Super Scrimpers

Ida_Notion

TheDoolallyDilly wrote: »

I did think the tablemat thing was a bit pointless - I sew, I have a machine, I make curtains, I have offcuts of curtain fabric, therefore I am already wise to all the stuff I can make with the offcuts. If you don't sew or make curtains, you'd have to buy all that stuff ...

What seemed daft to me was the 'four things you can do with leftover bread', two of which were virtually the same. Big croutons AND little croutons. Wow. If so few people would have thought of cutting their croutons into the required size then I think the programme is bordering on being neglectful in failing to mention to the uninformed masses that you can get big tablemats AND small ones from your curtain offcuts. The people have not been told - think of the money that will be going down the drain now :eek: :rotfl:

If I'm honest, I was not that wild about this week's programme, even though I'm an avid reader of Ilona's blog and enjoy seeing some of what she's been up to. I liked the girl with the fashion and beauty tips too and hope she makes other appearances in the future, but once again I found the programme's tendency to portray those that advice is given to as former brain donors really off-putting. This week it was more pronounced than ever - I can't believe it's possible to be as financially dense as taxi-catching woman was made to look, but if attitudes like hers really are that common then she needs to vacate the screen ASAP so that it can be filled with proper thrifties dispensing financially savvy tips and info that can benefit people on a larger scale.

The majority of people don't need to be told that it's cheaper to take a bus than a taxi, and the majority of people are quite capable of taking sensible suggestions on board without having to see others being made to look stupid first.

THIRZAH

Of those four things to do with leftover bread one was bread pudding which was mentioned a couple of weeks ago.

I'd like to know how much this weeks couple earned-she seemed to be wasting an enormous amout of money.

Flat_Eric

I have been watching this show despite the fact that some of the tips I already know - picked up on here :j:j :j:jand that I feel cheated by the show for want of a better word ? It hasn't been allowed enough air time - why just 25 odd mins ? Why not an hour? I don't see the point in setting the family a challenge if we don't get to see how they get on - all we get is a quick recap and then its the end of the challenge and she is giving them some money saving tips.

I was shocked by the featured couple in this week's episode. Why so many taxis and the local $par for her shopping ? :eek::eek::eek:

I will watch the remaining episodes - I just wish that it had been given the time it deserved. I preferred Economy Gastronomy if i am being honest. I hope this comes back.

[Deleted User]

I too found the 'left over bread ' a bit odd.I buy probably a loaf a week at the most (I live alone and am not a big bread eater) I keep out four slices and the rest I portion up into sliced batches of four and wrap in cling film and freeze.I have never in my life even when my family all lived at home had that much left over bread.bread was bought as I was down to the last few in the bottom of the wrapper.My late OH loved bread pudding but I never made it as I never had sufficient bread left over Fo a lady who is supposed to be a saver her stock control is a bit skewiff to say the least. As for the lass who went everywhere in a taxi as an ex taxi driver I wish she had lived in London I would have made a forrtune out of her.I never knew that folk shopped locally from a convenience store three times a day I just don't believe her. What on earth does her OH do for a living

Flat_Eric

I caught up with Episode 2 after my post this morning and found myself drooling over the oa$is bag that the featured lady paid £60 for on her store card with the subsequent, this is how much it will cost you blurb....

So detective eric goes on the oa$is website thinking that there is just a chance that the bag might now be in the sale since the show was broadcast a few weeks ago and guess what ??? !!! the price tag of the bag is a mere £22 - which is not a sale price and is certainly not the £60 the girl said it was!!

BitterAndTwisted

I think the point being made (not well enough in this case, apparently) was that once the initial price of purchase plus all the interest on the credit-card was totted up the final cost would have been £60. I would have thought that it's not terribly difficult to treble the actual cost if the purchaser was making only the minimum payments each month on a store-card. The interest-rates on those is heart-stopping! Which is what a lot more people than you can imagine, do. I think that lady was one of them until she saw the light

Flat_Eric

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

I think the point being made (not well enough in this case, apparently) was that once the initial price of purchase plus all the interest on the credit-card was totted up the final cost would have been £60. I would have thought that it's not terribly difficult to treble the actual cost if the purchaser was making only the minimum payments each month on a store-card. The interest-rates on those is heart-stopping! Which is what a lot more people than you can imagine, do. I think that lady was one of them until she saw the light

The shopper said the bag cost £60 and the presenter said, with interest, that made it £69. But as she already had a balance of £450 odd - that meant £3815 interest :eek::eek::eek: if she only paid the minimum balance and would take her 50 years to pay off ??!!

It sounds as if the shopper was saying I bought this .... and (but they cut it so perhaps there was something else in her shopping bag?)

GreyQueen

Flat_Eric wrote: »

I caught up with Episode 2 after my post this morning and found myself drooling over the oa$is bag that the featured lady paid £60 for on her store card with the subsequent, this is how much it will cost you blurb....

So detective eric goes on the oa$is website thinking that there is just a chance that the bag might now be in the sale since the show was broadcast a few weeks ago and guess what ??? !!! the price tag of the bag is a mere £22 - which is not a sale price and is certainly not the £60 the girl said it was!!

Alternatively, you could just wait a few months and pick the bag up for less than a fiver in a charity shop.... said by the woman who rarely goes into any other kind of non-food retail establishment.......:rotfl:

FatvonD if you'd be so kind, can you tell me the exact malt vingar technique for descaling a kettle (mine is a stainless-steel stovetop model)? I need to get rid of the insulation at the bottom; that blasted limescale is probably costing me money. Have some concerns about the kettle being out of action for any length of time as I get a bit twitch if deprived of my tea fixes........

FatVonD

GreyQueen wrote: »

FatvonD if you'd be so kind, can you tell me the exact malt vingar technique for descaling a kettle (mine is a stainless-steel stovetop model)? I need to get rid of the insulation at the bottom; that blasted limescale is probably costing me money. Have some concerns about the kettle being out of action for any length of time as I get a bit twitch if deprived of my tea fixes........

It was lemon, not vinegar, and you just cut it up, boil it and then leave it to stand overnight. I tried it, it didn't work brilliantly but my kettle had never been descaled so it may have been asking a bit too much!

I'd totally forgotten about the large crouton/small crouton business! Totally stupid and then they didn't even suggest making breadcrumbs??!

mmmsnow

I really wish the program would tackle a family who are actively trying to save money, not ones who are obviously very silly with their cash. For me, it would be more interesting to see a couple or family featured who are already quite savvy but want an extra bit of help tightening their belts. This is the situation I'm in and the reason I'm always on this site!

The fact is, as mentioned above, anyone with half a brain would know that getting taxis into town everyday was a waste of money so do we really need a show pointing this out? They don't even sit down and work out a proper budget with the families featured (unlike Spendaholics), which I would've thought was the cornerstone to any change.

Also, talking about this week's episode: what was the mother doing in town every single day? Probably spending money in shops. She was obviously bored and spent money (and spoke on her phone) as a hobby - this program didn't address any of this!

Oh, well, I must say I'm very disappointed in the show. I find the advice very patronising and the thrifty people featured are a bit too extreme for my taste