Fundamental principles of saving money

chalkysoil

Justamum wrote: »

Bleach breaks down so I doubt what you have got is still viable after 10 years. One year, tops.

I'm glad to read that - I buy most non perishables in bulk on special offer etc, and recently started using some bleach in the kitchen that had been kept in the cupboard in the spare loo for maybe 3 years - it was like water with fatty yellow lumps in it. Then two more bottles were also useless - all different brands. None of them had a use by date on. I was sorely tempted to write and complain.
Another mistake I made was storing unopened soap powder on the same shelf as unopened cereals. The cereals were perfumed and disgusting.

CFC

It's also about the pleasure in terms of cost per hour.

When I bought my new HD TV, 6 years ago, it cost a lot of money - 1k to be precise. It came with a 5 year warranty. When I was humming and haahing about it, I thought - if someone was willing to rent me one for 4 quid a week, would I take it?
Answer - I would snatch their hand off. We don't go out, and films, TV and gaming are our weekend entertainment.

Hence, tv was purchased....and I've never regretted it once.

amcg100

I absolutely agree on the quality versus cost arguments that are being put forward, and I think it is the hardest part of buying stuff. I am at my most stressed out when I have to buy something I know very little about.

I recently had to buy a new ball !!!! for my cystern, and the price varied between £16.99 in Homebase to £5.99 an B&Q. I daresay it would be even less at a plumbers merchants. It seemed to me that both items were the same, they were just in different packets. The problem here is with the retailers brand, with Homebase being part of the Sainsbury's group, they are always more expensive. They constantly advertise on TV which is why you have to pay so much for stuff.

I thought I had saved myself another tenner by shopping round for my ball !!!!, but my dear old Aunty pointed out the reality of my situation - most people would have called a plumber. Calling a plumber is the last thing I would ever have thought of, never mind checked the price of.

Tip for today - if it is advertised on television it will be more expensive than other products of the same quality which are not.

Ken68

Hi am...I do an analysis every year of expenditure, then work out where I could have done better. |Then set a budget for this calender year.
For example, have just changed energy provider, saving £94, and eating out could be cut, gained £30 on house insurance and so on.
Concentrating on food and groceries this year. I figure a tin of peas has the same nutrition wherever bought, so more shopping around.

[Deleted User]

I have spent most of my adult life being fairly frugal and I do know the value of a shilling I hate waste in any form and wasting money even more so.I think I live fairly well and healthily on what I have and what I save on my food budget goes onto things I really like doing for example I go on holiday for a fortnight in the summer with my DD and family and we have a smashing time .My savings throughout the year pay for the holiday house and I am happy to do that.So ,if by buying carefully it means that my DD,OH and four sons and I can have a nice family holiday I am quite happy to make my own meals from scratch,shop carefully, and only buy what's needed .

I went shopping yesterday and now have enough in store to keep me until the end of the month ,so no wandering around the supermarket getting tempted by their 'phoney' offers I have what I need at home and I can spend my time more usefully doing things I like doing like reading,knitting ,looking after my grandsons ,cooking and not wandering sheeplike around the huge Tescos that is a mile up the road.No I think I am pretty good at saving and enjoy 'making do and mending' After all I was brought up that way by my late lovely Mum who had to battle bombs and rationing with three children and we all survived and ate, if not on the fat of the land, but at least we never went hungry at all.:):)