What is 'being MSE'

tomwakefield

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

I'll link again to the mantras: http://blog.moneysavingexpert.com/2010/10/12/money-mantras-never-leave-home-without-them/.
You are not skint (from what you've said), so you are on the right-hand-side. The "Do I need it?" question doesn't apply to you, so the fact that it isn't an essential doesn't come in to it.

Will you use it? I think it's clear from what you've said that the answer is yes.
Have you checked if it is cheaper anywhere else? You've said you will.

But you haven't really touched on the middle question: "Is it worth it?". Unless you can answer "yes" to that question, it isn't MSE regardless of how good a deal you get on it.
Lets say you spend £100 on it. What would you do with that £100 if you didn't buy it?
You might use it to help pay off your mortgage earlier. You might spend it on takeaways. You might donate it to charity (which would give you a warm, happy feeling). You might spend it on PS2 games. You might pay it into your pension.
There is no general right or wrong answer, just what is right for you. If one of those other things would give you more pleasure than a PS3 then buying a PS3 wouldn't be MSE. If the PS3 would give you the most pleasure with your £100 (and you'll use it and you've checked your getting the best deal) then it is MSE.

The "checking around for the cheapest price" is an interesting one. I think people can be too hung up on that. For small things, the time taken to find the cheapest is rarely worth the actual savings. According to the mantra, that's not very MSE, yet for me my saved time has its own value, even if its not measured in pounds and pennies.

Daedalus

MSE is about cutting costs without sacfracing quality. Buying X for cheaper than Y yet having same quality is MSE, whether X is a necessity or not is irrelevant.

itch_for_a_glitch

[QUOTE=Goldiegirl;61794359. I've rarely regretted major purchases, because I've tended to think for a while first, rather than rush in.

Me and my husband have worked for years, and we are in a lucky position healthwise to enjoy the fruits of our labour.

I don't think MSE is about a joyless existence or about obsessive scrimping when you don't need to, or about making over the top efforts to save a couple of pence.

For me it's about helping me get the most out of my life.

I've been really interested to read the comments so far - a lot tie in with my version of MSE.[/QUOTE]
Do you use a cashback site for "major purchases", and insurance ? I arrived here from Rpoints and use Topcashback now, although I've exhausted a lot of options, there are hundreds to be made.

amistupid

Mr Micawber was very MSE

"Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen [pounds] nineteen [shillings] and six [pence], result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery."

[Deleted User]

I suppose I use the site for lots of reasons. I have been on here for quite a few years and seen it grow to what it is today I have been to some great meetings with people from here, and met quite a few of them.some are nice, and some are downright obnoxious ,more or less like the friends and acquaintances that you meet in your day-to-day life.
I have had some excellent advice from many of them (some of it rude :)) and have learned lots of things about how to do various things.I cook from scratch (but always have) and I have found that I do spend less money than I used to ,but then I spend it on things I really like doing ,going on holiday with my family, and being able to afford extras for my grandchildrenas treats.
I had a lot of support on here when I was having Chemo especially from a lady who sadly is no longer around .We had a long conversation via the site one miserable night at 2.30 a.m. when I was not having the greatest time owing to chemo sickness and being unable to sleep I logged on and we sorted out the world between us :)
I enjoy what I learn and love to hear the good and bad bits in folks lives I have I hope helped some of them with recipes and advice as well.I am glad that I am a member of the forums and have found lots of different things that helped me The techie guys when my computer started playing up were fantastic and told me how to fix it without making me feel a total twerp :) Thank everyone for all your help over the past nine years
Cheers JackieO xxx

Goldiegirl

itch_for_a_glitch wrote: »

Do you use a cashback site for "major purchases", and insurance ? I arrived here from Rpoints and use Topcashback now, although I've exhausted a lot of options, there are hundreds to be made.

No I'm not using them at present.

I did investigate them, but in the end I thought might be a bit of a faff, because I started reading about 'tracking problems' and wondered if I could be bothered.

However, like most things, it's all a bit confusing until you actually try it. Ebay was a strange and confusing world when I started , but now I know my way around and feel fairly confident about selling my unwanted stuff.

Perhaps next time I need to buy something, I'll have a try of one of the sites.

fluffnutter

amistupid wrote: »

Mr Micawber was very MSE

"Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen [pounds] nineteen [shillings] and six [pence], result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery."

He was a crap shag though.

Goldiegirl

JackieO wrote: »

I have had some excellent advice from many of them (some of it rude :)) and have learned lots of things about how to do various things.I cook from scratch (but always have) and I have found that I do spend less money than I used to ,but then I spend it on things I really like doing ,going on holiday with my family, and being able to afford extras for my grandchildrenas treats.

Hello Jackie, I know you from the Old Style Boards.

I also do quite a lot of my cooking from scratch, as I enjoy it, but I do like the odd M&S posh ready meal too, from time to time. Also, the de-cluttering thread on the OS board has been instrumental in helping keep focused on my drive to rid myself of things that are no longer required.

What I like about MSE is that it is so varied - there is something here to interest just about everywhere.

duchy

I've never regarded been MSE as getting the cheapest -just getting the best value..... eg I can buy a coat from Primark at full price or spend the same money using a voucher and buy it from say Debenhams and get a better cut, better quality material coat. The price is the same but one is better value than the other.

meritaten

to me, being MSE is not being 'wasteful' and to make life easier.
as a retired person (though OH is still working full-time) with a disability I am most interested in the Old Style board with their wonderful cooking and cleaning tips. even this old dog has learned new tricks and maybe I have passed some on to younger MSEers.
I tend to get annoyed with other posters who get sanctimonious if people buy top of the range appliances (apparently we are supposed to only buy secondhand ones) or those who like to spend cash on 'girly' stuff. to me the whole point of MSE is to spend wisely and live long and prosper!