Tips and Quick Questions on “How To Start Being Old Style”

Want2BMoneySavvy

Hi there,

I pop on and off MSE frequently, but recently have decided to get dedicated and make a real concerted effort to control our spending.

I live with my husband and our 2 small kids (3 and 1). My husband works full time and I work part-time around the children. We have a decent amount of money coming in, and only a very small amount of debt (none of which is defaulted) which should be clear by summer next year if I pull my finger out.

I really need to pick up some tips on how to spend less and maage my house more efficiently. I've worked out we can spend £265 a month on food, which I know is a fair amount, and I could prob do it on less, but I don't want to feel like we're pinching EVERY penny, just taking control over our spending and saving.

So, what tips can you give me to make my £265 go it's furthest??

My initial plan was to do a big online shop at the beginning of each month, stocking up on tins, cupboard essentials, toilet roll, washing powder etc. I'd then visit my local Mr Ts and Sainsburys and buy their whoopsie meat, and plan meals around it, shopping locally for fruit and veg every week. Can anyone suggest a more efficient way of doing it?

Also, meal-planning. Do you meal plan what you're having for tea each night, or do you plan a week's worth of teas and decide on teh day what to have? I'm not sure how to go about it to optimise me sticking to it and ensuring I have everything.

Cleaning products. At the moment I'm guessing we have too many. I normally buy bleach for toilets and sinks, cream cleaner (Cif microparticles - I can't find a better one on the market?) for bathrooms surfaces in kitchen etc, furniture polish, cheap value disinfectant for mopping floors, washing up liquid (Fairy), washing up powder (Daz, normally), and spray window cleaner. Is there anything I can buy which would do away with all the different bottles?

Finally, we eat a lot of fruit and veg, and I'm keen for that to continue. We do buy some tinned fruit (mainly used as part of desserts or for baking syrup sponges with) and frozen veg like peas and leafed spinach, but predominantly most of our f+v is fresh. Any tips on how to cut down the cost of this? We don't have a local market (other than the overpriced, organic farmer's market - extortionate!), but do have a local fruit and veg shop we try and go to.

I really appreciate it if you've taken teh time to read this, and even more so if you can offer any morsels of advice. We're not on the breadline by any means, but I really want to grab hold of our money situation and make sure we're gettinng the most out of it. Hoping to have another baby next year so would like to get into the habit of making our money go further before that happens...!

Thanks in advance.

seafarers_wife

when OH is home i meal plan usually a month at a time so i know what im having roughly each week and so that our weekly shop we just pick up what we need. i do make a point of having a couple of freezer/cupboard meals on the list each week so that if we dont fancy whats planned for tea that night we can re-jig easily.

i tried to get into the whole stardrops for cleaning everything and i hate it. i buy flash with bleach for kitchen cleaning and bathroom cleaning, antibac wipes for quick once overs of the loo and sink without a proper clean and anywhere else that needs a clean (usually sainsburys own brand apple scented ones). bleach is a must for down the loo, i dont feel happy unless i put a squirt round every couple of days. i use mr muscle window cleaner and damp dust the rest so no need for polish.

i do have costco membership and i find it a goodsend as i stock up every 4 months or so on the basics we use, washing powder, washing up liquid, loo roll, rice and sausuages. i also use my local butcher for meat as its cheaper and better quality than the supermarke.

Linda32

Want2BMoneySavvy wrote: »

My initial plan was to do a big online shop at the beginning of each month, stocking up on tins, cupboard essentials, toilet roll, washing powder etc. I'd then visit my local Mr Ts and Sainsburys and buy their whoopsie meat, and plan meals around it, shopping locally for fruit and veg every week. Can anyone suggest a more efficient way of doing it?

This is a great idea, meal planning is the way to go.

Want2BMoneySavvy wrote: »

Also, meal-planning. Do you meal plan what you're having for tea each night, or do you plan a week's worth of teas and decide on teh day what to have? I'm not sure how to go about it to optimise me sticking to it and ensuring I have everything.

I make a list on Thurday / Friday to take us through to the following Thurday, and put it on the fridge door. Then at tea time on Saturday, say I take out whatever is on the list for Sunday. Tomorrow we are having roast chicken, so this will be frozen into portions and used for other dinners.

Want2BMoneySavvy wrote: »

Cleaning products. At the moment I'm guessing we have too many. I normally buy bleach for toilets and sinks, cream cleaner (Cif microparticles - I can't find a better one on the market?) for bathrooms surfaces in kitchen etc, furniture polish, cheap value disinfectant for mopping floors, washing up liquid (Fairy), washing up powder (Daz, normally), and spray window cleaner. Is there anything I can buy which would do away with all the different bottles?

This is what we have, Bleech for the loo, Flash bathroom - I know but I love the smell, Lavender polish from Sainsburys - as before Flash for the floors, kitchen, bathroom, loo and hallway, Fairy Liquid - I've tried the cheapest and the mid range, and Fairy lasts the longest and these usually some on offer.

Want2BMoneySavvy wrote: »

Finally, we eat a lot of fruit and veg, and I'm keen for that to continue. We do buy some tinned fruit (mainly used as part of desserts or for baking syrup sponges with) and frozen veg like peas and leafed spinach, but predominantly most of our f+v is fresh. Any tips on how to cut down the cost of this? We don't have a local market (other than the overpriced, organic farmer's market - extortionate!), but do have a local fruit and veg shop we try and go to.

I'm happy with Sainsburys veg. We've never got on with our local market or our Aldi. I buy fresh and freeze so that it lasts. I buy frozen peas and sweetcorn.

HTH

markandkate

I no longer do a main shop and buy things like cleaning stuff from Poundland. I cook in batches and freeze things like chilli and spag bol and then all I have to do is cook rice or pasta in the evening.

With winter coming soups and stews are cheap and using a slow cooker to make a stew that is ready when you get home is great. If you have a flask take soup to work for lunch and you probably make your own sandwiches for work any way.

I also make sponge cakes put home made jam in the middle cut up and then put in bags in the freezer and hten they can be got out in the morning for lunches.

Want2BMoneySavvy

I do have a slow-cooker which I use quite frequently - stews, soups, bolegnese/chili etc.

I don't work during the day, and normally me and the two small 'uns have lunch at home each day. Am going to meal plan lunches as well as teas so I don't get caught out.

WRT Costco, is it known brand names, or stuff you've never heard of?

I have tried shopping in our local Aldi/Lidl, but I find their stock a bit hit or miss, and if I've meal-planned often a needed ingredient won't be available there, and then my meal-plan is stuffed!

adelight

For veg, buy any whoopsies and blanch and freeze.
Buying whoopsies isn't always reliable, often researching the best weekly special offers and planning around that is much easier.
Don't buy snack food or ready made meals! Don't splurge on posh toilet paper- can't get my head around why people do this.

If you read through the GC thread, and join the GC, you will pick up on how people keep their shopping budget low. Lots of own brand, lots of home made, seasonal, "budget supermarkets" like Lidl and Aldi etc

Penelope_Penguin

Want2BMoneySavvy wrote: »

I pop on and off MSE frequently, but recently have decided to get dedicated and make a real concerted effort to control our spending.

I really appreciate it if you've taken teh time to read this, and even more so if you can offer any morsels of advice.

Welcome to Old Style :beer: As this has fallen from the front page, I'll add it to the thread on starting out OS, which will give you lots more tips and links

Good luck :T

[Deleted User]

Batch cook and freeze,Slow cooker a must and only take enough in your purse to just cover what you need to buy.List everything you need(not want ) and buy that first.I have a set amount per month in a seperate purse just for food and nothing else.Eat what you have stored, as thats what you bought it for in the first place Stuff stored in the cupboard or freezer is cold hard cash sitting there doing nothing .Shop from your storecupbooard before you go to the shops and if you can organise a meal out of it you don't need to buy a new one so you have saved your cash.I list things on a scrap paper by the kettle as I run low or out of them so they are the 'essentials' I need to buy first.
Print up a Sunday to Saturday menu and stick it on the fridge to remind you what you are cooking this week.My dd does this as she works full time as does her OH and they have five children so lists are important to them

zarazara

to me Old Style = DIY as in cooking, not ready meals and walking instead of using the car. It also means being as resourceful as possible ,maybe turning old clothig into something else such as a cushion or oher type of garment. It can be cutting up the store and credit cards and going back to using cash and debit card only.When you begin just dont go the whole hog, you'll soon get disillusioned that way. Just change 1 thing to begin with, for example ,if you always eat ready meals just try cooking one night a week,and something simple, like pasta and a sauce followed by fruit salad. When you get used to this move to 2 nights a week and so on. Its up to each person to pitch what they do at their own level. Its about making changes which will not only save money but which will also give satisfaction and a sence of purpose.
Good Luck everyone!

strawberrypud

Hello

We need to tighten our belts big style in 2011, we need to save as much money as possible for household repairs/car repairs and other annoying expenses and the best way I can see to do that is to spend as little as possible on everything. As it would take me a lifetime to search out all the wee gems of information on this site so I was hoping that seasoned OSers/MSEers could point me in the right direction to the best threads or just your best tips.

Thank you