The Penny Pincher UK

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The Penny Pincher UK The Penny Pincher is a UK-based money-saving blog that helps families stretch their budget without sacrificing quality of life. Run by a savvy parent, it’s packed with down-to-earth advice on supermarket deals, cashback apps, free family activities, budgeting tips, and everyday ways to cut costs. Whether you’re trying to reduce your grocery bill, plan a cheap day out, or teach your kids about money, The Penny Pincher offers relatable, real-world ideas that actually work.

Run by a savvy parent, it’s packed with down-to-earth advice on supermarket deals, cashback apps, free family activities, budgeting tips, and everyday ways to cut costs. Whether you’re trying to reduce your grocery bill, plan a cheap day out, or teach your kids about money, The Penny Pincher offers relatable, real-world ideas that actually work.

I was out and about in the Surrey countryside today when I spotted this absolutely gorgeous little egg shed at the side ...
15/10/2026

I was out and about in the Surrey countryside today when I spotted this absolutely gorgeous little egg shed at the side of the road, right next to a farm, and of course, I had to stop! 🥚🐔

I absolutely love these little roadside businesses, whether it’s egg sheds, cake sheds or anything else people set up to earn a bit of extra money. I think it’s brilliant when people make use of what they’ve got to help pay the bills!

The photos really don’t do this one justice. It was beautifully decorated in a lovely rustic country style, complete with cute little flashing lights; someone had clearly put a lot of effort into it!

The eggs were fresh and free-range from the farm next door, priced at £2 for six or £4 for twelve, which I thought was pretty reasonable!

The only snag was that it was cash only, and I had exactly £2 on me! You popped your money down a little drainpipe and picked whichever eggs you fancied.

I deliberately chose some perfectly imperfect ones, all different shapes, sizes and colours, with a few marks and scratches. I can buy uniform eggs at the supermarket, but I love that these look like they’ve come straight from the farm!

For comparison, the cheapest free-range eggs I could find at Morrisons were £1.80 for six, so I’ve paid just 20p more to support a tiny local business. I’m more than happy with that!

I first discovered these roadside egg sheds during Covid, when supermarket eggs were sometimes difficult to find. I’d almost forgotten about them, but I’ve started spotting more recently, including one just a five-minute walk from home.

There’s something lovely about these little businesses and the communities supporting them. I’ll definitely be back to this one, although next time I’ll remember to bring more cash!

And I’m already looking forward to my scrambled eggs tomorrow morning! 🍳

Have you got any egg sheds, cake sheds or other little roadside honesty shops near you? Do you stop and buy from them? I’d love to hear about them! 👀

I’m pretty happy with how my Monzo penny challenge is going! I’ve now got £402.06 tucked away, which is going to be unbe...
14/10/2026

I’m pretty happy with how my Monzo penny challenge is going!

I’ve now got £402.06 tucked away, which is going to be unbelievably useful for Christmas. I’m planning to take it out on 20th December, and I’ll keep adding to it until then. 🎄

If you haven’t started saving yet, it’s not too late. Putting aside £1 a day from today, 14th October, through to 20th December would give you £68, while £3 a day would build up to £204, before any interest. Swipe across to see what £1, £3, £5 or £10 a day could add up to. 👉

Money’s tight, and I know finding anything spare isn’t always possible, so use this as a guide rather than something you have to keep up with, only put aside what you can afford, because there’s no point leaving yourself short for essentials.

Whether you use a savings pot like Monzo or a good old-fashioned piggy bank, even a smaller amount could help take some pressure off December.

Have you already started putting money aside for Christmas? Or are you still trying to get through October first?



Ps. Dm me if you’d like a referal code for Monzo and an up to £50 sign up bonus! 👀

We’ve started doing a (cheesy Ai, but it works!), weekly dinner menu at home and it’s been surprisingly useful!We’re try...
13/10/2026

We’ve started doing a (cheesy Ai, but it works!), weekly dinner menu at home and it’s been surprisingly useful!

We’re trying to be really careful with money at the moment, so on a Sunday we go through the fridge, freezer and cupboards, see what we’ve already got, what needs using up, and then plan the week around that.

It means we can work out exactly what we need to buy rather than doing a bigger shop and ending up with lots of random extras.

It can changes every week and some weeks the meals might be a bit healthier than others (both the kids have school melas too so they get healthy meals there too) but chicken is often likely to show up a lot as it’s pretty much the one item everyone will eat!

One of the big reasons is the kids. Our foster child has a very limited range of foods he’ll eat because of dietary, religious and personal preferences, and we’re gradually trying to expand what we can there.

My son can be pretty picky too, although not quite to the same extent, so planning ahead means we can make sure we’ve actually got food everyone will eat rather than discovering at 6pm that dinner is a complete non-starter, because that’s stressful for everyone.

It also means everyone knows what’s happening during the week, which cuts down on the constant “What are we having for dinner tonight?” questions, and it helps me too, because trying to work out what to cook at the end of the day can be surprisingly stressful, especially when my ADHD meds are usually wearing off around dinner time 🫠

It’s not completely rigid, and some weeks it’s a bit Ready Steady Cook depending on what we’ve got to use up, but having a game plan definitely makes things easier, cheaper and less stressful.

Do you plan your meals for the week, or are you more of a make-it-up-as-you-go household?

mealprepideas

12/10/2026

AD

One of those things you buy thinking you’ll use occasionally, but end up using EVERY SINGLE DAY! 👀

We originally got the Kärcher WV3 window vacuum to make cleaning our ridiculously tall windows easier, but it’s turned out to be brilliant for something else!

We live in an old Victorian house, and condensation in the bathroom is a nightmare, particularly during autumn and winter. Wet shower screens, tiles and steamed-up windows can soon lead to mould and limescale.

Now, after every shower, we spend a minute or two vacuuming up all that excess steam and water. It goes straight into the 200ml tank, which you just pour away (or pop on your flower bed if trying not to waste any water!), and the machine even works upside down to reach awkward spots!

The best bit? The horrible limescale build-up on our shower screen has virtually disappeared! Anyone living in a hard water area will appreciate that, lots my most hated chore, having to scrub off those hard water marks!

Also, can I just say how satisfying it is to use, watching the water get sucked up with a scchhhhhhhhhhhh noise, it makes that bit of extra ‘housework’ quite entertaining 😂

It’s got up to 35 minutes of battery life and is handy for cleaning windows, removing water from car glass and even getting excess dew off tents before packing them away, so less chance of a mouldy tent when you unpack it next time (and have to replace it, which we did this year! )

It’s currently £70.75 on Amazon, which isn’t exactly pocket change, but considering how much we use it and the cleaning time it saves, and reduces the chance of mould, which is pretty nasty and does, of course, bring health concerns, I genuinely think it’s money well spent!

It won’t fix an underlying damp problem, but it’s made keeping on top of condensation so much easier.

Sometimes being money-savvy means spending a little more on something you’ll actually use!

What’s the best thing you’ve bought that turned out to be far more useful than you expected? 👀

👉 View it in on Amazon https://link.amazon/B050Y8BAY

Link in my Instagram story highlights 🔗

A BIG THANK YOU! 🙌Last week, I shared how frustrating it was trying to find affordable insurance so I could get back int...
11/10/2026

A BIG THANK YOU! 🙌

Last week, I shared how frustrating it was trying to find affordable insurance so I could get back into Amazon Flex deliveries. I’d been quoted £3,200 a year for my van, which made earning some extra money a rather expensive exercise! I wanted the flexibility to work when I had time, but the insurance was making it difficult.

Someone kindly suggested another company, and I’m so glad they did. Their initial quote was even higher, but after speaking to their underwriters, they came back £1,000 cheaper than my previous quote. Still expensive, but a massive improvement!

We also went through our household spending and cancelled subscriptions and other things we weren’t using. Between those savings and replacing my existing van insurance, the additional cost to our household works out at £38 a month. That’s not the insurance premium itself, but it’s the extra money we now need to find each month to cover the cost, which makes it much more manageable.

I’ve already done a few Flex shifts this week, including a 7 am start this morning 😬 My 90-minute delivery block had just four deliveries, which I finished in about 50 minutes, and I was home before the block officially ended.l 🙌

Quiet Sunday roads certainly helped, and I rather enjoyed getting out early!

Of course, the payment isn’t all profit, as fuel, insurance and wear on the van all eat into what I take home. On my first delivery back, a windscreen wiper flew off on the way home in pouring rain, leaving me with a £46 bill after earning £45! 🫠

I’ll share more about the costs and whether Flex is worth doing in a separate post 👀

For now, a massive thank you to the person who sent that recommendation; that message helped me find a way to earn extra money with the flexibility I need around working for myself.

Sometimes sharing a problem really does lead to someone suggesting something you hadn’t thought of; I’d have never found that company otherwise - the power of social media and a fab bunch of people can be amazing!

Has a tip from someone online ever saved you money or made a real difference? 👇

Today is World Mental Health Day, and I wanted to share some places you can turn to if things are feeling difficult. I’v...
10/10/2026

Today is World Mental Health Day, and I wanted to share some places you can turn to if things are feeling difficult.

I’ve been through the wringer with debt myself, so I know that money worries can affect far more than your bank balance, but whatever’s behind how you’re feeling, you deserve support.

You don’t have to wait until you’re at breaking point or know exactly what to say before reaching out. 

These services offer different ways to get help, including by phone or text, so save this slide for yourself or share it with someone who might need it.



BILLS PILING UP? BORROWING TO GET BY?
Swipe for 5 steps to take now and where to get free help.When payday has barely pa...
10/10/2026

BILLS PILING UP? BORROWING TO GET BY?

Swipe for 5 steps to take now and where to get free help.

When payday has barely passed, and you’re already putting the food shop on a credit card, keeping up with bills can feel relentless. YouGov polling for StepChange found that 38% of UK adults had struggled with household bills and credit commitments in the preceding few months.

The charity highlighted those findings this week alongside a warning about rising problems with credit repayments.

Having been through bankruptcy myself, I know how much financial difficulties can affect your life beyond the bank balance. You don’t have to wait for missed payments or an overdue letter before asking for help, and you don’t need every statement and balance ready to start that conversation.

These slides explain five things you can do, including working out which bills need attention first and speaking to your lender before agreeing to payments you can’t afford.

StepChange provides free debt advice at stepchange.org or on 0800 138 1111. Getting advice from the charity won’t affect your credit score, although missed payments and some repayment arrangements can affect your credit file.

If you’re facing eviction, court action or energy disconnection, tell the adviser immediately so they understand what’s urgent.

I’ve put more information in the full guide on The Penny Pincher, including what to say to your lender and where self-employed people can find support.

Save these slides if you need time to come back to them, or share them privately with someone who might find them useful.

You can read the guide here: https://www.thepennypincher.co.uk/post/struggling-with-bills

Probably far too pleased with myself over a pizza, but I reckon this is the best one I’ve made in a few years- the photo...
09/10/2026

Probably far too pleased with myself over a pizza, but I reckon this is the best one I’ve made in a few years- the photos don’t really do the pizza justice, it was pretty good 😂

The base came out just the right thickness, and the slices actually held their shape when I picked them up, and a good slice of pizza should stand its ground, not flop halfway to your mouth 😬🍕

We try to have a family pizza night every week, and wherever possible I’ll make them from scratch. I worked for a pizza company, with a wood burning pizza oven (which was very rare at the time) for a few years, so I’ve made a VERY large number of pizzas in my time, but it’s still something I really enjoy, especially when they come out like this!

It’s also properly cheap compared with a takeaway, or even a supermarket pizza, and I spent about £9 on ingredients, which made four pizzas, and I’ve still got cheese, salami, tomato sauce and two dough balls left to make more!

My wife and I would love to open a pizza truck one day and turn this pizza obsession into a business! We’ve had plenty of hare-brained business schemes between us, but this one does feel more realistic than some of the others 😂 Who knows, perhaps one day I’ll be serving these up in a lay-by near you! 👀😬🤔

Do you have a side hustle or business you dream of starting? Perhaps you’ve already taken the plunge. Tell me what you’d love to do 👀

Costa Too Good To Go bag for £3.50. Bargain or disappointment? ☕🥪Was in Woking yesterday doing some market research and,...
08/10/2026

Costa Too Good To Go bag for £3.50. Bargain or disappointment? ☕🥪

Was in Woking yesterday doing some market research and, before braving the rush-hour train home, checked Too Good To Go. I always have a nose when I’m somewhere different, as you never know what you’ll find!

Not much choice, but Costa had 1 bag left for £3.50, promising around £11 worth of food. Why not!

When I arrived, there were loads of toasties, sarnies & wraps on the counter, and I was told I could choose any 3.

I cheekily asked if they’d chuck in an extra 1 or 2, seeing as they were closing and I had the last bag. Sadly not! Fair enough, although I did wonder what would happen to everything left on the counter 👀

I chose 2 ham & cheese toasties (£4.30 each) and a breakfast wrap. Definitely over £11 worth, although I’d never pay that! For £3.50, though? Not bad at all.

The plan was to have the wrap for tea and freeze the toasties for cheap lunches.

Then things went a bit wrong... 😬

Got home and discovered the toasties had that day’s use-by date, as expected, but the breakfast wrap was dated THE DAY BEFORE!
I’m all for reducing food waste, but there’s a big difference between best before and use by. I’m not risking eating meat that’s past its use-by date!

I reported it through the Too Good To Go app, uploaded a photo and promptly received a full £3.50 refund.

So, despite the disappointment, I ended up with 2 perfectly good toasties for nothing!

Winner winner, toasty dinner! 😂

Would I try Costa again? Absolutely! Easy collection, pleasant staff and, assuming everything was in date, I’d have been happy with £3.50 for the lot.

What do you reckon? Would you be happy paying £3.50 for these 3 items, or expect more?

And have you ever received out-of-date food in a Too Good To Go bag?

TENA Giving Away 10,000 Free Packs Of Discreet PadsTENA is offering 10,000 coupons for free Discreet pads. Register onli...
08/10/2026

TENA Giving Away 10,000 Free Packs Of Discreet Pads

TENA is offering 10,000 coupons for free Discreet pads. Register online for a voucher to redeem at participating supermarkets. At Boots, Co-op and Superdrug, you'll need to buy the product first and claim up to £3 cashback.

In-store only, one per person. Ends on the 28th of November or when all coupons have been claimed.

https://tena-discreet-range.co.uk

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