I have lost my OS ways, help!

aklmatthews

we did a bargain shop yesterday we have a card for a discount shop that sells items from all the major supermarkets and M&S some things are close to sell by date some are just items where packaging has changed or they just had more than needed. we go out of the habit of going there but yesterday got a beef joint a pork joint 8 lamb chops 2 large pork chops 4 ginsters large chicken and mushroom pies a large bottle of bleach 2 boxes of coop washing powder weight watchers bagels and 6 casserole mixes for £22. so enough meat for the next week or so i just need to get some veg.

CRANKY40

My family and friends railcard arrived today. I used Tesco clubcard vouchers so that's discounted rail travel for me and the boy for a year for free. My dad lives in London and last time we went the discount given on the tickets for using a railcard was more than the cost of a railcard itself so definitely worth having even without the couple of pounds it saves us every time we use the train locally.

jlhmd666

aklmatthews wrote: »

i like your plan to have the house sorted by christmas it gives something to aim for but without trying to do it over night. i have lots of things half finished like the dining room has had one coat of paint about 2 months ago but is still waiting for the second walls on stairs and landing have been painted but all the doors need doing. i will have all these things done and everything organised and tidy by christmas. then next years challenge will be to keep it all like that.

That's my plan as well I couldn't get it all done in one go so bit by bit is more manageable Plus we can also get the diy projects finished hopefully. I will be so glad once the main bathroom is decorated.

Good luck with yours

lessonlearned

jlhmd666 wrote: »

That's my plan as well I couldn't get it all done in one go so bit by bit is more manageable Plus we can also get the diy projects finished hopefully. I will be so glad once the main bathroom is decorated.

Good luck with yours

Another one aiming to get straight (ok ish) for Christmas. It's a long haul, I'm exhausted and I need to keep a really tight rein on the cash flow.

So it simply has to be Back to OS Basics from now on. No more slipping off the wagon.

I have done quite well this week, and have had a use up week. I do need to start restocking though so will do an inventory and make a list. Plenty of toiletries and cleaning materials in so only need food items so hopefully it shouldn't be too bad.

The decluttering continues but tbh I have found it so hot I've not felt like doing that much. I have earmarked a few items to try and sell but might wait until September because most of it is more geared for winter use.

This thread hs so timely for me. I have a lot of expenses coming up so I really need to stay motivated and focused on making my money work hard.

I really need to shave my housekeeping budget because I let it spiral out of control.

No more ready meals or eating out. My new kitchen is up and running now so no excuses. The rest of the house is still a building site but that's another matter.:rotfl:

At least I can now cook, do my washing and have a bath. Luxury indeed...

tenuissent

Clearing a field to start growing vegetables: are you confident that you don't need planning permission for this? I have read of various cases where a field was used to extend a garden, but the gardener was forced to reinstate it as a field. Do hope this is not relevant in your case! I need to join this thread for encouragement in de-cluttering house and cupboards. Several people have mentioned having so many clothes/crowded store cupboards and freezers/drawers full of "useful things" that it is sometimes easier to buy new than search for whatever you already have......

villagelife

Have looked into planning permisson and will be ok if not extension of garden - no flowerbeds but fine if vegetables and fruit trees etc.

Have decided to just do little bit at a time and not concentrate on it as a whole which I have been doing.
Also going to tidy house as I go.

ostaragirl

Feeling quite chuffed with self today, got letter from mortgage company detailing my OP which has knocked £60 a month off. Went round the hosue and found all the stashes where I empty the change out of my purse and bagged £125 ready to be banked and sold a pair of jeans and a top for £8 so a great start for me.
Today is the dreaded kitchen cupbaord inventory, don't know where to start...

northwest1965

villagelife wrote: »

Have decided to just do little bit at a time and not concentrate on it as a whole which I have been doing.
Also going to tidy house as I go.

I did this a few years back. Had three quarters of an acre to go at. Cleared all the rubbish, then used a hayter mower to mow it to ground level. It was full of brambles etc.

Now I just have a largeish garden. It was all lawn when we moved in last year. I stripped half of it and turned it over to veg. It's really good. I hardly buy any veg/salad at the moment.

Good luck!:)

AnnieO1234

Well I currently feel like a millionaire! Finally got hospital parking permit sorted so paying £6.20 per week rather than £8.40 per day! When I think how much it's cost over last eight weeks I don't know whether to laugh or cry!

Staying with MIL tonight so I won't have to worry about food at all, and LO is getting fed most of his meals by one set of grandparents or the other. Thankfully it's just me and DH I need to worry about "shopping wise".

Got a bit of a dilemma though that is going to see some more OS stuff out of the window, I have to avoid "large packets that could linger and introduce bacteria" and therefore buy "individually wrapped portions" where possible. We don't use a lot of butter for example so a trip to makro will be in order to be gouged for individually wrapped pats of the stuff. Same with name etc. Grrr.

But on a plus note, I can finally justify the mincer I bought a few months ago! Got to avoid mince, sausage, burgers etc unless strictly controlled but homemade is fine.

Now just need to not rely on the vending machines for drinks (£1.05 for coke) but tried the hospital shop today, one bottle is £1.75 or two for £2.50. Going to make that my plan for tomorrow, baby steps, and bring drinks in.

Xxx

Caterina

Hello,

Welcome to tenuissent and northwest1965!

Yesterday I explained to DH that apart from builder money and building materials we were to make do until Tuesday 29 the with whatever we have in hand. No credit card use, no extra forage to the cash point. We really need to learn to live within budget.

I had: £45 cash, £7 leftover on a Marks gift card, £3.05 voucher to redeem from Coop and £1.05 to redeem in Te$co. Ah, and a £5 voucher redeemable in Marks if I spend £25 in food and drink.

He had £15 in cash.

Total £76.10.

Planned expenditures:

£15 for his Aikido course (he is coming up to grading and the course is an absolute must). Fine, he paid with his cash. down by £15, balance £61.10

I have promised the builder and his girlfriend (they are friends of ours) a fish and chips dinner, we buy 2 "specials" at £5 each, and share them, they are big enough. That's a tenner down. Balance £51.10.

I need to give a tenner to the vicar tomorrow at the other vicars leaving do as she advanced the cash for my contribution. Balance 41.10.

Then to go with fish and chips tonight I need salad and ice cream and a bottle of wine. And a small potted plant for the girlfriend as it is her birthday next week and I won't see her then. And need enough veg and fruits and bits so DH has packed lunches and we have fresh food for the next 3 days.

Ok this is what I did:

I went to te$co and bought 4 crusty baguettes for £1 and a bag of YS red onions for 64p. Handed in the voucher and paid 59p cash. Balance £39.46.

Then to the coop, where a nice large tub of organic vanilla ice cream cost me £3.99. Handed the voucher and 94p cash. Balance £25.47

In Marks I bought plenty of veg, some sliced cheese, bananas, apples, wine and potted plant. Total £25.72. Handed £7 gift card, £5 voucher and £13.72 cash. Balance £11.75

So we have £11.75 spare money until 29th July, all the food needed for cooking and packed lunch, enough food for the builder's sandwiches, tonight is sorted social and entertainment wise (fish & chips with them), tomorrow sorted (vicar's leaving do - I know it does not sound wildly exciting but he is a very nice and interesting man, and the remaining vicar is a long term friend, she was a friend long before she was ordained, so it will be fun).

Rest of day prob. spent foraging blackberries and processing bag of apples that I was given. DH prob. painting and decorating alongside builder.

Monday and Tuesday NSDs unless we need something really urgent, or maybe DH really wants a couple of cans of beer, which will make a small dent in our £11.75.

I need to train DH to stick to agreed budgets! So these next few days will be an interesting experiment. Wish me luck.