ok newbi here

csi

i really want to learn about moneysaving and o/s as hubby starts new job just before xmas so we're coming off benifits and threads like this and xmas thread are proving invaluable. i already cook from scratch but never shop with a list my shop for a week for 6 people,2 dogs,2 aviaries,2 rats, all cleaning stuff, and gas/electric [prepaymentmeter] is £100

we have 2 freezers that are stocked all the time and already look for reduced/bogof we live in a small town and have to use a car each now as hubby job 30 miles away so that will add an extra £30 per week to our bills and only have a tesco,waitrose and really small somerfield within 20 miles of us. already use butcher as cheaper/better meat than tescos . i quilt and sew and make loads of own gifts and buy from charity shops/use freecycle.
i still havent put heating on. but have to use a tumbledrier as have no outside space and with 6 in house to much washing to have everywhere

any help ideas for this scared changing mum would be welcomed with opened arms

tryhard_2

hello and welcome.
looks like you are already doing a fair bit of OS. perhaps menu planning and bulk cooking might help and also using stuff in store cupboards etc. there are plenty of threads here on menu planning - gingham ribbon's/black saturn etc. the links to indexed recipes are in the blue bar above the first post - might be useful
HTH

vivaladiva

Hi
Welcome to OS. It looks like you're already one of us!
The only thing I can think of that might help is to menu plan and always shop with a list. Make sure the BOGOFs etc are things you really want. (My DH loves to pick up bargains, especially stuff we won't use in a month of Sundays.)
Your weekly bill doesn't sound that bad to me especially as you are including gas and electric. (Lightbulb moment here - is there any way you can come off the pre-pay meter as I believe these are more expensive?)

I can appreciate where you are coming from with the clothes drying - there are six of us too.

squeaky

We have a lot of threads about "getting started" collected in the link below.

You might just finish reading them all by the end of next week if you start now and work hard


Getting Started

csi

thanks , have been popping in and out of the mega threads for a while before being brave enough to post. and so very very helpful they have been too. do batch cook and can only afford bogofs if they are what we eat

re prepayment meter, am scared to change as the reason we went prepayment was because when hubby lost his last job through illness 8 yrs ago, we ran up a bill and dont want to get in that situation again. at least with prepayment it does what it says on the tin, and if im short of cash thats the thing that has to be done first, rather than think its ok i can pay at end of month. i know its wrong and i know its costing me more, which by the way i think is bad as we are the only people guaranteed not to be behind on a bill, and i know i cant get a lot of offers because of it, but im a coward

squeaky

csi wrote:

re prepayment meter, am scared to change as the reason we went prepayment was because when hubby lost his last job through illness 8 yrs ago, we ran up a bill and dont want to get in that situation again. at least with prepayment it does what it says on the tin, and if im short of cash thats the thing that has to be done first, rather than think its ok i can pay at end of month. i know its wrong and i know its costing me more, which by the way i think is bad as we are the only people guaranteed not to be behind on a bill, and i know i cant get a lot of offers because of it, but im a coward

I can see where you're coming from on this one. It might be worth asking on the Electrical part of the Utilities board for input and advice here.

sammy_kaye18

Hi CSI

nice to meet ya!!
sounds like your doing well already. Just wondered what are the ages of everyone else in the house?? wondered fi we'd be able to offer help their if soem are yougner than others etc.

Id keep doign what your doing adn agree with the girls on here that mel plannign is always good but it might be worth getting a few usggestions of others in the house so noone feels they missing out on meals they like if you get me (dont have this problem as my little one is 2 and bf isnt home all day so he either likes it or lumps it to put it politely)

do you have a bread maker? thinking something like that might prove beneficial if you ahve a large family or do you bake your own bread?? do you do any baking to help ease costs etc. i was terrible for buying bf sponge pudding in a tin until i asked for help and soemone said just bake it yourself and it proves so much cheaper. Will your hubby be takign a packed lunch to work?? do your kids (if old enough or you have any - could be 4 other adults in your house for all i know) do they take packed lunches to school??? as this can prove cheaper than buying food on the run.

have you got a clothes horse you could find a space for - how about an over bath one if space is limited or over radiator dryign racks. I have these and they help a great deal - i am only using a small fan heater to take cold off in mornings but getting things dried without my TD on 24/7. How about doign baking and putting the clothes horse around the oven with the door open once youve finished you'd be surprised how much heat you get off it - all helps towards drying the clothes a bit more.

thats about all i can think of now - hope something helped - look forward to talking to you on the boards more

love

Sam
x x x

vivaladiva

For clothes drying how about one of these http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=15597&catalogId=10103&storeId=7&productId=74660&langId=-20&categoryId=15669&chosenPartNumber=50094360 you could fix it above head height.

csi

sammy_kaye18 wrote:

Hi CSI

nice to meet ya!!
sounds like your doing well already. Just wondered what are the ages of everyone else in the house?? wondered fi we'd be able to offer help their if soem are yougner than others etc.

Id keep doign what your doing adn agree with the girls on here that mel plannign is always good but it might be worth getting a few usggestions of others in the house so noone feels they missing out on meals they like if you get me (dont have this problem as my little one is 2 and bf isnt home all day so he either likes it or lumps it to put it politely)

do you have a bread maker? thinking something like that might prove beneficial if you ahve a large family or do you bake your own bread?? do you do any baking to help ease costs etc. i was terrible for buying bf sponge pudding in a tin until i asked for help and soemone said just bake it yourself and it proves so much cheaper. Will your hubby be takign a packed lunch to work?? do your kids (if old enough or you have any - could be 4 other adults in your house for all i know) do they take packed lunches to school??? as this can prove cheaper than buying food on the run.

have you got a clothes horse you could find a space for - how about an over bath one if space is limited or over radiator dryign racks. I have these and they help a great deal - i am only using a small fan heater to take cold off in mornings but getting things dried without my TD on 24/7. How about doign baking and putting the clothes horse around the oven with the door open once youve finished you'd be surprised how much heat you get off it - all helps towards drying the clothes a bit more.

thats about all i can think of now - hope something helped - look forward to talking to you on the boards more

love

Sam
x x x

first thank you all for being so welcoming and helpful

in answer to some Q's my kids are 17[disabled] 14 14 and 11 all at mainstream school
hubby will take packed lunch. at moment kids are on free dinners but will not be after xmas so dont know if packed lunch oR £2 each per day works out cheaper as ill have to give them a proper meal at home then. what is the opinion on this?
i do have a breadmaker and use it for bread/cakes etc and a slow cooker that icouldnt live without. i do have a dryer but with sheets everyday its just not enough, as im finding out as dryer bearings just gone [ thank god for extra insurance] and will take a week for parts

i dont by value/basic at moment as thought it a false economy. do buy mostly own brand though. what is opinion on this?, and as my eldest has a parttime job at farmfoods as well as doing AS we get discount there as well. does meal planning work im always frightened that theyll get bored with the same thing each week even if on different days
sorry to be so pathetic and thanks to you all again

vivaladiva

I sat down the other day and wrote a list of all the meals I could think of that we all like. I came up with about 22 meals without too much of a struggle. (You could ask the whole family for input.)
I thought meal planning was going to be quite difficult but this way I had 3 weeks worth in about 10 minutes. From this I can do chicken, fish, pasta etc for different days and I hope on a 3 week cycle no-one will get bored.

broomstick27

A meal plan doesnt have to be the same everyweek. The day before u shop check whats in your cupboard, fridge and freezer and write a plan for the next week (or however long until your next shop) incorporating stuff you already have and then write your shopping list from the plan. It may be a good idea to have a couple of plans on standby incase u cant be bothered the day before shopping.