A new mum who got into so much debt she had bailiffs knocking on the door is sharing her top tips for living frugally after paying it all back.
Rosie Forshaw, 33, began struggling to make ends meet in 2012 while working on a zero-hours contract at a music venue.
Unable to pay her bills or buy basic items, she found herself "drowning" in nearly £3,000 worth of debt which seriously impacted her mental health.
She said: "The debt inhibited every aspect of my life. It made me feel anxious that any phone call or anyone at the door was coming for money.
"I couldn't enjoy anything. I tried to come to a settlement with the creditor and they wouldn't accept my repayment offers.
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"I already had anxiety and it just made things worse. There were times when I struggled to leave the house."
In 2013 her worst fears were confirmed when she received a County Court Judgement, ordering her to pay back £2,500.
"I remember the crying I did when I opened the letter," Rosie recalled. "It was the saddest day. It definitely made me realise I needed help."
After visiting Citizens Advice, Rosie reached an agreement to pay back the money and spent the next year saving money in any way she could.
She said: "Initially, I got the opportunity to move to a cheaper area. That was a massive saving.
"Then it was just about being more thoughtful in terms of saving, being mindful of meal planning, prepping and preserving, packing lunches and that kind of thing.
"I've always been someone who likes second-hand clothes anyway. But I made a point of always finding the best prices possible."
Now she's clawed her way back into the black Rosie, who lives in Cheshire with her husband and 10-month-old son, shares her tips on living frugally with others in need.
She said: "I batch cook as much as I can. I also go to shops when I know things will be marked down.
“Don’t be afraid to politely ask the staff in your supermarket what time they mark things down.
“And, if something isn’t marked down but I need it and can find one near expiry, I’ll often ask staff if it’s the cheapest that it will be that day.
“I got a steak just this week for £2 that way.”
She is also savvy at preserving foods that she's bought on the cheap because they're soon to go off.
“I bought six avocados once. I looked online and saw that by putting them in a jar of water they’d last a month – and they did," she said.
She spends much of her time in the supermarket scouring the yellow-sticker reduced aisles for a bargain, and says independent business owners can be really helpful in saving you money too.
She said: “I’d recommend speaking to your local greengrocer or butcher and asking what the cheapest cuts are, how they can be stretched, if they can adjust servings."
Overall, she reckons cutting down on things like meat and swapping it out for lentils and mushrooms can save you plenty of cash over time.
She also hangs on to some bits of food waste most people would throw away - instead freezing it and finding other uses for it.
Rosie suggests joining forces with friends and family to buy and share items in bulk such as rice.
She added: “You could do things like clubbing together with workmates and each batch cooking five of the same meal.
"Swap them round, and you all have a different meal for every night of the week but have only paid for one."
The mum also recommends using apps like Vinted, Olio and Shopmium, where you can find second hand clothes, surplus food and discounted offers.
She said: “We all need to be less ashamed. I lived through the last recession. It was such an isolating experience.
“If we are all more open and willing to share savings, then we can do it together.”
As well as finding discounts, Rosie uses loyalty points systems like Nectar to get things cheaper as and where she can.
“I’ve paid for furnishings and a whole Christmas dinner with those points," she said.
When it comes to planning for Christmas, Rosie's best advice is to shop out of season and keep an eye on the best deals all year round.
“I am already looking at Christmas gifts. Superdrug for example often have Christmas sets on sale for 50p in the summer," she said.
While keeping an eye on her monthly outgoings, Rosie also threatens to cancel various subscriptions in order to get cheaper deals that convince her to stay.
As the cost of living rises in the UK and more people are finding it difficult to make ends meet, Rosie is using her Instagram account @moneysavingrosie to share her tips with others - and she claims to be contacted regularly by people in need.
She said: “I’ve had people who are on social media living these enviable lives but are quietly messaging me, asking how to make a few pounds stretch or asking what time a food waste hub will open.
“Some haven’t been paid or earned anything for months. It’s at complete odds with this lifestyle they are portraying.”
She wants to dispel myths surrounding living frugally and money saving, in the hope she can help others get through tough times.
She said: "Things are bad and only getting worse. I just want to do what I can to help people.
“The main thing I want to get across is that you can live frugally and have dignity.”
