Lots more Sneaky Ways to save the pennies

Brie

@ladyholly
I can forgive (somewhat) the older generations that are struggling to move with the times.  What I can't forgive is those that won't even consider that things may have changed and in particular those much younger than us (male and female) who think that it was ALL much better "in the good old days".

@Primrose
there appears to be lots of books available.  

money saving household tips book - Bing - Shopping

but the biggest moneysaving tip would be to use online forums or moneysaving websites in general.  That said - I was tempted a number of years back (resisted as too expensive) to buy a book by Harrowsmith (Ontario based publisher that dealt with rural stuff, money saving, very green/enviro issues well before it was generally popular).  The book was all about cooking roadkill.  So what to look for, what to avoid, and then how to deal with the remains.  Ultimate free food so very money saving.  I was rather fascinated by the idea of eating rattlesnake and agreed that it's best to avoid road kill skunk (you can smell them a looooonnnng way off so not really difficult to avoid)

jackieblack

PipneyJane said:

Do you know the thriftiest thing I ever learned to do?  Quarantining my money.  I have a dozen or so different savings accounts, each for its own purpose.  Once it’s in its designated pot, the money is quarantined and can only be used for its designated purpose.

It all started with setting aside £10 a month in a “Leather Boot Fund” after I realised that I needed winter boots but never had the money for them and that the ones I wanted never came up in the sales.  I figured I wouldn’t miss £10 from my regular spending money.

- Pip

I do the same! I used to have one account, but kept one of those books with columns and a different column for different 'pots', but once a column total gets to a reasonable sum it gets an account of it's own
Over the years friends and family have often expressed surprise at how far I made the most of our very modest household income and how we were able to afford/do things that our higher earning friends/family 'couldn't afford' - budgeting, budgeting and more budgeting is the key IMO

Brie

jackieblack said:

Over the years friends and family have often expressed surprise at how far I made the most of our very modest household income and how we were able to afford/do things that our more well off friends/family 'couldn't afford'.

I remember asking my mom once why we ate meatloaf so often when friends in my neighbour talked about having steak.  She sniffed in distain about the neighbours' lack of thriftiness and said at least we had money in the bank.

London_1

My late Mother always said better to have it in the bank than to have it as a debt and I ,apart from a mortgage which I haven't had now since 1995 have never been in debt, been broke many times but if I didn't have the cash then I just didn't buy it 

cuddlymarm

My husband and his 2 elder brothers were brought up by their grandparents and as they aged all learnt to cook. OH was the youngest and first in every evening as he was still at school (so after his gran passed ) started tea. 

Next generation on as soon as they were able both my boys learnt to cook. Who cooked didn’t wash up and once they were both in their teens I insisted that turns were taken because I worked too . But there was no way I was sorting the evening meal while my 3 men sat and watched tv.
When they moved on to uni they both could cook and taught some of their room mates. They’d all kick in and have a roast occasionally. I’m very proud of how my boys ( now grown and moved on ) can cook and budget.

London_1

cuddlymarm said:

My husband and his 2 elder brothers were brought up by their grandparents and as they aged all learnt to cook. OH was the youngest and first in every evening as he was still at school (so after his gran passed ) started tea. 

Next generation on as soon as they were able both my boys learnt to cook. Who cooked didn’t wash up and once they were both in their teens I insisted that turns were taken because I worked too . But there was no way I was sorting the evening meal while my 3 men sat and watched tv.
When they moved on to uni they both could cook and taught some of their room mates. They’d all kick in and have a roast occasionally. I’m very proud of how my boys ( now grown and moved on ) can cook and budget.

Their wives will thank you soundly for their upbringing. I too taught four of my grandsons to cook, and they are pretty good at looking aftert themselves, and they all know how to make a decent cuppa and esstial life style I think  

marycanary

London_1 said:

My late Mother always said better to have it in the bank than to have it as a debt and I ,apart from a mortgage which I haven't had now since 1995 have never been in debt, been broke many times but if I didn't have the cash then I just didn't buy it 

Gosh, well done. I wish I could say the same. When my ex-husband walked out on us I had no choice but to go into debt until I got on my feet again. You just can't say, "I've no money for school shoes or the childcare necessary to continue working so we are not buying them or paying the fees."

London_1

marycanary said:

London_1 said:

My late Mother always said better to have it in the bank than to have it as a debt and I ,apart from a mortgage which I haven't had now since 1995 have never been in debt, been broke many times but if I didn't have the cash then I just didn't buy it 

Gosh, well done. I wish I could say the same. When my ex-husband walked out on us I had no choice but to go into debt until I got on my feet again. You just can't say, "I've no money for school shoes or the childcare necessary to continue working so we are not buying them or paying the fees."

Oh bless you of course you couldn't, today its probably a lot harder for people than it was back in the early 1960s, as there was a lot less available and virtually zero credit cards.
Folk did buy from catalogues though for clothes etc, I didn't, but only because I worried too much about owing anyone. It was very tempting at times though, and a few of my friends used them.

I remember back in the 1950s it was sad how so many folk struggled as they are today but perhaps with different expectations .
Today many are  finding life hard because they have perhaps never had to go without for long.The credit card bills pile up and its like a catch22 where they can't seem to escape the circle of debts   e.g. they need a car to get to work, to pay for the car they need to get to work.

I am at the age now where luckily my need and wants are few I have no children to clothe, nor rent to pay, and only have myself to feed and keep warm. I do help my grandchildren out instead ,but its not expected I do it to ease my two DDs lives.Both my DDs work full time ,as do their OHs.

My eldest DDs children are grown up and settled and married and have no money problems at the moment ,whilst my youngest DDs family ,some of them are settled ,the eldest two at least, but the youngest three two have finished Uni and one (the baby of the family ) is due to start in September.

I will help him, as I did his siblings as they are all hard working lads. I've started his Uni box which gets odds and ends put in to take with him when he goes.usually toothpaste,loo roll,bleach, toiletries etc ,stuff to save his grant going on.

The boring stuff that he has never had to buy but will need when he is in Halls. He is a good lad though, and has been saving to go for the past year or so, and I know he will be sensible with his cash. Definitely got his head screwed on that one
 
This year will be a hard one I think for many folk but hopefully maybe the lockdown has focussed folk onto more sensible habits.
I was talking last week to several friends at coffee morning, and several said how they had discovered during lockdown that it was possible to get by on a lot less because they actually stayed away from random shopping .

One friend told me that she no longer wandered about in the shops, but just got what she needed and went home .Her actual words were 'The days of filling my trolley with stuff I binned half the time is over '
I must say I was surprised as this was someone who always bought the latest thing that appeared in the supermarket but good for her. Bless her she was quite proud of her new found sense

Another told me how she had learned to bake bread and no longer bought shop stuff . We all had long discussions about the merits of home made soups and cakes ( my 'normal' for years )

So although things may get tough I think people will get by as my generation did back in the days of post war austerity when my late Mum struggled at times with rationing, and the 1970s when we all struggled with 17% interest rates on our mortgages, three day weeks and power cuts.
Tough and hard work at times but doable.

JackieO xx

Primrose

I think what shocks me today is the amount of debt many young people have and yet seem comfortable living with it, as if it,s normal.  I realise tuition fees have forced many into this situation but these aside, many young people seem quite unperturbed at maxing out their credit cards.

When you realise how little leeway this gives you for facing the unexpected emergencies of life, I would find it a terrifying prospect to live like that.  What worries me is that many of these debts are accumulated  by careless living where cheaper alternatives are available if only some thought snd planning were applied.  Do they ever count up the annual cost of those daily takeaway coffees and lunchtime sandwiches for example?

Is anybody on here using a Remoska cooker - once of those devices sold by Lakeland?  I'm  wondering whether they might be a more economical way of cooking stews and casseroles now that the traditional way of cooking them in an electric oven is likely to become astronomically expensive this coming winter?.

London_1

I am on my second one now and wouldn't be without it,I only put my main oven on if I am doing a lot of batch cooking and I always make sure its full and no empty shelves as fuel is far too expensive to waste I use my 'Moska every day for reheating and cooking stuff plus my microwave and its paid for itself over the years 
In fact i had a cornish pasty for lunch today heated up in it and the last of the mash from  my freezer went in the microwave. 

I am finally defrosting my freezer completely  and boy is it taking a time , but it will be done by the time I go to bed tonight. I'm feeling pretty chuffed to get it done before my holidays at last

JackieO xx