Using cash instead of cards makes you think!

wendyloub

On food shopping I'm just as tight with cards as I am with cash, I meal plan and use online shopping, so I actually look in my fridge\freezer and use up what I have first. I keep my shopping under £60 for me and 3 children, if I go over I take something off I don't need and if its under I add a bottle of wine :-)

I tend to blow money in frustration when I am on my pc trying to make it run better - I buy stupid programmes to fix stuff, which do benefit the pc but as soon as I hit that paypal button I start to regret it.

I find it harder to hand over cash in shops, it seems much more real than cards and I do tend to spend less if I go into town. I run a toddler group so I use the cash I take from that to buy bits and put a cheque into cover what I took, it does stop me buying stuff because when I run out of cash, I can't carry on spending.

I do need to set a budget in stone though and stop myself from buying that extra thing that I don't really need, I am skint again at the minute, but can't stop myself looking for a last minute cheap uk holiday for next week.

rsdiscos

Hi Wendyloub,
I did try shopping online but I was always forgetting a few things then going to the shops and buying that and other things for another £10. I like trying out new recipes so I hardly ever get the same shop twice. Some of our neighbours literally only have 7 meals they cook/microwave so their shopping list rarely changes. I have definitely been making sure I use everything up and only buy the amount I need so rarely throw food away now. I also need to find room in a enclosed veranda for a smallish chest freezer so I can cook more things in bulk and freeze bread and milk for the whole week.
I don't know where you are in the country wendylou but we didn't go away in the summer and instend made an effort to visist free musuems when they had fun theme days on. Our kids get a free magazine called Primary Times that advertises all of these kinds of events. We had a great time at the Herbert Musuem in Coventry and The New Art Gallery in Walsall amongst other places.
Melissa

Mrs_Ryan

I always find thse sort of threads really interesting!

OH always uses cash for everything - he has a full 3-in-1 card with A&L but refuses to use it to pay with although he has been ordered to purchase my Xmas pressie with it in case something goes wrong! When we first started going out he had a Solo card which I actually had to show him how to use as he didnt know how it worked! :eek:
I have a full-auth Visa Debit and use it for EVERYTHING - for places that dont take it I have a Capital One Visa. I dont feel safe using cash - I've had my purse stolen twice in the days when I only had a cash card and both times it was containing a lot of cash - so when I got a debit card again I never used cash if I could help it.

rsdiscos

Had a weak moment and had fish and chips last night:eek: (they were mini fish and chips instead of large portions:rolleyes:) but I did have £6 left in the kitty. I have been crossing off what we have used from the shop and we do have £26.58 worth of food left that can used used when we get back from mums so we will hopefully we will only need bread, milk, some cereal for the kids and some fresh fruit maybe £10-£15??
Just need to keep a tight hold of the spending while we off for the week.
I might try and keep a daily note on here so I am accountable
Wish me luck!
Melissa

rsdiscos

Well I did spend money
but got a few bits for christmas (£34) at the huge Tescos in Watford so I got the points that I wouldn't have got from buying at other shops and I did quite well two character tops, Ben10 dress up and card games and character highlighters for stockings
I have only bought bread and milk and should be able to rustle up several dinners out of the storecupboard/ freezer for the next few days!
How's everyone else doing?
Melissa

Frugalista

Just found this thread again - what a shame it was taken off the Old Style Board where it attracted much more interest.

Have just put £144 on an Asda Christmas Savings Card for this month - they will make it up to £150 in a couple of weeks - so I get £6 for nothing! YAY! :money:

p00

I now hate spending my shopping money as its a competition to have a bit more left each week. now got over £100 in the tin so using cash is working for me. I still feel a bit more wary of having my purse pinched though.

xxp00