Insider MoneySaving tips

So we asked MoneySavers via the MSE email and social media to spill the (possibly own-brand) beans on their secret work-learnt insider tips. We were blown away by their answers. They came from factory workers, car sellers, travel agents, cleaners, posties, dentists and more…

Share your insider tips. Please let us know via the MSE Forum, Twitter or Facebook and we'll add some of the best.

Important. It is impossible for us to validate many of these crowd-sourced tips, plus some are very specific, so we've tried to sense-check them but please see them as interesting anecdotal help rather than guaranteed to work.

1. 'One massive block of cheese... five wrapping stations, including Tesco value'

   Elizabeth emailed us saying she worked in a cheese factory as a student and only ever buys 'value' cheese after she says she made this un-brie-lievable discovery...

   

   One massive block of cheese enters a huge cutting machine and proceeds through approximately five separate wrapping sections, popping out as M&S, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Asda and... Tesco 'value' cheese blocks. All the same cheese, wildly different prices. I have never bought anything but value cheese since.

   - Elizabeth S

   We at MoneySavingExpert have always suggested going with the taste, rather than the brand or the packaging. It's the core concept of our Downshift Challenge, where you try a brand level lower than normal. If you can't notice the difference, stick with what's cheaper (though, as ever, do check the ingredients if anyone has allergies).

   

2. 'Biscuits or baby food – the brands make the own brand stuff too... and it's nearly the same'

   Daniel messaged on Facebook saying he worked for a famous biscuit manufacturer, which also made biscuits for supermarket own-brand lines. He reckons there often wasn't so much of a difference in how they were made...

   

   Others have echoed a similar sentiment when it comes to branded versus own-brand...

   

   I'm a lorry driver. ALL own-brand stuff you buy is made in the same factory with the branded stuff, just to a slightly different recipe.

   - Viva Cas Vegas

   

   Daniel also says he worked for a large premium baby food brand, and reckons there's little difference between that and own-brand baby food, other than price...

   

3. 'Nando's Perinaise is just a mix of sauces, and kids' meals aren't that much smaller'

   Amy worked at a popular chicken chain and says there's no need to pay for one of its sauces... just add this to our other Nando's hacks, including how to save £10+ ordering off a different part of the menu.

   Worked at Nandos. Perinaise is just mayo (free) and medium sauce (free) mixed together. The kids meals are much cheaper and relatively not that much smaller, if you fancy a lighter lunch.
   
   Side note there is a "secret" sauce - peri flamer: mixture of peri tamer (bbq) & hot

   — Amy (@amymortson) February 8, 2022

   

4. 'B&Q and Screwfix are the same company – so check if one's cheaper than the other for DIY supplies'

   Before you buy anything, we always tell you to compare prices to make sure you're getting the best deal. Many retailers sell the same or similar products at different prices, sometimes even when they're part of the same group. Vivien says this is true of B&Q and Screwfix...

   

   Check out Screwfix, not just B&Q - same parent company but different styles of retail, so if it's a DIY product rather than lifestyle one, check Screwfix's app first (but if you just want half a dozen screws, or fancy coloured paint, stick to B&Q).
   
   Screwfix is generally cheaper.

   - Sir Vivien Collins

   Always compare prices before buying, especially if you're buying something a little more expensive (though it's probably not worth it for screws). Our Online shopping tips guide tells you how to do it easily online, including tools that can help.

5. 'The difference between branded and supermarket fruit and veg is minimal or non-existent'... though more expensive ones may 'look better'

   Kate and Sheena used to pack frozen fruit and veg, and say that they're all the same, no matter which brand or supermarket you use...

   

   I worked in a frozen veg factory. The difference between branded and supermarket brands was minimal or non-existent.

   - Sheena

   

   But both Mark and Sally say there can be a difference between brands in the quality or appearance of fruit and veg, though it may not be worth the extra cost...

   

   I worked in a vegetable processing plant and the cheap carrots came from the same fields and through the same cleaning and packaging line as the expensive carrots.

   But what was different was the expensive carrots had more workers looking for, and removing, unsightly or damaged carrots, so what you're paying for is more people to check your carrots before you see them. Buy big bags of cheap carrots, sort the best ones yourself and make soup with the rest.

   - Mark

   

6. 'Waterproof walking boots are likely worth the extra expense'

   Steph used to work for a well-known outdoors store and reckons if you want to walk away with a good deal on boots, go for ones that are waterproof...

   

7. '99p cleaner does exactly the same as the £3.99 stuff'

   We heard paying more for cleaning products doesn't mean a cleaner home...

   

   And that many cleaning products aren't coming clean about how similar they are...

   

   Similarly, Nic worked in a hand soap factory, while Penny worked in a factory producing sponges, and both say the labels are the only real difference between what you're getting... and the price, of course!

   

8. 'You don't need loads of different cleaning products for your bathroom or kitchen... just one or two will do the job'

   Jodie and Donna know what they're talking about when it comes to cleaning your home...

   

   Cleaning your home doesn't have to be expensive. As Donna says, cheap household items can sub in for a lot of the more expensive products. See the Old Style MoneySaving board on our forum for more tips, plus Martin's Thrifty Ways for Modern Days book, which rounded up a lot of the best tips from it.

9. 'Cheaper condoms conform to the same safety standards as the more expensive ones'

   Sexual health nurse Ruth A says protections are in place so that it's not necessary to buy expensive condoms...

   

10. 'Look at the top and bottom shelves for the cheaper items... rather than the branded items on middle shelves'

    Hopeful Soapbox advised bending down or going on tiptoes to spot the bargains...

    Used to work for Tesco, look at the bottom/top shelves for the cheaper items! Supermarkets rely on you being in a hurry and auto picking up branded items placed on the middle ‘eye-level’ shelves 👀 e.g Heinz middle shelf, own-brand on bottom (they exactly the same!)

    — 💫Hopeful Soapbox💫 (@angrysoapbox) February 8, 2022

    Yet we all know it's a supermarket's job to make us spend. Combine this tip with our 30+ supermarket shopping tools & tricks to slash your food bills.

11. 'The food with today's date was reduced three times during the day – and was cheapest in the evening'

    Lizzie tells us Asda did three rounds of 'yellow sticker discounts' during the same day if something was about to go out of date, meaning the bargain prices were available in the evening (though of course many things may have already been bought)...

    

    This is for Asda, but we've chapter and verse on when's best to bag the stickered bargains for other stores in our 'yellow sticker' reductions help.

12. 'Buying branded medicines is a waste of money, the own-brand medicines work exactly the same'

    The idea that you may be paying extra for premium packaging rather than a premium product doesn't just apply to everyday groceries. Wayne works at a pharmacy and reiterates what we've been saying for years around branded versus own-brand medicines...

    

    See our Cheap medicines guide for how to spot which pills are identical, or have the same active ingredient – you can often pay up to 70% less.

    

13. 'Splash out for decent underlay & you can scrimp on the carpet's cost'

    Samantha messaged on Facebook to say she has a family member who worked in the carpet trade and says that it's what's on the underside that counts...

    

14. 'Brush morning and night with fluoride toothpaste and a basic electric brush... they don't need to be fancy'

    Dentist Sonja says tooth be told, you just need the basics...

    

    And dental hygienist Debbie says that you don't get a better clean from the pricier electric brushes...

    

    Top electric toothbrush is Oral B Pro 2000 for about £30 on Amazon. It's the same power and speed as top of the range models which are over £100! Don't choose an Oral B model below the '2000 model'.

    - Debbie M

15. 'I was a postman for 24 years, and never noticed a difference between 1st and 2nd class – all mail's treated the same'

    Of course, some sorting rooms may say different, and we can't validate it, but postie Neil messaged us on Facebook claiming a second-class stamp can get you a first-class service...

    

16. 'All the chicken packed is the same, it's just different labels and prices'

    Merita says shopping at a cheaper supermarket doesn't mean the products are different...

    

17. 'You can pick up a high-quality refurbished laptop for a fraction of the new price'

    Bev works in the tech industry and says it's always worth comparing the cost of brand-new with items that have been refurbished 'as new'. We know it works for mobiles – our Refurbished mobiles guide has tips on how to get a cheap handset.

    look at Refurbished tech. I work in the industry and you can pick up a high quality Lenovo / HP laptop with a warranty for a fraction of the new price. https://t.co/Y2zANy1LPS. Great for students and home use.

    — Bev Benham (@BenhamBev) February 9, 2022

18. 'No discount from a call centre? Hang up and try again later'

    Mr Majika tweeted to say he previously worked in call centre retentions and that often the deal you're offered can change from day to day, or hour to hour...

    Previously worked in call centre retentions, Individual % discount & retention rates mean experiences vary between advisers. Eg lose too many customers in the morning, offer big discounts in the afternoon. The reverse is also true. Moral = no discount, hang up & try again.

    — Mr Majika (@mr_majika) February 8, 2022

    And Emma says don't always take a deal you're told is time-limited...

    

    If you're phoning up for car insurance and the agent tells you they can do a discount for you, but you have to be quick because they can only apply so much discount per day/week/month, they're lying. It's a sales tactic they're told to use.

    - Emma

    Here at MoneySavingExpert, we're seasoned hagglers. See our Top 10 firms to haggle with for info on which firms tend to be most receptive to haggling, and our tips on how to do it well.

    

19. 'If flying to the US west coast, check if it's cheaper to fly to the east coast then get an internal flight'

    Katie worked with travel agents and has this tip if you're Los Angeles or San Francisco-bound...

    

    If booking travel, don't just wing it. See our 65+ overseas travel tips, along with how to book Cheap flights and Hotels, Overseas spending tips and Cheap travel insurance.

20. 'Book the aisle and window seat if a couple... no one will book the middle seat'

    Sally has a tip for airline seat booking which may give couples a palatial flight experience by gaining an extra seat (though it's a gamble)...

    I’m ex travel agent. If travelling as a couple pre book seats on aircraft as follows.... (Most aircraft has every rows seats marked out ABC - DEF. ) Book A&C or D&F. Nobody will pre book the single seat in the middle.

    — Sal’s Plant Shop (@SallyEaton24) February 8, 2022

    Obviously if the flight's full, someone will turn up for that middle seat. If you want to sit together, you'll need to ask politely if that person wouldn't mind swapping with one of you, though as most people regard the window or aisle seats as an "upgrade" on the middle seat, hopefully they'll swiftly agree.

    We've more tips to help you get the seat(s) you want, without it costing the earth in Airline seating tips.

    

21. 'It's easier to pay less for a car if you time your visit for a few days before the end of the month'

    Robert worked at a car showroom and gave us his insight on how to drive (sorry!) a hard bargain..

    

    Paul backed this up...

    Hi buying a new car: most dealers report quarterly therefore the best time to look and haggle is the last week in March, June, September and December (especially March/Sept and new plate is out). Also see what they have in stock as existing stock will get even more off!

    — smartd00d (@smartd00d) February 9, 2022

    And car salesman Matthew adds that just being nice can equal a good price...

    Work in car sales - just be nice! We always like to work hard and help out nice, fun friendly people. If you come in all guns blazing and confrontational it’s much harder to do that. We’re people too, the friendliest customers always get the best deal 😎

    — Matthew Wood (@matt_r_wood) February 9, 2022

    See our full guide on How to buy a car the MoneySaving way.