help me save some money please

tootles_2

My advice is to make up a monthly menu plan and shop just once a month for staples, buy fresh fruit and veg once a fortnight, stored properly it will keep ok........shop on the local market of you have one for fruit etc......its a lot cheaper and cook from scratch.

I think you are going to have to cut down on the eating out etc for a while, look at some of the paid to click sites, try shop and scan, they will give you 10000 points to register and that gets you a £10 voucher, the leisure vouchers include places to eat.

I shop at Tesco mostly, its in walking distance and we also have a bus although when I do my monthly shop we do use the car. If you have a Tesco you can use their online shopping service.......there are codes on the Tesco code thread for £5 off a £50 shop, if you choose a £3.99 slot you win hands down......also the Tesco vouchers can be exchanged for 4 times their value for a number of things including theme parks, so you could give your children a day out once a week during the holiday and there are plenty of things you can do for free..........you really need to turn into a miser for a while to get things under control.....boot sale childrens toys that are in good condition and no longer played with, turn out your wardrobe, anything you have not worn for 12 months, either e aby or take to the boot sale, de-clutter the kitchen any appliances you have not used for a time, get rid of, either ebay or boot. There are two of us and I budget £100 a month for general groceries and fruit, we eat well, but I cook from scratch, make my own bread,i icecream and yogurt.

I had 4 children and a fulltime job using the menu plan and shopping monthy saved my sanity...........it takes a bit of time to get used to but it worked for me......

Look at changing suppliers for gas and electric, you may find that taking the dual fuel option and paying by DD monthly will save you cash , but do the evaluation carefully, it is not always the best option..........

Good luck, you will get there and there is lots of help and support on this site.

katglasgow

You are spending quite a bit on petrol (same as me - it hurts doesnt it!). I top up once a week and make a point of doing it at Tesco to get the clubcard points. This is enough to give you a boucher once a quarter for treat yourself to a nice bottle or wine or save up and use the points for a trip!
I spend £150 a month on food for 2 adults and 1 toddler. I have found friday evening best for reduced items. I try to buy 3-4 items of reduced meat to keep in my freezer. before I go shopping I check whats in my freezer and meal plan according to what I've got (ie last weeks bargains) but verg and stock itmes arroud this. For me this enables us to have variety and good quality but cheap prices! We also have a few cheaper/veggie meals every week e.g. stir fry, baked potatoes.
An idea for a cheaper holiday might be to save up the vouchers for a caravan holiday in the UK with the SUN. Your kids are at the age where they would love this - access to pool, playing outdoors, softplay etc... I think there is one starting in the SUn today. We went last year and had a brilliant time, certainly beats bot having a holiday.
I think you are doing a great job already - its great that you are managing to do everything you do and not be in debt and you are passing on a really great message to your children. x

ms_london

I dont mean to put a negative slant on the whole thing - and I agree whole heartedly with saving money where you can, as it does give you a better quality of life. HOWEVER, do people not get sick of NEVER having a holiday, or ALWAYS having to buy 2nd hand clothes or only clothes from Primark? Is this part and parcel of having a family? When I was in debt, obviously, I HAD to live like this, but i knew it wouldnt be forever and my circumstances would change (and the money I was using to repay my debt would soon be mine) - but it must be pretty depressing knowing you're just about breaking even each month, and you're just working to live. Yes perhaps that will depress some of you, so I apologise, but just talking generally here.

I am still living on a tight(ish) budget with saving for travelling, but again, I know I do have extra money, and perhaps this makes all the difference. I am not well off, but I am a single person so dont have to take anyone else into account.

I know you dont need a holiday abroad each year or any of those things, but surely you need some kind of happiness in your life - and if those things make you happy, then why not?

I suppose most people live in hope that their circumstances might change, but as well as reducing what you spend, we all know that you can increase your incomings, or perhaps re-train as to boost your earning potential?

I have learnt so much from finding this site & being in debt and am much happier as a result, its just depressing how money controls everything we do - an obvious fact - but I just dont want it to be a constant struggle for the rest of my life.

Are you happy as you are or forever waiting for that lottery win or a knight in shining armour to save you?

xx

Girl_least_likely_to

You seem to be doing really well already but one thing struck me is that your overspend (£154.63) could be taken care of by not saving for your holiday (£166.67). I know it's not what you'll want to hear but that would sort it. Good Luck

Wingman

ms_london wrote:

I dont mean to put a negative slant on the whole thing - and I agree whole heartedly with saving money where you can, as it does give you a better quality of life. HOWEVER, do people not get sick of NEVER having a holiday, or ALWAYS having to buy 2nd hand clothes or only clothes from Primark? Is this part and parcel of having a family? When I was in debt, obviously, I HAD to live like this, but i knew it wouldnt be forever and my circumstances would change (and the money I was using to repay my debt would soon be mine) - but it must be pretty depressing knowing you're just about breaking even each month, and you're just working to live. Yes perhaps that will depress some of you, so I apologise, but just talking generally here.

I am still living on a tight(ish) budget with saving for travelling, but again, I know I do have extra money, and perhaps this makes all the difference. I am not well off, but I am a single person so dont have to take anyone else into account.

I know you dont need a holiday abroad each year or any of those things, but surely you need some kind of happiness in your life - and if those things make you happy, then why not?

I suppose most people live in hope that their circumstances might change, but as well as reducing what you spend, we all know that you can increase your incomings, or perhaps re-train as to boost your earning potential?

I have learnt so much from finding this site & being in debt and am much happier as a result, its just depressing how money controls everything we do - an obvious fact - but I just dont want it to be a constant struggle for the rest of my life.

Are you happy as you are or forever waiting for that lottery win or a knight in shining armour to save you?

xx

Yes it is a crap way to live your right, we haven't always been like this as I worked too, until I was too ill too, peoples circumstances change unfortuantely and our life has had to change with it, or we will go under! In some respects, it has opened my eyes to how much waste there is in the world, theres nowt wrong with buying clothes from cheaper shops, they do the same job:rolleyes: To be honest being on the bones of our !!!!!! is no fun, but, having spent time in childrens hospices and seeing kids very ill battling cancer and other diseases, I would sooner we had our health than any wealth, its one thing money cannot buy, money doesn't create happiness, it makes things easier I agree, but you know, budgeting and shopping in cheap shops is not the end of the world.

I can see excatly what you are saying though, it would be lovely to throw caution to the wind and splash out on the plastic for a good holiday etc!

Enjoy your travelling :cool:

flufff

Check out https://www.loyalty-points.co.uk
They are a superb site.Lots of tesco codes for extra tesco points.You could save time shopping and get bare essentials plus save your points towards a holiday......everybody wins
If I need to raise money I clear out any unwanted items on ebay.Can usually raise a £100 easy over 2 weeks.

Ajax18

To be honest, I think it is a question of getting used to it... I really don't mind Primark and second hand clothes one bit. They are as good as any to me. Why do you have to have everything brand new if you can have it second hand for perfectly alright money and quality?

I think cooking from scratch is great! Me and my boyfriend eat so healthily and have really gotten into cooking, I am even starting to come up with my own recipies.

I gave up smoking to save money! That was such a good decision! :T

And I don't mind budgeting one bit. I find it challenging in a positive way. We have put money for all our expenses in different envelopes so we don't have to use our bankcards and we stick to it. I find saving money one of the most rewarding things ever! :T

See, my parents are perfect examples for what you should not do. They led a lifestyle way above what they were entitled to from their earnings and are so much in debt now! I am quite angry at my parents, because thanks to them being so easy with their money I had to work myself through uni and did not get one penny from my parents because they could not afford to support me. I did not qualify for a student loan because I came over from Germany, so I studied full time and worked night shifts from 10 pm to 5 am throughout uni. If my parents would have been a little bit more considerate and thought about us kids (there is three of us) as well as them, maybe I would have not felt completely left on my own at the age of 17!

But at the end of the day it is a question of convenience and what matters to you and makes you happy. I am a family person, being around people I love and feeling secure makes me incredibly happy. I don't need a holiday on the Bermudas to make me feel great. Camping in Austria or France will do the job perfectly and it doesn't cost the world...

To be honest, I am such a saving nerd, saving in itself makes me really happy!

ms_london

Ajax18 wrote:

To be honest, I think it is a question of getting used to it... I really don't mind Primark and second hand clothes one bit. They are as good as any to me. Why do you have to have everything brand new if you can have it second hand for perfectly alright money and quality?

I think cooking from scratch is great! Me and my boyfriend eat so healthily and have really gotten into cooking, I am even starting to come up with my own recipies.

I gave up smoking to save money! That was such a good decision! :T

And I don't mind budgeting one bit. I find it challenging in a positive way. We have put money for all our expenses in different envelopes so we don't have to use our bankcards and we stick to it. I find saving money one of the most rewarding things ever! :T

See, my parents are perfect examples for what you should not do. They led a lifestyle way above what they were entitled to from their earnings and are so much in debt now! I am quite angry at my parents, because thanks to them being so easy with their money I had to work myself through uni and did not get one penny from my parents because they could not afford to support me. I did not qualify for a student loan because I came over from Germany, so I studied full time and worked night shifts from 10 pm to 5 am throughout uni. If my parents would have been a little bit more considerate and thought about us kids (there is three of us) as well as them, maybe I would have not felt completely left on my own at the age of 17!

But at the end of the day it is a question of convenience and what matters to you and makes you happy. I am a family person, being around people I love and feeling secure makes me incredibly happy. I don't need a holiday on the Bermudas to make me feel great. Camping in Austria or France will do the job perfectly and it doesn't cost the world...

To be honest, I am such a saving nerd, saving in itself makes me really happy!

Ajax18 - I appreciate your comments. I love getting a bargain too, and even though I am better off without any debt (obviously) I'll still save money where I can - I love charity shops/ebay/primark - and even find New Look too expensive (not to mention tacky!!). I am a money saving nerd too!!

However the difference is HAVING to be like this and WANTING to be. I love saving money,but I know I have the money if I want it. And this is the first time I've ever been in this position as I have struggled with money ever since I turned 18 and could get credit (am 26 next month).

Well done on putting yourself through uni - thats a fab achievement!! :T :T

I just dont like feeling as though you're on a never ending hamster wheel where you cant get off, you have to work to pay the mortgage (and the like) and youre life isnt your own because you are committed to X,Y,Z. I know that this is life and you cant do what you want, when you want, but there has got to be a balance, as you only live once?

xx

ms_london

Wingman wrote:

Yes it is a crap way to live your right, we haven't always been like this as I worked too, until I was too ill too, peoples circumstances change unfortuantely and our life has had to change with it, or we will go under! In some respects, it has opened my eyes to how much waste there is in the world, theres nowt wrong with buying clothes from cheaper shops, they do the same job:rolleyes: To be honest being on the bones of our !!!!!! is no fun, but, having spent time in childrens hospices and seeing kids very ill battling cancer and other diseases, I would sooner we had our health than any wealth, its one thing money cannot buy, money doesn't create happiness, it makes things easier I agree, but you know, budgeting and shopping in cheap shops is not the end of the world.

I can see excatly what you are saying though, it would be lovely to throw caution to the wind and splash out on the plastic for a good holiday etc!

Enjoy your travelling :cool:

I am not judging anyone, but you are right, you dont know whats around the corner, which is why debt is so bad, because you could be landed in a very sticky situation very easily. Health is definately more important, by all means, and money doesnt create happiness. I learnt so much through being in debt and am a better person for it. Now I have the money, granted I am saving for my trip, however, I still dont want to spend it, and am a little bit tight, but the difference is I know its there & I dont have the constant nag of "I dont have any money" hanging over my head, which is something I had for years.

xx

Essex-girl_2

Hiya ms_london

I know what you mean - I am quite tight for money at the mo as we bought a bigger house that needs totally redecorating. I also have been ploughing money into my business. If I had stayed in the last house I would have a lot more disposable income now but I am still happier here.

I love holidays and we do have one abroad each year. The reason I bugdet is so I can continue to have holidays and the such.

It is worrying at the mom, I know people who are on good incomes and a few years ago were considered well off but now because things have gone up so much are now struggling - however I dont know how much debt they are in.

I think I will always be careful with money from now on but I have to admit a lot of people I know at the moment are struggling and on tight budgets.