Help me save money please you good peeps :)

Kimberley · 10 October 2005 at 5:22PM

Ok i spend about £240 on food and toiletries and cleaning stuff etc a month. I won't give my 3 kids processed, boxed or frozen food as it's unhealthy rubbish, i get my meat from the butchers..

I have also ordered the "how clean is your house" book so i'll be looking forward to saving on my household cleaning stuff :j

Any ideas on saving me money please? :rolleyes:

cheekymole · 10 October 2005 at 5:30PM

Do you buy all your toiletries when they are BOGOF?

I buy about £15 of veg every week and it will feed us 3 for that week incorporated into many different delicious veggie meals. Ok I do use the freezer now and again but still...

Lucie_2 · 10 October 2005 at 5:42PM

Kimberley

Planning is the key. Find the threads on rubber chicken & stretching mince and they will give you ideas on how to use up "leftovers" to your best advantage. What do you normally go with the wilting, past-their-best veggies in the bottom of the fridge? Chuck them? A good old styler will make soup or a veggie pasta sauce. Bread got mouldy crusts? Cut off the crusts & whizz into breadcrumbs which can be used in loads of ways.
Make a double portion of bolognese sauce & by adding kidney beans & chilli powder to the "spare" half you've got chilli.
If you're a canny BOGOF shopper then you can stock up on non-perishables (toiletries, loo roll, tins etc) when they're on offer.
Do you have a dishwasher? break the tablets in half & you'll still find your dishes get cleaned (and a box of tabs lasts forever!).
There's loads of tips on this site, but it'll take you months to find them all. I'm sure everyone will be along soon with their "best" tip.

windym_2 · 10 October 2005 at 5:45PM

How about buying a steam cleaner and ditching all the cleaning chemicals. You can buy a decent one for about £100 - a lot I know, but in the long run you will never have to buy another cleaning product. And your house will be immaculate.

If I could get away with £240 a month I would be delighted - and there are only 3 of us! Like you, I don't buy pre-prepared stuff, just fresh ingredients. But, I don't go out to work, so make everything from scratch. I usually double up my meals and put one portion in the freezer for a meal next time.

If you have a slowcooker, then use the very very cheapest cuts of meat and chuck them in, simmer for the whole day (costs as little as having a lightbulb on) and you will have a truly tender and succulent meal, just in time for when you get back home!

Always use fruit and vegetables that are in season - you will be able to spot them because they will be the cheapest - usually bogoffs.

Hope that helps.

scuzz · 10 October 2005 at 5:51PM

I hear our monthly challenges calling you!

BOGOFs are a God send. I only but toiletries when they're on offer - unless they're the cheapo stuff

Have a nose at the recipe threads and plan your menus in advance.

I find own brands to be just as good as the expensive brands.

Do you have time to make biscuits and things for snacks rather than buying cakes and things? How about chocolate rice crispie cakes for kids? They're cheap as a chips to make and take no time at all.

Kimberley · 10 October 2005 at 6:05PM

Hi all..well i have the added frustration of not being able to make many of your lovely recipes as all my 3 kids do not and won't even try anything i've tried to make, it ends up either in my tummy or the bin

I do get BOGOF on non perishables like washing powder tablets and washing up liquid etc..At the moment i have 6 lots of bags of 4 loo rolls

so i'm good like that. I've bought the "how clean is your house" book so i'm looking forward on getting white vinegar to clean..

What is this Steam Cleaner? Never heard of it for everyday cleaning..

I never thought about buying £15 quids worth of veg, i always buy mine when i need it and end up in the supermarket more or less everyday. I didn't think you could use old browny veg, and i certainly didn't think to cut of the moudly bits on bread..

The only dishwasher is me..i feel a dish washer is a waste of money and energy and a lazy way of washing up

I do have a slow cooker but kids don't like what cook in it, i made a nice meal in it once from a recipe on this site and the kids never even tempted it..

scuzz · 10 October 2005 at 6:15PM

This will sound mean. But try telling the kids, it's this or you go hungry, then see how quick it takes for them to like it!!

Kimberley · 10 October 2005 at 6:18PM

scuzz wrote:

This will sound mean. But try telling the kids, it's this or you go hungry, then see how quick it takes for them to like it!!

:rolleyes: they will probably say the'll go hungry

scuzz · 10 October 2005 at 6:19PM

yeah but for how long......

**rushes off as devil horns start to show***

Queenie · 10 October 2005 at 6:25PM

How old are you children, Kimberley? To a large extent, I agree with scuzz ... I was brought up on the "like it or lump it" budget

However, my youngest 2 have been spoiled somewhat by their Dad's painful eating habits and two years ago I really put my foot down *stomp*

(Things were way out of hand!) The way I "encouraged" my children (and DH) was to introduce new recipes once a week and a lot of "hiding" of stuff

(ie: bit of swede mixed into the mash potatoes; carrots grated into casseroles so they couldn't see them .. well, more for DH's benefit than my boys LOL )

Time, patience and it has to be said a big dollop of persistance on your part!

Using coupons, menu planning, portion control will all help with the food budget. Cleaning alternatives are in the idexes (on the blue bar above, near the top of the page) and so you could hold off on the Steam Cleaner for a while and still save a lot of pennies and decide if it's an investment you really want/need to make.

Keep reading the other Forums too, such as Marriage and Families; Shop but don't Drop; I wanna ... the Utilities sections and you should be able to make further shavings and savings.

Take time to read the challenges and understand the principles too, because you'll find that many of the ideas will bring savings little by little but all soon add up.

Wishing you well and best of luck

PS: :shhh: Tip: You could have saved money on the Book by a) reading the threads in the Index on alternative cleaning products; b) borrowing it from the library or c) getting it 2nd hand :whistle:

Ticklemouse · 10 October 2005 at 6:31PM

I've just had 6 kids sit down at my table. I did a chicken in the slow cooker - one 9yo said "I don't like chicken" I said "you'll go hungry then" He ate it

My 3yo hardly eats anything at teatime, but I've decided, he gets served up a small portion of what we're having and if he chooses not to eat it - hard luck. There's nothing else. Hard, maybe (on your ears, certainly) but they'll soon be eating. Half the time they say the hate it, even if they've not tried it and when they do eat it, find it's really lovely

This last one is my DS1's trick (6yo)

I tried a steam cleaner, but wasn't impressed enough to spend the money on one. If you want to try a cheap way of cleaning without chemicals, buy those microfibre cloths - great with just plain water for cleaning and dusting and you can add vinegar or washing up liquid in small amounts to suit various jobs.

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Help me save money please you good peeps :)

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