Now and Then: 7 - 13 March

Now - Plan meals and shop around this plan using list
Then - Went shopping - spent fortune throwing everything and anything into trolley

Now - Walk to butchers every other Saturday morning for excellent, good quality, delicious meat
Then - Drove to Tescos and bought crap quality, watery meat

Now - use as many money off vouchers as possible
Then - paid full price as was embarresed to use vouchers

Now - Use leftovers
Then - threw it all out or gave to cat

Now - have savings
Then - in debt!

Here's my list from the weekend & plans for this week :

Now : ran out of shower gel so sorted out bathroom cupboard & found 14 bottles of gel & bubble bath, 5 bottles of shampoo, 5 bars of soap, 3 tubes of toothpaste & a bowl ful of sample size bottles & sachets!
Then : Would have run to corner shop & payed over-inflated price for minimal choice.

Now : Sorted out cupboard in spare room & listed good stuff for sale on ebay & Amazon. Rest will go to a car boot sale next month & anything leftover will go to a chairty shop.
Then : Would have left it all at nearest charity shop without trying to re-sell first.

Now : Went to charity shop & had a good rummage in their 50p bin & found 9 items of new/like new baby clothes
Then : Would have probably gone to mothercare or similar

Now : Looked at lovely website of maternity clothes & fell in love with a skirt but didn't buy it when I reminded myself that I hate skirts anyway & it was only going to be good for a few months.
Then : Would have cheerfully ordered it without thinking about it.

Now : Made A Saturday night "special" meal of Mexican Casserole & garlic bread followed by stawberries mostly from reduced price/value items.
Then : Saturday night was always takeaway night.

Now : Go to Tesco & buy picnic lunch items & snacks for trip to Yorkshire on Wednesday
Then : Would have stopped at dreadful motorway services.

Now : Sent Mum a e-card for mothers day & promised her pressie is something for her to look forward to when I see her. (Only works if you have a like minded mum!)
Then : Would have posted tacky over-priced card & inappropriate present as it was more important I get her something than wait for the right thing.

That's fab thanks Queenie, have you tried it out yet?

then: would have taken mum for lunch and or dinner and a movie / theatre / concert for mothers day, expensive inappropriate card and probably expensive box of chocolates

now: took her for fish and chips in the car and a walk along the beach (its what she wanted to do!) got arty friend to make a card and bought a bar of high quality plain choc which she adores (and it was reduced!!) and spent some quality time together (ugh that sounds so cheesy but its true)

then: would have filled freezer up with ready meals in panic
now: have used slow cooker to prepare ready meals of my own to freeze and use as part of a mean plan

then: would have paid to have the car serviced prior to long road trip
now: have topped up the oil and water and checked all the pressures myself

then: would have booked hotels along the way and probably have flown or got train
now: have arranged to stay / met up with with friends and have planned my route myself to drive through england, wales, scotland and ireland

then: would have set off on a journey completely unprepared and buying petrol and drinks from expensive service stations
now: have a fairly good idea of where the low cost places for fuel are along the route and also have supplies planned for the car already

then: would have paid for someone to come and look after my cats every day
now: have installed mother as official resident cat sitter

of course the biggest difference for me is that I no longer 'work' - when I was in full time work I really felt as though I didnt have the time to spend thinking about soaking beans to put in my slow cooker for chilli. of course, now I realise I do and always did