We all have something – a clever hack, a gadget or an investment purchase that saves us money, often over time – and usually helps cut down on waste, too.
From a set of cheap funnels that make decanting bulk-bought products a doddle, as well as saving on packaging, to a sewing machine for running up repairs, curtains and even baby clothes, these everyday items make life cheaper and easier.
Heated throw
As a chronically cold person – the kind who finds themselves shivering at their wfh desk in July, let alone January – buying a heated throw has helped me cut down on heating bills. It makes my bed toastier and sometimes I repurpose it as a cloak or chair cover to keep me warm on those chilly work days. Kate Lloyd
Buy: £94.99
johnlewis.com
Le Creuset saucepans
I love my old Le Creuset saucepans. One, they remind me of my much-missed Aunt Beryl, who gave them to me 20 years ago. But since energy prices went into orbit, I’ve also come to appreciate the thick, heavy iron pots for the way they retain heat and save on bills. As soon as eggs, pasta or veg come to the boil, I put the lid on and turn off the heat – and the food carries on cooking at and then just below boiling point for 10 minutes or more, taking no longer than if I’d kept the heat on. Gavin McOwan
Buy: £185
lecreuset.co.uk
Storage crates
I currently have a thing for these Hay crates, which have saved me money through nudging me into being more organised. For instance, I now have one place for all the toddler Calpol I could never previously lay my hands on when I needed it, which has resulted in me being the not-so-proud owner of eight bottles of the stuff. Ellie Bramley
Buy: from £5.10
utilitydesign.co.uk
Window film
This window film keep our house so much warmer, and has saved us a fortune in double-glazing, which, because we’re in a conservation area, is proving a bit more complicated and expensive to install. Hannah Booth
Buy: £7.55
amazon.co.uk
Cabin bag
My Eastpak, cabin size, soft-sided case has saved me a fortune in baggage fares. Because it’s soft, you can cram loads in. Twice, I’ve carried enough stuff in it for a four-week summer trip. And if you go for checking in a 10kg bag with budget airlines, rather than the expensive option of priority boarding and two cabin bags, it barely adds to your budget fare. Because it’s split into two sections, my husband and I have used it between us for shorter trips. I’ve had it for nearly 10 years and it’s still going strong. Liz Boulter
Buy: £145
eastpak.com or
Janome sewing machine
I’ve had a basic Janome sewing machine ever since I studied textiles at school about 24 years ago. I’ve had it serviced a couple of times and it’s still going strong. I’ve used it to make my own curtains and cushion covers, plus baby clothes for gifts and for my own children. A few basic repairs, and mending a hem here and there, means it has definitely saved me money over the years and justified its place in a dusty corner of my living room.
Ruth Lewy
Buy: £279
johnlewis.com
Funnels
My set of assorted neon funnels is one of my favourite possessions. Not only do they save me money as I now purchase large refill bottles (I am talking five-litre bad boys) of washing detergent/dish soap/shampoo/conditioner and then decant into glass bottles – thereby saving both plastic and pounds – but there is something incredibly soothing about using them. Sometimes, after a particularly stressful day topped off with a harried bedtime routine with my young kids, the satisfying glug of a liquid detergent pouring through a neon orange funnel and lolling into an amber glass bottle feels like self-care. Abigail Radnor
Buy: Set of five Wanaone funnels, £8.59
Uppfylld funnel, £o.75
Vegetable chopper
For me, it’s a £20 vegetable chopper I just bought. I’m always trying to tempt my children into eating more fruit and veg, and this saves me buying expensive bagged lettuce leaves and cherry tomatoes. I can just chuck in anything from the vegetable drawer (carrots, cucumber, peppers) and it all comes out in enticing cubes that they’re happy to eat. Plus, it makes the perfect chips! Charlotte Northedge
Buy: Fullstar vegetable chopper and cutter, £19.99
amazon.co.uk
Oxo Good Grips chopper, £22.50
johnlewis.com
Food thermos
We have two of these food thermoses and they’ve saved loads of money on buying lunch out. I take them to work and/or the kids take them to school so they can have hot lunches of home-cooked leftovers rather than school lunches, which were never a favourite. Also makes a welcome change from sandwiches. Hannah Booth
Buy: £23
argos.co.uk
Patagonia Retro-X Vest
For seven years I fished every week as a newspaper fishing correspondent. Equipment was incredibly important as I’d be fishing in Scotland in January or deep-sea fishing in Madeira, so I needed kit that would last. The other fishers recommended Patagonia, although they’d jokingly call it Patagucci. The fleeces and waterproof jackets I bought were not cheap, but they are still going today. My windproof Retro-X gilet is probably my most worn item. Annalisa Barbieri
Buy: £160 at Patagonia
eu.patagonia.com
Or £112 at Ellis Brigham
Schwalbe Marathon Plus Bike Tyres
Either I’m a nail magnet or the streets of north London are paved with glass, because a couple of years ago I got puncture after puncture. It was costing a fortune in patches, inner tubes and unexpected London Underground fares (it’s more than a fiver a day to get to the office and back). A cycling-mad colleague suggested Schwalbe Marathon Plus puncture-protection tyres. At £35 each they aren’t cheap, and of course I’ll never know exactly how much they have saved me, but I’m pretty sure they have almost paid for themselves.
Hilary Osborne
Buy: £35
Sparkling water maker
I love sparkling water. I can’t think of a better way to get through the mid-afternoon slump than with a couple of glasses of the fizziest available. So buying a sparkling water maker a few years ago was a gamechanger. It helped me cut down on the amount of corner-shop Perrier I was picking up (too much), saving me money and helping me live a little more sustainably too. Kate Lloyd
Buy: Philips GoZero Sparkling Water Maker, £83.99
Heated airer
A friend recommended Lakeland’s heated airer after I complained that my house looked like a launderette in winter, with clothes drying on every available surface. The airer holds two loads of washing and costs 9p an hour to run, so is much cheaper – and more sustainable – than using a tumble dryer (my tip is to also buy the airer cover, which contains the heat and means clothes dry even faster). All in all, it’s a much better solution than sitting on Zoom calls framed by a backdrop of damp knickers. Joe Stone
Buy: £179.99
Nuts and seeds in bulk
Since Covid, we’ve kept bulk buying organic nuts and seeds as it’s much cheaper, and keep them in the big tub in the cupboard under the stairs. A 1kg bag of organic Brazil nuts from Real Food Source, for example, works out half the price per kilogram of 200g bags in Sainsbury’s. Amy Fleming
Buy: £10.70
realfoodsource.co.uk
Cycle stand
I’ve fitted a cycle stand in my bike shed. It stops my flatmate’s bike knocking mine when she puts hers in, and vice versa, which saves me a fortune because I don’t have to get my brake wires/mudguards constantly fixed. It has probably saved me about £150 a year, every year. Every time I get my bike out I feel smug. Kitty Drake
Buy: £59.99
halfords.com
Screen protector and luggage scales
When you drop your phone as much as I do, a screen protector is vital. Mine has saved me much heartache, as well as money on repairs. I have also saved tons of oversized-baggage fees with a set of luggage scales – I love how satisfyingly analogue they are. Hannah Booth
Buy: Spigen tempered-glass screen protector, £14.99
amazon.co.uk
Luggage scale, £5.95
Banham locks
These cost a fortune compared with other locks, but they’re worth every penny. I don’t live in the most salubrious neighbourhood so my front door lock has been worth its weight in gold, both for peace of mind and doing the job when someone did once try to break in (they couldn’t get past the trusty Banham). The police came round to take prints and said thieves always struggle to get past these locks. Hannah Booth
Buy: £294
Milk frother
I’m not even ashamed to say my borderline-addiction to oat cappuccinos used to set me back hundreds of pounds a month. Things were getting out of hand until a friend got me this electric milk frother for my birthday. This one costs about £40, and is weirdly excellent at generating hot (and cold) bubbly milk without the mess or hassle of using the hot metal spigot that comes standard with most fancy coffee machines. Sasha Mistlin
Buy: £39.99
amazon.co.uk
• This article was amended on 17 July 2024 to correct the price of the Eastpak cabin bag, which at the time of publication was £145, not £71.06 as an earlier version said.
