Using cash instead of cards makes you think!

rsdiscos

I have been trying to follow some old style ways for a few months now but never really got to grips with my budget.
The last two weeks we have got money out of the cash point instead of using our bank card. Made a meal plan and managed to spend £53 in asda in week 1 putting the £7 in a pot to use for extra bread and milk. OH managed to slip in a few treats for the kids without thinking about best value so only had coppers left:rolleyes:.
In week two I've spent £62 and put £8 in the pot but will only probably need bread and will have meat left over for week 3.
I know it isn't as amazing as you ladies and but I reckon we have probably saved near on £40 a week by not buying extras.
Using cash has made us think twice about if we really need x,y, or z.
I am off next week so aim to do a store cupboard list and use up some stuff.

Nordictat2

Hey...you gotta start somewhere and that extra money can be used towards Christmas shopping etc. and after Christmas...towards your Summer Holiday maybe? Every bit helps

Rossy2692

You are not on your own I have been trying to live olsd style for a while now and its fits and starts, it takes a lot of getting to grips with. What helps in being on here regular and picking up tips and inspiration that you might not have thought of Stick at it and good luck, things will slot into place soon enough

Frugalista

At the beginning of '07 I told OH I wanted to go back to having cash for housekeeping rather than him pay by card. (Please, no lectures about joint bank accounts - never had one, and I've never wanted (nor owned) a credit card :cool: - it works for us ). We settled on a sum of £250 per month - unfortunately (due to redundancy, etc) this amount has never gone up - even though food prices have rocketed :eek:.

He gives me the cash on the 1st of each month, and then (depending on how many weeks there are in the month) I divide it into 4 or 5. When I have done my weekly shop any leftover change is put into a piggy bank (called Martin :rotfl:), £2 coins into a sealed tin and any notes into my money tin. So far this year I have managed to save £240 in notes, £222 in £2 coins and around £38 in small change. As I shop at Asda, I also have a card that, whenever they make a mistake with your purchases, they give you £2 for the inconvenience - there is about £40 on that which will go towards extra goodies at Christmas.

I find that being able to physically see the money (or lack of it :rolleyes:) in my purse, coupled with meal planning, helps me keep to my budget. I see it as a challenge to see how far I can make my money stretch (and how much I can put in the piggy)!!. The money I have managed to save will go towards a holiday eventually :j.

mardatha

It always seems the ONLY way to work, to me. I must be old. Anyway well done pet ! Keep it up !:D

rsdiscos

My meal plan for this week is:
Yesterday Chicken dinner - using up old veg first. Leftover chicken using in sandwiches for next 2 days.
Monday : kids Fish fingers and waffles : me and hubby Baked potatoes and salad (only cos hubby's home late)
Tuesday: Egg, Home made wedges and beans ( Cook chicken in slow cooker for tommorrow)
Wednesday: Chicken stirfry
Thursday: Chilli
Friday:Tomato based vege pasta
Saturday off to mums till Tuesday!
Can freeze sausages I bought thinking I would need them!
Whoops burnt kids dinners as I've been typing - not very moneysaving so must watch next lot!
Melissa

maman

rsdiscos wrote: »

My meal plan for this week is:
Yesterday Chicken dinner - using up old veg first. Leftover chicken using in sandwiches for next 2 days.
Monday : kids Fish fingers and waffles : me and hubby Baked potatoes and salad (only cos hubby's home late)
Tuesday: Egg, Home made wedges and beans ( Cook chicken in slow cooker for tommorrow)
Wednesday: Chicken stirfry
Thursday: Chilli
Friday:Tomato based vege pasta
Saturday off to mums till Tuesday!
Can freeze sausages I bought thinking I would need them!
Whoops burnt kids dinners as I've been typing - not very moneysaving so must watch next lot!
Melissa

I think you're doing really well Melissa. Just a question out of curiosity, why are you cooking the chicken for your stir-fry in advance?

rsdiscos

Just because it is a whole chicken 2 for £7 at asda I will freeze any leftovers after sandwiches.
I have been trying to get this sorted for months and keep finding OH sabotages it. We argued over it on saturday and in frustration he snapped his bank card and said - you deal with it found now on! Now I have to give him pocket money or more like emergency money. Has anyone got any ideas how I can give him back a card but make him think about it before using it?
Melissa

little_miss_moneysaver_3

This definately works for us, dealing in cash. We only take how much money we want to spend on our monthly shop so we can't spend more! And seeing what we're spending does make us think more. it's way too easy to pass over plastic and type in the magic 4 numbers and boom you've bought stuff you didn't need!!!

little_miss_moneysaver_3

rsdiscos wrote: »

Just because it is a whole chicken 2 for £7 at asda I will freeze any leftovers after sandwiches.
I have been trying to get this sorted for months and keep finding OH sabotages it. We argued over it on saturday and in frustration he snapped his bank card and said - you deal with it found now on! Now I have to give him pocket money or more like emergency money. Has anyone got any ideas how I can give him back a card but make him think about it before using it?
Melissa

Maybe get one of those pre paid mastercards? Then he'd only have a certain amount to spend.

rsdiscos

He also put my salter digital scales on top of the mircowave without me knwing and now they have water in the display and just show EE!!! Does anyone have any ideas how to weigh stuff without weighing stuff - ah ha I could use american sites and use cups - do they do that with marg too!?! - I wanted to bake some fairy cakes for lunch boxes as I have eggs to use up!!