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Single? How to money save as a singleton?

I was widowed - so I am single and I like being single but a lot of the offers etc are about couples?

What strategies do those out there that are single do to take advantage or circumvent the world view that everybody is a 'couple'.
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Comments

  • Farway
    Farway Posts: 13,877 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Homepage Hero Name Dropper
    For packets of fresh food, like fish cakes etc, I use one & freeze one

    often though I just leave them on the shelf and do not buy
    Eight out of ten owners who expressed a preference said their cats preferred other peoples gardens
  • SailorSam
    SailorSam Posts: 22,754 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    According to statistics going back 30/40yrs or more there are more single households, but it is still a 'couples world'.
    There's probably less of a stigma if a man or woman have been married and now divorced or widowed, but you are expected to be part of a pair. The alientation of singles is often said to be a reason why they are more susceptible to depression; illness, and even an earlier death.
    Liverpool is one of the wonders of Britain,
    What it may grow to in time, I know not what.

    Daniel Defoe: 1725.
  • Katiehound
    Katiehound Posts: 7,826 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Keep fruit & veg in Stayfresh bags in the fridge. They really do make things last longer as they absorb moisture to prevent rotting. Lakeland sell them but I managed to get a supply of cheaper ones some years ago, working my way thro them now!

    Buy fish & meat in the 3 for £10 deal and freeze the portions individually

    Going out restaurant deals 'though are certainly for a twosome- 2 meals for £10 etc. There's no way round that!
    Being polite and pleasant doesn't cost anything! --
    Many thanks
    -Stash bust:in 2022:337
    Stash bust :2023. 120duvets, 24 bags, 43 dog coats, 2 scrunchies, 10 mitts, 6 bootees, 8spec. cases, 2 A6 notebooks, 59 cards, 6 lav bags,36 angels,9 bones,1 blanket, 1 lined bag,3 owls, 88 pyramids = total 420total spend £5.Total for 'Dogs for Good' £546.82

    2024:37Doggy duvets,30pyramids, 6 hottie covers, 4 knit hats,37crochet angels,10bags,10 mitts,6 spec cases 160cards=300 £128 spent!!!
  • SailorSam
    SailorSam Posts: 22,754 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Katiehound wrote: »

    Going out restaurant deals 'though are certainly for a twosome- 2 meals for £10 etc. There's no way round that!


    Unless of course you were to take some doggie bags.
    Liverpool is one of the wonders of Britain,
    What it may grow to in time, I know not what.

    Daniel Defoe: 1725.
  • Katiehound
    Katiehound Posts: 7,826 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 17 April 2014 at 7:45PM
    Or unless you decide to eat both meals!! (there and then!!)
    The last time I saw this deal some of the single meals were only about £1 cheaper than the two together... penalising singles as usual! I mean one meal for £9 and 2 for £10 (exactly the same size portion etc)
    Being polite and pleasant doesn't cost anything! --
    Many thanks
    -Stash bust:in 2022:337
    Stash bust :2023. 120duvets, 24 bags, 43 dog coats, 2 scrunchies, 10 mitts, 6 bootees, 8spec. cases, 2 A6 notebooks, 59 cards, 6 lav bags,36 angels,9 bones,1 blanket, 1 lined bag,3 owls, 88 pyramids = total 420total spend £5.Total for 'Dogs for Good' £546.82

    2024:37Doggy duvets,30pyramids, 6 hottie covers, 4 knit hats,37crochet angels,10bags,10 mitts,6 spec cases 160cards=300 £128 spent!!!
  • zygurat789
    zygurat789 Posts: 4,263 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Farway wrote: »
    For packets of fresh food, like fish cakes etc, I use one & freeze one

    often though I just leave them on the shelf and do not buy

    Back to basics is, to my mind, a good strategy for moneysaving.
    I wouldn't consider fish cakes as fresh food. Fresh food would be fish and make your own fish cakes. A freezer is also basic.
    The only thing that is constant is change.
  • PennyForThem_2
    PennyForThem_2 Posts: 1,036 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Food is not a problem - I cook from scratch and have a large freezer. I buy yellow sticker and, as got Waitrose, Morrisons, Sainsbury, Tesco, Lidl and Aldi all within 3 miles of my house I am not loyal!

    It is the 'couples' world. SailorSam gave the best reply
  • Katiehound
    Katiehound Posts: 7,826 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 18 April 2014 at 8:35PM
    Didn't realise it was a quiz for the best reply!!

    Sadly most offers are 2 for 1, think Orange Wednesdays.... but in that case you just need to cultivate friends to go along and split the cost between you.

    I can tell you that not everybody is a couple! Why are there companies specialising in singles holidays or Saga where they go out of their way to advertise "rooms at no single supplement"?
    Being polite and pleasant doesn't cost anything! --
    Many thanks
    -Stash bust:in 2022:337
    Stash bust :2023. 120duvets, 24 bags, 43 dog coats, 2 scrunchies, 10 mitts, 6 bootees, 8spec. cases, 2 A6 notebooks, 59 cards, 6 lav bags,36 angels,9 bones,1 blanket, 1 lined bag,3 owls, 88 pyramids = total 420total spend £5.Total for 'Dogs for Good' £546.82

    2024:37Doggy duvets,30pyramids, 6 hottie covers, 4 knit hats,37crochet angels,10bags,10 mitts,6 spec cases 160cards=300 £128 spent!!!
  • scotsbob
    scotsbob Posts: 4,632 Forumite
    Katiehound wrote: »

    Going out restaurant deals 'though are certainly for a twosome- 2 meals for £10 etc. There's no way round that!

    Eat one then tell them you are full up and will be back tomorrow for the second one.
  • moneyistooshorttomention
    moneyistooshorttomention Posts: 17,940 Forumite
    edited 19 April 2014 at 9:00AM
    SailorSam wrote: »
    The alientation of singles is often said to be a reason why they are more susceptible to depression; illness, and even an earlier death.

    I hadn't really thought of it like that, but will certainly mull on that thought.

    It suits society as a whole for people to be "coupled up". Less use of resources basically I guess at one level.

    Personally, I do have suspicions sometimes that many people "compromise" and get together with or stay with someone they wouldn't really if they were being choosier.

    I'd rather be choosy and never find someone to be with, than compromise. I recall one friend who advocated I should do so and told me most people do and I saw who his latest partner was and thought "You telling me you have compromised....whew!".

    Think of yourself as "discriminating" (as in exercising discrimination, rather than being a discriminator, iyswim) and that's half the battle imo. Actually, a study was done the other day of the lifestyles of "great thinkers" of the past. There were several things that struck me very forcibly. The first one was that the vast majority of them were men (womens biology and/or need to have a supportive income I suppose telling there). But...yes...one point that hadn't occurred to me and I guess its that most of them were either single or living an "independent" lifestyle iyswim. Some married men qualified because of having supportive wives (wonder how they would have done if they hadn't?). Hm....

    Tell yourself you have the time/emotional energy/etc to be a "great thinker" should you choose to...
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