So What would you do?

rayday2

Stop the milkman they cost more
Stop lovefilms and start anther free trial
Can't you do sandwiches for the children its not winter yet
Cut down on your food either by shopping at a budget supermarket or thinking do you really need what you put in your basket
Don't buy clothes for a couple of months unless you "need"
What do you spend the cash on can it be reduced?

pinkkat8910

Ah you'll be able to make some considerable savings from that lot Newshoes .... your supermarket & household stuff / clothing allowances are quite high i think .... a few months cutting those down bit by bit and you'll be laughing :j

GreenNinja

tine wrote: »

Set yourself a budget. Then get 5 glass jars and mark them Week 1, Week 2 etc and the 5th you mark "Treats". Now split your money into the 5 jars, so if your budget is say £120 for the month each jar gets £25 and "treats" gets £20. Any you don't spend that week goes into the Treat jar or next weeks jar. I find this helps me where as spending diaries has NO effect on me

I like this idea a LOT!! Its very visible and therefore makes you think more about spending the money. Also there is a an urge to have some left over to carry over into the next week or add to the treats jar.

pinkkat8910

GreenNinja wrote: »

I like this idea a LOT!! Its very visible and therefore makes you think more about spending the money. Also there is a an urge to have some left over to carry over into the next week or add to the treats jar.
I usually allow myself £60 a week for food, fuel, going out, buying stuff etc. but have a tendancy to draw the next weeks out when I run out of money during the week, so always end up at the end of the month with around a week with no money!!

Likewise ... i think this is a great idea!!

Just need to track down 5 jars now :rolleyes: hehe

newshoes_2

Being green costs more, we buy eco or organic a lot - £££. The milkman is one thing I really don't want to cut - milkman is organic and supporting local business and we use glass milk bottles as the plastic ones are bad - however, having just spent £30 on eco-balls etc for washing machine, that means I don't now have to buy laundry products, so a saving there.

I do buy too many clothes, I kid myself that lots of cheap ones in the supermarket don't really add up - and it's not green at all - all the cheap labour!!!

School dinners, yes I can save there, my son hates them too and I think I'm doing him a favour with a hot meal but really a ham sandwich, a bottle of home-filled juice, some fruit and a home-baked cake would be cheaper and probably as nutritious. He does get a hot meal at home after all!

I do shop at Aldi/Lidl but pop to Sainsbury's or Tesco for other bits and pieces and always spend about £30 each time on 'extras'. Especially books and magazines. And M&S is a nightmare - I went in to buy a few things for a picnic and spent £111. Must do better!

I just need will-power and self-control and to basically get-real.

I'm pleased with the advice about credit cards and lowering the overdraft level. Just sitting here this morning working it through and actually opening and reading my bank statement and analysing it helps so much. Big sigh of relief.

Thanks everyone. I'll be a good girl and let you know how I get on.

newshoes_2

And as for the jars thing - the first idea that popped into my head? Oooh - Kilner jars, with blackboard paint on them, then I could chalk on the names of the jars. I would have to go out and BUY all of that. Durrhhh! Old jam jars will do, with a permanent market - I already have those.

rayday2

Thing is at the moment you can't afford to support local business, if you make changes now you can always pick it up later. Also supermarkets now do support local offers and do organic milk. You are subscribing to a lifestyle that basically at the moment you can't afford and herein lies your problem!

pinkkat8910

newshoes wrote: »

And as for the jars thing - the first idea that popped into my head? Oooh - Kilner jars, with blackboard paint on them, then I could chalk on the names of the jars. I would have to go out and BUY all of that. Durrhhh! Old jam jars will do, with a permanent market - I already have those.

LOL! ah see you're getting the hang of it already

I know what you mean with the supermarket shopping and 'extras' ... i now write a list before I go and give myself an additional £5 limit for extras / offers, as sad as it sounds it really works

pinkkat8910

rayday2 wrote: »

Thing is at the moment you can't afford to support local business, if you make changes now you can always pick it up later. Also supermarkets now do support local offers and do organic milk. You are subscribing to a lifestyle that basically at the moment you can't afford and herein lies your problem!

I have to agree with Rayday there ....

Or if you really must continue to shop organic have you tried sourcing fruit & veg boxes delivered weekly? they tend to work out a lot cheaper than your local farm shop?

Other than that, look out for offers at the supermarket on organic produce, there seems to be more and more these days!!

newshoes_2

Yes, that's true - I shall have to put my ethics on hold for a little while. As well as my spend-thrift activities. The list with a buffer for treats is a good idea - just knowing I can buy some chocolate, or a bottle of wine or a glossy mag will make things seem less unjust (is it painfully clear I am dreadfully spoilt?). But wouldn't it be great if I was so good I brought the fiver back home and put it in the treats jar? Then I could treat us all to something if it added up.

I am very aware that some people run a household including all bills etc on what I fritter on nothing at all. I know I am silly and shallow and obsessed by 'living a lifestyle I can't afford'. Times have become harder for me and I am swimming against the tide in terms of adapting to the change. But I am determined to get my feet on the ground and my head out of the clouds and do something about it. Plus it would give my long-suffering husband less to worry about as he has to manage the 'real' money, pay the mortgage and bills. He really doesn't need to worry that he'll have to bail me out again.