Please help

meanmarie

Men! I don't think that I will ever win my husband over to MS, his philosophy is you buy what you want at whatever it costs, he has never moved on to think about what you do when you don't have enough money to do that!

Since we retired, I have had the money to pay bills, buy food etc and we have each had a personal allowance, so if OH doesn't fancy what I am cooking for dinner he can go and buy whatever he wants from his own money, as well as the wine, beer, peanuts and cigarettes. This way, if he doesn't have his portion of lasagne for instance (doesn't like it or risotto) it goes into the freezer and eventually there are 3 portions there for DD4, DGS2 and me.

You could also try "oh you wouldn't like that" when you make something frugal, giving him his meaty dinner...I find that being denied something infuriates men and makes them want it!

Thinking 'outside the box' seems to be the only way I can win, you get used to it after a while

Good luck
Marie

notenoughcash

A lot of years ago a neighbour used to say to my mum 'if you have a good husband blind him in one eye, if you have a bad husband blind him in both' and it took me about 20 years before I understood what she meant. You are not compromising the health of your family through the quality of the food, if anything you will improve it. The value products tend to have less additives and preservatives in them than branded so that makes them cheaper and healthier, and cut out the cost of the fancy packaging and you've just halved the cost and improved the quality of your grocery shopping! Just put everything into plastic containers in the cupboard before anyone notices because this 'will keep things fresher and more organised' if anyone asks!

EagerLearner

ubamother wrote: »

withdraw conjugal rights - immediately

Well - I wouldn't do without Mr EL's, er, attention :eek: ! That's way too drastic ladies

So I showed him our 'squirrel' bank account increasing by the month due to shopping savings... and he's now a convert and even suggests stuff now and actively looks for bargains Sometimes's he's more MSE shopping-wise than I am...

Any money in the 'squirrel' account from shopping savings will eventually be transferred to our ISA towards our deposit for a place.

We now average £30-£40 a month which gets transferred.

FairyElephant_2

If there's nothing you want to save for that 'floats his boat' (my DH was won over by the large flat-screen TV we got last year by careful savings!!!) then if you have a mortgage you could go into the MFW board and put your 'savings' into one of the mortgage calculation programmes to show him how much interest you'll save and/or how much earlier you can pay off your mortgage using the money you are saving. It is quite amazing and really motivating 9well, I find it so, but maybe I am just a bit sad!!!!!!!)

FE

winniepooh

I want to save to take my little boy on holiday.

I think the main problem is i'm incharge of our finances which is good in one way cause I get to see what goes in and out. Its a joint account we both have a card for it. I think hubby gets carried away with spending cause he doesn't see how many bills go out.

So anyway I made a pasta bake last nite with a tomato and bacon sauce with garlic bread:j Everyone ate it and enjoyed it which I'm gobsmacked because I'm the worse cook in the world. I've squashed my loo roll (haven't told hubby that tip he'll will think i've gone mad). I'm just waiting for him to ask me why they have changed shape. Will have to think of an answer for that me thinks

I'm still feeling confident that I can do this

tattycath

I like to have either meat or fish with my meal. Yesterday I had a look in the fridge and found some jersey royal new potatoes, 3 courgettes and a red pepper(they had all been reduced). I sliced them up and put them in the slow cooker with some water. I added some tomato puree-lurking in the fridge. Mushrooms and yellow split peas (I had previously frozen). Mixed it all together and served it with 3 small slices of tinned corned beef and I had a bit of apple sauce with mine (it was lurking in the fridge). It actually tasted lovely. Before I joined MSE the whole lot would have been thrown out-apart from the corned beef. I never used to freeze mushrooms or buy split peas and the stuff in the fridge would have been binned.
When I look back I probably used to waste more stuff a month than I actually spend in a month now
And there is even enough of my concoction for 2 more servings today.
Luckily for me my OH will eat more or less anything I put in front of him...

annelouise_2

Holidays are a great incentive to aim for and once it's booked you are committed so to speak.

Check out recipes online,on here,ask for friends cookbooks and try something MSE and cheap and a change from the norm but I also believe in HM takeaway treats like HM burgers and chips,curries and pizza which we are having tonight with pepperoni and garlic bread - all for less than £2.00 for the 4 of us.

Keep up the good work ,its addictive ,exciting and the more you read threads the more advice and top tips you'll pick up that will work for you and your family.

or example this week I ran out of syrup for baking / pancakes and made a cinnamon syrup for pennies (sugar / water / cinnamon Simmer 6mins!!!!)
I have used it 4 times this week on pancakes,Twinks and cinnamon biscuits and am astounded it was so cheap and easy to make.I may never buy syrup again!!!!!!!

annelouise