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

dom300186

in my case of cutting back on spending is i make a weekly meal plan, i then go through my cupboards to see what i have already got, or i look in the cupboard first and see what i can already make using items left and make a meal plan from that and then ponly buy what i actiually need my moto is.....
IF ITS NOT ON THE SHOPPING LIST ITS NOT GETTING BOUGHT!! and it has to wait till the following week.

my shopping came to £28 yesterday for a week, we are a family of 2 adults, 1child, a dog, a cat, and a hamster

I make a spray cleaner for my bathroom and kitchen which has part stardrops and part bleach and it does a fantastic job, i havent bought flash in about a year.

i mend clothes, and i have just sewn all my sons old trousers that are too short and made them into shorts for this summer and no one has noticed.

to save fuel in my car ive emptied it as i was carrying excess rubbish in it that i didnt need like my sons push chair, and changing gear smoothly i dont go over 2000 revs.

i clean my laminate floor with the same solution as my cleaner but instead of stardrops i use washing up liquid.

i buy my washing up liquid in bulk JTF 5 litre bottle was £1.99 and has lasted a while instead of a £1 a small bottle of fairy.

wasdhing up powder i measure a tablespoon of powder in each load and it does the job i have a big box i got from asda for £8 for ariel acti lift when it was on offer for 50 washesi think it will last me a year if i only use the amount i use, as they tell you to use more but you actually dont need it.

Fabric conditioner sometimes use vinegar, but when i buy i get the one on offer £1 for comfort in asda for 21 washes i bought 2 instead of £3 for 42 washes where is the comman sense in that???? i dilute it as its very strongly perfumed so i put less than half a cap in and pour water into the dispenser.

I put my washing on a quick wash then a rinse cycle each time so this will cost less on my electric instead of being on for about 1-2 hrs its on for half an hour, i hang washing out everytime even in winter it goes on an airer or clothes horse and i never use my tumble dryer, i used to work for eon so i know where to cut back on electric........ when making a cuppa on boil what you need as filling it will cost you a fortune.xx

i buy the really cheap handwash from asda smart price, and pull the sticker off no one will know lol.

i could go on lol

[Deleted User]

You are so right its deciding whether you need it or want it there is a vast differance.I have been frugal for most of my life .I prefer to spend what money I have on things that I enjoy.i.e. holidays with my family, my hobbies ect I cut back on trips to the shops and only buy what's really needed for cooking or cleaning and not just the lastest thing that the manufacturers are pushing to sell.If you take note of the advertising on t.v. there are quite a lot of those things .For example at the moment adverts are about buying a pump gadget to let your children wash their hands without touching the pump.What happened to an ordinary bar of soap at a fraction of the price .Air fresherners that waft chemicals under your nose -open a window its free and a bit better for you .I could go on for ever but you get my drift.OS is more about using common sense and saying do I need it / can I use something I already have instead of spending money I can't afford on stuff that is surplus to my needs.The majority of cleaning stuff you don't need as bicarb,vinegar and at a push a bottle of Stardrops could replace all those tins,bottles and sprays that most of us accumulate under the sink.I live alone and budget for £30.00 per week.I don't smoke I don't buy a newspaper (I have the internet or t.v. for news)Its suprising once you sit down and think of what you could replace your spending with.I usually have money left over from my budget which gets put away towards my holidays .Find a comfortable amount that you can cope with and stick with it.
I use cash only as its far too easy when you use a card as it doesn't seem like 'proper' spending.But when you have a set amount to get through the week on you do tend to spend a lot less.Adapt recipes to fit around your family .List everything you have in your store cupboards and freezer and use them That is money sitting there doing nothing why buy more when you have a meal already in the cupboard.I too make my own cakes as I don't like shop bought ones much and they are just very expensive.The other day my three DGS wanted a cake, and we looked in the bakers on the way home and for three cookies decorated with smarties the bakers wanted £2.70 I can make three times that amount for half the price We went home and made some and they were chuffed to see how Granny had saved so many pennies .It paid for their ice creams yesterday when we went to the local country park for the afternoon
I think the best food to make is HM soup it cost very little yet bulks out a meal.I can make a vat of HM soup out of odds and ends from the veg box for pennies which will last me for several meals as a starter or with crusty bread as a lunch.There are so many ways you can save and shave pennies off bits and pieces .Good luck and you have made the first step by posting on here,this time next year you will be a different person with a different mind-set I promise you .We all help each other and no question is daft or soppy I have been on this site for 7 years and have seen lots of folk start and become really good at streeetching their cash for whatever reason ,be it economic or just being fed up of seeing their money fall into a bottomless pit of shopping .Lots of ways will help you and we are all here if you get stuck
Good Luck
JackieO xx

[Deleted User]

I only started this thread last night, and am so thrilled with the replies, I have got out of bed the sun is shining and I am putting my plan into action,digging out my slow cooker, and making a beef curry(the meat was reduced), and then I am going to make some cakes as I have a teeanage boy who is always looking for a snack, I purchased an easiyo yogurt maker, although I thought the yogurt sachets were a little expensive, they actually go a long way, and I thought it would keep me away from shops, as I am always running out of yoghurt. I will keep checking this thread for more advice, thanks so much, have a great day:j

dom300186

i also dye our socks in left over black hair dye i had bought as i didnt need the whole bottle lol and my socks looks like new again, abit starnge but it worked!!!!

Raini

dom300186 wrote: »

I make a spray cleaner for my bathroom and kitchen which has part stardrops and part bleach and it does a fantastic job, i havent bought flash in about a year.

...

i could go on lol

Can you say roughly how much stardrops to how much bleach please?

Please do go on!! I need more tips!!

happierdaystocome

H raini

I think I'll watch this thread with intrest.

You can make yogurt in your slow cooker, Here is a link http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/you-can-make-yogurt-in-your-crockpot.html

or also in a flask http://www.greenfootsteps.com/how-to-make-yogurt.html


I havent tried making it in the slow cooker but I have done it in a flask which Ive had no trouble doing and then I add fresh or stewed fruite to it. Although I know others who use milkshake syrup to add flavour.

dom300186

found this it could help for around the house http://www.frugal.org.uk/house.html

Food shopping http://www.frugal.org.uk/foodtips.html

and recipes http://www.frugal.org.uk/recipes.html

i have a slow cooker and i make a staew/casserole out of anything thats left really and its fab few dumplings job done! saves you time cooking and a meal ready for when you get home xxx

some others i found that might be of interest....
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1209530/Make-mend-Thrifty-tips-help-ride-recession.html

http://www.moneywise.co.uk/spending/article/2010/05/14/five-top-thrifty-tips

www.notbeansagain.com for recipes for leftovers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gAyjP8h-08 the green granny watch some of her videos

http://www.notbeansagain.com for left over recips ideas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2smCgC2u1h8

mama67

fairyface wrote: »

I only started this thread last night, and am so thrilled with the replies, I have got out of bed the sun is shining and I am putting my plan into action,digging out my slow cooker, and making a beef curry(the meat was reduced), and then I am going to make some cakes as I have a teeanage boy who is always looking for a snack, I purchased an easiyo yogurt maker, although I thought the yogurt sachets were a little expensive, they actually go a long way, and I thought it would keep me away from shops, as I am always running out of yoghurt. I will keep checking this thread for more advice, thanks so much, have a great day:j

take alook at www.wahlshop.co.uk they do the yog sachets cheaper than I've found in any of the high street shops, and only usually take a couple of days to come.

Memory_Girl

fairyface wrote: »

I only started this thread last night, and am so thrilled with the replies, I have got out of bed the sun is shining and I am putting my plan into action,digging out my slow cooker, and making a beef curry(the meat was reduced), and then I am going to make some cakes as I have a teeanage boy who is always looking for a snack, I purchased an easiyo yogurt maker, although I thought the yogurt sachets were a little expensive, they actually go a long way, and I thought it would keep me away from shops, as I am always running out of yoghurt. I will keep checking this thread for more advice, thanks so much, have a great day:j

I got one of those - for a quid at a car boot. But the price of the sachets made me weep -plus I either had to order them online or take a special trip.

What I have is three sachets of the "Greek Low-Fat" that I got on a buy-two-get-one-free deal and I make yogurt like this.

1. AT breakfast boil the kettle to fill the easi-yo.
2. Open a carton of skimmed UKT milk - got a case at 47p each
3. Warm the milk to blood heat in the micro - then mix in 2tbsp powdered milk and 1tbsp of the easi-yo mix.
4. Pour into the flask and pop into the water.

At bedtime I put the yogurt in the fridge and by the morning I have very thick Greek Style yogurt - you know the kind that you can "slice" out of the container with a spoon:D

Much cheaper than using a full sachet for every time.

MG

FatVonD

I'm pretty sure you can make yoghurt by just boiling milk and stirring in a small amount of live yoghurt, can't you? That's how Turkish people make it anyway!

Edited to add link:

http://www.whats4eats.com/dairy/yogurt-recipe