I seem to be only one in my house !!!

doelani

I seem to be only one in hosue who tries to be OS.

I do all the shopping and cooking, also most of the cleaning. All I seem to get is, is there no crisps? no coke? nice biscuits? Can we have a chinese? Can we have a chippy ?

I have told everyone we have no spare money, seems like I am talking to the wall

Why am i the only one watching the pennys? Does anyone else have this problem ?

Fruball

I had this problem with I was with the ex... I would scrimp and save where I could, then he'd come home having had starbucks coffee and cake in the morning, mcD or BK at lunchtime and ANOTHER starbucks or costa coffee with MORE cake in the afternoon - around £10-£15 a DAY which we could ill afford.

I always made sure there were nice things in for sandwiches so he could take them with him, and bought him a travel mug (which he did use eventually, now and again)

It absolutely infuriated me - the wastefulness from him was really bad.

Now he's gone, we have more money and the kids are happy with what they eat

Phoolgrrrl

Who else do u live with?Can't help if it's kids not bein OS! My OH really didn't want to be OS at the start, but once he realised how much we were saving he changed his tune. How about having a treat like chippy once a month? I found that having something to look forward to helped adjust and also enjoy it more now when we go do out to eat and don't feel guilty abt spending the money as it's budgeted for. Also loads of deals on this site, don't think we have eaten out without an offer for abt 2 years!
If it is kids are they old enough to help you with cookin/cleaning?

p-pincher

i used to get this all the time but i just ignored it until everyone (oh and 2dd's) stopped moaning. We simply didnt have the money to be buying loads of treats with the shoppping. In the end they all just stopped moaning and asking where they are,that was about 2 years ago. A couple of weeks ago i bought a multipack of crisps and my2 dd's were so excited, my firend who was round thought it was hilarious. I make OH nice sandwhiches along with either hm fruitcake, quiche or a sausage roll for work and if he chooses to spend his own money on rubbish thats his lookout, theres no spare money so he just has less. It is hard when you first start out trying to be more OS but im so glad i started and stuck with it, It does get easier i promise x

gailey_2

I had same problem few years ago when things got tighter and its taken huby a while but he now

takes packed lucnh daily- he has cup asoups in offoce as emergancy food as they have a kettle.
takeaway once amonth treat.
He sometimes takes coffee in travel cup but coffee 5p a cup in work knowing him he spends 50p a day coffee so might get him a flask and jar or doue egberts as treat maybe.
Downshifted all our brands and e now rummages round reduced with me.
We only buy crisps when they on offer or even brought value morrisions value 26p for 6pack. when they gone they gone.
tried to buy less choc and biscuits.Im trying to nake more or only buy value on offer.

Tried doing home versions of his fave takeways.Have got quite good at currys and homemade pizzas over the years.

My one weakness atm and its my fault is coca cola as pregnant and serious craving.
My family pop monsters too and never lasts long.

Alchol we cut right back.
meals out rare and with coupons.

Olliebeak

I've found that men take some convincing about making savings - they seem to think that THEY are personally being deprived of THEIR treats - little boys that they are .

You need to have a sit down talk to him about making savings and where you all 'as a family' can benefit from those savings. ie either all cut back and have a holiday OR carry on as you're all doing and NO HOLIDAY for anybody. Sometimes they just need to be able to see 'the bigger picture'.

Once you've got HIM on board, then work on the kids. ie if they want crisps then it will have to be basics crisps and 'when they've gone, they've gone'. They'll soon learn to restrict themselves by eeking out the ration on a day-by-day base. I've found that basics chocolate biscuits (with plain white wrappers removed :whistle:) kept in a tight-lidded tin/jar are quite acceptable - it's when they see the packaging/white wrapper that they start to object :rotfl:.

Maybe time for a Christmas Budget chat with any older children ....... :undecided

Good Luck with them all. It can be worse than giving medicine to a baby .

anguk

At the beginning I found it hard and it does take time for the family to adjust, one thing I found was if you completely cut out the luxuries it's even harder. So I do buy pop but just a couple of bottles of Tesco own brand and a bottle of cordial, I also get crisps but just when they're on offer, the same with "nice" biscuits. As for takeaways, my OH loves Indian so once a month he has one of their specials which feeds 2 for £12.

Also I got a copy of Takeaway Secret (less than £4 from Amazon including p&p) and it's brilliant,it has recipes for Chinese, Indian, Chip Shop, McDonalds & KFC so you can do your family's favourite takeaways for a fraction of the cost and keep them happy. It's healthier too. There's a big thread on here about the book with pics so you can see the meals.
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2665259

It does take time for the family to come around and it can be incredibly frustrating when you're scrimping and saving while they're whining or wasting money, but hang in there and stick with it.

lil_me

Don't worry honey you're not alone, find myself scrimping to buy such things (£20 week coke habit - coca cola - my OH has) in one hand out the other I'm afraid. Winds me up when he uses that he works to try to excuse it, I just keep 'forgetting' to buy things as much as possible. I've tried the sit down and talk, don't think he gets it. He gives me a set amount per week from his pay and has no idea or interest about paying bills. Thankfully this works ok for us now as I have left him responsibility before and bills didn't get paid.

msgnomey

Yay! that's just how I feel!!!! I just tell my self that I will enjoy all of the extra money I save!!!

doelani

thanks for replies everyone.

Just get a bit fed up with always complaining we cannot afford things. I guess just scared of what is around the corner ( income dropping if it happens )

valk_scot

I do buy the odd multipack of crisps or Coke or biscuits but I certainly don't buy them as staples and they're for treats or for a picnic instead of eanding up at a cafe. We get a carry out perhaps once a month. Rest of the time I cook and bake and all the rest so they're not actually deprived of food at all. I think if there's no snack food at all they would moan, but as long as there's something reasonably tasty and quick they don't notice the junk so much. I do make takeaway type meals now and again too...HM pizza, curry, Chinese...they like these. I'm not limiting them to really boring tasteless meals after all.

I still get the odd moan. However the kids do get pocket money and Hubby and I have a modest amount of personal spending money and thus if someone wants to spend their cash on junk food, fair enough. It's not coming out the household budget though, that's for certain! It's amazing how less often kids ask for crisps if they know they have to go and buy them for themselves, ditto coke and other stuff like that. Husbands? Well, they're the worst to convert but really, unless they're willing to go to the takeaway or Tesco and actually buy the stuff, just don't buy it for them. Sticks and stones etc etc. Or if they do insist you pay, give them beans on toast for the rest of the week till you catch up with yourself.