2018 Frugal Living Challenge

Buffythedebtslayer

DawnW wrote: »

I

Are there particular favourite branded items/ supermarket own premium items that others would struggle to substitute?

Ketchup, Beans.

Tea probably too.

indigowarrior wrote: »

Does anyone struggle to get the consistancy of porridge right? I bought a large bag of smart price porridge (75p) and twice in row I have struggled to eat it.

I bought Sainsbury's own, made wallpaper paste. Good times.

The dogs liked it

lynnejk

DawnW wrote: »

...........
Are there particular favourite branded items/ supermarket own premium items that others would struggle to substitute?

H**nz baked beans
D*ddies sauce - about one bottle a year
Br*nston pickle - a small jar a year
H**nz salad cream - probably about six a year
Sharw**ds green mango chutney - one jar a year
L** and Perrins Worcestershire sauce - one a year
M*rmite - a large jar a year
H*vis sliced - one a week, but it keeps and freezes well
Tw*nings T bags -three bags a day = four good mugs :rotfl:
Ox* cubes and B*sto powder - can't make a better gravy

I have tried cheaper alternatives for all the above but haven't found any yet. So I constantly check for offers, buy when cheap and always keep a stock
Lx

LittleGingerFox

There is no brand that I wouldn't substitute I buy Lidl tea and coffee. Just had Smartprice porridge oats made with water with a smidge of honey and it was bang on.
My partner cried the other night as worried about his finances so we sat and worked his budget out. He has said again that he was inspired by me and can't wait til payday and he can start his journey properly. So I must be lucky with my partner actively budgeting and wanting to stick to it.......we'll all fall off the wagon every now and again but for the moment, me and the OH are completely on the same page with our independent finances. Phew!

stay_at_home_mum

Approved food.com is one I use for OOD food. You do get a few good bargains on there and a lot of food is in date! The temptation though is to buy things that you don't need as the delivery is quite high! I shop there 2 or 3 times a year and stock up on treats and tins

evuka

*Indigowarrior* sorry to hear about your children I hope your situation will be sorted soon. :grouphug:

I buy Tesc0's porridge oats 1kg for 75p, for me, that's the best! I found Sainsbug's own too hard for my liking. I have to admit though that when I say 'porridge' it includes everything from cooking the oats in milk, in water, or simply pouring milk or yoghurt over it and have a chopped up banana with it

I use N3$cafe instant coffee (gold blend) that I buy in HB or the land of pound and buy their barista blend when it's discounted. I wouldn't mind buying a value coffee but it's a trial and error and I wouldn't want to waste money on something I wouldn't drink eventually. Apart from this, I'm ok to buy own brand/basics. Oh, well, not P0tn00dle, I can't stand own brand. But I very rarely buy it anyway.

Tomorrow is payday for me so I'm just adding up my numbers and updating my sig.

Frugaldom

I must be a total cheapskate as I'll eat whatever is most economical Porridge is just cooked and no more with water and a handful of sultanas then I drizzle on some honey for added luxury.

Housebuying and mortgage avoidance - the link to the original thread is in the list on page 1. I managed to buy another house last summer, so that's the retirement plans now in place. I could never have done it without frugal living and I bought in areas that I found affordable, but that's a luxury I can afford from home-based self-employment. I don't earn anywhere near minimum wage and I don't claim any benefits or tax credits - I am happy being financially self-sustainable and debt free. If you don't need the money, you don't need to work in a job you hate so I no longer work in jobs I hate. Helping others achieve their ideal frugal lifestyle is what I do most of nowadays, other than when I'm shovelling pony poop or carting hay. :rotfl:

My weekly grocery budget averages about £15 per week for 2 adults, so I definitely don't splash cash on regular purchases of brand names.

Frugaldom

I have used Approved Food often in the past but their supplies seem to be dwindling into all the rubbish 'foodstuffs' that attract VAT. I try to avoid buying anything with VAT at full rate and try to follow a zero rated grocery list of essentials only. My usual purchases from AF would be things like bulk bread mix.

Thanks for looking out for the fruit trees - the new house has a very neglected plot of garden ground that I want to plant into a small orchard beyond what will become a veg plot.

Moll

Been reading everyones posts , and good luck with all that everyone wants to achieve , and big hugs to all who need it , My frugal week has had a hit again this week , . im still recovering from this flu bug/ cold . but im much better so hopefully will get into the full swing of things again , I didn't list a single thing on the bidding page this week ( Although I got a great bargain and replaced my broken hairdryer on there for a brand new one ,,,,,,,,cost me £1) and its much better than my old one .... so im steady sorting stuff to go on there next week , I have now saved £310.49 in the holiday pot of the £930 needed , so im happy with that to say ive been under par for a couple of weeks , there'll be no stopping me now im getting better LOL . Ive been batch cooking , and have soups and Chinese chicken noodles ready to go in the freezer, lots of meals there .I read a "Recipe" for hair today if its any good to anyone ,
it says "To get gorgeous locks without splurging out on pricey conditioning products, mix 2TBSpoon of milk , 1 TBSpoon honey and 1 TBLspoon coconut oil in a small dish . Use your fingers to apply the mixture to damp hair then cover with a shower cap and let sit for 15 minutes before rinsing . Proteins in milk strengthen strands while honey moisturizes and the oil adds shine .
Says it saves at least £5 on hair products ,,,,,,,,,Havent tried it but thought it sounded interesting , .

System

Moll wrote: »

Been reading everyones posts , and good luck with all that everyone wants to achieve , and big hugs to all who need it , My frugal week has had a hit again this week , . im still recovering from this flu bug/ cold . but im much better so hopefully will get into the full swing of things again , I didn't list a single thing on the bidding page this week ( Although I got a great bargain and replaced my broken hairdryer on there for a brand new one ,,,,,,,,cost me £1) and its much better than my old one .... so im steady sorting stuff to go on there next week , I have now saved £310.49 in the holiday pot of the £930 needed , so im happy with that to say ive been under par for a couple of weeks , there'll be no stopping me now im getting better LOL . Ive been batch cooking , and have soups and Chinese chicken noodles ready to go in the freezer, lots of meals there .I read a "Recipe" for hair today if its any good to anyone ,
it says "To get gorgeous locks without splurging out on pricey conditioning products, mix 2TBSpoon of milk , 1 TBSpoon honey and 1 TBLspoon coconut oil in a small dish . Use your fingers to apply the mixture to damp hair then cover with a shower cap and let sit for 15 minutes before rinsing . Proteins in milk strengthen strands while honey moisturizes and the oil adds shine .
Says it saves at least £5 on hair products ,,,,,,,,,Havent tried it but thought it sounded interesting , .

Ooh, thanks for the hair tip. I was only thinking the other day what could I use that is natural products as well as cheap. Don't like to use stuff with chemicals in unless I have to.....(although I do have my hair coloured...my one little luxury).

System

Frugaldom wrote: »

I have used Approved Food often in the past but their supplies seem to be dwindling into all the rubbish 'foodstuffs' that attract VAT. I try to avoid buying anything with VAT at full rate and try to follow a zero rated grocery list of essentials only. My usual purchases from AF would be things like bulk bread mix.

Thanks for looking out for the fruit trees - the new house has a very neglected plot of garden ground that I want to plant into a small orchard beyond what will become a veg plot.

Yes, I have taken a look at AF and must admit there was nothing much that took my fancy. Some of it is no cheaper than HB or the Land of £ either.
We used to shop for bulk stuff in M*kro years ago, but even that is expensive these days. Used to by washing powder or loo rolls etc, but now just as cheap in £stretcher or B*M