Anti- OS urges!!

recovering_spendaholic

I have been REALLY trying to live more frugally and according to OS principles since I was made redunant at the end of 2005, and I have to say that I have made some really big changes, but the area where I am weakest is food. I have two extremely fussy DD's who refuse to eat my OS meals, even though if I say so myself, are really lovely and taste fab. I also have real problems with spending in supermarkets - it is one my favourtie things to walk round any big supermarket and browse and impulse buy. I reckon that before I found this thread I spent over £120 a week on stuff in the supermarket each week (there's only me, our scottie dog and two DDs ), and since January I have got that down to around £80 a week, which is still in the realms of the ridiculous. I have two freezers bulging with food ( mostly freshly frozen stuff - no junk) and cupboards bursting with tins and packets. The thing is, whenever I am stressed or bothered I like to shop and because when I was growing up we had so little I feel that I need to have the kitchen stocked up if you know what I mean. I had been saving £2 coins in a big tin and had around £300 - £400 (it was one of those tin moneyboxes which you can only open with a can opener) and last week it was stolen, which absolutely gutted me, and instead of tightening my belt as I should have done I went on a big supermarket shop . Anyway, has anyone any ideas how I can overcome this? It would be lovely to break this cycle somehow but just saying "no" isn't doing too much right now!! Sorry for the long moan but Easter was a mega overspend and I am really annoyed with myself.

lynzpower

Awww I feel for you, I know what you mean, Im almost compulsive with my shopping ( altohugh I seem to have broken the back of it fairly recently) You dont mention how old your DDs are- can they get involved with the choosing, cooking etc?

ChocClare

Would it be any help to have a "Treat Day" or even a "Treat Weekend"?

In other words, to say to yourself, this week I'm going to spend £65 on shopping (say) and then, on (say) Friday, we're going to have an extra special meal - fillet steak, for example (or whatever you fancy that's a treat for you) and spend £15 on just that meal? This is just an example, obviously, but I think we all need treats, and it can be very disheartening to be thinking always in terms of moneysaving, especially when you've had something utterly rotten happen like losing £400!! If you could be strict with yourself during the week but then always have a splurge at the weekend so you've got something to look forward to... might that help?

Rebob

Two things:-

1. Save money in something where when you get around £40 you can take to the local credit union for safe ethical keeping.

2. I am very similar to yourself when it comes to shopping. My biggest help is deciding not to visit any shop after teatime and only call at the supermarket once a week with the car. If you have to carry stuff you buy loads less, especially when holding a dog lead in one hand already.

HTH and good luck!!!

Pooky

Try shopping online - makes it much easier to stick to a budget. I find that walking round the supermarket I can easily spend £50 plus, but I find it hard to even spend £40 a week online.

Skintmama

I too like the shops when I am feeling glum and I am sure I have gone through stages of spending as much as you.
There are often really nice things in the supermarket and it is nice to browse and even buy things I don't necessarily need. The way I cope with this at the moment is to browse and buy gifts ahead for Birthdays and Christmas. That way my impulse spending is constructive and helps me be organised for later in the year, spreading the cost too.
Otherwise, I would suggest not indulging the impulse to shop in the supermarket. I find going to the high street with say £5 or £10 to spend just for me has me going into and enjoying lots of shops whilst thinking just how I would most like to spend this pre-set amount of money. It is just too easy to bung it in the trolley in a supermarket and pay with a card at the end, it is almost automatic shopping and for me associated with a lot of guilt.
Good luck and really sorry to hear about your stolen money.

JailhouseBabe

I know the feeling, after losing your job it's really hard to adjust and learn to live differently. The added blow of a theft must be awful.

My biggest tip for avoiding the pitfalls of the supermarket? This website!
Seriously, I spend all my free time on here now, and find that the thrill of hunting down a new freebie coupled with actually looking forward to the postmans delivery easily compensates for the inability to shop so often.

When I do shop, I now visit Tesco and spend ages looking closely at the SELS. Over the last few weeks, thanks to r&r, we've eaten much more top quality steak than we ever did when I was working! Again, the thrill of the chase.

Good luck with your attempts to cutback recovering spendaholic x

Smashing_Blouse

I do my weekly shopping with a list and a calculator. My weekly shop is £50 inclusive of all toiletries and cat food, this is for me DH, DD10 and a cat. I always look for BOGOFS or 2 for 1's. Once all the main items are bought and under £50 then I will look for extras.
We also have a treat night on a saturday where we decide what we fancy then that gets incorporated into the budget.

recovering_spendaholic

Thanks to you all for your replies - I will definitely try the online shopping - although I have done it in the past it is sporadic and not list based. I will also try shopping with just a set amount of cash and no cards!! I did okay today and we ate really well, lunch was a gammon slipper which I sliced up and fried with eggs for lunch for us all and for dinner DD1 (15), her friend and I had steak from freezer with a load of roasted veg, DD2 (8) had a portion of leftover Spaghetti Bolognaise which I had put away and we all had some strawberries for afters. I have jjust taken a chicken out of the freezer for tomorrow and we still have loads of veg left so that will be okay. I am going to Speke retail park tomorrow to take back some stuff to Dorothy Perkins, so I wll just try and take a little cash and no cards and not go near the Marks and Spencer Simply Food!!!

r.mac_2

so sorry to hear about the theft - it is gutting when something like that happens. ((((((((((((((big hug)))))))))))))))))

try online shopping as suggested. on the vouchers board there are threads for discounts on online shopping. I suggest having a peek to see if you could save extra money.

alternatively, take a set amount of cash with you to the shop. I find that this is the best way of regulating what i spend. I was sceptical at first, but if you leave your cards at home and only have a set amount, it is amazing how it focuses the mind.

Also, do you meal plan? if you do it in conjunction with your DD's they may feel more inclined to eat what is planned. I find that planning cuts down on waste and cuts the bills too.

one final thing - how old are your girls? if they are old enough to understand why not explain to them how it is both tiring and a pest to cook 4 different meals per night and that it costs a lot more and you want to spend that money on (delete as appropriate) paying off debt/a holiday/a treat for them/savings.

good luck x

bluemoon_3

Sorry to hear about the theft - that's an awful thing to happen.

Someone posted a link to the site "Cindy's Porch" on Old Style a few days ago and it was just what I needed at the time to get me over a 'wanna-spend' hump (so thank you to whoever that was!). Maybe it will help you too.
http://www.cindysporch.net/