Budgeting tips I have found useful

Arwen

Trying to pay off some debt that I ran up when my hubby was ill, so thought I would post some budgeting stuff that I found useful.It may not help everyone but here goes.

Money-When I get paid I put my food/petrol/general spending money into another account from my main one. This has an electron card, but if you only get a cashcard so be it.When it's gone it's gone.If you have any spare then stash it in a savings account.Divide your petrol/shopping weekly if you are monthly paid.If you have money left in your current account after DD's and you should, pay your debt with this, highest APR first.

Food-menu plan,maybe not rigidly, but have an idea what you are going to eat for the next week. Buy your staples eg Pasta, juice, tins in Aldi/Lidl, and keep a store cupboard of basic if you run out.Try https://www.cookingbynumbers.com for before Payday/shopping dishes.Aldi's pesto is lovely and great with Pasta....Take advantage of markets and local butchers if you can. Invest in a slow cooker, they use same leccy as a lightbulb and you come home to a cooked meal.

Clothes-I am not a fan of Primark or cheap shops, unless you have very small children who cover everything in dinner. Tescos and Georges are good value for lycra teeshirts and basics.Buy in the sales of good shops, especially classic stuff. Next clearance are great for work stuff or suits if you have a job where you need to look smart. You can team your classic stuff with fashion items from e bay or cheap jewellery from a market. For example, I am wearing a Tesco lycra teeshirt (£4),Next Sale trousers (black £10), a necklace from a market (£3), and a cardi from Wallis ( E bay £2).I had a meeting and people complimented me on it.You dont need money to look good. You buy cheap, you pay twice, but buy from Sales,E bay , Charity shops or Supermarkets. If you have kids buy next size up in sales and put away.

Holidays-consider camping.You can get tents from E bay or Argos .Initial investment may be higher, but you can go away weekends etc at drop of a hat. Even major cities have campsites nearby.If you look around the site at Martins travel bits,you can get cheap ferry crossings to France/The Continent.Their campsites are far better than ours, and have better facilities.Try booking directly with the campsite, most have an English bit if your languages arent great. If you shop in Tescos, use your Clubcard vouchers for discounts from UK campsites eg Haven, where you can take your own tent. Even my teens prefer camping to a package deal.

Extra cash- consider a 2nd job, make it flexible, you dont want to kill yourself, tis only money after all.I am doing caring which I can do evenings and weekends and I tell them what I can work.You can consider mystery shopping, promotional marketing eg selling Sky TV or getting people to taste stuff in shops, usually pay quite well. I am not fan of selling stuff on E bay, cos there is so much stuff to sell,IMO it is a buyers market rather than a sellers one.Amazon is good for unwanted books/CD's etc. Clear your loft and do a Car booty now summer is here (nearly).Great fun actually, if you are prepared to get up at 3am for best spot!

Swapping stuff-have a skills exchange.Maybe the couple across the road, hate cooking or cleaning or need a babysitter. Negotiate terms if they have a skill you need eg Plumbing, plastering, whatever or vice versa. Have a clothes swap party with your friends for the stuff that lies in your wardrobe and vice versa.

Socialising-invite friends round, where one supplies starter, one mains and one pusiing and someone else wine.Have a few DVD's , or have a themed party. For kids, on a nice day go to the local country park or take them on a nature walk.Re-invent the stuff that you used to do as a kid, making dens in the wood with them,going fishing.Kids enjoy that as much as going to expensive theme parks.

Sorry if this post sounds patronising to seasoned money savers or preachy to anyone else, but we have had some fun doing some of the above, so thought it might help some of you.

gijsanne

I don't think it sounds patronising at all!
I am probably in your age group ( teenage kids) so I already do most of what you suggest, having learned the hard way!
But I'm sure this will be very useful for younger members with a family.
So well done!

backtomum

Thanks Arwen for your great tips. I definitely agree with you over clothes shopping. For the first time in my life this week I visited two charity shops. Without a word of a lie I picked up a Next blouse - never worn for £2.75, a black lycra t-shirt - £1.99 and wait for it a Burberry [not fake] bag in Marie Curie for £2.99!!! I am contemplating whether to sell this on E-Bay - but may not as I'll never own one again. My biggest problem is food shopping - I'm trying to get this down and there are great tips on these boards but I'm finding it so hard.

amani_2

Thanks Arwen for the great tips. :T

backtomum I also struggle with the food shopping.

16011996

food budgeting is the hardest part. it takes ages to get into, and is all to easy to let it slip with a one off takeaway, or slip from your meal plan. does anyone else have the problem of not fancying whatever is down for tea that day. sometimes i get home and just think, no i don't fancy that, then it all goes to pot. also i work full time, and sometimes find it hard to work up the enthusiasm to cook/prepare meals when i'm shattered at the end of a hard day. glad i'm not the only one who struggles though

Lydia.42

You're not the only ones........i completely understand about the food shopping. Check out my signature. :rotfl:
April was a lost cause and i completely lost the plot of what we even spent. I know it was bad.

I am trying really hard this month to bring this amount down, but OH likes a relaxing glass of wine and i am hooked on choccy ice-cream at the moment (pregnant and due this week), so binges and no will power are really scuppering us at the moment.

I'm hoping when bump arrives i will have no time for wasting money on food, or even getting to the supermarket, so things may improve. 'Hoping' being the important word there!!!! :rotfl:

16011996

maybe we should start off a thread for those of us who sneak off to supermarkets and buy unneccassary items, a bit like a therapy group where we can talk each other out of things and commiserate when things go wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!

lady_fuschia

I just felt the need to say an extra huge thankyou for the cookingbynumbers tip-off. What a brilliant site!

teecee152

Arwen - I would also like to send huge thanks for the tip about cookingbynumbers, It's fantastic!!

Thanks again:T

katthehat

Some great suggestions, thanks, have to agree the 'cooking by numbers' site is well worth a look!!

Cassa

I'm with 16011996 about starting a thread specifically for unecessary shopping!! That's my biggest downfall - just can't help myself at all.