Hubby thinks I am a magician..........

74jax

bertiebots wrote: »

If they wont eat it then tell them to do the food shop on the budget you have....are they happy to starve? I am so glad my family aren't brand snobs!

That's a really good idea, and not just for this thread either.

Get the kids to do a weekly shop online for everyone with a certain amount they can spend. Then go through it with them when they're done.

That way they are involved and can see how much everything is. I think I'll do this with my daughter at the weekend. Thanks for this.

peachyprice

doelani wrote: »

Nothing wrong with own brnads but if hubby and kids ( teeangers ) know what it is they will not eat most things, I ahve had this arguement before so many times. An example is dairy spread is £1.70 a 500g tub but none of them will take the shop own brand at less than £1.............

Won't eat it???

If that's all there is in the fridge they'll HAVE to eat it, or go without all together.

Your children are old enough to understand that money is tight and sacrifices have to be made. As for your OH refusing to eat own brand, that's just outrageously childish of him.

doelani

74jax wrote: »

OPINIONS4U gave me this fab advice not so long ago.

- Packed lunch for school (or work), sensibly selected, could half the cost. Fruit juice, apple, cheese sandwich and a yoghurt can be done for £1 a day!

- Do you have any Tesco vouchers or value on your Nectar card? Use these to pay for any half-term treats, rather than real money! e.g. 4 x value on Clubcard deals. Do you have a Boots card with unspent points on?

- Does your mortgage lender allow a mortgage payment holiday - perhaps one or two months (note this is effectively a loan repayable over the remaining term of the mortgage, so while it buys you good cash flow now, it will cost you). Alternatively can you change you mortgage payment date from the beginning to the end of the month?

- Vodafone will often offer £17.50 contracts if you're over 12 months in to an existing contract. Or could you switch to a PAYG SIM and stop making calls via the mobile for a bit? Would Vodafone defer your contract for 2 months? Cashback sites like Top Cashback often pay £50-£150 if you buy a new mobile contract through them.

- are you entitled to any help with council tax (and do you claim your 25% single person discount?)

- while it won't help short term, focus on the utility bills - switching lights off, don't leave telly on standby, don't leave the tap running when brushing teeth etc. Turn off dripping taps. Wash up manually instead of using the dishwasher. You could easily save 10% with these things.

- go to bed half an hour earlier and turn the lights off sooner!

- jumper on and turn the thermostat down 1 degree!

- do you need all the elements of your BT package?

- use discount vouchers when shopping.

- work out where the cheapest groceries are using MySupermarket.

- ask your daughter to come to the supermarket with you to help identify cheaper purchases for the next few weeks ... involve her so she doesn't end up feeling hard done to. Make sure she gets a treat when the income rises again!

- shop with a friend and split the cost of bogof deals.

- shop in the half hour before closing to get the yellow sticker discounts.

- make sure you buy your petrol from a cheaper place and claim any loyalty points you're entitled to. This link can help.

- walk the short journeys to save petrol.

- car share where possible to split costs.

- if you had to wear corporate wear during your Halifax career, you are entitled to claim a £50 allowance against your tax code for dry cleaning costs (worth £10 per tax year to a 20% taxpayer). Contact your tax office, tell them how many tax years you worked for the firm and they'll send you a cheque (or adjust your tax code) if you've never claimed the allowance! This applies to part tax years too!

- register with a cashback site such as Top Cashback and use it for any online shopping going forwards (won't help short term, but can be a nice little earner to contribute towards Christmas!).

- drink tapwater instead of bottled/cartoned drinks.

- are you in advance on your utility bills? Could the companies reduce your direct debits by £5 or £10 a month? (Don't do this if you're not ahead though).

- once a week have a meal made up of all those packets / tins in the cupboard that you'll never use up otherwise (if not, raid the freezer and start using that old meat up!).

- organise the occasional sleepover for your daughter elsewhere ... and let somebody else's family feed her .

- does your new employer have any perks such as discounted shopping vouchers (e.g. £100 of ASDA vouchers for £95)?

- if you were with HBOS less than 2 years can you have any pension contributions refunded? (not sure of the rules, not sure if it would cost you the value of employer contributions).

- find a wealthy new lover.




Maybe you and your husband could go through this and see where you can make cuts/savings?

Perhaps the problem is that you deal with the budget, so he doesn't see there is a problem. Maybe if you did it together he could see for himself and try to solve the 'well what will pay for food' question?

thanks for the post, I have tried and tried to get him involved in the budget, he just is unrealsitic with what he believes. He will nto take time to see how much it REALLY costs for things, his attitude is " he works and cannot earn any more" that is not what I am asking , just to help wtih what we spend now

Person_one

doelani wrote: »

thanks for quick replies







Nothing wrong with own brnads but if hubby and kids ( teeangers ) know what it is they will not eat most things, I ahve had this arguement before so many times. An example is dairy spread is £1.70 a 500g tub but none of them will take the shop own brand at less than £1.............

I bet they'll eat it if its all that's available! If you do all the food shopping then I think you have the right to make that decision.

kegg_2

He wants you to feed the kids crap whilst he still has his named brands!!!!!



Nice whatever happened to putting your children first?


BTw it isn't all crap but alot is namely meat products which contain little or no real meat.
I always buy white label washing up liquid and add a squirt of stardrops to it. I find that just as good as named brands but i would never buy white label meat products as it is all rubbish with salt and flavourings.

ginvzt

doelani wrote: »

Nothing wrong with own brnads but if hubby and kids ( teeangers ) know what it is they will not eat most things, I ahve had this arguement before so many times. An example is dairy spread is £1.70 a 500g tub but none of them will take the shop own brand at less than £1..............

They will not eat for a day or two - but how long will they go hungry? If the money is tight, everyone has to make effort.

doelani

peachyprice wrote: »

Won't eat it???

If that's all there is in the fridge they'll HAVE to eat it, or go without all together.

Your children are old enough to understand that money is tight and sacrifices have to be made. As for your OH refusing to eat own brand, that's just outrageously childish of him.

I have seen me ending up throwing stuff out because noone wil eat it as it is cheaper brand, cooked meat, butter etc so was not very money saving to buy it to throw out. I am jsut fed up with them all

bertiebots

kegg wrote: »

He wants you to feed the kids crap whilst he still has his named brands!!!!!



Nice whatever happened to putting your children first?


BTw it isn't all crap but alot is namely meat products which contain little or no real meat.
I always buy white label washing up liquid and add a squirt of stardrops to it. I find that just as good as named brands but i would never buy white label meat products as it is all rubbish with salt and flavourings.

I agree I would never buy basics sausages_pale_ but Mr S do a fantastic range of basics pork, lamb, stewing beef ,salmon ,white fish, chicken etc so you can buy cheaper;)

neneromanova

bertiebots wrote: »

Have you been over to the old style boards and had a look at the grocery challange threads? Loads of ways to say on food whilst still eating a good healthy balanced diet !

What's the link to the OS boards?

euronorris

I think you should get your hubby and the kids to do the family shop online, as someone already suggested above.

If hubby refuses, then you should stick to your guns and tell him that he needs to do this in order to understand, and that you are not going to do it this month. So, if he wants to eat, he'd better start getting involved.

There's nothing wrong with own brand products. The only things I have an issue with are meat and baked beans. Sorry, but the beans have to be Heinz. My Mum used to try and trick me by not telling me, but I could always tell, so that is one item that I refuse to cut back on. I'd rather have no beans at all than the cheap ones.

Cheap ketchup doesn't always taste as nice as the named brands either, but.....it is still tasty and edible.

I do love some of the cheaper products though. I remember I used to get blackcurrent coridal from Asda for about 17p!! Love that stuff and the cheapo crisps. Yum Yum! But then again, I'm a crisp fiend! haha