Baby Budgeter

Cullumpster · 11 March 2005 at 5:55PM

I know you obvioulsy have to get a taxi (i have that problem too sometimes) but is there no-one else going that way that you could split the taxi fare with ?

Also have you tried putting a note on the bulletin board at work to ask if there is anyone that lives near you that could bring you into work?
Even if you offer petrol money oof say £5 a week at least your saving £8.50 on a weekly bus ticket.

elona · 11 March 2005 at 9:43PM

If you are anywhere near a Boyes shop they had an offerof a vacuum flask for about £4 BUT with two insulated and lidded cups with it. Put milk in cup with a couple of ice cubes and then when it is empty rinse it and use for a hot drink as well.:):):)

greenlogo · 11 March 2005 at 11:01PM

Cheers everyone

Galtizz & Queenie - Humph no Wilco's north of the border, but thanks and it gives me a ball park to aim for when I'm looking up here, big thanks for the heads up over the glass/metal, I'd not have thought of that.

Austin Allegro - I've used powdered milk in tea before and it was ok, but I drink the stuff at work and I don't think I could bear it!

The foldy bike is cool...maybe for my birthday

Js_Other_Half - do Matalan have those really wee ice packs? It's a great idea, I've got a lunch box with an integral frozen lid thing which is fab, but it'd be good to keep my fruit and yogs and stuff cold too.

Cullumpster - I know there wasn't anyone who came this way at the same time as me last time (I'm in a very small dept and we do a different shift pattern from everyone else), but I'll definitely try asking around again especially for late shifts. Even if we just shared a taxi it'd make a HUGE difference

elona - I'm not near a Boyes store, but I'm intrigued by the two separate cups - would one be big enough for yogurt? I'm sure if they're for sale somewhere then I can find them here too.

I've bought a weekly ticket for the bus and I've written down on the back how much I would have paid without it - I think that can count towards this months pin money (next month it's my reality and therefore not pin money

).
I'm in the middle of going through my freezer (brr!) to work out what I need veggie wise to make dinners next week without buying more than I really need. You're right Elona, this site IS addictive

elona · 11 March 2005 at 11:09PM

If it is any help I think the flask is by Aladdin - and the cups should be big enough for yoghurt- even with chopped fruit in it?

greenlogo · 11 March 2005 at 11:37PM

Cheers Elona

I'll see if I can find that near here then (I've already put a couple of friends on the case

)

Js_Other_Half · 12 March 2005 at 1:18PM

The flexible gel packs are only £1 or £2 in Matalan - not sure if they were a seasonal thing or not. Matalan often do insulated lunch bags very cheaply too.

tiff · 12 March 2005 at 3:35PM

Js_Other_Half wrote:

The flexible gel packs are only £1 or £2 in Matalan - not sure if they were a seasonal thing or not. Matalan often do insulated lunch bags very cheaply too.

They also sell those gel packs in Woolworths.

greenlogo · 12 March 2005 at 5:24PM

I haven't managed to find a flask that fit in with my (now) strict budgetry requirements but I did find an insulated lunch bag that I'd bought ages ago and forgotten about along with three non-drippy lunchbox bottles so I'll try with the milk in there. I might need to get hold of the little cool pads (esp when it gets a bit warmer) but I'll try it and see and keep looking at the same time

. Maybe freezing the milk and taking it out the day before might work when it gets warm?

Having the weekly bus ticket has meant that I've spent much of today on and off busses in search of much cheapness. Instead of Morrisons (which I loathe anyway..) I made the trip to the farmer's market (the meat's slightly more expensive, but it's ALL meat, no false economy with water and fat and the taste's robust enough to work with pulses and things to make it go further) and my mince is now bagged up in sensible-for-me portions in the freezer, then another bus to Somefield for milk and bits; home to drop things off then walked to aldi (healthy exercise for the day!) and picked up oil, tinned tomatoes and Fruit. Then back on the bus and I've joined the library :T so instead of spending a fortune on magazines as a saturday night "treat", I've picked up the cheapest TV paper (I have a shameful addiction to "c-list celebrity" articles..

), somefield's free mag and five books which I'll enjoy a lot more/

I've also started a spending diary so everything I've bought is written down (with the 50% extra free and Market "knocking off the pence" discounts written up for pin money). I'm trying to bemore price savvy too - trying to remember the prices of things I buy often for comparison, and obviously it's all written down now too

I've written down the equivalent bus fares I've saved (and am feeling very smug anyway as I've not resorted to the taxis) by using my ticket (so I can be very smug by the end of the week...)

I've gone through my bank statement for the first time EVER and discovered that the AA have taken extra payments out for an insurance policy I'd cancelled - v long story, but I'm being re-credited £214.20 :eek: which includes £5 for the inconvenience and my phone calls. Now that I'm not just randomly using switch, but am withdrawing regular amounts at set times and am budgeting cash this should be easier.

So am feeling really pleased with myself thus far, if utterly knackered

, and looking forward to planning out my weeks meals properly (rather than just ish in my head) :cool:

TAZ · 12 March 2005 at 6:37PM

if your still lookimg for a flask, checkout the local garages they sometimes have things like that to buy at a special price with a minimum spend on petrol, this may seem stupid to you as you don't buy petrol but its worth asking cos a lot of the garages will sell you them anyway just to chear stock.

crana999 · 12 March 2005 at 7:08PM

regarding the celebrity news, have you tried getting your "fix" from websites instead? There are loads dedicated to celeb news and that kind of thing.

Not quite the same as a magazine to sit down & read but it might satisfy your need

Make sure you check out your library's website, you can usually request and renew books and check what you have out and when it's due back etc very conveniently. In cambridgeshire you can request any non fiction books for free, which is great!, but it differs from place to place

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