Money Saving Tips

Money Saving Tips

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The crew of Froo Gal are naturally pretty frugal. Here are some money saving tips that we have spotted connected with sailing.

1. Reuse of demineralised water. We run a dehumidifier on Froo Gal (especially useful after last week's minor bilge disaster). We save the water for use in steam irons and steam mops for domestic use. This is not only good use of a by-product that would otherwise be wasted, it increases the life of the products that use it. Think local! Act local!

Autumn turns to winter,
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2. Go for a walk. A family outing does not need to be expensive. A walk along the coast or river is fun, costs nothing and is good for your health. Pack a full picnic or drinks and snacks to avoid the temptation of buying costly meals out. Vary the subject of walks if you have kids. Geocaching (see geocaching.com) adds a 'treasure hunt' theme to an walk. There are many nature and history walks that are easy to find and free.

3. Go for a paddle. Paddle your dingy, kayak, or board around the marina. Why not? Messing about on the water is the reason you own a boat after all! Paddling can be a from of entertainment or simply transport. Either way it can be a good way to save a little money.

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4. Avoid the the marina chandlers. For common products shop anywhere else but the marina chandlers. Cleaning products are a great example of items that when packaged for boat use and sold close to the water the prices rocket. Look at this link for extreme ways to save on cleaning products: https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/miracle-money-savers-for-you-and-the-home-115711749.html
For more mundane savings go to your local supermarket, budget supermarket of cash&carry (CostCo, etc.). For example 250ml of nail polish remover at Tesco is 1.26GBP. 500ml at a chandlers that we visited recently was 6.95GBP -- about twice the cost.  If you are concerned about quality differences shop around to find industrial suppliers. For example http://www.mbfg.co.uk sells a very wide selection of fibre glass construction products at a fraction of the cost of a chandlers.

5. Volunteer. Volunteering and helping others is a great way to learn new skills, make friends and enjoy an interest whilst avoiding costly alternatives. Most local authorities and many charities help match prospective volunteers with organisations. River and canal authorities and sailing charities are often looking for volunteers. No matter your skills-set, practical or administrative, there is likely to be a role for you. For example see http://www3.hants.gov.uk/volunteer.htm

6. Surf the web. Connecting up to free WiFi and browsing is pretty cheap entertainment. Surveying your local area or the place you are visiting for free WiFi connections can be fun in itself. Surfing for sailing blogs is a popular pass time amongst the Froo Gal crew.  Mostly it is about escaping and dreaming -- what to do, where to go, how to maintain a boat, diving, exploring, boat selection, long solo passages and life as a live-aboard. Many blogs have discussions about the cost of sailing and how to make a living.  http://savingtosail.com/ has just caught my eye and might be worth a closer look.


Understand the difference between cost, price and value!