1 yr to convince OH :)

Hopefully_optimistic

Hi everyone not sure I'm posting in the right place but definitely on the right website, it's amazing all the hints and tips on here!!

Well my aim for the next yr is to convince my other half we can manage easily on 1 wage until baby goes to full time school (almost 5 yrs)


Last year I picked up so many hints and tips on here that I will be putting into action starting this month.


I will make my own wash powder
Bulk out meat meals with lentils/ oats
Meal plan and write shopping list
Use cash back sites
Use cash back credit card (pay off each month)
Use washable nappies/wipes
Try not to use tumble dryer or iron my fave lol
Use washing up liquid/vinegar/ bicarbonate/ thin bleach only for cleaning
Use baby allover body wash for all of us instead of expensive shower gels
Refill handwash soap dispensers with value bubble bath


I would be sooooo grateful for any other ideas, recipes that come to mind you would be happy to share. I have 2 kids one eats pretty much anything other is extremely fussy, baby be b'fed, OH loves his meat but is only home 4nts a week.


Our food/cleaning comes to approx £300 per month at moment would ideally like to knock £50 off to save for a budget week away.


Thanks in advance. Hope I didn't bore you!

sulkisu

Hopefully_optimistic wrote: »

Hi everyone not sure I'm posting in the right place but definitely on the right website, it's amazing all the hints and tips on here!!

Well my aim for the next yr is to convince my other half we can manage easily on 1 wage until baby goes to full time school (almost 5 yrs)


Last year I picked up so many hints and tips on here that I will be putting into action starting this month.


I will make my own wash powder
Bulk out meat meals with lentils/ oats
Meal plan and write shopping list
Use cash back sites
Use cash back credit card (pay off each month)
Use washable nappies/wipes
Try not to use tumble dryer or iron my fave lol
Use washing up liquid/vinegar/ bicarbonate/ thin bleach only for cleaning
Use baby allover body wash for all of us instead of expensive shower gels
Refill handwash soap dispensers with value bubble bath


I would be sooooo grateful for any other ideas, recipes that come to mind you would be happy to share. I have 2 kids one eats pretty much anything other is extremely fussy, baby be b'fed, OH loves his meat but is only home 4nts a week.


Our food/cleaning comes to approx £300 per month at moment would ideally like to knock £50 off to save for a budget week away.


Thanks in advance. Hope I didn't bore you!

Assume you have two wages coming in at the moment - so bank one and live off the other. That should prove to him (to both of you) that it can be done.

Also the Old style money saving board has lots of really good tips and ideas for cost cutting.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=33

Mojisola

sulkisu wrote: »

Assume you have two wages coming in at the moment - so bank one and live off the other. That should prove to him (to both of you) that it can be done.

And you'll have savings to call on for emergencies.

Alikay

My DD is determined to stay home until her 1 year old starts school, and is doing very well keeping costs down with cooking from scratch, shopping wisely and making savings wherever she can.....I'm amazingly proud of her commitment to her cause:)

I'd say one of the best things you can do in addition to your plans is to get your family and friends on-board with what you're doing too: It makes a huge difference if friends are happy to come round to your house occasionally for a beer-n-pizza night rather than going to the pub and on to the Indian. Likewise, if family know your reasons, they may be happy to trim down xmas and birthday present buying to token gifts/pressies for kids only etc.

Both DD and I do online surveys which brings in a little extra, and always check if there's a coupon we could use for online shopping, meals out, day trips etc.

Hopefully_optimistic

I'm not actually working at the moment so can't do the banking of my wage and living off the other unfortunately.

Have been on here most of the day looking for recipe ideas to fill my new notebook there's so many ideas I want to try I can't wait

kingfisherblue

You could post a Statement of Affairs on the Debtfree Wannabe board - you don't have to be in debt to do this. The posters over there are very good at helping you to trim down your outgoings.

Aldi and Lidl have special offers on fresh fruit and veg, and in some areas there are co-operatives for fresh fruit and veg. I order and pay each week at my local community centre, and the following week I receive my bags of fruit and veg. It costs £3 and you get six different types of fruit or veg. It might be worth checking to see if there is a similar scheme local to you.

The Old Style board has plenty of tips.

A simple recipe that doesn't cost too much is Slimming World quiche - you don'ty have to want to lose weight to eat it

Tip a tub of cottage cheese into a bowl. Value lines are fine. I usually use about 250g, but just adjust cooking time according to the size of the tub. Add three eggs and mix. Then add whatever flavourings you like - peppers, onions, ham, etc. This can be a good way to use up odd bits of veg. Put the mixture into a baking tin (I spray with frylite to prevent sticking) and bake on gas mark 5 for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown.

You can also make your own potato wedges by cutting the potatoes, flavouring if required, and baking in the oven.

Make sure that you use your oven wisely - don't just turn it on for one item. You can batch cook meals, portion them, and freeze. You can bake a full bag of potatoes whilst cooking other foods (cold baked potatoes can be kept in the fridge for up to three days and then re-heated). Get a slow cooker for stews, soups, etc - a great way to use up tired veggies.

For the children, save envelopes and junk mail for them to play with. They can also use an old, opened out envelope for drawing on - saves buying a ream of paper like my MIL does!

B-J-D

hi im sahm and we live on hubbys wages doing things like you are planning

-try to keep food shopping down (i actually need to start this again!)
-eat up leftovers for lunch
-hunt out vouchers for the supermarket on here
-we always go to the inlaws on a sunday for dinner so i dont have to cook that day
-find vouchers for days out
-plan an activity for every weekend that cost next to nothing, park, feeding the ducks, dvd afternoon with popcorn, then it feels like quality time is spent
-switch everything off not being used, sounds silly but being at home means i could be on the computer with the telly on and lights, have left lights on up stairs and kept the water heater on all day!! heating is the only thing i don't worry about and have it on full blast 24/7 but it evens out with switching everything else off
-we have economy 7 so cheaper electric at night, i always put my washing in and fill the dishwasher at night for hubby to put on when he gets up at 5am
-grow my own veg and salad
-try and only use the car once a week for food shopping plus anything else not in walking distance (obviously use at a weekend for family time)
-keep my eye out for presents in the sale, the grabbit board on here is great
-cashback credit cards and making money on surveys pay for treats

good luck with everything x

viciouslittlething

Make use of hand-me-downs, NCT sales and other second hand goods for baby [obviously somethings should be new ] but I saved a huge amount doing this, in fact it's what helped me make the decision to stay at home for 2 years, I'm now expecting another and have kept all the stuff ready to use again.

DD's favourite activity is the park, we spend hours there in all weathers and it keeps me sane some days, the walk there is great for allowing me to unwind [and keep fit], when she was a baby, she loved people watching as she grew older she could interact with things and people, now she runs around like a maniac I used to take a flask of hot chocolate and my sandwiches/cake and watch people go about their day. I met other mums who started to join me, it's nice to have someone to chat to, it can be quite lonely being a SAHM even if you have friends and family as sometimes they just don't understand your frustration/worries.

So don't forget to make time to socialise, the Children's Centres run great activity sessions for all ages, Libraries do Sing and Rhyme or Storytime, most are free or are run on small donations. Don't feel that just because your friends all go to these expensive groups and activities you are letting your child down, there are plenty of affordable options out there .

A_Couple_In_Love

Here's a few good recipes we use in our house and there not to expensive evea

Pancakes:
- 100g plain flour
- 1 Large egg
- 300g Milk
- Oil or melted butter for frying pan

Cottage Pie:
- Gravy granules
- 2 Beef oxo cubes
- Minced Beef (frozen packs or fresh will be fine)
- Potatoes or Smash (the amount will depend on how many people your cooking for)

1. Break mince up into pieces
2. Boil mince for 1 hour 20 minutes
3. Boil potatoes for 30 minutes
4. Add gravy granules to the mince water once mince is fully cooked, also add your 2 oxo cubes in with this. Cook for a further 10 minutes.
5. Mash the potatoes ready to serve
6. Serve the mince gravy into a casarole dish then apply the mash ontop of the mince and even out.
7. Put in oven to give it a golden crisp top for about 10 minutes then serve out.

Egg omlettes:
- 2 eggs
- Half pint of milk

1. Mix both up in a jug.
2. Pour mix into frying pan, cook till thickens up then flip it over to do the other side.
3. Serve hot with cheese or onions (or anything else you may like)

Also some more idea's you could try is things like making your own musli for breakfasts by buying big bulks of oats, raisons, dried bannanas and bran flakes then mix them all together and put into a cealed tub.

Try do bulk buys they save you quite abit of money in the long run e.g. costco, macro.

Another thing you could do is rather then have big portions of food for meals, try have butterd bread with meals.

pesky85

I think you have most things covered! I'm a SAHM of a 2 and 3 year old, I don't intend on working until the youngest is in school. I went back to work full time after having each of them, then tried part time. Nothing really worked out for us, and I regret that time I worked full time now - even though I thought it was the right thing to do at the time

Sorry, off subject a bit

I cook big meals and eat leftovers for lunch, and freeze where I can. TBH we're all big eaters so food doesn't often make it to the freezer

I always do 3 for £10 supermarket deals for meat, and get value food where I can. When I'm feeling particularly productive I get all my fruit and veg from the greengrocers, meat from the butcher, then just store cupboard stuff from the supermarket.

Speaking of supermarkets....I always save a lot of money by buying online, and if I can't do that I make sure to write a list before I go - checking the prices on the supermarket's website.

For their clothes, generally hand-me-downs, gifts from family, or ebay. Sometimes I like to treat them to something (often just for the chance to pick something myself!) in which case I will go to H+M usually. Good value and cool 8)

My OH works 2 jobs, a full time day job and an evening bar job (2 shifts a week). That second job comes in really handy when we run out of things and have to top up (eg milk, baby wipes).

I can't think of anything else at the moment.....lol

Lindy_-_Loo

Hello, my boys are 7 and 5 and I left full time work when my eldest was born. My husband works full time and im a SAHM.

I am a member of adpoints, consumer pulse, pinecone and valued opinions - doing these means i get vouchers which we use for birthdays etc.

One night a week we have a quick tea such as soup or beans on toast and a big pudding which helps keep meal costs down.

Food shop online and take advantage of first time offers such as £10 off etc.

Take advantage of libraries and childrens centres - use them, they often have good activities planned for school holidats.

join tots groups and when they are closed go to each others houses once a week - kids get to play and you get grown up chat!

Ebay is great for buying and selling. Have a sort out and hold a car boot or sell at an NTC sale.

Make cakes and treats.

Enjoy being home with your little ones xx