Now & Then: MAY

badgermonkey

THEN: brother and sister's birthdays coming up (twins!). Would have left it till the last minute, gone into town and thrown money at presents to find something quickly.

NOW: started thinking in advance, bought from eBay (new!) and internet sites, and got more thoughtful things for half the price.

Queenie

Then: Having the boys friends around = taxi to collect and take home (Me!) + dinner.
Now: "We'll be at x location between x times if you're passing and want to join us" - x is normally the park - now it's up to the parents to drop off and collect and *I* don't have to feed a minimum of another 2 mouths and sometimes as many as 6 extra mouths!

Then: Dh would do a monthly 'basics' shop (he lurves shopping!)
Now: I do a planned weekly trip with shopping list

Then: Would buy fragranced items for the home (ie. soap powder; air freshners)
Now: Use essential oils; make lavender bags for wardrobes and drawers, herbal sleep pillows; allow good old fashioned cooking to fragrance the house - breads/tea loaves/fruit cakes/soups. Hang herb bunches at windows in the summertime (some help repell flies/ants)

nicki_2

Then : Waiting until OH came home from work to go for the weekly shop in the car to the supermarket literally 5 minutes walk straight down the road. Get OH to stay in the car with DD (dear daughter) or even come in with me so he could push the trolley. Spend £40-50ish (always had some money left over from £50 to buy milk and more fruit/veg through the week from the local shop) and if it was more get OH to pay on his Switch card or even the credit card. Fill the boot of the car and then over fill the cupboards/fridge/freezer when I got home so there was stuff stored ontop of the cupboards. Still have to go out and do another shop on foot to the supermarket a few days later.

Now : Meal plan (I did then but there was alot of processed/more expensive meal ideas), take cash with me on foot to the supermarket while OH is at work and DD is at nursery (currently £24 after bulk buying at the start of this 4 week period, usually £40 a week, but only take £30). Buy only what I NEED and as I shop in ASDA my trolley is a sea of white as I mostly buy Smartprice (:D). Doing this saves me £10 a week at least as there is no "Can I get some cheese from the deli counter?/I'm just going to get some Fosters/Jack Daniels..." "Can I have some sweeties pleeeeaaasssseee? *puppy dog eyes*" and thats just OH :rotfl:

I also put it in a shopping trolley I bought so I can carry more without hurting my back (bad back) or my hands with the weight like what used to happen when I used "good" carrier bags. The shopping trolley has already paid for itself. It's a collapsible one that folds up to a bag and cost me £2.99 from the chandlers. The amount of shopping I had in week1of4, considering I was on my own, would have resulted in me getting a taxi home costing £3. :j I've now done 3 trips with the trolley and not even been tempted to get a taxi - even when it was chucking it down with rain!

Queenie

:T Well done, nicki!!!!!! That's GREAT!

needmoney

Then:

Spent money on the basis of it has to be had anyway.

Now:

For the last two weeks I have given myself an allowance to see how I go, made a spread sheet and write down all spends and what they were for.

Look at till rolls instead of just chucking.

It really is surprising when you scrutinise spending, yesterday spent £13.35 in Co-op with kids and hardly anything sensible bought and that's just one food spend. Last week in Lidl's shopped alone £12.91 bought lots of sensible stuff.

Am now making a mental list of things not to waste money on.

I am not on the bread line yet but have to make money last in terms of years so am forever looking at my budget sheet for ways to cut down.

Thanks to all of you for all tips and making me more aware.

spendaholic

I've been on this list for just a week, but already there have been changes.

Then: Went shopping with a list but added anything and everything to the basket that took my fancy. (Total bill week before last: £95-odd.)
Now: Stick rigidly to list. (Total bill last week: £42.44.)

Then: Bought in tons of fresh food but chucked it out by Wednesday or Thursday and lazily bought takeaways cos the dates had gone.
Now: Haven't chucked anything out at all this week and have stuck to Friday night as takeaway night for 2 weeks on trot.

Then: Would rather buy readymade meals than have to cook.
Now: Have actually remembered why I used to love home cooking. It hasn't been so bad.

r.mac_2

Queenie - I lov your posts, thanks!

I ahve to admit that so far I havn't been very good this month. My meal planning has really gone to pot (i.e. I havn't done ANY) and I have noticed a huge difference. I had to throw away a shrivelled red pepper last night (it really was very dead!!! lol). That's when I woke myself up!

Anyway, to mtivate myself I thought I would list the changes that I ahve made so far, int he hope that I will get back ont rack with teh meal planning again.

Then: payed insurance without question
Now: last night changed B&C insurers. knocked small amount of price, and got better standard of insurance

Then: got taxi home from supermarket as too far to walk/no bus service
Now: go with friend in her car and cook dinner to say thank you (HM meal costs pence compared to taxi, and we have so much fun!)

Then: bought everything in brand name supermarket. Forget what I ahve and have to throw some out.
Now: try and buy veg more regularly from local shop, and only buy what I need. Also buy local eggs from here.

Then: Buy magazines from shop to 'cheer myself up'
Now: use trial three for £3 etc offers. So far had 6 copies of Zest, 10 bottles of OS stuff, 5 king of shave products and 2 gym bags (used as presents) for £6. Also had three copies house beautiful for £1 Bargain!

Then: go out with friend for dinner
Now: lavish friends with a HM banquet (all using thrifty recipes from here - thanks fort he index squeeky)! They bring wine to say thanks!!!!!

Then: used branded cleaning products
Now: use vinegar and old teatowels and dusters and sheets for cloths

Then: used to do work while at the office
Now: permanently surf mse!!!!! lol

Edinburghlass_2

Interesting post on holidays. This is my holiday plan for this year.

Then: Had a caravan, paid site fees for the year so we went there as often as possible to get our money's worth.

Now: Sold the caravan (daughter not so keen to go now) used the money to book a holiday in Florida. Good price on flights obtained from a tip via the Travel Boards, same with tickets for Disney, accommodation etc.

All these were booked either via the internet or on the phone using 18866/1899 and Martin's Call Checker for cheapest rates to call US, the information of course found here.

All of these tickets etc were bought via my cash back credit card which I got a year or so ago after a recommdation via MSE and now balance transfered over to my Capital One 18 month 0% interest credit card

Insurance obtained through reading Martin's article on Travel Insurance here
going through the affiliate links of course so MSE gains a small contribution which enables Martin to keep MSE ad-free, run the forums and donate to charity.

Nationwide credit card applied for as per Martin's recommendation here as no fees to pay when using abroad.

For my foreign currency I am checking lots of places and will probably buy some soon before the rate starts to go back down

Lots of Freebie shampoo etc will be packed along with sunscreen bought after reading Grabbit and the portable dvd player bought after reading a post on Shop Don't Drop.

Next week I will be buying flight socks from Aldi after putting a post on the I Wanna board which was then moved to the Health board.

Galtizz

Then: Go most places in the car because it was too far to walk and moaned about being unfit

Now: Have dug my bicycle out of the shed and I'm using that. There are loads of fantastic off road paths near me that I can use that I never really knew existed, they are pat of the national cycle network. Even though I live in suburbia I'm only 2 or 3 miles from a big village and 10 or 15 miles from 2 big towns.

Can also cycle to friends houses without having to use the road so we can both have a drink and don't have to get a taxi - just need to be very careful not to fall in the canal on the way home

I'm am planning on getting some attractive paniers (sp?) so I can get my shopping on the bike.