What OS habits you can't stop once you are better off?

happydays89

I won't stop buying yellow sticker food at Tesco,we own our home and don't owe anyone a penny.When I joined this site we had £35,000 worth of debt on credit cards and loans......I am not getting myself into a mess again.Tonight at Tesco I got 56.00 worth of food for £3.36.Enough bread,rolls tea cakes and scones all down to 10p to last the month,10 salmon portions at 9p each and 4 large pieces of cod loin for 15p each and a heap of fruit and veg for 2p each,I don't understand why more people don't do it.

[Deleted User]

happydays89 wrote: »

I won't stop buying yellow sticker food at Tesco,we own our home and don't owe anyone a penny.When I joined this site we had £35,000 worth of debt on credit cards and loans......I am not getting myself into a mess again.Tonight at Tesco I got 56.00 worth of food for £3.36.Enough bread,rolls tea cakes and scones all down to 10p to last the month,10 salmon portions at 9p each and 4 large pieces of cod loin for 15p each and a heap of fruit and veg for 2p each,I don't understand why more people don't do it.

wow you must have a great Tescos near to you My local one rarely discounts stuff like that and I hardly go in there anymore.I would rather drive to Aldi's and Lidls in Sittingbourne and get my shopping. I only go to the supermarket about every 10 days or so and always pay with cash.If I see Y/S stuff that I will use then I'll buy it and everyone enjoys a bargain don't they.I go foraging with my DGS for blackberries in season and apples if we see any fallers in the woods.

I enjoy making my cash go further and with what I save we all have a decent family holiday in August.I use the coupons if I can and certainly can't change my ways now I have been frugal for most of my life as I grew up with a Mum who hated waste of any description

Rationing after WW2 tends to focus one's ideas to non-wastage :):) I not only dislike waste, I just think there are only finite resources in this world and wasting them is really bad.

I am metered on the water so every drop is used carefully and left over washing up water can easily be used on the garden or lawn.I switch off lights that aren't needed and searching through a CS or boot fair for bargains if quite enjoyable.The mantra of Repair,Recycle and Reuse was one drummed into me when I was small and I'm far too old to change my ways now I enjoy a comfortable life and am warm and fed sufficiently and if I see a bargain I too will snap it up.I am happy not to be lured by the consumerism that surrounds us all in today's world.I don't 'need' things as today's folk seem to do.I have an ancient desk-top that according to my DGS is out of the ark (still running XP on it )
I do have a MacAirbook that I bought last year which is good and handy when I go away or I'm at my youngest DDs but I don't often use it at home .My DGD urged me to buy it when she had her student card and we got a huge discount on it :):)
I do get a new car every three years and that's because I lease my car rather than buy it That way I don't have to worry too much about servicing etc.
Clothes: I buy when needed ,as I have been losing weight recently (dieting ) This years winter coats are getting too big for me so they will be replaced next autumn.But I have had a good five years wear out of them both.
I seem to accrue a good few vouchers at Christmas/Birthdays for clothes etc so they will be used up when I go clothes shopping next month with my eldest DD.
I honestly think that if I had pots of money I don't think my life would change a great deal as I enjoy working my finances out and saving to buy the things I want or need.I don't owe a penny piece to anyone and prefer to live by paying cash for things rather than credit ,but thats perhaps just because of the generation that I am.My eldest DGS is thinking of buying himself the new Iwatch ,god knows what that will cost but he is a gadget lad who has to have the latest gadgets,I have no doubt he will get it and until the next gadget comes along will be happy to have it .Me, I don't even wear a watch I have three in the drawer in my bedroom When I retired in 1995 I took off my watch and put it away I don't need to rush around chasing the clock anymore :):)

AnnieO1234

For me, I've become even more obsessive about bulk buying and good stocks. I like to have 3 months worth at last of toilet rolls, nappies, meats etc; I also like to be able to buy offers up to my advantage that I couldn't have done when I really needed them iyswim.

I get excited by coupons still, I still buy "off label" goods that I've come to prefer (laundry detergent but not conditioner, shampoo, washing liquid).

I never really got into scrimping and using every last bit properly with food when we needed it. Back then it was more of get the cheap pizza or whatever for a £1 and there was no room for leftovers. Now I can do things like make 3 meatloaves and 12 or so meatballs from 1500g of mince. Those meatballs excite me irrationally! In the past I would've made one and the scraps (or 4 meatballs worth I guess!) would've gone in the bin.

I like to buy second hand clothes bundles, even though I could afford to go buy whatever new now, I find it exciting and easier and it's nice to save money.

When I talk of comfort, it's principally because we have no more debts, well still mortgaged but now owe less than £100k (went just under last month yay!). It's the first time really since my student days that we've not had debts; I got a credit card on my 18th birthday almost (well within 4 days) with what I now realise was a ridiculous limit (£3K) as I hadn't even finished school (6th form school) at that point.

Xxx

HOWMUCH

happydays89 wrote: »

I won't stop buying yellow sticker food at Tesco,we own our home and don't owe anyone a penny.When I joined this site we had £35,000 worth of debt on credit cards and loans......I am not getting myself into a mess again.Tonight at Tesco I got 56.00 worth of food for £3.36.Enough bread,rolls tea cakes and scones all down to 10p to last the month,10 salmon portions at 9p each and 4 large pieces of cod loin for 15p each and a heap of fruit and veg for 2p each,I don't understand why more people don't do it.

I love my YS too as my dear old mum used to say a fool and their money are easily parted. I'm not a fool or mean I just like to get the most out of my pennies and use them wisely. x

Living_proof

As I come up to retirement debt-free, mortgage-free, a few savings, kids grown and educated and doing well, I look around and find myself realising that although my total net worth might not be much to speak of, I really have plenty and don't go without at all. It's because over the years I have come to want and expect less and enjoy what I have.

I enjoy charity shops and currently have withdrawal symptoms as car boot sales aren't up and running yet. If I do need/want a specific item I very rarely buy it new but wait until I see it for a trifle at a CBS/CS. YS shopping is fun, and batch cooking pays dividends so I don't see myself changing this now.

My daughter thinks it's laughable that I can manage on £500 a month if I have to - she spends twice that on food a month. But for someone who doesn't travel far or have expensive tastes, it's plenty so I have no fear of living on the basic state pension.

chirpycheap

Having been careful all of our adult lives we enjoy the thrill of the bargain that has been found and hate it when we find we could have bought it cheaper elsewhere.

Sometimes though we do wish that we didn't count the pennies so carefully as we talk ourselves out of so many things that perhaps we should consider doing now and again. I would include in that list: buying a dessert at a restaurant, tickets for theatre shows, more fancy underwear, the 'Finest' in any of the supermarket ranges, buying a fully mature plant at the garden centre rather than the tinier and cheaper version, holidays abroad and travel generally, bouquets and expensive smelly candles that I sniff and always put back on the shelf!

I guess it's all about balance and making the nice stuff a considered purchase and an occasional treat. We sometimes joke that my husband is going to have the phrase ' How much!' put on his grave as it is an oft uttered phrase in our house!

kboss2010

Charity shop shopping!

My house and wardrobe are filled with bargains from charity shops and I think it's fair to say that, over the years, we've saved ourselves thousands.

My best as-new bargains have included:

A vintage egg basket worth £15 for £3
A £350 ski jacket for £5
Wooden elephant bookends worth £30 for £1.50
Brass candle holders worth £20 for £1 each
Joules tops and shirts for between £3-5
£20 cushions for £3 each
Leather boots for between £5-8

If you like traditional decor, there's so much stuff gathering dust in charity shops that if you bought it from a vintage or antique shop would cost a fortune (like my elephant bookends that I've had for a few years that I found in an antique shop yesterday for £30!).

Same goes for the current trend of vintage crockery. Places like Anthropologie sell 'boutique' glassware for crazy prices when you can go to your local charity shop and it's full to bursting with heavy vintage glassware and China tea sets for a few £ a piece/£20 a set.

The only difference between vintage and charity shop is the design of the shop and, even if I won the lottery, I wouldn't stop rummaging in charity shops. They're goldmines for individual and unique pieces that not many other people will have and older stuff is generally much better made than disposable chinese rubbish you spend a fortune on these days.

I also rarely pay full price for anything and pride myself on it. My MIL is amazed at how little I pay for things but I refuse to spend £30 on a t-shirt that will last a year or £100 on a pair of jeans. I shop in the sales, use vouchers and shop around for the cheapest place for similar items. If I find trousers or work tops I like in sales, I buy multiples to last me until I spot my next bargain so that I rarely have to buy anything in an emergency which means spending more money than waiting for it to be reduced. It's all about planning and only buying the stuff you need.

kboss2010

Living_proof wrote: »

My daughter thinks it's laughable that I can manage on £500 a month if I have to - she spends twice that on food a month. But for someone who doesn't travel far or have expensive tastes, it's plenty so I have no fear of living on the basic state pension.

£1,000 a month on food??:eek:

I know people who do this too but, honestly, I don't know how people spend the average amount most people earn in a month on food alone. They must either be drowning in food or living on champagne a caviar lol. Then again, my local artisan butcher charges £15 a kg for mince so I suppose it's easier done than I think!

Living_proof

kboss2010 wrote: »

£1,000 a month on food??:eek:

I know people who do this too but, honestly, I don't know how people spend the average amount most people earn in a month on food alone. They must either be drowning in food or living on champagne a caviar lol. Then again, my local artisan butcher charges £15 a kg for mince so I suppose it's easier done than I think!

They buy organic, often in bulk, don't stint on any household item and everything is top of the range. £10 or so for a bottle of wine is the lowest they will consider, and their food waste just appals me. I could easily feed two on what they throw away. But they are working professionals and they seem to think they [STRIKE]can afford[/STRIKE] deserve it!

jackyann

I re-use and re-cycle a lot.
I cut down old towels to make hand towels, re-use any old material for rag, and make pot holders from scraps of fabric.
I remain very careful about not wasting food.

I think that if you can afford to buy nice things, then that is nice for you. You should not however, be wasteful of the earth's resources just because you can "afford" to! They are different things in my book.

I like to be able to afford to buy fair trade, local & organic produce and not worry too much about the cost. But I am also careful to make the most of it all.

Not everyone can do this, but I applaud those who do the best that they can.