I'm NOT os - but I want to be - can you help?

KittyKate

Shamefully, I am very wasteful and I want to change. I come from a very humble Yorkshire mining/teachning family and I've always known the value of money. I never really 'did without' but I was taught the importance of spending within your means and not 'splashing out' needlessly.

Then I went to uni where I experienced near poverty - and yes, some of it was my own fault. When you've paid your rent and have so very little left, yes, you do buy yourself a night out (or ten) and end up eating noodles and wearing the same jumper for a week.

Now I'm grown up (well, I'm 23) and living with my partner of three years (who is 25). We both have well paid jobs in the same company and as we had both come out of a very skint period in our lives began doing all the things we've always wanted to do - ie, not worrying about money.

We're not in debt and we don't go mad - neither of us have cars, we haven't been abroad in years - but our weakness is eating out. Shockingly we eat in restaurants at least four times a week at a minimum of £30 a time. I appreciate this is more than a family of four spends on food and I do feel a bit ashamed. Often we'll buy food and eat in - but when it's steak at £8 a time, asparagus, 'premium' everything (our local supermarket is M&S Food) it's just as expensive eating in. We have a slow cooker and have used it once in six months :eek:

Now I want to change for a few reasons: it's not a healthy way to live (my favourite restaurants are Chinese, Thai and Indian), it's wasteful (we throw away food we haven't even opened at home) and I'm wanting to set up a home studio for my graphic design. If I'd have reigned in my spending habits I would have the £5,000 I need rather than having to save up - and for me, saving is just 'whatever's left' after paying the rent and bills (and eating out!)

Can anyone help me become OS?! I can't cook but am willing to learn. I am useless at sticking to a budget but again am happy to be harsh on myself (I had to be when I was a student after all). I'll never stop treating myself and nor will my partner, we work very hard, but we pay good money for a lovely apartment we barely see!

Many thanks to anyone who has any suggestions

Queenie

:hello: Welcome to Old Style KittyKate :hello:

It's lovely to have you join us

The very best place to start reading would be: - Welcome to MoneySaving Old Style - (Read Me First) There is a wealth of useful advice that has been collated there and leads off in all directions from how to menu plan, shopping strategies, recipes, cleaning recipes, the monthly challenges.

You might benefit from reading The Mega Index thread too, heaps of reading, but broken down into subject matter to make it easier to go to a specific query you may have.

That should give you all round advice and then you can perhaps ask questions on anything you didn't particularly understand or would like more clarity on.

Oh and have a look through the Recipe Index too, a whole section specifically for slow cookers as well

Your first step, will be to know where you're at financially - so make up your budget - it's a great time because it's the start of the financial year. Include how much you are can afford to budget on entertainment/treats.

As far as your food bills go, you should see a reduction quite rapidly if you are making meals at home rather than eating out 4 times a week.

If you are focused on your goal to have your own graphic design studio then you'll find that any adapting that you choose to do in order to meet that goal will be so much easier. Forget how much you *might* have saved before now though, just focus on where you're going.

Wishing you the very best of luck with your goals. Looking forward to getting to know you around the boards

Linda32

Hi, welcome aboard. I'm pretty new here as well but it dosn't take long to get into old style.

Two months ago I had know idea it existed, but myself and OH talk about it all the while and are slowly changing various aspects. For example we would have dinner out when we nipped into town for somthing.
Now we go out after dinner (12noon) and park at my work in town which is free.

I know thats only applicable to me, but you see what I mean.

You do find that you appreciate it more when you go in a cafe / pub for a meal. If its become quite a rare visit.

For me old style isn't about eating rubbish or dressing like a tramp.

These lots of info on here.

rchddap1

I agree that its an easy thing to get into. However, you can go as far as you like. Some keep chickens, make their own butter and bread etc.... Whilst others just pick out a few good recipes or focus on cutting their grocery budget. As above, sorting out a budget is an important first step, which in your case will include 'going out'.

Try a few recipes and see how it goes. If you want to make things easy for yourself there are lots of things that you can 'premake' and then freeze. Meaning that when you have the inclanation to make something you can, and when you don't you can just whip something out of the freezer. Doing things old style doesn't mean making every meal from scratch every time. Its also about making things easy for yourself and using all the food you buy before it goes off.

Welcome to the crowd and I'm sure you'll get on fine. Just take things at your own pace.

TOBRUK

Hello there KittyKate,
It seems that you are determined to change but I hope your partner is also. I know how it is after leaving college when you get your first job and start getting your wages - there is a time what I call settling, after all the hard work and struggling through student life you have wages and it's a great feeling, and you do want to buy things you couldn't for a while, and things like dining out when you want, just because you can.

Anyway, unless you are aware of what you are spending, where all the spending is, sometimes on things you don't need you won't be able to adjust. I found that if you write down ALL your spending say for a month in a book, even a newspaper or choc bar (I know it's a job and a half, and takes time) you might be surprised. What I did was work out every bill - gas, electricity, phone landline/mobile, water, tv licence, mortgage/rent, credit card, sky/freeview topup, anything on HP or other. All the things you have to pay each month - with utilities I pay by direct debit each month (so no nasty bills through the post and they are paid), and now I even pay TV licence by direct debit so I know it will be paid for. I have online banking - this is very handy and it means I can look up my statement anytime I like and know where I stand.

After that, deduct the total of monthly bills from your take home pay a month. Now you will see how much is left over, so now decide how much CASH you are going to take out per week, which will cover your food and for your personal spending and then go to the cash machine ONCE a week to withdraw that amount. This may sound silly to you, but you must be as strict as you can - I find that taking money out the same day every week helps, and count it as PAYDAY. Say you take out money on Wednesday, if you are running low by Monday, do not go and take more money out - try and budget until Wednesday. I tell myself, well I can't afford it until I get money out on Wednesday! Also, don't take your card with you other than getting your weekly allowance out - that way you can't be tempted because you haven't got the money on you! You might get a weak moment and see something, you'll think, oh that won't hurt I can afford it,I've got my card! This is a very good reason not to take a card with you and just your cash allowance.

I do believe no matter what your income is you will live within your means to a degree. Unless you budget, if your salary is 10,000 or 40,000 you may have nothing to show unless you budget.

You and your partner obviously like eating out, what about eating out going for a picnic - yes, you can prepare the food at home (not buy things from M&S already made for you) and both of you contribute - it could be fun.

I used to work at the BBC had a good job up until 6 years ago, however due to ill health I had to leave and still not well enough to return to any employment, and I can tell you it was a shock to the system - especially the pocket! So I have had to budget, and it takes getting used to. I remember going shopping in a supermarket not even looking at the price and just filling up the trolley - I really didn't realise how much money I was wasting.

You are used to going out 4 times a week, well I would say don't just cut it out altogether to start - decide on once a week and that can be a treat, put money aside and when you do go, again DON'T take your card with you! I enjoy chinese and indian takeaway, but I haven't had one since beginning of December which I really enjoyed and before that it had been over 6 months.

It would help a lot if you were cooking yourself - you CAN cook, you just have to learn and it could be fun - you should both try and do it together, you might even enjoy it more than going out! If you say I haven't got time to cook, just think of the time you spend at a restaurant! So yes, you have got time.

So a few tips:
1. Work out your weekly allowance and your PAYDAY and stick to it.
2. Before grocery shopping, go online to your supermarket store and make a list - go through each item and price it - this way you know the total bill before leaving the house!
3. Meal planning - this is really linked to point 2. Decide your meals for the week and make your grocery list around your meals.
4. Remember to take your list with you to supermarket and stick to the list!
5. Leave your card at home!

I wish you well - sorry for the long thread but hope it helps.

Loadsabob

Hi KittyKate,

well, it doesn't sound as though you're starting from a bad place, as you're not in debt. You treat yourselves, but within your means. Being OldStyle will just mean you re-direct some of the money you currently splash out, into your home studio. Having the studio as a goal should be quite a motivator.

There's loads of advice on budgeting, menu planning etc here, so instead I'll just share a few thoughts.

My defining Old Style motivation is wanting to eat good food. I want to know what I'm putting in my body, I don't want hidden chemicals, loads of sugar, salt and trans-fats, I just want to eat decent food. My whole way of being in the kitchen stems from that. I don't buy ready-made things, processed or pre-packed food (or VERY rarely). Firstly, it saves a fortune, secondly, I know there are no hidden surprises in my food because I've made it all.

I've never been unable to cook, so I find it hard advising people where to start. But just a couple of good recipe books should set you up. I recommend Nigella Lawson's "How To Eat" - partly for the scrummy recipes, mainly for the fact that she has quite a flippant attitude to food sometimes, she's not scared by it, and her recipes are thus very accessible and allow you to feel a bit free with what you're doing. Choose recipes that foster that approach - stews, pasta sauces, risotto-type dishes, you can't go too far wrong with those things, I think. It's harder starting with fancy dishes, souffles - anything that requires a big plan!! Taste your food as you cook - if you like it, whether it's exactly as the recipe intends or not, it doesn't matter! If you don't like the taste, you can amend as you go - you'll soon get a feel for the flavours you like using, and which can counter-balance those you may have over-done. Always start by adding a little of flavouring ingredients - herbs, spices etc - you can always add more but you can't take it away! All might sound obvious, if so forgive me! But just enjoy your food. And when you hit upon something that works, and you like, make up bulk and freeze some portions to give yourself regular breaks from cooking.

Other OS motivations for me...I detest waste, so these days when shopping, I avoid buying things that have unnecessary packaging - pre-packed veg for example. I buy mushrooms in paper bags not plastic cartons, avoid taking plastic bags for veg. I always say no to carrier bags and carry my own re-usable shopper ( http://www.onyabags.com.au/index.htm ). I find this helps reinforce in my head my OldStyle-ness, it's part of who I am that I try not to create unnecessary waste. Of course I recycle, and think of re-using items, too.

I'm not menu planning at the moment, but when I did, I spent a lot less on food, so I'd recommend it. Its a good idea to always check your cupboards and freezer before you go shopping, as there are usually a few meals-in-waiting! Some weeks when I want to be frugal, or feel too lazy to shop, I manage to fine a whole week's worth of my frozen meals or store-cupboard essentials that will make a good meal.

As for eating out, well, if its a treat that you enjoy, there's no need to stop that. But so often must make it more routine than treat. I'm probably the other end of the scale, my boyfriend and I tended to eat out only a few times a year, and decided we'd like to do so more often. So we each put £2 into a jar every weekend, and every eight weeks, we have £32 to go for a meal. Perhaps you guys may want to put more away to increase the frequency of your meals - once every four weeks or something. But this is a way of the meals not eating into a budget you've devised (assuming you devise one) - it's a small amount each week that you don't even notice. We're so un-used to going out that we have two lots sitting waiting for us to get our act together to eat out! A Thai meal at Easter to look forward to.

Best of luck, and the advice always tends to be: little steps, you don't have to immerse yourself, just pick bits out to apply to your own life and you'll find what's comfortable for you!

Oh, and you're right, don't stop treating yourself, I think life is about living well. I never go without things I want. But I've found that a homemade cake or pudding or bread is not only a fraction of the cost of shop-bought, but also many many many times more enjoyable!

KittyKate

Thankyou all so much for your advice, it's very sensible and sounds like something I should be able to make a start on. So far, I've decided to keep an eye on my money a little better - I do use internet banking and so I have a pretty good idea of my finances - but looking over the past month - £25 at Pizza Mania, £8 at Lloyds (on a sandwich!), £35 at Cafe Thai - it's clear to see my biggest expenditure.

I have taken a few steps for a few cheaper nights out - I've signed up for the free cinema tickets with test audiences, the viewings are at 6 and me and the OH finish work at 4.30 so it's ideal. I'm going to start making chilli in the slow cooker which me and the OH can take to work and warm up in the microwave. I've looked around the house and realised we have 2 'extra' computers which are going on ebay (which will clear some room too!) I'm also putting clothes out on the balcony in the sun to dry rather than use the tumble dryer.

Also we have about 10 nigella/jamie/ramsay cookbooks which we've never even opened let alone cooked anything from! I'm going to try making my favourite meals, which are all rather exotic, so wish me luck (I burn water!)

moggins

It's also a little about forethought. It's so easy to slip into going out for dinner if you haven't got anything either in the cupboard to eat or you've forgotten to take anything out of the freezer. If you can get into meal planning and pulling something out of the freezer the night before then you are well on the way.

ChocClare

Hi KittyKate

Welcome to OS - everyone is really friendly and unjudgemental, so I'm sure you'll have loads of help.

If you have a good job and a decent amount of money coming in every month my tip would be to save FIRST.

In other words, set up a standing order which pays whatever - 10% of your net salary, £20, 20p, whatever you're aiming for - out of your current account and into your savings account on the day after you get paid.

Saving whatever's left over at the end of the month doesn't work - I know!! But this way your savings are already taken care of, so even if you spend everything left in your current account then you've still saved!!

Obviously, if this is going to take you overdrawn every month then it's not worth doing :rolleyes: but it's something I read in one of those How I Became A Millionnaire books ages ago, and it really stuck with me. It's amazing how you budget on what's in your current account (the old "I've still got x amount left" thinking). And if the worst comes to the worst, then you've got some savings for a rainy day...

KittyKate

That's a good way of looking at it - usually I 'save' whatever's left from my last wage when I get paid my next wage! I've been thinking about opening a Barclays savings account - you get 10% APR on whatever you put in as long as you have over £1000 in your current account. This seems a really decent deal and I'm thinking of signing up for it this week - then it will give me a good way of saving and seeing the money build for my studio. And the less I spend wastefully from my current account the more I can put into my high interest account

And I'm reading all the threads in OS and getting loads of tips and ideas so thankyou to all OS-ers!

fannyadams

Hi KK
If you are going to put regular money aside why not go for a regular saver - Martin's always banging on about them and you can get a really good deal.
go here and read what he has to say:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/savings
if you are debt free and confident why not try stoozing? warning it's not for the faint hearted or the flaky!
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?newsid1076883546,34894,
Welcome on board - by the way the best way to stop water burning is to stir it!
For the record, my kids say they always know when dinner's ready coz the smoke alarm goes off :rotfl: and HWTHMBO says if you don't smell burnin', she aint cookin' !
I am very additcted to this site now and have the recipies page in my favourites, along with all the others.
Go to the library and look out some basic cook books delia is very very good. I dunno about Jamie or Nigella they always frighten me, but htis is coz I'm 'practically a fossil' (TM) DS#1
I wish you well in your endeavours.