Live on £4000 for a year - Part 3

Frugaldom

That's great work with the Mr T vouchers/Deals, WW2BR. Perhaps I don't spend enough to receive regular extra points, although I did get an extra 1000 points with a recent order. My next points statement is due in August, so I'll either have £12.50 worth of vouchers or else £30 worth, depending on whether or not they have credited back the Deals points. If you knew how I shopped, £30 is A LOT of free groceries for me - or it could pay for Christmas dinner! But it could also be £120 in Deals... oh, the indecision! Maybe they'll introduce some new things between now and then.

Is there something I need to do so I get monthly mailings? My clubcard statements are quarterly.

whowants2brich

If nothing else, £30 of deals is £60 in the wine club - at Xmas, I'm sure you'll need a few bottles of alcohol to go with the dinner... Better to get £60 of free wine than £30 of free food... right?

skint_spice

nykmedia wrote: »

Is there something I need to do so I get monthly mailings? My clubcard statements are quarterly.

hope you don't mind a stranger popping in:p ... but just to say if you go to www.tesco.com and set your account up you can check your clubcard points online. not sure how up to date it is but not too bad having just looking at mine.

whowants2brich

nykmedia wrote: »

That's great work with the Mr T vouchers/Deals, WW2BR.

Thanks - it took me some time to work it all out but when I saw what they were actually doing, it wasn't difficult. The hardest part was choosing which 36 bottles of wine to buy, and getting the price as close to £50 as possible!

nykmedia wrote: »

Is there something I need to do so I get monthly mailings? My clubcard statements are quarterly.

Unfortunately, no. If they send vouchers with every mailing, they'd send out thousands of vouchers if it was all monthly. They only send them quarterly. However, if you sign up to the various clubs (I'm with the wine club, the healthy living and there's another one I can't remember (not the baby/toddler one of course)), then you get vouchers every month. Wine in June, Healthy Living in July, regular clubcard mailing in August. A nice supply of vouchers, and good offers too...

When you get in the hang of things, and spend as much as Mr T wants us to spend in *his* stores, I'm sure you'll get a large amount of points. I've frequently spent a fiver in store, and got 125 points (£5 of clubcard deals)...

Frugaldom

Thanks for all the Mr T hints and tips. I already check my points online and am signed up for all their newsletters - my problem is that I have never received any email from them in all the time I have been a member of their site & subscribed to various newsletters. I don't even get my e-statements from Tesco finance, they just evaporate into the ether, never to be seen here. It HAS to be a problem with AOL (again!). Re the £60 wine versus £30 food, odd as it may seem, I'd rather have the food, if that's ok. That could be 750 cans of their 4p curry sauce! :eek: :rotfl: If I lived anywhere near a Tesco or Asda store, I'm almost sure I could get my grocery bill down to about half of what it currently is! Instead, what do I do? Continue seeking ways of saving to return to farm based life in even more rural surroundings!

Back to basics - for the first day of my 5-a-day mini challenge in the 'Spratt' household, we have clocked up 6/5. :j I had some hm carrot & coriander soup in the freezer and I decided to be a little inventive with a soup & pudding tea tonight. I added a full tin of chopped tomatoes, a tin of tomato puree, a little salt, a little sugar to sweeten and a heaped tablespoon of milk powder (mixed it with a little water to make it into paste first, so it didn't go lumpy). When this was heated and blitzed together with the blender, I kid you not, it put famous brand name tomato soup to shame! I can only imagine how it would taste with real cream. It was very filling and we followed this with the other half of the sultana-laden bread & butter pudding. Success on day 1 and enough soup left over to have for lunch tomorrow. With the amount of carrots, onions and coriander I use for making my soup, I reckon that there are probably 2 portions of F&V per bowl serving in the revamped tomato version.

I WILL succeed in my new mini-challenge, I WILL meal plan, I WILL stay within my budget!

warwickroadroad23

nykmedia wrote: »

I'm seriously considering giving up my Tesco points saving, along with my Tesco cc, as I was so annoyed at how many restrictions are imposed on the Deals. Can anyone tell me what they do with their points that makes it financially worth their while collecting them? I'm open to suggestions, as I don't want to miss out on anything that helps my frugal lifestyle

They want you to use clubcards so they find out what stuff you buy and when so they can work out every little last detail about your life. Like Big Brother really, snooping on what you buy and when.

I never use one.

sophiesmum_2

good evening frunchkins:D

Spent nearly 5 hours today in a really boring meeting at the town hall for work:wall: and had to pay £4.30 in the car park for the privilege:eek: Luckily doesn't count for challenge as it is expenses chargeable. Meant the sun was out here and I completely missed it:rolleyes: Add to that a blister on my heel from new shoes and I have not had a good day:o Had to call into Boots on way back to car park after meeting and buy a pack of plasters but at least managed to use points instead of cash;) .
Just had our leftover veggies with grilled salmon fillet for tea (3.5 portions F&V) also had OJ and porridge with prunes for brekkie (2 portions) and a banana at lunchtime- was on the run (1 portion) so 6.5 portions so far today:D (OH had the tuna,new potato salad thingy at lunchtime so he has had 8.5 portions.) More freegan food arrived whilst I was at the meeting as frugalmum popped in with two large HG courgettes;) need to decide what to make with them now

Whitewing - sorry to hear about OH's gran, hope it doesn't end up with family divisions again.
Nyk - I don't actively collect clubcard points anymore as i found I could make better savings shopping elsewhere but when I did save them i used my deals on magazine subscriptions for gifts.I have a couple of odd vouchers knocking about somewhere must get them out and use them for veggies or eggs to help out with the stockpile challenge think I have about £5 worth;)
Marru Sounds like you have had lovely weather today - glad you enjoyed your extra walks - just keep walking past anywhere that sells chocolate:D

Enjoy the rest of the evening everyone, I'm off to look for a slowcooker recipe involving courgettes;)

lingojingo

whowants2brich wrote: »

Good: Tesco healthy living mailing. 1000 points when spending £50 on tesc.com online shopping.

Well, I didn't even get that - just 25 free points for being a healthy living club member, an entry for an activity superstore day and 4 money off coupons (20p off eggs, herbs or spices and fresh veg, 25p off fresh fruit).

mumzyof2

Hello Everyone!

Well i have had a busy week. I went out for my birthday on 12th and a loverly guy came up to me whilst dancing . I went to the cinema with him last Monday to watch Hancock which is great. Tuesday night i went to Southport and walked around a big lake and stopped at McD's. Thursday i went iceskating with him in Blackburn which was fab and we must of looked a right pair as both of us had our arms and legs everywhere :rotfl: . He has been in Ashford, Kent at weekend and got home at 8.50am sunday morning..and was picked up at 10am for his holiday to menorca.. Oh this week is going so slow but roll on sunday or Monday!! :rotfl: But those days are over now because i no longer have anyone to look after the kids whilst i go out. :mad:

My mum went home yesterday and i slept at my friends last night, tomorrow me and my other friend are going to my other friends for lasagne made out of salami instead of mince, ive had it before it is nice..so i am going to be baking a cake tomorrow to take with me. As well as popping to Mr M for some baking stuff with my friend.

Its nearly my residental which is on 2nd Aug where i will spend a night without the kids doing canoeing and things like that. Im going to my sisters on 30th July for 10days to cat sit, BUT i have t come home on 1st aug for my residental on 2nd as we need to be there for 8,30am.. BUT i am going out on the 1st Aug with this guy.. might as well make a night of it with no kids but i deffo wont be out late as i need to be up around 7.30 :rotfl:

DS3 birthday party on saturday all his friends are coming and we going to have some games never done a childrens party before so my friend is helping me.

Sophiesmum Hope you are keeping well, been thinking bout you but not had time to come on internet and dont have your number in my phone x

I totally gone off budget and deceided to wait till next year to start again.. i need happiness and i been so happy this week and not had a care in world and just spent spent spent. Im still budgeting and learning new things, i do hope you dont mind me posting though.

Mumzy

Marru

Hello all,

Didn't go for the third walk as went to buy a personal scale from Argos. I had £2.- worth of vouchers from survey and only needed to put 99p from my own purse to get one. Also stocked up with rice cakes and ryvita, lettuce, tomato and cucumber. So healthy snacks will be available when I feel the need of something. As it happens Mr S had big chunks of cheese as bogof so good shopping all in all. And I didn't even fancy chocolate. I must be ill.

DD obviously saw the scale in the car and wanted to test run it. We brought it in to sitting room and I stepped on and it showed 8kg more than the one at the GP surgery :eek:. But after moving it off from the carpet to bathroom I managed to "lose" those extra 8kgs . Thank goodnes for that.

I need to go and eat my supper - yes I know it is late again and I really should eat earlier. I am allowing myself to be out of control until the start of September and then just watch me I will be half as organised as Sophiesmum (I don't think I can do 100% so will be very happy with 50%).

My ex has been very quiet and that is just the way I like it. I tired to stay in contact because of DD but after learning those things what had been going on behind my back I can finally just shut him out from our lives. In his present emotional state I really don't want him near to our daughter. And that has been such a revelation and a relief. I have been so happy and relaxed and positive and energetic because of that. And my relationship with DD has taken huge leaps forward due to me feeling so much better.

I found out about a fabulous course that would help me with my new career in working with animals and it is very reasonably priced for a weekend course. It is one type of healing method. I need to source if I can get someone to look after DD so that I can go. It is in Cumbria so fair distance. I need also to find out how possible it would be to take her with me as there might not be that many participants. We shall see.

Ok - here couple of wants - not needs: There is a picture frame in the post office near here that is beautiful. It has place for two small photos and one for larger one and it says: "I love my Dog" and it has paw prints going around it. Price: £6.- (ok just under) and in Argos I saw this beautiful ring (yes yes still wanting one) and it was just under £75.-. I am going to resist both but not surprisingly the photo frame is more difficult to resist.

Final look into MB thread and then supper and bed. One wonderful person posted a fabulous tip tonight saving me at least an hour from searching for a match. :T

Night night,

Marru