Now & Then: 14-20 March '05

Queenie · 14 March 2005 at 12:02PM

How are we all doing? Have you learned some new tips and tricks that you're incorporating?
I only achieved half of my plans last week, but, as one of the biggest was to get dh to haggle - which was very successful - I can't complain

Now: I have a renewed interest in slo-cooking.

I won't be using it all the time because I do like to batch cook using my oven, but I do have some tasty ideas I've picked up on here which I shall be using.
Then: It's been gathering dust since last winter

Now: Thanks to yet more advice on here, I had a good nebby around the library for DVD/Video Rental - the selection is quite good, rates very reasonable! Bonus is that they also rent out music CD's, so I can afford to rent a few, and burn them onto a CD (for personal use!!!!) before returning them

Then: Sky Movies package; rarely bought CD's because of the absorbitant costs!

Now: While at the library, I picked up some of the "older" type cookery books because they have menu plans in them. I shall use that for inspiration to draw up our own menu plans
Then: Meals were a last minute affair or takeaway. Menu plans were drawn up from the till receipt from Iceland <---- bit back to front LOL

Now: Spent some time yesterday looking around my home (I'm in "loathe" mode, as per usual at this time of year! I have drawn up a list of traditional seasonal colours, items that can be termed "seasonal", what I need to buy/make/decorate so I can change bits and pieces around the home to add a "seasonal" new look!
Then: Felt depressed with it and gone out and bought impulse buys to cheer the place up without any real "thought" (which would later get binned because they didn't really fit in anyway).

Now: Researching breadcrumb recipes
Then: Fed them to the birds

Now: Planting some sweetcorn

Then: Tesco's

Now: Using back of school newsletters to print off bits from the Internet
Then: Bought reams of paper!

May I thank those whose tips have inspired me - wish I could remember precise names

- but if I'm using one of *your* tips, then you know it's you I'm thanking

Pooky · 14 March 2005 at 12:11PM

This money saving lark is catching in our house!!

Then... paid Bt line rental and paid tesco's for phone calls adding up to around £25 a month.

Now - swapped to 18866 and worked out using last quarters bills that we will be saving around £13 a month!!

Then..... Paid £24.99 for tiscali broad band a month - considered dropping the package but was pleased with the speed and service.

Now - Hubby had a trawl through the tiscali site last night and managed to "upgrade" to the same speed package for only £17.99 a month!

That's a total saving of around £20 a month!!!

Galtizz · 14 March 2005 at 12:45PM

A really short one this week, but it might help your last one Queenie

Now: Have bought a cheap (50p ish) hard back notebook, have colour coded the sides
(a la phone book but multi coloured) and divided it into sections and I write out all of the recipes I find on here into the section, making it really easy to find.

Then: Print off reems of paper full of recipes. Frantically search for a certain recipe, give up and print it out again.

Queenie · 14 March 2005 at 2:02PM

Like it Galtizz

Thank you!

halloweenqueen_2 · 14 March 2005 at 2:07PM

Then when bored or a bit down in the dumps toddled off in car and bought stuff I didn't need but brightened up the place
Now got my paintbrush out and done some of the decorating Mr HQ just hasn't had time for, no extra cost as stuff was in the garage kept myself amused and hoepfully scored some brownie points:D

mrsmab59 · 14 March 2005 at 4:34PM

Each week since I started taking more care with my spending I've thought that I couldn't be any more careful with my money...but surprise surprise, each week I'm proved wrong :j

Then - bought a bag of compost for a few pounds from whichever garden centre I was browsing around at the time
Now - paid 79p for a growbag from Netto

Then - bought bottles and boxes of plant feed from aforementioned garden centre
Now - save teabags, egg shells and banana skins to feed my plants and I'm looking into getting a (hopefully free) compost bin from my local council

Then - bought presents at the last minute
Now - started filling gift bags with freebies from magazine subscriptions that I take out for 3 months and then cancel. Even if the magazines don't interest me the subscription gifts have been well worth it

Then - didn't look twice at goods that are reduced because the use by date is close or packaging is dented
Now - it's become second nature for me to look at the reduced section first

Then - if I needed paint I just went to the local DIY store
Now - I've recently given my shed a makeover so when I needed a little bit of paint I knew exactly what I already had and was able to mix a couple of colours to get what I wanted

Then - my son enjoys proper cooked meals at school so his meal after school was always a quick but expensive snack from the freezer
Now - we've rediscovered meals like beans or scrambled eggs on toast. I was on a high for days when my son asked me why I'd never given him scrambled eggs before because they were so delicious...my mind was going over how cheap they were

Then - if I wasn't satisfied with a product I just made a mental note to not bother with that item again
Now - I've just received £4 in vouchers from Iceland after letting them know how disappointed I was with their 'luxury' toilet paper

greenlogo · 14 March 2005 at 4:45PM

thenSpent 45p a day on a 1/2 of semi skimmed milk from the canteen

nowBring in skimmed milk from home (umm, even if I did spill half of it over the carpet this morning...

)

then bought cans to drink at work (or worse, bought them AT work :eek: ) with lunch

now Drink the free "water at work" and keep myself well hydrated as well as saving money.

then Bought takeout or fast food on a Monday and a Tuesday as I go straight out from work

nowhave a decent (micro'd and from home) meal at lunchtime and take sandwiches and fruit with me.

thenbought books and magazines with every grocery shop (and some special dedicated trips...

nowhave joined the library, taking my 1st book back tonight and i'll get another one as I'm fair getting through them

as an aside: has anyone else lost weight since they started taking care of the spending? I reckon it's the lack of takeaways and the addition of walking

mrsmab59 - is it easy enough to cancel? Is three months the minimum term kind of thing?

Galtizz · 14 March 2005 at 5:30PM

greenlogo wrote:

mrsmab59 - is it easy enough to cancel? Is three months the minimum term kind of thing?

Have a look at THIS thread (best to start at the end and work backwards as most of the old ones don't exist anymore.

I have had a free apron and cookbook from Good Housekeeping, they wrote to ME to cancel after the 3 months

I have also got 3 months BBC Good Food for £3. I had had my 3 months when I got another letter from the publishers telling me they would be taking £3 out fot the quater and thanking me for taking up the offer (they haven't taken the real price out yet so I've got 6 months for £6). I get inspiration for menu plans from here so thats great.

greenlogo · 15 March 2005 at 2:59PM

Thanks Galtizz - that's fab: some of the free gifts are great and I've psoted before that I'm a bit of a mag addict so it'll be nice to combine a treat for me with some things for the Pressie cupboard

edt to say: Thank you for linking to the end of the post - really thougtful

greenlogo · 16 March 2005 at 12:28PM

then Tuesday (every week) :taxi to work (£7.45), buy milk for breakfast (45p), lunch at work (£2-3), Taxi to club (£6.90), chipshop dinner (£3), Cans and crisps etc (£2-3). Total: £23.80

now Used weekly bus ticket, brought food and drink fom home and used water at work to refill bottle to drink at night. Total: £0

And I haven't actually had to buy any additional shopping to cover me - I'm just using everything I bought rather than chucking half of it away.

I'm sorry for keeping posting to this thread... I'm just really proud of myself. That's 3 for 3 this week I've got myself out of bed and onto the bus instead of sleeping in and getting a taxi

tiff · 16 March 2005 at 12:40PM

Well done Greenlogo, I know exactly how you feel so dont worry about posting. It really feels good to be saving money and seeing the results. Just got to keep it going

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Now & Then: 14-20 March '05

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