How exactly do you all do it?

I don't write down what I spend - I'm just not that organised. I have allocated a certain amount each week to my food shop. I know that my working tax credits go into the account each friday and that, that £49 is my weekly food budget. That includes all food, cleaning products, most of the kids clothes, most birthday pressies etc, basically £49 to spend in the supermarket each week. I don't include it in any budget I do and don't include the food shop. I know it's there on a friday and I always shop on a Saturday.

It works for me.

Womble you can't be doing that bad if you've cleared your debt!

I use credit card and then pay it off every month but before I came across this site I don't think I was really in control, not overdrawn or in debt but just not in control. I'm still new to it but I've drawn up a budget on a spreadsheet and adjusting it as I go along (not how much I spend but what I've budgeted for I vastly over estimated grocery and underestimated my kids growing ability!) I do think twice now before spending - if only because I'll have to enter it on the spreadsheet. I'm having a field day with money off vouchers and quite enjoyed Tescos giving me £6.01 to deliver my groceries! But in short I don't think all of us do manage all the time and I also don't think you're going to change your habits overnight.
Hang in there as it seems to me you've made a good start.

We do it by taking control and you can do it too.

Set a maximum spend each week and don't go over. It is because you are allowing yourself the cc buffer that your spending is going out of control. Imagine being on a desert island with only one litre of clean drinking water, now imagine being on the island with the same bottle of water but knowing there is a drinking water tap at the end of the beach. How carefully would you ration out that water if there were no other source and how profligate would you be if you could top-up at anytime? Once you've got the hang of it it's easy. Honest:D

My advice would be to choose two days in the week when you will allow yourself to spend money. The rest of the time don't carry cash, royalty don't carry dosh and they get buy just fine:p
On your non spend days you don't spend a bean. See I told you it aint rocket sience!
On your two spend days do your grocery/houshold shop and fill the car with petrol etc. Really question every thing you pick up or consider buying. Can you get away with putting a fiver less petrol in the car this week? Do you really need to buy toothpaste or can you just about squeeze another weeks worth out? Can you halve your shopping trolly by eating food you have already bought (even if it's food you don't fancy) It is amazing how these pence add into pounds.
When times were ard (and they might be again yet, Mrs MATH's just been made redundant:rolleyes: ) I can rememeber counting the number of wheetabix left in a box and the number of tea bags in a jar and then using each bag twice just to get through the week. The last year or so we've been relatively well off and I've been able to loosen up a bit and even indulge in a few luxeries but as I've said my wheetabix counting days may be just around the corner again. One thing I have learnt is that if you've done it once you can do it again. IMO the first time is the hardest but what and achievement when you crack it. Good luck and best wishes. MATH

I'd also like to know how everyone else manages it!! All tips are welcome :T

Firstly, we're without car access. We do a BIG shop (approx) monthly which usually comes to around £120 (but that's for only two of us, and OH usually eats at work - advantage of being a chef! And I usually get a meal a day from work) However, we tend to shop when we need to (last time we did a shop was beginning of June )

I find most people's advice is helpful, but doesn't reflect the fact that I need to have money on me every day for bus fares / taxis (finish work gone midnight some nights), also, can't get everything as cheap as poss as only have a small freezer and so 'top-up' shops (bread, milk, cheese, etc) have to be done at the uber-expensive Spar a couple of times a week.

I know my biggest problem is OH, he impulse buys his 'little treats'. I know I should shop alone but he carries the heavy bags!!! Other prob is we both get paid in cash and don't have a bank nearby to pay it in, so always cash around the house.

I don't know if this would help but when I first got married mum said make an evening meal for a £1. I now have 2 teenagers and I still tend to do it, say for instance a chicken is £2.50 I think to myself I can make 2 dinners costing £1.25 plus veg & pud. So this is how I go along, mince at 99p can make a chilli plus veg & pud. Today I got Walls Sausages BOGOF £1.39 = Toad in the Hole x 2 meals + veg & pud. Its cheaper to buy a joint of pork than pork chops. This method makes you think how much each meal costs and as I put the stuff in the trolley, I think Sunday Roast Chicken, Monday chicken salad/pie, Tues Toad in the Hole, Wed Chilli, etc. If its on Bogof the free one is for the freezer. This way you get to know how much a "meal" costs. Hope this helps.