thrifty OS mum tips???

Puddleglum

Children upto about the age of 8-10 tend to grow out of their clothes rather than wear them out and my memories of playgroups and the school playgroup are of lots of mums (including myself) with carrier bags full of clothes looking for someone with a child of about the right age and sex to give the bags to. Sometimes people are looking for a donation for the clothes but more often they are not and it is a good way to get clothes. Sometimes you can end up with too many clothes but hey - bung 'em in a bag and head back to the playground!

bluecowonthebus

Just a quick note to add a couple of things. I am a single mum to one DS aged nine.

Charity shops are good for clothes, toys and books. I think I bought most of his stuff from age 1 to 7 there - including coats, jackets and school trousers. Children's books are often very cheap, 25p or so. My DS loved Mr Men and I always got them from charity shops. I go round the local charity shops regularly and have learned which are good for clothes, which for books etc.

I get sausages from M&S - their Wise Buys range includes chipolatas for 89p. Veg from Lidl.

Shoes - I have bought shoes from Asda because there have been times when I just couldn't afford Clarks. However, I have just bought some Clarks school shoes in Brantano plus some brand-name trainers (can't remember which one) because they had a buy one, get one half price offer. And the Clarks school shoes do seem to last longer.

Katgoddess

Check out your local netmums board:

http://www.netmums.com/boards/noticeboard/

If you post and ask for suggestions on cheap things to do locally, you will hopefully get some ideas from local mums. They have a nearly new board for buy and selling stuff. As you pick up locally there is no postage charges. They have information on meal planning and family/toddler friendly recipes. You can also find out about NCT sales and Children's Centres on netmums as well.

Look into getting a milkman from milk&more. (If you google it there will be an advert for £10 off first invoice at the top of page) It might be slightly more expensive for bread and milk, but you won't be tempted by any extras when you pop into the supermarket.

I do a 4 weekly meal plan, do a big order from Tesco.com once a month, then do a top up shop of fruit and veg from my local shops, plus milk from milkman. (I have a breadmaker)

Clothes are from ebay/charity shop/boot sales. Toys similar, however I'm signed up to the ELC newsletter, so when they have special offers on we buy ahead for birthdays and Christmas.

Shoes, my mother pays. He's a boy though, so he has/needs one pair of clarks shoes, plus cheap wellies, and crocs (from sportsdirect) for garden shoes or splash park. Will change in Sept when he starts the nursery class at school. :eek:

Maybe we need to start a MSE O/S Mums club?

karren

missminx007 wrote: »

cheese and potato pie sounds gorgeous! How do you make it?

peel the pots and cook, mash the pots, and throw milk and grated cheese and stir, pop into casserole dish and top with more grated cheese and crushed cornflakes and pop under grill for a bit until brown and crunchy, it goes far and my 2 love it, really easy to makei serve it with plenty of fresh vegtables and i make a huge pot of the mash and make 2 one for now one to freeze x

Tibbie's_mum

lilmisskitkat wrote: »

Definitely agree with it being easy to over-buy for kids with regards to clothes and shoes, a friends DD (7) has 3 pairs of genuine ugg boots :eek: and she likes her to be her little 'mini-me'. And they have matching 'Juicy' tracksuits :rotfl:..............

This made me laugh, although I don't over-buy on kids clothes I have bought all of us, including myself and OH, very similar waterproof coats from the Regatta outlet shop online, couldn't resist at 70% off and they were also needed. It's ever so funny when it's raining and we all turn up at school dressed the same, I'm not in with the trendy mums so they must think I look a bit of a dork dressed up like my boys. But at least we're all dry!