What's yr biggest change since being OS?

jazzyjustlaw

I just think over every purchase. I have more money because I dont impulse buy so much. If I impulse buy it has to be a bargain.

I have cut my shopping budget considerable since being OS.

Penny-Pincher!!

Over the past 12-15 months we have cut our out-goings by about £1000 per month:eek: Cancelled all mag subscriptions, moved to PAYG, shopped around for better deals on everything! Our main cut back was on food and socialising though:o , but i now enjoy doing this and we live very well on £30 a week for the 3 of us eating well and healthily.

Buy only basic cleaning products, but still have to have certain things branded (Nescafe, Tetley, decent loo rolls, washing powder etc etc)

PP
xx

Glad

My biggest change is to make meals from what I have in
and to make my own lunch rather than pop over to the shop for a roll or baguette
I only go shopping weekly now instead of daily
spend around £90 a week but that includes pet food and all cleaning stuff and toiletries for 4 of us

Nelski

I bought (and even used a couple of times:D ) a slow cooker, some microfibre cloths and a lot of freezer boxes to keep my slow cooking creations in!!

I made CQs curry which is now legendary in my family

I made a soup for the first time ever (was a Covent Garden addict!)

Not major moves forward I admit but its a start;)

(Oh and Ive made some :A new friends and thats the best bit:j )

taplady

I suppose the main change would be just being aware of what we are spending especially on food. Meal planning and cooking from scratch is great!;) nice to know that you've got food in for every night and nice to know whats in your food!:D
Finding Old- Style has definitely been life-changing for us!:j

wigginsmum

I guess the biggest change would be shopping and cooking. We used to spend £400/month on ready meals and nice bits and still have takeaways a couple of times a week. I also used to spend £5/day for breakfast and lunch at work, so another £100/month. Now I spend £120/month for the two of us for all meals, cook from scratch, batch-cook and freeze portions. Have moved from Sainsburys and Waitrose to Lidl and the local market. I log all food purchases on a spreadsheet with the comparative cost at Sainsburys, and any 'savings' are virtual pin-money just to keep me motivated. I have also started growing my own fruit and veg - not enough to keep us all year round as we don't have a garden big enough, but I'll have enough tomatoes and soft fruit to keep us for months. I'm on the waiting list for an allotment. And I'm beginning to get fitter spending so much time outside digging!

I used to use the tumble-drier all year round - now everything goes out on the line. I get a real satisfaction out of hanging out the washing, dunno why.

Things like lowering the TV package and broadband connection, and getting a prepayment card for my prescriptions has shaved off another £66/month or £850/year.

I think now it's becoming a way of life - I can't see me ever going back to wandering mindlessly round a supermarket just chucking things in the trolley.

janb5

For me it was finding a % credit card and dividing outstanding amount by 9 so I could pay it off by November. Stardrops and microfibre cloths were an innovation for me and also noticing how supportive everyone is on this site. Sometimes it is the little changes that seem toclock upthemost like saving 20p and £2 coins!

I nearly forgot...........Daysoft lenses at £13.98 as opposed to £35.00 pcm!

Jo_R_2

janb5 - am switching contact lenses suppliers too, cutting £4 off per month, every little adds up doesn't it? Sounds like you got a great deal there! :T

redballoon_2

making my own laundry gloop, very rewarding work!