Does hearing about other people's expenditure ever get you down?

MessyMare

Thank you everyone, you've all made me see it a lot more clearly now I do most of my cooking from scratch, the only thing I can't quite bear to downshift on is meat! I do know that they earn quite a lot of money (husband is very successful in the mining business) but I've no idea whether they're within their means or not, you're all right. It helps with my budget that I can often eat at work.

wistles wrote: »

Just because someone spends more money on something that you deem is excessive you seem to think that they: -

(a) Must automatically be in debt and
(b) Be a horrible person.

You all need to grow up.

This is a bit harsh tbh. I think perhaps I wouldn't have felt bad about it if she hadn't been looking down her nose at my shopping list!

thebillet

Reminds me of a colleague I sat next to; you couldn't discuss anything money related with her, she always knew better. My use of Lidl and Aldi gave her and a few other people a laugh. Fast forward and my most irritating colleague is facing at least £100,000 shortfall on a house bought for investment while I took retirement and live without debts, who's laughing now, I ask myself?

ovoreo

I find it gets me down in other ways. Alot of my friends are recently married with young families, juggling the pressures of working and paying mortgages and they are all in significant debt. I worry for them as I had my light bulb moment many years ago and have spent years getting myself sorted. However, when I hear about their excessive lifestyles it makes me worry even more for them. We occasionally talk about frugal and they laugh at me, they think I'm mad/crazy. I enjoy being frugal and see it as a sort of challenge (this forum has alot of answer for!!).

ani_26

I honestly don't understand why people have a problem with A**i and L***l. A**i have some brilliant offers and prices on fresh fruit and veg, and its far better quality than places like Mr T's, ( in my opinion ).

I don't have any shop loyalty, i'll buy from whoever is selling what i want to buy, the cheapest, but i'm fortunate in having the flexibilty in being able to do so.

kevstanley

wistles wrote: »

Just because someone spends more money on something that you deem is excessive you seem to think that they: -

(a) Must automatically be in debt and
(b) Be a horrible person.

You all need to grow up.

You know what makes me think she's a horrible person? Mocking someone for their lack of spending on food, and flaunting her own expenditure. To me, what she spends on food is entirely her own business, but when you start to belittle others as she did, it's very rarely proof that you are a nice person.

kevstanley

At the moment, I just feel quite proud of myself for facing up to my debts and dealing with them. I do from time to time wish I could just go and splurge, particularly when friends have bought new things - but it doesn't hit me too often. Having said that, I haven't been in the position of being ridiculed for my thrifty shopping habits, and I think the ridicule itself (rather than the spending) might hit me quite hard.

But ColleenPamela, you're doing so well, shopping so frugally. Your colleague is the one with the problem - even if it's only her attitude.

SuziQ1962

I love A**I and L**l-i have take great satisfaction in shopping there and seeing my weekly food shop come in at half what i used to spend at the other s/markets.The food is good quality,better sometimes than other places and what i can't get i will do as a top up shop somewhere else.i get my frozen stuff from ice**nd and fruit and veg from the market.
Don't be put off by other peoples snobbery! :-D
It is about choice-either spend £800 /month lining Mr T or Mr S pockets,or keep it in your own pocket!
As for the work colleague going through a hard time herself-ok maybe but you don't have to be a b*tch to other people!

erinart

Hello,

I try to stick to £55 a week for food for 3 of us and find it really hard, £65 is easier. It's really hard to buy enough fruit - mainly apples and oranges. Apples being £1.99 a pack and we get through 7 apples a day with no trouble. I'd love to buy apples by the crate!!!

I would love to know how it is possible to spend just £80 a month / £19 a week! ColleenPamela - do you have any example meals you can share?

I plan all meals and some (when trying new ones and I'm cooking) are a disaster!

Even when I wasn't budgeting I wasn't spending £800 a month! That's crazy - imagine what you could do with the £500 ish overspend - that's £6,000 per year...........

What would YOU do with a spare £6k pa?

MessyMare

I have got to admit that me eating at work helps a lot, so if I'm on a 15 hour shift the only food that goes out of the house is a jam sandwich. My cooking tends to be very plain, and I cook up huge batches of curries, spag bols, lasagnes, etc. Anything that doesn't get eaten gets frozen, or packed off to work with OH for his dinner the next day. Pasta bakes with a handful of whatever meat I have going spare thrown in helps. I don't buy anything in the way of treats at all-if we want something sweet, I'll bake a batch of cupcakes, which as I've got huge packs of all the basics only costs me two eggs! So I spend £40 at Mr A, and £40 at F*rmf**ds. Top up shops weigh in at about £3 per week and come out of my personal spending money, or any grocery money we have left. This is only my second month of trying it out like this but it's working better and better every month as I get to know what to buy where. It's a little more time consuming than throwing tonnes of ready meals in the trolley, but it works for us!

Needhelpsaving

£800 for a month???? What is this woman eating/feeding her kids - I would be expected it to be gold plated before I paid that.

You should be the one feeling sorry for her - what a silly mare spending that much! We know some people like that (SIL) to them it's about flaunting their wealth - I don't care because it just shows how petty they are.