What won't you scrimp on?

Mrs_Arcanum

Everyday shoes, especially the children's. DH is still wearing some leather soled ones 8 years old.

Adult winter coats.

Beef for roasting & King Edward potatoes.

chucknorris

Pulse wrote: »

Obviously everyone here is clearly trying to get their mortgage paid off, and we've all had to make some sacrifices, but what would you absolutely not scrimp on? Do you keep any luxuries?

For me, we've not done a lot in the last couple of years due to my job, so I'd say we scrimp on most stuff! We have however treated ourselves to a MacBook Air and an iPad2 in the last year.

Dog food is something that we wouldn't economise on (nor his treats and supplements) we owe him so much for being such a loyal and loving friend.

Careful_with_that_Axe

Decent tea. I drink copious amounts and am very fussy about the taste.
Chicken - as above.
Mince, I eat a lot of, but has to be decent quality. You can easily bulk it out yourself at home to make it go further, but has to be good stuff to start off with.
Cheese - am a massive cheese lover
Good bread - whether home made or bought.

Good thread!

uzubairu

For us

• Meat, veg, fruit and eggs (usually get them free from my friend who has chickens, but buy from a farm if we run out).
• Bread and cheese
• Toilet rolls, washing powder and fabric conditioner (only buy in bulk when on offer - 6 months supply in garage)
• 2 holidays per year, using MSE techniques to get the best value ( 1 overseas - usually US)

For Him

• Broadband
• Coffee
• Gym membership (was cancelled for a while but recently restarted for swimming, sauna before or after work)

For Me

• Shoes for work (on my feet for most of the day)
• Winter coat
• Sky+ HD and Multi-room (no premium channels so £5 for multi-room)
• Electronic gadgets (netbook, iPod Touch and Kindle)

Given the cost of fuel, insurance and maintenance, I should really add our cars ('07 Mini and '55 Clio).
I did however get a £4K discount on the Mini (came with TLC package - 11 months old) when I bought it in '08 by using Tesco Clubcard vouchers.

We do try to apply MSE principles whenever we can.

seven-day-weekend

Fuel for the car as we love to go out and visit friends (in the UK) and sightsee (in Spain - often this means a 'menu del dia' - menu of the day - as well). However we do do this on MSE (and green) principals as we run it on Biodiesel.

My husband's Triumph Bonneville.

Camera. TV. Hi-Fi.

gallygirl

Aquamarina wrote: »

Chicken. I will never buy chickens that have lived an unhappy life.

Happy chickens here too

Holidays, the more I can squeeze out of my leave the better (5 sleeps )

Nice wine (although Tesco's DTD paying me to drink the stuff is helping )

Decent toothpaste, fabric cond, soap p, dishwasher tablets (1 yrs supply of all thanks to DTD )

Radox bubble bath (have had lots of other dearer ones but always go back to it)

Toilet paper

Lady Grey t bags

Decent boots

Am with TPA on Yankee candles (but isn't that what Xmas & birthdays are for )

But all the above done as cheaply as possible. As is everything else really

jamsandwhich

Everything but all in moderation!

Three cars including my 1988 mini which is currently under winter wrap - our other two are economical

Fuel for cars and heating - we love to go out and I hate being cold so will turn the heating right down but will not freeze unneccessarily

Food - love my Saturday night Fillet steak with home-made chips and stilton sauce mmmmm - we just save in other ways like today when I stocked up on del monte tinned tomato's in HB for 25p each. I also have loads of toilet rolls, kitchen rolls, laundry items in the loft from great offers.

I buy clothes and shoes but carefully - in sales, with tesco double ups and when there are any good deals which can be combined

Fruit and veg - can't believe this country has allowed itself to live in a culture where f&v is much more expensive than junk food.

Eggs - we have two hens which have kitchen scraps, we have so many eggs off them we give to family too and they actually more than earn their keep.

MY INTERNET lol:D would NEVER be without it

OH loves his gym membership - we work hard and are in a fortunate position where we can just afford these things but we still have to be really careful each month - obviously if circs changed then so would the above list!!!

Orpheo

Sordid lingerie for the missus.

mcculloch29

Hmmm.....

Mine are the same as so many others - decent tea (begins with Y), decent loo roll and kitchen roll, shoes for me (I'm disabled and can't wear cheap rubbish), broadband and pc's / laptops/notebooks (my main job is as an e-tutor), and my night out at the local live music club.

Even when I was between jobs I still went to this, drank lime and soda and shared taxi costs.
A regular night out is essential to me, and the music club is brilliant - lots of different styles, mostly folky, country but anyone is welcome as long as it's live. Free entry, with a raffle that I often win. If music is your thing, many folk clubs and live music clubs offer you a usually great few hours entertainment, for very little cost.

I'm not a wine buff, but I like single malts once in a while.
I'm trying to give up choccy ... it has to be plain and it has to be good quality if I do have some.
British /Irish beef. Cheap imported beef is dire.

Empty_pockets

Tyres

Real ale

Proper pork pies

Hi-Fi