What are your top tips for being thrifty?

Ano and Bella, not only do some people try to bargain in the charity shop where I volunteer, some shoplift as well! It's in aid of a children's hospice. If we get a good item, we almost have to stand guard.
We just surround known shoplifters and chat to them until they give up and go away.

I couldn't 'bargain' either. probably naïve of me to be shocked about shoplifting in charity shops - perhaps the assumption is that security won't be as tight! But still!!!!!

Liz46

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Don't buy clothes for grandchildren, they'll never be worn. Let their mother choose what she wants her children to wear.
Don't turn on the oven for one meal, always cook enough for two or more then freeze the others.
Make a big stockpot of soup every week.
Shop in charity shops.
Feed your pets on supermarket food, they'll be just as healthy as on expensive food.

When DG visited, used to buy new books to supplement the ones we already have. Now take her to our local little library where she loves choosing her own books, or we get a stack in if she's arriving when it's closed. Also get her toys from the local charity shops which go back when she's finished with them.

I did find I had to buy quite a lot of new clothes when I first retired ,as my life now requires'smart casual' rather than business suits-so plan/budget for this if it applies to you
We moved our 'study' to our very sunny dining room which we rarely used-both in there this morning without the heat on (sitting room was freezing).So look at where you will spend a lot of your time.We also sit in our conservatory a lot-S. facing .Wish we'd had our water meter installed as soon as DCs left home too.Had radiator thermostats fitted 30 years ago but would recommend if you don't have them .
As a joke, the first winter I bought DH and me down gilets and knee length slippers (Have made DH promise not to answer door in latter).They are surprisingly insulating.
Would echo drawing set amounts of cash for day to day expenses .I started this years ago when we were very cash -strapped (I've dropped the habit of writing down everything I spend though).
I do a six weekly shop in Aldi for basics I know we like, plus cleaning stuff (and wine)I daren't go more often as I end up buying things I didn't know I needed .It's a bit like Ikea marketplace...DH shops around a lot more when renewing insurances etc
Our income has reduced to about half though we have substantial savings and are probably better off than we have ever been since having the DCs .Run only one car and use our bus passes when possible. ( I've used today to go into our nearest city to meet a friend and saved about £10)
We have always been careful with money (though not frugal) and it's an ingrained habit, though not really necessary now !
Our main extravagance is holidays and we dont really economise on them ...

I have a gadget that squeezes the last dregs from tubes loopySo satisfying

Some really good ideas on this thread.
A few years ago we were snowed in for some weeks, so I worked my way through the contents of the larder and freezer - amazing what you find and what can be done with what appears very little. A good way to 'spring clean'! I am going to do this when I get home from Oz in preparation for a big family visit at the end of the year and will fill the freezers ready for the visit with hopefully, economically bought and home prepared (Lidl/wonky vegetables) items. I find, now living on my own, that I buy far too much and have to be very strict when presented with bog-offs and similar offers. Unless it's bitterly cold, I only heat the rooms I use and sit under a fleecy blanket when watching the telly. I re-assess the insurances every year and change if, like this year, the car insurance went up by an enormous £135 . I shop mainly using a card because I get Avios points which are great for getting to see the gc's, but am going to try and allocate myself a certain amount of money to use each week..... Not so sure about that one! My cousin did a thing for charity, spending only £1 a day on food for 2 and found it reasonably easy to find ingenious and nourishing recipes! I don't think she lost weight as she's so skinny in the first place. I haunt charity shops and have picked up some amazing bargains over the years. I can't believe how much expensive stuff is given away very often unused.

The most important thing that we do is to have all our finances on a spreadsheet so we can adjust our actual spending and model our planned spending when needed (the exchange rate of the pound to euro is part of our calculations). We shop in Lidl and the local market and produce most of our own vegetables. We heat the house with a large woodburner and sometimes use it for cooking too. We shop twice a week (30km round trip to nearest shops).
We have always made bread (though rarely eat it now because of low-carbing), make stocks and soups and lots of curries / tagines with leftovers. We always cook from scratch, but ready-meals are not very popular in France anyway. Similarly there is no real temptation to stop for a coffee or a meal out in our bit of France unless you like tripe and rice pudding.
I would definitely recommend growing a few vegetables even if you have limited space; tomatoes and particularly salad leaves are a big money-saver.

So much good advice , thanks everyone. I am sitting here with a rug over my knees, heating off!

We seem to be doing quite well one month in and have revised the amount we thought I might need to earn as a minimum to several £s less! I am taking out set amount in cash for weekly spending - amazing how careful it makes you and I love the satisfied feeling of adding left over and therefore saved cash to a jar at the end of the week.

Today is a day for having a go at making bread for the first time for ages - though I always think I am one of those who performs the reverse miracle of turning bread into stones ...

i agree with downtoearth about using the library, i was a magpie with books when working and couldn't resist buying from bookshops, charity shops, fetes etc. I had so many books that my husband bought me an E-reader but there is nothing like holding a book in your hand!!!
Once i retired i started using my local library and i love it, they also have various magazines which to buy would be almost the price of a book!! Also because of all the government cuts i feel it is important to use the library otherwise it may go the way of the mobile libraries and one day just will not be there.

Not taking your husband shopping. Can't tell you the number of times we get to the checkout with numerous ' little treats' he has added

As from tomorrow, I'll do basic shopping at Aldi which opens here - and within walking distance. Memo to self: do not go on online shopping sites late at night which is when most of my purchases are made. Sleep on it and review in the cold light of dawn - or slightly later...

I am the one who slips in the 'little treats' - my husband tries hard to go shopping without me .

Lidl - like Aldi - has saved us so much money. We find we still need to go to a bigger supermarket for a couple of items, but we save around £30 a week compared to what we spent a couple of years ago.

I am another fan of the local library. We do need to 'use it or lose it'.

Our biggest expense is heating, and we're currently trying to get out of an expensive propane contract. This company have really taken us for a ride.
If we can do this without too much expense I want to do away with gas altogether.
Otherwise we live quite frugally, usually grow our own vegetables, and have a woodburning stove, but as we get older finding the work involved with both is becoming too much.
We have chickens, but you don't save much with them. The meat and eggs are tastier though.

Do not turn off your heating, it is more cost effective to leave it running with the thermostat turned down, it takes a lot of energy to heat a cold house from scratch.

Annodomini - in Aldi I save time as well as money because I'm not confronted with whole aisles of soap powder etc. to choose from. Nor do I have to play 'hunt the beans' in 3 different places as I now do in Sainsburys. I positively like the limited choice in Aldi, a bit like the 1950s when shopping was so much simpler!

visiting markets at the end of trading will always give you amazing bargains. When we were first married we lived near Portobello Rd Market (before it was trendy). We lived a veggie lifestyle in the week and went to parents at weekends for our meat meals! We ate the most fabulous veggie meals for a pittance and saw fruit and veg I had never seen before in my life. The stallholders were great for cooking tips.

Do not let DH come shopping with me.
He likes "quality" food, organic fruit and veg, meat from the butchers and fresh fish which, as we live about as far from the sea as you can get , may well have been frozen.
I go for BOGOF offers, reduced yellow stickers, multi buys, and my favourite description is "reduced".
I have to balance the budget.

Granarchist - you are so right about the end of trading. We have a big open market with lots of fruit and veg stalls, many using £1 bowls. At the end the stall holders are offering 2 bowls for £1 and I end up with more produce than I can carry for a fiver.

Lots of really good and very economical recipes on the Facebook site 'Feed Your Family for about £20 a Week'. I know most of us don't need ordinary recipes, but there also really good slow cooker hints, too.