite restaurant's email lists for special offers.  In the US they do many restaurant offers and coupons.

72. Eat out at early times, lunch is almost always cheaper than dinner, pre-theatre meals usually before 7 can be an excellent price.

73. Check if any restaurants in your area allow you to bring your own alcohol. Sometimes they will charge a small corkage charge but it could still save you money. 

74. If you can't finish your meal ask to take the leftovers. Everyone does it in the US, and this can be a free lunch for you the next day.  Just be sure to store and reheat properly, and never reheat rice as it can give you food poisoning. 

75. Don't order alcohol with your meal. Instead have a drink at home before you come out, or a drink at home when you return, or just have soft drinks.

76. Tap water is almost always safe in Europe. Drink tap water unless you are in a destination where it is not advised. 

77. Use loyalty cards for money off and freebies. Greggs, Costa Coffee, and KFC are some such cards.

78. Some places allow you to eat for free on your birthday or give you free starters or desserts. Again, sign up to their emails lists for offers and discounts on your birthday. 

79. Become a mystery diner. Sites such as mysterydiner.net allow you to eat out for free in exchange for feedback. 

80. Learn to recreate your favourite restaurant meals so you can save money at home. There are some great fakeaways recipes online.

Miscellaneous

81. Use cashback sites like Top Cashback and Quidco. I've saved over £1500 with Quidco over the years. 

89. Carshare. If you need to travel to work or even a shopping trip can you car share? This saves money on petrol and parking and it also better for the environment. Of course, offer a contribution towards costs. 

90. Take up comping. Entering competitions can be a great way of winning things you want and need as well as winning presents for other people. Start now for winning presents for next Christmas thus saving you money! This is especially good if you have the time to put it. I used to do this myself and I've won hotel stays, hampers and electronics in the past.

91. Hunt out cheap fuel. Many supermarkets are the cheapest for petrol and diesel and you can also earn supermarket loyalty points which can add up to money off. I particularly like Tescos myself.

92. If you are a health care worker, check if you can sign up for the Blue Light Card which will give you discounts worldwide. If you are a member of a union but don't work in the health service you may have something similar too.

93. Skip the movie theatre food and drink. Have food before you go or buy some to take in with you from a local supermarket. Most places will let you bring in snacks and drinks, just don't flaunt it.

94. Avoid extended warranties. Most of the time they are overpriced. If worried put that amount in a savings account to cover any potential breakdowns.

95. If you like a drink on vacation, check out the Happy Hours. Drinks are usually much cheaper and you may get some great appetisers on special offer too.

96. Check out local ethnic supermarkets. These are great for specialist food at excellent prices. For example, a Chinese supermarket often has the best prices on rice if you are buying in bulk. 

97. Swap with your friends. This can work for DVDs, Blu-Rays, games and even clothes.

98. Check out the local library. This is especially good if you have kids. You can borrow books for free and some have films to hire for a nominal fee. 

99. Check out the baby aisle in the supermarket for cheap wipes, cleansing cream and shampoo. Especially good if you have sensitive skin at a fraction of the price of specialist products.

100. Use your phone as a Sat Nav. This is a great idea as most smartphones have Google maps these days and it saves you buying one or renting one for road trips abroad. You can also download the directions to use offline using free internet service saving mobile data and roaming.

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So this is 100 ways to save money in 2021.  Are there any ideas here you'd have never thought of? Let me know if I've missed something off this list!