Where best to start?

tumptyteapot

Hi, I've been an ostrich for the last few years but last week I went through bank statements etc. and now I know where I stand financially. It's not awful but it could be a lot better. I've worked through the money makeover so I've sorted out best deals for phone/lecki etc. Now I have to sort things out on a basic living level. It's just me and a 11 year old and too many pets I have to provide for.

I'm not sure I'm in the right forum, I used the frugal living challenge a while back which was great to get me out of a rough spot. It's not so desperate now but I want to make a start on spending less overall.

I'm a bit overwhelmed and don't know where to start, any pointers much appreciated.

Dozey_crow

Hello!!

Well the food bill is always a good place to start. Looking at how much you spend on food, what you are buying, how much (if any) gets wasted and what type of meals you like to cook and eat is really useful.

Have a look through you bank statements and receipts and see how much you spend on your shopping people here are good at pointing out where savings can be made.

I picked up loads of tips about coming from reading here too like oven management, switching pasta/rice/spuds off once boiling to save gas etc.

People can also advise on maximizing heating and cutting costs.

Christmas ideas are on the Yuletides and social occasions board...

Just start with where you feel most comfortable and take it from there!

tumptyteapot

Thank you that is really helpful. I know how much I spend on everything now, I went through 6 months of statements :-)
My weekly shop isn't too bad (Lidl) it's the frittering away that does it, a coffee here and there, snacks when I'm out, charity shop 'bargains'....... I was thinking about taking out a certain amount of money and leaving my cards at home.

Irisis

You say you have a lot of pets - are you getting the best possible deal on their food/ equipment/ medicines/ anything else they may need? We thought we were paying a reasonable price for specialist food for our senior cat with digestive problems but then discovered we could save over £20 a month online at Zooplus, nearly £250 over the course of this year which will pay for my daughter's big Christmas present.

I've found the MSE forums really helpful but especially this corner of it - if you can, spend a good hour having a read through some of the top posts for great advice on saving money in all sorts of ways. When things really hit the fan for us a few months ago the Doorstep thread really helped me stay positive and on course. There really is a sense that we're all in this together.

tumptyteapot

They are Iams cats, they get upset tummys with anything else though I do occasionally cut it with cheaper tesco complete cat food. The other pets are insects that like rotten veg and axolotls that eat earthworms.
The Range recently had Iams for £5 for a 3kg bag so I stocked up on that.
I'll get reading the top threads now.
I've just done most of my weekly shop at Lidl (£27!) - I was going to track on a spreadsheet, is there a good template anywhere?

suki1964

It may help you to keep a note book of all the impulse spends. Totalling that at the end of the day may help you decide where your money is better spent

Also if you can't resist the coffee when out, down grade. I now hit mcD's instead of one of the big chains

tumptyteapot

I don't drink coffee in the big chains and I avoid McD's for ethical reasons. I'm in Bristol, we have thousands of nice little coffee shops all over the place and they are not cheap. The notebook idea is great, thank you!

Towser

This is what I did for all my money and food.

Keep a spending diary for a month, then put all your different 'spends' into categories and work out the monthly or weekly amounts you spend on each, e.g. 'food', 'travel', 'entertainment', 'petrol', 'clothes', 'toiletries' etc. Then try and beat it by a set amount or percentage each month! Then you can set yourself a realistic and very specific budget to stick to!

For the food I put them in various food groups and used the same method.

Use a budget shopping list as a start - substituting things you know you won't eat.

Shop in Aldi it has cut my impulse buying right down.

Bulk buy things when cheap such as toiletries and coffee.

Cook from scratch. Meal planning. Chain Cooking.

For the pets I bulk buy their food and it is delivered -bargain.

tumptyteapot

I'm probably spending far too much on Amazon and Ebay though. Might have a month off them!

tumptyteapot

I cook 6 days a week, sometimes 7 and use Tesco vouchers for eating out. I don't meal plan though. I really should. I've found a spending tracker app I can put on my phone which will give me a breakdown at the end of the month (I hope). Off to think about meal planning now :-)

RAS

With respect to the coffee shops, it may be better to give yourself a defined allowance that covers say one coffee a week rather than go cold turkey? Unless the finances require cold turkey?

And get a decent small stainless steel thermos so you can make a coffee at home and take to work. That avoids the lunch-time or break coffee to which you add a number of other treats?