Help would be appreciated pretty please..with sugar on

beadgirl87

A few things I have found useful
Thermal leggings are great, I have a couple of pairs, got mine from M&S and sometimes my legs are too warm!
If you get cold at home get up and hoover (once you have bought one) or do some star jumps, or a bit of cleaning, soon gets you warmed up and your house looks nice.
Closing doors makes a real difference in keeping the house warm
I have just put 2 old fleece blankets under my bed sheets and I am surprised that I feel the difference. They are really cheap ones from ikea. I read somewhere on here it is as important to have layers under you in bed as it is on you!
Wilkos do very good stuff at a very good price, they are always the first shop I go to.
Check out your windows and doors for any draughts.
Good luck and have fun in your own place.

Goldblend_2

Hi:wave:

Thank you for support.. I am so nervous move in date is the 5th so I will update.
:j

Got a few good items building up now freebies or CS .. Which is proving to be great fun for me on saturdays.

Will update soon with how things are going..hopeful to be more chic than shabby ..:rotfl:

Thank you any post is really useful and very gratefully recieved..i genuinely know the tips I had so far are going to be of real benefit.

I even brought some wobbly eyes from eBay ready to make flannel reindeers for friends and family this Xmas..

I must stay strong enough to continue.. I am genuinely in need of os help so Thanks again.:T

Goldblend_2

Pennywise2012 wrote: »

And for Goldblend - I'm in a similar position to you, I moved into a tiny little flat a couple of months ago. I'm getting there bit by bit (eg now I have a coffee table lol). It's depressing at first - you want so many things but it's all so expensive, but it does get better as time goes on. I went down the road of cheap-and-replace-as-it-disintegrates, and I found tesco value stuff wasn't too bad. I have the kettle, toaster, plates, iron and microwave! Obviously they won't last as long as something better quality, but they're putting me on quite well until I can get something better.

I'm still learning about being OS and cooking, but this board has helped me loads. I bought some Stardrops from the pound shop based entirely on the talk about it here I want a slow cooker now, but I think I'll leave the breadmaker for a while - I need to walk before I run haha. Good luck with everything xx

Thank you for tlc. X :A

Popperwell

I'd love to help you in person but we here and ready to help where possible. In time you may find some posters locally and have a meet(safely)as some have today and I have already met someone who lives in my town and posts here...

Wishing you well in your new adventure...I didn't move but may have to but I am now alone so like many our situations are similar.

AnnieG

A very quick suggestion.. I'd use old t-shirts and socks before buying cloths and dusters :-)

Popperwell

I'm amazed ow xheap some of the cloths areon sale at present especially those microfibre type especially in Wilkinsons...

lbr102

My number 1 tip would be shop around as much as possible. Learn where is the cheapest for individual items and shop there - don't get tempted to just pick up what you need from the shop you are already at. I use a mix of Lidl, Sainsburys, Tesco, Poundland and independent shops.

Look out for yellow sticker reduced items in places like Sainsburys/Waitrose/Tesco - you can get some real bargains with these.

I find chorizo goes far as a meat element for many meals. If you like mince for things like shepherds pie or lasagne then mix it in with lentils to make it go further.

Pop to Poundland and grab some containers then you put leftovers in to freeze. If you don't have a freezer then it is worth getting a cheap one (even just a small counter top one). I find cooking for one difficult. Tonight there were three portions of the pasta bake I cooked so if it was just me I could easily freeze two and have them later in the week.

You can actually live for quite cheaply when you need to I found. We were living on £15 a fortnight a couple of years ago when times were tough and that's was for two adults.

Another tip is to pick up a few extra tins or freezables each week or month so that you can try and build up a supply for the cupboard.

lbr102

As for heating (and I'm sure out of these have been suggested anyway), foil behind the radiators, bubble wrap windows - especially those which re prone to drafts. Try and get hold of some cheap additional duvets, throws, cushions, sleeping bags, blankets, etc... Also purchase a couple of hot water bottles and layer up if necessary. I actually find that when living in a cold house I didn't need that many layers in bed if I had lots of covers and a hot water bottle of two.

I find primark good for most of those kind of things.

gallygirl

Some great advice on here :T.

All I can add is not to discount Waitrose. They price match a lot of brands and sometimes have really good offers. Check out mysupermarket.co.uk, select Waitrose and click on the £ sign along the menu, then select savvy deals which shows items 30% cheaper than average. If anything seems a good offer then click on it and you can see how much it is elsewhere. E.g. at the mo, McCains Home Chips are £1 a bag and £1.65 elsewhere (not that any old stylers would ever buy oven chips of course :cool:).

Also don't discount buying frozen veg such as onions. Unless you can get them loose from the market a few at a time you'll be cheaper buying frozen as there is no waste.

I know you've mentioned ebay, gumtree and charity shops but have you tried freecycle? I emptied my late mum's house to about 3 people, right down to teaspoons and bathroom mirror.

Good luck, I'm sorry you've been through tough times but I'm really impressed with your plucky and positive attitude. I'm sure given a little time you'll make a great life for yourself :T.

JayJay14

I also say don't dismiss waitrose. The do have very good whoopsies near store closing time and if there was an original multibuy offer it still works with the whoopsie.
For example bread reduced to 30p originally £1 or 2 for £1.50. Buy 2 for 60p and 50p taken off at the till so 2 loaves for 10p. Obviously you need to be able toffreeze bread if there is only one of you but it is just an example. I've had some great bargains there, I also suggest you keep an eye on the butchers counter as they reduce some of their meat quite heavily and you can buy quantities for one rather than over buying prepacked.