12 Ways I’ll be saving money in 2012…

31 January 2012


  1. Mobile Phone Bills: I’ve switched to Pay as you Go from 02. I’ll be availing of my free 250 world wide webtexts every month, setting my phone to WiFi and enjoying 02 Treats.
  2. Energy Bills: I’ll be monitoring energy providers every 6 months, having upgraded my boiler controls last year.  I’ll buy an energy monitor to keep an eye on consumption.
  3. Energy Saving: I’ll keep the dryer switched off, having managed without it for a year and a half now.
  4. Landline Bills: I’ve a feeling Eircom is not giving me a good deal on broadband and calls so I’ll be shopping around.
  5. Visa Bills: I’ve swapped my AIB card for a Tesco card which will earn Clubcard points for each transaction. These will quadruple in value when used to purchase vouchers for restaurants, family days out etc.
  6. Shopping Bills: I’ll continue to support Irish and do my main shop in Superquinn. I’ll top this up with Irish products in Aldi that have won Great Taste and Blas na hEireann awards.
  7. Food Bills: I’ll be harvesting salads, herbs and tomatoes from our terrace vegetable patch.
  8. House Insurance: I’ll be checking my reinstatement value to make sure it takes account of the drop in construction costs. This may be cancelled out by the extra 10-15% rise in cost that compliance with the new Building Regulations is estimated to result in.
  9. Health Insurance: I’ll be (desperately!) shopping around at renewal. last year. Last year, I got a “kids go free” deal with Quinn. Mind you, since there is no private childrens’ hospital, is it really worth paying health Insurance for children???
  10. Pet Insurance: Sorry, Bisto, just don’t get sick…
  11. Household Waste: I’ll be escaping from Greyhound at the earliest possible opportunity as they still haven’t collected by Brown Bin despite having paid my Standing Charge and Lift Charges up front.
  12. Health: I’ll be drinking more wine and eating more dark chocolate to keep healthy…cheers!