Budget Wars - A New Hope (with apologies to George Lucas)

Bobarella

Treadingonplaymobil wrote: »

The store cupboard thing is a difficult balance - we have one, but I'm painfully aware that we must have {random stab in the dark} £50-100 worth of food tied up in it and the freezer at any one time. We are on a mission to eat down ours, and I think that's probably a good solution - ensure it's there but make the effort every couple of months to eat it all down and make sure that forgotten half packets of lentils and tins of tomatoes aren't going unused.

There are definitely people on the grocery challenge who are amazing at buying in bulk, so I do wonder if that's part of it. But I always wonder why people would carry on going shopping to the point they have enough to feed an army. To me with my business hat on that makes no sense. My in-laws have got SO much food in their place I could meal plan out of it for weeks and weeks. But they live in a small village near nothing. For me I live 10 mins from a tesco so have always gone down the 'just in time's model.

Anyway! It's probably better to have too much than not enough hey

Bobarella

1luckylady I can totally see why people in rural areas need to plan ahead. I can't imagine running out of coffee and needing to drive miles to get it. Ahhhhhh now there's a nightmare I'm going to have tonight

I always wondered where the dates came from, now I know. That is an epic number

Im going to try and keep building up a supply of just in case stuff. But stock rotation did come into my head too.

chanie

bob I've often had the bulk buy dilemma with myself. I think IVR found a reasonable balance.

Once a month, we go to Costco to stock up. We have about 15 items we buy in bulk. We buy laundry detergent, softener, rice, pasta, etc. We only buy staff that won't go off and only occasionally get treats. I know you don't have a car, but you could apply the same principles to wherever you shop and stock up when you can get a good deal.

We can't afford to buy lots at once, so we bought a couple of items each trip and now we have a good stockpile and items last 4+ months.

The good thing about bulk buying is that for us, it avoids those mid week top up trips, as we always have something to eat in the house. About 2 weeks ago, OH spent £20 on the weekly shop - only because he couldn't get everything we wanted, but we survived with what we had due to bulk buying.

Bobarella

1LuckyLady wrote: »

yes but... I did leave the rural life 13yrs ago and live 4 mins drive from Iceland/aldi, 5mins drive from a Mr T/m&s food and have sains/morries/lidl/asda/2 other MrT's/coops all within 10mins drive so I don't "need" to have as much in as I do! lol

Ah well, when the apocalypse comes you'll be well sorted :rotfl:

chanie wrote: »

bob I've often had the bulk buy dilemma with myself. I think IVR found a reasonable balance.

Once a month, we go to Costco to stock up. We have about 15 items we buy in bulk. We buy laundry detergent, softener, rice, pasta, etc. We only buy staff that won't go off and only occasionally get treats. I know you don't have a car, but you could apply the same principles to wherever you shop and stock up when you can get a good deal.

We can't afford to buy lots at once, so we bought a couple of items each trip and now we have a good stockpile and items last 4+ months.

The good thing about bulk buying is that for us, it avoids those mid week top up trips, as we always have something to eat in the house. About 2 weeks ago, OH spent £20 on the weekly shop - only because he couldn't get everything we wanted, but we survived with what we had due to bulk buying.

Thanks Chanie that's very interesting. I must say when we run out of loo roll for the hundredth time I do feel a bit like, well we are always going to need it so why don't we just stock up

f0xh0les

Re: the store cupboard. It is full of the stuff that I find YS, so when tins of coconut milk are 15p, then 6 fall into my trolley, when I find kiddie cereal for 30p a box, then 10 fall into my basket, I buy soya milk by the tray (8 cartons), and I never buy a bag of rice or potatoes if a sack is on offer.
There may be £70 of stuff in the pantry, but to buy it individually on the day that I want to eat it, iyswim, it would cost £300. And you know how I feel about 20p JusRol pastry - still have about 8 blocks left! So there is a lot of bread and pastry in the freezer, and a lot of tins and olives and anti-pasti stuff, so the weekly shop is massively reduced and the YS add to the interest.

StartingAfresh

I think the store cupboard idea is definitely a good one, but I see what you mean about it potentially not being money-saving! I don't really have much space to do it in a shared house, but if I did have one, I think I would have to keep a tight watch on it - like having a written list on the door or something, as I'd probably end up buying more and more of the same thing, never use them, and still need others! My mum buys reams and reams of certain things "just in case" and just never uses them - I see certain things in her cupboards that were there when I visited last, months ago (or years!) So I think it's a good idea, as long the things stockpiled are useful - like, as you said, toilet roll, haha!

Bobarella

f0xh0les wrote: »

Re: the store cupboard. It is full of the stuff that I find YS, so when tins of coconut milk are 15p, then 6 fall into my trolley, when I find kiddie cereal for 30p a box, then 10 fall into my basket, I buy soya milk by the tray (8 cartons), and I never buy a bag of rice or potatoes if a sack is on offer.
There may be £70 of stuff in the pantry, but to buy it individually on the day that I want to eat it, iyswim, it would cost £300. And you know how I feel about 20p JusRol pastry - still have about 8 blocks left! So there is a lot of bread and pastry in the freezer, and a lot of tins and olives and anti-pasti stuff, so the weekly shop is massively reduced and the YS add to the interest.

Thanks Foxy your point on having more in worth than £s spent makes sense too. Hope the foxhole is having a good half term

StartingAfresh wrote: »

I think the store cupboard idea is definitely a good one, but I see what you mean about it potentially not being money-saving! I don't really have much space to do it in a shared house, but if I did have one, I think I would have to keep a tight watch on it - like having a written list on the door or something, as I'd probably end up buying more and more of the same thing, never use them, and still need others! My mum buys reams and reams of certain things "just in case" and just never uses them - I see certain things in her cupboards that were there when I visited last, months ago (or years!) So I think it's a good idea, as long the things stockpiled are useful - like, as you said, toilet roll, haha!

Yes I have already started a list of items which I can see and add to. I also did wonder whether I should just have an extra emergency fund of £140 to cover two weeks food at all times. I love how it's always the Mum's in the house who have the 'just in case's gene :rotfl:

Bobarella

Hi All

Well today has been quite a long one, but I was out of home/anywhere most of the day from 7.30 till 5pm.

Wealth

* A great week so far, had another party booking confirm very quickly. Total taken in new business so far £250. Last week was so slow for revenue although enquiries kept up, so this is a great week!

* Have taken £1450 for the month so far which is good as it's only the 16th. I still don't have much to compare it to as I've only been operating 5 months so far. For the first month I had to borrow to pay the overheads so it's only been the last 4 that we've been properly going! December was the peak at £2,300.

* I don't think I'm going to be far off for BBB

* I met with two clients today, who have some great ideas and I'd like to work with. I do feel very lucky to be meeting great people almost every day. There are so many small business people out there.

* I have set up an automated round up on my new FD account and set it for the last day of the month, sweeping all but £5 out of the account the day before OH gets paid. Might manage to get a few more ££s saved that way.

* The bank statements I had to send my new business bank have been returned so I'm hoping that means I've been accepted.

* I think I am going to put my pension contribution up. I have just about managed to keep it going all this time being in debt. I did have a brief moment of feeling miffed when going through all of OHs stuff. I started my pension at 22. He didn't until 30. But because I have been self employed for 5/6 years now I've now got a lot less than him. I don't begrudge him his good fortune having employer contributions. Just have that classic what if tiny voice at the back of my head.

Health

* All good. Have walked a lot today.

Organisation

* Really not much today due to being out for so long. There was a school event this morning so we all went to that. Then the timing of my meeting meant it was not worth going home.

Bob

crazy_cat_lady

It's going really well Bob. That bill will be no match for you!

Bobarella

crazy_cat_lady wrote: »

It's going really well Bob. That bill will be no match for you!

Thanks for your positivity Cat much appreciated:T