Newbie looking for some advice before it spirals

Dobbibill · 27 August 2014 at 10:13AM

Another idea...... explain to the children that different brands are better value for money and maybe give them a few £'s a month that they can call their own pocket/shopping money.
Tell them the cheap brand will be part of the shopping budget and if they want to buy a different brand they can use the above said funds they have been given.
They will soon change their thought process towards 'brands' without you coming across as the 'baddie' for swapping. They will also understand value for money and budgeting and it will put them in good stead for adulthood.

Win win situation!!!

1. you save money on grocery budget
2. they learn valuable lesson
3. no-one is deemed the 'baddie' or 'unfair' person

DB

ChopinonaBudget · 27 August 2014 at 10:16AM

jac53 wrote: »

Thank you everyone for your advise :-)
My kids eats tons they are 9, 14 & 15 but I tried other lower price supermarkets and they refused to eat it as it wasn't named brands

We don't eat brands unless there is no option (my daughter has specific dietary requirements which I occasionally mean I have to buy a brand as a supermarket label is unsafe for her) but our grocery budget at the moment is £40 a week, including cleaning, laundry etc (and this includes expensive branded laundry detergents as she also has skin allergies :eek:)

Anyway, my point is that after shopping few weeks ago and spending £35, I got intrigued and ran the shopping back through a virtual till with all the items branded instead of our usual mix of supermarket own and everyday value (and the odd essential brand)

New price was £65. Nearly double :eek: Just because I 'bought' brands.
Extrapolate that out to your £650 shop, and you could be spending only £350 just by buying non branded. That's without even trying with meal plans etc.

rockm87 · 27 August 2014 at 12:44PM

Have you claimed for washing your uniform? you can claim back your tax, should be some info on this site. Hubby does it for his tools and overalls and he is a mechanic.

I know the NHS also get some discounts too, (i know they get discount for eating out, but it may help if you just ask anyway when you do any purchasing in store).

jac53 · 27 August 2014 at 1:07PM

Wow you have all given me some good tips and .... erm .... yeah I am pretty soft with the kids.

Good tip on the nurse agency work might look into that beginning of next year I am currently doing a post graduate diploma to specialize so don't really have the time now, but could get some applications in and CRB checks done thanks...

Right so sky bill and food to start I think :j
Sky is confusing me I currently have combined package with everything exc sports and movies... Has anyone tried these Now boxes? ? unsure of whether they will assist the kids to ease into loosing the sky tv. Think they are approx £10 a month with £15.40 line rental but includes broadband so would be approx £50 less monthly :eek:

Also does anyone recommend if I go brand down what they have liked disliked? I might be able to get a little buy/ avoid list going on before I shop this weekend.

No not claimed uniform tax back, will try that only been nursing for a year-ish, can I still get it if I don't wear a uniform in my current role but buy & wear clothes which are just for use at work?

Also I am going to buy a small extra freezer of ebay or gumtree cheap to do some bulk cooking ..... Oh I'm really getting into this you have all inspired me now... Thanks :beer:

longtermplanner · 27 August 2014 at 1:53PM

I think the brands is completely individual. I am happy with Sainsburys for sliced bread, biscuits, pitta breads, houmus, pizzas, pasta, baked beans, sausages, ketchup, porridge, butter, jam but go branded for tea bags and cornflakes.

The other thing that may help is to just stop buying fizzy drinks. Tap water with ice cubes!

FireWyrm · 27 August 2014 at 1:58PM

jac53 wrote: »

Sky is confusing me I currently have combined package with everything exc sports and movies... Has anyone tried these Now boxes? ? unsure of whether they will assist the kids to ease into loosing the sky tv.

We just went cold turkey. They might whinge and complain, but at the end of the day, who's boss? If you ditch all live TV, you can ditch the license too. As a minor concession, we did buy a load of DVDs for them off ebay in compensation but actually the adjustment was almost painless. They simply found other things to occupy them and when they couldnt, I suggested cleaning their room instead which strangely seemed to motivate them to go find something to do.

jac53 wrote: »

Also does anyone recommend if I go brand down what they have liked disliked? I might be able to get a little buy/ avoid list going on before I shop this weekend.

I have not come across anything in Aldi that was of inferior quality to our normal purchases, but then, we buy ingredients, not 'food' which is a subtle distinction. Nothing in our house comes in a packet and rarely we have tinned anything. Most is fresh, cooked daily. Before anyone says "bet you have tonnes of time etc", I hold down a full time job and run a household. It's amazing what you can get done when you're not sat in front of the TV.

jac53 wrote: »

Also I am going to buy a small extra freezer of ebay or gumtree cheap to do some bulk cooking ....:beer:

Why pay for second hand for uncertain quality and reliability? https://www.ao.co.uk are currently doing a basic undercounter freezer for £119 here : http://ao.com/product/MUZ4965-Fridgemaster-Under-Counter-Freezer-White-27925.aspx

rockm87 · 27 August 2014 at 2:10PM

There is a post in the 'foods & groceries' board about best buys from Lidls and Aldi, check it out!

Ive switched my whole shop to Lidl, so I enjoy pretty much everything. There fruit and veg is excellent, and lasts ages.

Million_Percent · 27 August 2014 at 3:03PM

I think you know you need to be firmer with the kids regarding the branded food. The two older ones especially are capable of understanding that you can't afford everything.

You have to remember that as parent it is your responsibility to make the tough choices that are best for them - even if they don't understand or appreciate it right now. Keep buying the branded food and you could end up in difficult debt problems and that would be far more detrimental to their wellbeing than having to slum it with Aldi baked beans.

jaydeeuk1 · 27 August 2014 at 4:00PM

jac53 wrote: »

Right so sky bill and food to start I think :j
Sky is confusing me I currently have combined package with everything exc sports and movies... Has anyone tried these Now boxes? ? unsure of whether they will assist the kids to ease into loosing the sky tv. Think they are approx £10 a month with £15.40 line rental but includes broadband so would be approx £50 less monthly :eek:

NowTv is pretty good, can often get vouchers to make it cheaper.

Even better is XBMC on something like an Android TV stick. Although not entirely legal (not that anyone in the history of ever has been prosecuted for a watching something from it) it has pretty much every film, TV series and sport and in HD too. Plus as its android you get iplayer etc. A device will cost about £30, no subscription. There might be the odd occassion where its missing an episode, so I use the US version of netflix for under a tenner a month. Also means you can cancel your TV licence, which pretty much pays for netflix and nowtv alone. Don't mind paying for netflix, grudginly pay for nowTv as wife has stuff on there, but I'd rather set fire to my cash than give it to the BBC and any more to murdoch.

If you have friends who want to cut down on TV costs, you can share a nowTV and netflix subscription too.

FireWyrm · 27 August 2014 at 4:21PM

jaydeeuk1 wrote: »

NowTv is pretty good, can often get vouchers to make it cheaper.

...Also means you can cancel your TV licence,.

A word of warning. NowTv allows you to watch LIVE Tv which means you are required to purchase a TV license. Sorry. To be legally license free you must only watch catchup like Netflix or Amazon.

Newbie looking for some advice before it spirals

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