The prices in Germany are high, the need to save big. There are many tips circulating on how to get a lot for little money. But which ones work best in everyday life? I tried it for you.
I’m going to the office today instead of working from home most of the time as I usually do. Before Corona, the travel costs after the rent were my biggest chunk in the monthly budget – especially because a one-hour drive with a delicious roll from the bakery and a good coffee is much easier to bear. But I’ve been letting that go for a long time. Instead, I take my coffee, some fruit and a yoghurt from home with me. So I save 6.30 euros per trip.
Snacks, water and coffee are provided free of charge in the office. I snack on candy bars from the communal fridge and fill up my reusable water bottle. Later there will be another cappuccino or two. So I save around 10 euros over the entire day.
While many colleagues get their supplies from the supermarket or nearby restaurants, I’ve been preparing my lunch for years. It all started with a cooking box that delivered two portions per dish. That’s how I discovered how pleasant it is to be able to simply take your lunch out of the fridge in the morning. Today we have flatbread with hummus, salsa and chard. A classic discount-Schnorr dish: the flatbread was on sale, the hummus was homemade, the tomatoes are from my own balcony and I got the chard as a gift from a friend who has her own farmland. A portion of this meal cost less than one euro. Away I would have been there for sure with 10 euros. So I save at least 9 euros.
After work I do my weekly shopping. I plan my shopping for once a week because experience has shown that I spend less money that way. Otherwise new bycatch will end up in the car with every purchase, from sweets to cosmetics. And that adds up. I did the math and was shocked that I spend an average of 20 euros more per week if I shop every day.
I also make a meal plan for the week so I use up all the perishable food and don’t have to throw anything away. This also saves money – and protects the environment.
I prefer to go shopping in the evening to be able to take advantage of offers, especially meat is often discounted then. I buy what I need often and freeze it (or at least part of it).
And finally, I pay attention to the coupons from Payback. Since I always shop in the same supermarket, the points add up and if I see that there are a few more points that I need often, I take them with me. On average, I can pay for one week’s shopping per quarter with just Payback.
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After shopping I have an appointment with friends. Instead of going to a bar, we go to the lake. Everyone has a few drinks with them. I drink elderberry spritzer with syrup made from the elderflowers from the neighbour’s bush. He had pruned the bush radically. I saved the blossoms and made 4l of syrup in one go. In a bar I would have easily paid seven euros for two elderberry spritzers. So I only used the amount of work, almost a kilo of sugar for around 80 cents and two organic lemons for one euro (click here for the recipe).
I let the evening end comfortably on the sofa. Just a month ago I canceled my Netflix subscription and am watching Amazon Prime instead. I had to place a few orders and after a month’s trial had a few series on my watch list, which I’m now finishing. At just under 13 euros a month for the HD subscription, Netflix had become too expensive for me when it came to the selection of films. With Amazon Prime I pay 68 euros a year, i.e. 5.66 euros a month. That was tempting enough to ditch Netflix.
However, I already know that I will be returning to Netflix for the latest season of Bridgerton at the latest. But as the colleagues from Chip.de write, my account will remain in place for twelve months after cancellation. So I can relax streaming on Amazon to return to Netflix after a year. I have already written the reminder in my calendar.
You see, in just one day, quite a lot comes together. Broken down in one day, I saved about 36 euros today thanks to my habits.
A big savings I’ve discovered over the past year is to make my own cosmetics. It all started when I discovered a marigold ointment at the drugstore that was supposed to cost 12 euros for 30ml. The ingredients: beeswax, almond oil, calendula. Then I thought: I can do that too. With about 10 euros of material I made five 50ml jars of ointment. It still keeps in the fridge. (I use this recipe for the cream)
I also make deodorant myself now, because most of the ingredients can be found in any supermarket for about 10 euros: coconut oil, baking soda and starch are mixed with beeswax (from the drugstore), then a few drops of sage and lime oil – done. The deodorant is made within 10 minutes and lasts about 6 months. The cost of a small crucible is less than 1.50 euros. (I use this recipe for my deodorant)
When it comes to DIY and growing, my biggest tip is to swap. I grow potatoes and various medicinal plants and herbs in my garden and on my balcony. I swap them with friends for their harvest. Because neither can they do anything with 10 kilos of chard, nor can I with 4 kilos of marigold ointment.
