Great Tips... one liners

Justamum

fairyface wrote: »

I forgot to mention, in our house there are 2 adults, 1 very hungry teenage lad, and a dog, and I am spending, are 350 a month to feed us all , and I think thats outrageous, so do you think I could do it for about 200, I will try, I will try the reduced and will start couponing also.

There's Weezl's cheap family meals thread - I think she worked it out at 80p a day each. This is Weezl's website http://www.cheap-family-recipes.org.uk/

Also there's the grocery challenge thread.

You could probably get that down - I average about £300 a month for three adults (including a teenager) and two children and a cat.

I've got a master list of everything I buy regularly, so everything in the kitchen, bathroom, cleaning etc. I was getting fed up of spending all my 'housekeeping' then finding I'd forgotten something, so I went through all my cupboards and have typed the list out. I go through it every week and make a shopping list of anything I've run out of, or is about to run out. I do try and meal plan - I'm a bit lax at doing it, but it really does help so that might be worth having a go at. Making your own bread, cakes, biscuits, etc works out much cheaper too. You might have to stop buying certain things - I haven't bought cereal for a couple of years for instance as I think it's expensive for what it is and we would go through it very quickly. Now it's porridge or toast for breakfast.

Don't buy fancy cleaning stuff - vinegar, soda crystals, lemon juice etc all work and are cheaper and less harmful.

It might take time but you will eventually see progress.

katieowl_2

Justamum wrote: »

But the other day my DH was called a cheapskate at work for not having Sky :mad:

Pehaps he should tell them he's got' more interesting things' to do of an evening then they'll all be dead jealous instead!

Kate

Justamum

katieowl wrote: »

Pehaps he should tell them he's got' more interesting things' to do of an evening then they'll all be dead jealous instead!

Kate

Even if we had the money I wouldn't waste my time with it - we barely watch anything anyway! We all go to bed early in our house and read - even our 6 year old likes to lie in bed with a book (she's started reading Harry Potter )

culpepper

Do your phone charging at night if you have economy 7.
I have our dishwasher run at night too for the same reason and only run it when it is full up which takes 2 or 3 days.

tessie_bear

hi....my best tip would be try and use all the food u buy....chuck away as little as possible and make nice dishes with leftovers...this is sad (according to my husband) but if we have tea out i always bring home the sugar sachet as i dont drink it in tea....im not talking about filling my pockets i take the one i could have used in my tea if i wasnt already sweet enough:p

Saturnalia

Get a thermos mug and make your own nice coffee to put in it, rather than paying £2+ for vaguely-coffee-flavoured-hot water at a takeout place.

adelight

Justamum wrote: »

We are living on a tight budget, and I'm quite pleased with the way I'm getting better and better at managing what we have. But the other day my DH was called a cheapskate at work for not having Sky :mad:.

What's the point in paying £50 a month for sky when you could go outside and play football yourself, go for a walk in the country to see nature or watch the tv show being filmed live with various audience ticket sites? Pffft!

This thread is reminding me of so many daft things you or your family do. Dishcloths reminds me of the sponge heirarchy; dishes -> surfaces -> bathroom -> floors :rotfl:
I can't believe it when I catch my housemates throwing out 3 day old sponges or, as happened at the weekend, potato and carrot peelings from a meal for 8 going in the bin :eek::eek::eek: The soup that could have made!! At least the chicken carcass was salvaged.

zippychick

newlywed wrote: »

I use teabags to make 2 cups. Drink my tea weak and black so it does me and OH (who drinks normal tea).

I have also cut open tubes to scrape more out - surprising how much moisturiser etc is in there, but it does dry out quite quickly.

Freeze any leftovers or eat for lunch next day. Check fridge regularly and use up anything looking sad - I must get back to chopping cooking and freezing carrots....

Pop them in an airtight bag and they stay moist

tattycath

I wash my dishcloths either with towels or in the dishwasher (when I haven't got a load of towels to do and the dishwasher is going on anyway.
I try and get my washpowder/liquid when it's on offer.
I buy tins of beans, spaghetti, veg etc that are dented (and normally at least 10 or 20 pence cheaper)
At the moment I'm trying to declutter and sell some of my 'finds' -September/October are expensive months for us this year
I always look in the reduced aisle first-and try and plan meals accordingly
Thinking of trying Iceland for my groceries as my neighbour says she finds it cheaper
If it's raining and i need to use the tumble dryer i put in on in the evening as it gives off heat-saves putting the heating on when it's cold
I've started a spending diary-I tend to spend much less if i have to write it all down.

rising_from_the_ashes

Keep any big jars that products come in (coffee, sweetener etc) - great to store things like rice, sugar, lentils etc in.