Living below your means

lswwong

I have another suggestion. Nothing new, but worth mentioning again.

Try doing model cuts for hair cuts. Get friendly with your local hair salons, chat them up and get them to remember/contact you when they have sessions coming up.

Queenie

jazzyjustlaw wrote:

I really do not know how I survived at times I lived on the child benefit which was £7.25!! I will have a think whilst I am at Yoga tonight. I remember having to think can I afford margarine or not and that my friends invited me round for meals now and again.

((hugs)) I can empathise there!
In the space of 3ths, I lost my Mum (who I'd nursed for the final months, while working), my X walked out 2 wks later leaving *me* to pay off the joint loan I'd been pressured into signing - all £15k of itm incl. int.! A few weeks later I was made redundant.
I had 3 kids all at Primary school and I just didn't know which way to turn. I didn't even claim benefits initially because I just felt ashamed of how the bottom had dropped out of my world and believed it to be all my own fault. I sold my old banger for £50 when the meager "redundancy money" ran out; I lost soooo much weight, but kept the kids going as best I could. It really was only due to my upbringing and the tales my mother told me of the war years that kept me going. The turning point came when I went to the freezer and all I had were some sausages (4! LOL ), it was Saturday and Family Allowance wasn't due til Monday. One of my brothers visited and I humbled myself and asked to borrow £5 - he said he couldn't ... he came back a couple of hours later ......
...... to show me the gold necklace he'd just snapped up at a bargain £150 for his girlfriend!!!!! The anger and injustice I felt!! (LOL seems daft now!).
I turned into action and the rest is history.

squeaky

Yep. Turned you into a good and helpful MoneySaver

calleyw

moggins wrote:

But at least you did it, you got your education and have something to be proud of. My parents were very old fashioned and didn't believe it was worth educating a girl. I had to think myself honoured that I was allowed one year at college getting a secretarial diploma. My two older sisters were forced into factory jobs as soon as they finished school.

Now I have the time and the energy to get some further qualifications I can't afford it because we can't find the fees on one wage

Have you thought about OU as they do offer help to low waged for a full award it is less than £15K. Even if you don't qualify for help they offer account where you pay monthly your fees. They charge a very small amount of interest.

I would hate for you lose out just because of fees.


More info here


Yours

Calley

Miroslav

I don't drink, smoke, socialise so save money that way.

Put all my 20's 10's 5's 2's 1's into pots.

Don't drive, walk everywhere

Not bought clothes for months, I have enough to see me through for now

Buy barely anything other than food and bills.

Unfortunately my flatmate spends loads, on eBay, the shops etc etc, overspends and all I save goes to her to stop the bank charges. If I didn't, she wouldn't pay her share of bills and I'd lose out anyway!

I also live on BOGOF's and really cheap food.....

My sin is my Internet connection......now If only I could find a lady who wasn't so materialistic, cos sure as hell my area aint got any judging by those I have met.

moggins

Thanks Calley but we're virtually at the top of their income brackets which may seem like a lot but when it's the only wage coming in, you have two rapidly growing children, a mortgage, car loan, student loans for dh and all the other innumerable bills, it's still not enough to pay for me to study.

Never mind, I'm good at being a SAHM, my organisational and negotiating skills are second to none, I can magic a meal from nothing and I'm getting good at horticulture Now if only I could use these skills instead of having to have even more qualifications

moggins

First and foremost - Budget!! Know exactly what you have coming in and what is going out - you can't live within your means if you don't know what your means are

When all the bills are accounted for then work out how much you need to spend on grocery shopping - try going through old till receipts and work out an average of how much you spend every week. Work out which way of shopping works best for you - weekly or monthly - online or instore. If you can't shop without children then online is best so they can't beg for goodies they see.

Meal plan so that nothing is wasted, if you have leftovers then freeze them.

Buy foods that are in season, try a cheap day out in the countryside, you will be surprised how many people sell gluts of veggies from their gate. In late summer there are always fruits to be picked free from the hedgerows and you get plenty of free exercise too. The taste of homemade jam surpasses anything that comes off a supermarket shelf.

Plus you would be surprised how much you can grow yourself even if you only plant up a few pots of salad and herbs.

Clothes shopping - only ever buy classic designs, those high fashion items may look great but only for this season. Charity shops are great for ageless trousers and jackets.

Books - either use the library or stalk your local charity shop - these are especially good for cookery books that people buy as fads.

Car Boot Sales - the greatest recycling idea since sliced bread I've been after a juicer forever, just got one for £5 that costs over £40 in the shop. Other peoples cooking fads are an MSE'rs fantastic find.

Day trips out - summer holidays can be a nightmare for people with kids on low incomes, buy a bus company travel card and see how far you can travel out on it - discover local areas that are new to you. Remember to pack a picnic. My local bus company run X buses during the summer, we can get as far as Weston for a couple of quid.

That's a start anyway - have I forgotten anything?

jaybee

Miroslav: My sin is my Internet connection......



That's my saving!!!! I honestly don't know how I'd cope without the computer now - it really is my life! Sad, aren't I (but happy!)

Miroslav

jaybee wrote:

That's my saving!!!! I honestly don't know how I'd cope without the computer now - it really is my life! Sad, aren't I (but happy!)

Well if you're sad, so am I Cos it seems to ber mine too

chinagirl

culpepper wrote:

We pay all our bills by DD so they are spread out over the year.
If we have had a loan in the past we have kept paying the savings account the same amount once the loan is paid(this is so useful if you have an emergency and need unexpected money).
Wherever I can, I use cash as once its gone from your purse,thats it.
We only have a small car so it doesnt guzzle petrol and the tax is lower.
We walk nearly everywhere.
Weve gone camping for years which is a cheap holiday(take your food too,tourist areas have expensive food shops).
We do mend things when they break or need mending.
When the kids were little we used to grow our own veg which makes a lot of difference to the food bill.
We dont have any credit cards.

Wow!!!
I thought I was frugal. However, compared to some I am, I only shop at Aldi/Netto for food, buy clothes on ebay or in charity shops (although the price of them keeps creaping up). Well done culpepper, and keep it up.