New to OS

flis21 · 9 February 2006 at 9:10AM

Hello,

I have been coming on this site for a couple of weeks now and have got some really useful tips off some of the other boards, but this is my first venture on the OS boards.

I read the 'read me first post' and it suggested trying just one or two things first, but I don't know where to start!! I wondered if you could tell me what you started with when changing to OS or what you have found most useful / beneficial changes.

Thanks,
Flis

squeaky · 9 February 2006 at 9:18AM

Whatever you want to start with.

Sounds like a glib answer, I know, but it's true in that first of all you only need to do the things you want to do, or the things that you can do. Browse and read for a while and you'll see a tip on making an economy that you think "I can do that one" - and so you do.

Take it in easy stages and stay inside your comfort zone. If you try and go at everything at once you're likely not to succeed at everything, get discouraged, and give up; so just do one thing at a time.

I'll quote from the opening of the regular monthly budget challenge:-

Everyone's needs and circumstances are different so there are as many different budgets as there are posters. Even more if you count the budgets of the lurkers

The challenge here is to challenge yourself - not everyone else.

If it gets to be hard work, or downright miserable then you are likely to get discouraged and quit. Do it gently, and when you think your budget is right, and you haven't given up things that you personally do not want to give up... then fine, fix it there. This is much more about shopping wisely and thriftily than it is about "spending less money" and many posters have found that as they learn the tricks of the trade, so to speak, they also find that they are actually eating better for less!

You wouldn't expect to pass a GCSA after just a few days in school and you shouldn't expect to be able to "do" Old Style in one easy go either. It's a learning process, and instead of trying to do it all at once it's a good idea to pick one or two things that catch your eye and you think "YES! I can do that!" and do them until they become second nature before picking out another thing (or two) to do. Honest

If you keep it as a nice easy process you'll find things change almost without effort and then one fine morning you'll wake up and think...

Hey! I am Old Style

There are as many different way to be Old Style as there are posters too - so pick one that suits you and your life, make Old Style fit you and not you fit Old Style.

Good luck and, silly me, welcome

wishingonastar_3 · 9 February 2006 at 10:11AM

flis21 wrote:

Hello,

I have been coming on this site for a couple of weeks now and have got some really useful tips off some of the other boards, but this is my first venture on the OS boards.

I read the 'read me first post' and it suggested trying just one or two things first, but I don't know where to start!! I wondered if you could tell me what you started with when changing to OS or what you have found most useful / beneficial changes.

Thanks,
Flis

hi, i'm fairly new to the board too, and i've found it hard knowing where to start, although a few things are things i do already. i'm trying this month to reduce my food bill by £5 a week, and like squeaky said above, if i spot something and think, yes, i can do that without it causing me too many problems then i'm giving things a go. take it one step at a time, theres lots of friendly people on here, and if you have a question just ask, they are very helpful. might be wortha look at the february is use up month board, i'm finding that easy, and its leading to a decluttering of sorts in the process,

welcome to the boards, nice to not be the only newbie!!!

woas.

suzy_g · 9 February 2006 at 10:16AM

welcome flis21 im quite new to , i love this site, so does my family they say the meals have really got better, and im spending a lot less, have you had a look in the MEGA threads there great, suzy

rchddap1 · 9 February 2006 at 10:19AM

Different people start with different things depending on what's easiest for them. Some look at the grocery challenge, some decide to reduce the amount of food they throw away, others decide to make a new meal from scratch or to use more HM cleaning products. What you choose really depends on you and how it fits in your lifestyle.

We buy loads of fresh food and make most of our meals from scratch. Love our breadmaker and have great fun sticking to and reducing my grocery budget....but don't go too far into the HM cleaning idea, or the slow cooker thing at the moment. But that's because it doesn't suit us to do so at the moment. I know where to come though if things do change.

However, this board should come with a warning "once you start you can't stop". Once change makes another change easy to do and before you know it...you're hooked.

Relax, enjoy it... and welcome

Lillibet_2 · 9 February 2006 at 10:56AM

Just wanted to say Hello & welcome to OS:hello: Always greast to see a new name on the threads.

Start with soemthing you feel is acheivable, don't go for the hardest thing first as you will be really disheatened if you fail, go away & comfort shoe-shop and we'll never see you again:eek: If you hate cooking, starting with making a weeks worth of meals from scratch probably won't be the best thing right now_pale_. But if you like gardening then a herb garden or window box tomato plants will be really fulfilling & pleasing & encourgaing.

Don't worry if you do fall off the band wagon, we all do from time to time (some of us more than others:o) & no-one here is going to flay you if you admit to buying a ready made pizza (:o:o:o:rolleyes:) but if you want support & help to avoid the ready made pizza then these are your guys, just say so :grouphug:

HTH;)

recovering_spendaholic · 9 February 2006 at 11:30AM

Hello - I am new to OS as well! I have started by getting a little book to write down everything I spend for February and I am already shocked by the stuff I waste money on!! For years I have spent a fortune on groceries only to throw loads of stuff away because my kids are the worlds fussiest eaters, so I am trying to stick to a grocery (including takeaways, cleaning stuff and shampoo etc) budget of £350 for February. That is still a lot, lot more than I am ultimately aiming for but I am taking it slowly and just cutting back a bit here and there. Once I have completed my first month's recording then I will annalyse it and go from there. I have also put together an excel budget of all household and other expenditure and I was amazed at how much spare cash I SHOULD, but don't, have each month!! I am going to try and make meals from scratch and bake home made cakes and stuff for the kids. I don't think I am ready for laundry gloop yet though!! For a while yesterday I was considering a wally trolley but my kids threatened to disown me if I got one!! One final thing, I have started to buy Stardrops for all household cleaning, which at 69p for a huge bottle is an amazing saving on all the mousses, floor cleaners, bathroom cleaners, kitchen cleaners I used to use! Good luck!

larmy16 · 9 February 2006 at 11:36AM

How about starting with the simple money saving concept of cutting down on your washing costs. There is a current thread about making your own soap powder, gloop, or mixing an economy brand with a more expensive one and washing soda. That would be an easy one to start with.

mcardinalblue · 9 February 2006 at 11:52AM

Hi FLIS21 I started with taking packed lunches to work everyday, this has saved me at least £35 a week, I take a flask full of HM soup and some bread and fruit with me every day, feel richer and healthier. I agree with the other posters that you should just do small steps at a time and as each small step becomes a habit you can incorporate other ideas into your daily life.

Bargain_Rzl · 9 February 2006 at 11:52AM

The first thing I did was improve my cooking habits - cutting down on ready meals and making more from scratch.

When I was at uni (1996-99) I had a budget of £10-£15 a week for food, which I thought was tight. When I started earning reasonable money on my second job, in 2000, I put the budget up to £20 a week, and found this a struggle too. Since discovering Old Style it's gone back down again to £10-£15 and my diet's better than it's ever been! (Admittedly it would have been harder to batch-cook at uni thanks to lack of fridge and freezer space.)

I've really fallen off the wagon lately, and have been supplementing my £50 a week spending money (which includes the £10-£15 for food) by around £10 a week - but it really is easy to do if you stick at it.

I haven't yet started cleaning with vinegar or washing with laundry gloop, but TBH my money isn't horrendously tight at present. I suspect in years to come when I've got my own place and have a lot less disposable income, I'll be more inclined to go properly back to basics.

cha97michelle · 9 February 2006 at 12:03PM

Hello - welcome to the board.

I started with the food too, as it is was beginning to get a bit silly the amount we were spending, and it fit in well with a january health kick and plan to lose weight.

At first i took it a day at a time, remembering to get meat out of the freezer for the days meal. Padding it out a bit to put an extra portion in the freezer.

Within a month, i have got a menu plan that is for a couple of weeks, and the shopping bill came down, and i've had a lot less waste.

I also got very quickly obsessed with my Bread maker, which was my most wonderful christmas present ever.

Michelle

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