What can you do without?

Thrillho

I can certainly live without a fancy telly. Our telly is really old and we had a power surge a while ago so all the colours on it are now a bit wonky. It makes watching some things quite interesting. During the Olympics we played guessing what colour peoples running shoes were actually meant to be. I think we will go to the BHF shop and get a telly for 40 quid. I can't imagine getting into debt or spending a months wages on some HD 3D flat screen telly. I remember years ago being in my flash uncles house on boxing day and he just got a HD tv and I recall thinking yes it looks clearer but it's no big deal really.

Magazines - I love reading the gossipy ones like chat in the hairdressers but wouldn't buy them myself. I have never understood fashion magazines, half the mag is filled with ads and looking at pictures of clothes leaves me cold. I do like clothes but would never part with money to look at them when I could window shop for free.

racing_blue

quintwins wrote: »

we've got rid of a few things...

no pasta sauces

no kitchen roll, replaced with old cut up towels

no smoking

no drinking

no mags/books/newspaper, i get free books for my ipad, and we read new storys online.

Call me old fashioned, but some of this sounds like a lifestyle one might get sentenced to for robbing a train.

freyasmum

racing_blue wrote: »

Call me old fashioned, but some of this sounds like a lifestyle one might get sentenced to for robbing a train.

Surely we should be calling you new fashioned?

I don't drink, smoke or use bought pasta sauces (or ready meals) - they're all tasteless muck to me. I was at my mums on Friday and ended up making their lasagne for them, cos she was gonna open a jar

I don't buy newspapers or use much kitchen roll either. My 'hobby' is cooking, and I love reading delicious. and Good Food (I do like others, but have rationed myself :A).

Fancy clothes or the constant shopping for them hold no pleasure for me; pulling a tray of freshly baked muffins, a loaf or a leg of lamb out of the oven makes me far more happy.

It may seem like sheer hell to others :rotfl: but I'm quite happy with my little life.

pigpen

I never pay full price for anything.. quidco is my friend and there are vouchers for most places if you look around..

I gave up eating.. not only have I lost over 2 stone I have saved a fortune.. problem is I may end up having to buy smaller clothes.. though being an adept dressmaker type I may alter the ones I have.

I ebay everything we no longer need.

I want to five up the clutter in my house but a lot of it appears to be stuck to the children!

I have never smoked or drank to excess (I've had 1 night out in 3 years) never bought a newspaper or magazine. I don't have a tv so no license fee to pay there.

I buy good quality clothes for the children which are handed down.. my 8 y/o is currently wearing a velour jacket I bought 2nd hand after 2 girls wore if and she is my 5th to wear it and it looks like new!

I haven't had a holiday in 7 years.. though that isn't so good

We do need the car as my girls have problems walking so we need to get them about.. I don't think I could give up much more without losing my essential t'interweb.. I save more money buying online than I pay on my internet charge. lol.. justified!

savingqueen

Hi

we do without:

anything fancy/branded etc for no good reason
new TV - ours is an ancient "fat screen"
more than one TV (ignore the kids' protests about friends with own TVs in bedrooms)
entertainment gadgets like ipods, kindles etc (DH has a kindle, I have libraries and an old radio ) We do have an old PC and a laptop though - DH sometimes needs for work so extra value
Sky TV or similar
CDS, DVDs, Books - borrow, download etc
false/fake nails, eyelashes, tan, hair extensions etc
anything to keep up with joneses or latest fashion or trends
ornaments
new soft furnishings, home styling items, furniture etc unless absolutely essential
magazines
newspapers every day - we buy a good quality broadsheet every Sat, really enjoy and even DS aged 8 reads little bits too. not the same on a screen
new clothes unless can't get secondhand (not shoes and undies though) and try not to pay full-price (new clothes that is)
paying to get the car washed
haircuts for me and kids - learning to do myself
plug in air freshners, car air freshners etc - and they make me sneeze
expensive cleaners incl oven cleaners
gift bags
cut flowers

ready meals/take aways/meals out - take away curry prob twice a year at most or just some chips from chippy for a cheap treat, eat out couple times a year for our anniversary, a joint birthday meal as our birthdays are close and after end of year school report if kids have tried hard all year

christmas gifts for adults - kids only now
car parking fees - try and park further away and walk, lucky we are able to do so
new school uniforms just because its Sept!
most ready made sauces (occasionally use curry or pasta sauces when tired)
taxis unless an emergency
gyms/exercise classes etc
stuff from gift shops if we have visted an attraction with kids
excessive insurances - we have essential only like house and car insurance and have to rely on luck and being sensible, rarely had to claim on any insurance policy
Christmas tat - we do have a tree with old ornaments supplemented by 'new' bits the kids have made etc - we like getting out the same ones every year! Apart from a wooden advent calender that gets filled with chocs every year and crackers - thats enough for us.

better stop now and go to bed, got a bit carried away, sorry. Excellent thread.
sq:)

I_wanna_live_for_free

We don't eat out that often.

Whole idea of moneysaving is not to waste money, as far as I know so any money we spend, we need to or want to.

Yes we take advantage of offers and glitches but why should we take away items we enjoy? Neither of us are in debt, we pay off our credit cards each month and all money left over is to spend, save or do with as we like.

Life is for living, not just getting through.

PipneyJane

Pooky wrote: »

I must be one of the few that needs to use fabric conditioner and hair conditioner. I have such fine, fly away hair that if I don't use hair conditioner I get static and my hair is either up on end like I've had a shock or plastered to my head and crackles with energy.

If I don't use fabric conditioner I have the same issues with clothes clinging and giving people/pets/shopping trolleys etc static shocks.

I've tried vinegar instead of fabric conditioner, it doesn't work for me.
QUOTE]

Oohh, Pooky, I have the solution to static for you! This is a trick I was taught when I was nursing and it is the only thing that works consistently. (I used to spend a fortune on anti-static sprays, etc.) After you put on your stockings/tights, smooth a bit of handcream over the palms of your hands and run that over your tights. Works like a charm.

Note: This also works if you're skirt lining "rides up with wear" and you're bare legged. Just smooth your hands over the inside of the lining, between it and the main fabric. (I had to do this on a skirt. Long time ago. In the end, I replaced the lining.)

I'm another one who can't do without hair conditioner. I've got long, curly hair which tangles if I move my head. I'm using Value stuff at the moment but don't like it much because it's a bit too runny (I've thickened it up with a slug of more expensive stuff that cost me a whole 86p(!) but should last until after I finish the two remaining bottles of Value that're in my cupboard).


Things I do without, mainly without thinking about it:-

• Hot water for clothes washing. I've always used cold water. Gets the clothes just as clean.
• A clothes dryer. We line dry our clothes.
• Nail polish. CBA'd.
• Fabric conditioner. Don't see the point when the clothes are not going into a dryer.
• Air fresheners - open the window.
• Most commercial cleaning products. I use washing up liquid, vinegar, bicarb soda, ammonia, and those microfiber cloths that work with water.
• Magazines. Anyone remember the line from that Savage Garden song, Afirmation: "I believe that beauty magazines promote low self esteem"? Ditto. Also, you know the section in the magazine where they rave about new products? Virtually all of that copy is provided by the PR company doing the promotion.
• Most newspapers. I drive to work, so does my DH. A long time back, when I commuted by train, I worked out that the cost of a week's newspapers (morning and evening) would easily buy me a novel and it'd be something I'd keep and re-read, rather than throw away. We do buy the Sunday T!mes though, for the business section and the Culture.
• Buying my lunch. I've been bringing my lunch (mainly leftovers) to work for what seems like forever.
• Packets/jars of sauces and soups. I cook from scratch. Most packet/jars of sauces taste nasty anyway. We do have a couple of pasta bakes in the cupboard for "emergencies", but that's it. And they get doctored with mackerel/tuna and sweetcorn anyway.
• Cake mixes. They're only flour, raising agent and flavouring. Most of them require you to add eggs and milk, so why not bake from scratch?

quintwins

racing_blue wrote: »

Call me old fashioned, but some of this sounds like a lifestyle one might get sentenced to for robbing a train.

:rotfl::rotfl:

Lol i stopped drinking and smoking when i got pregnant and never really started again, i am responsible for 3 little people now so need to be able to look after them should anything happen, it's more of a choice, as for smoking, passive smoking around kids is a real bugbear of mine, even if you smoke outside you still breath smoke out for up to 20mins, again it's a choice.

We're savings so i could have everything on my list if i wanted them, however i either don't want them or find them a huge waste of money.

she_who_can_not_cook

freyasmum wrote: »

Surely we should be calling you new fashioned?

Fancy clothes or the constant shopping for them hold no pleasure for me; pulling a tray of freshly baked muffins, a loaf or a leg of lamb out of the oven makes me far more happy.

It may seem like sheer hell to others :rotfl: but I'm quite happy with my little life.

you know i was telling my oh there must be something wrong with me ...( i have a leaving do at work (been working with them 7/8 years ) so i need to go and had to pay per head for it i was shocked at how much.) but ask me the best price soda crystals or whats a good deal on bacon or cheese say and i am your woman

Popperwell

I_wanna_live_for_free wrote: »

We don't eat out that often.

Whole idea of moneysaving is not to waste money, as far as I know so any money we spend, we need to or want to.

Yes we take advantage of offers and glitches but why should we take away items we enjoy? Neither of us are in debt, we pay off our credit cards each month and all money left over is to spend, save or do with as we like.

Life is for living, not just getting through.

In an ideal world but I have a feeling this will never be the case for me:(but I am happy if this is the case for anyone who can...