Making savings before it's too late

[Deleted User]

talking about powercuts, reminds me to get the big makita batteries re-charged and brought in, as well as the makita radio and light, just in case. It is so windy that it woke me up, grhh, much too early

I browsed my bank accounts and my last payment has gone in to my cc, so I will start 2018 in the black, £2.81. Mission accomplished. That fact stopped me browsing sales this morning, for something to do

I just have to be careful this month, I have a tax bill in three weeks and there is a pinch point at that time. Usually I take from another savings account but should manage the tax bill without doing that this time. No actual transfer into savings this month but I should be able to change that next month as there will be no council tax february and march

mardatha

I need menu plans for cheap meals. We should have two soup-and-pudding days a week and we should be able to manage on less than £45 a week for two of us.

Katieowl

I've started taking stock of what's in the fridge and making a plan for the next two or three days. Seems to work better for me cos I can factor leftovers in...

[Deleted User]

I have to take stock too, my next fresh veg order arrives in 4 days and I want to have empty veg drawers in the fridge and the veg in there scream soup. I have a wonderful book for soups, they all turn out very moreish. It is called a soup for every day by new covent garden. Today will be a root veg soup. It feeds 4 so I will have to freeze two portions. I don`t have half a chili but I do have some frozen ginger

Hev

We have the family over for a traditional family tea just like their Nana used to do . Luckily we have a lot in already at this time of year.
So egg and tomato sandwiches, ham sandwiches and cheese sandwiches, crisps, salad, fancy biscuits and a chocolate cake with smarties on the choc icing are all doable but will need to venture out for crumpets and milk.

Trying to remember that anything left in the housekeeping purse will be a first payment into that savings account :j

Daughter has just phoned to say she has a surfeit of leftover food and a Yule log that needs eating so she's bringing it over. I love being nearer our family

[Deleted User]

Hev wrote: »

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Trying to remember that anything left in the housekeeping purse will be a first payment into that savings account

Hev that is exactly what I used to do in the 70s and 80s when we could just about afford to live, no extra anything but I must say that we were so healthy. Soya took the place of meat and anything I could grow, I did grow. Holidays were camping in the uk and not far from home. A treat on holiday was a cake in the evening in a soggy tent. Housekeeping really was a monthly amount divided into envelopes and sometimes on a friday night we could afford a family treat, a rented video, a bar of chocolate, sandwiches, crisps. All served with cups and saucers and a teapot from a trolley. I used to call it `cosy evening` and dh came home on time from work. The children still remember that. The best of memories

lessonlearned

Brilliant. We used to have “pick and mix” Saturday evening meal. I would buy a French stick, there would be bitsand bobs of cold neat, cheese, crisps, jams and spreads. All with a rented DVD. It was our Saturday night treat and the kids loved it and they have really fond memories. We still have a pick and mix night occasionally.


Holidays .....I used to save my pennies so we could go on the Sun holidays. They were great. £7,50 a head in a caravan for 4 nights . By traveling overnight we could make it a 6 day holiday.

Oh the things we used to do to make sure we still had family fun even though we had no money.

Breakfast cereal and washing powders used to have two for one offers for places like Alton Towers and Cadbury World.

[Deleted User]

Ahhh yes LL, truly brilliant, such simple and cheap pleasures

abbe89

Hi everyone!

I've really enjoyed reading this thread and I'd like to join in if that's ok!

This year has been a bit tight money wise, I've kept my head above water but my savings have ended up much lower than the beginning of the year. I took a job with a lower salary as I needed a change, and whilst I enjoyed it, my lifestyle didn't adapt to my lower income!

So whilst I'm starting a new job shortly with a higher salary again, I want to get my savings back up again!

My ideas so far:
-plan my meals and stop buying lunch/coffee out (will be helped by my new job not being on the road like my previous one - it was really hard to plan and I spent a small fortune on coffees/lunches!)
-use up the small fortune worth of food in my freezer and cupboards!
-no buying unnecessary toiletries
-turn my thermostat down by 2 degrees - if I get chilly I can put another pair of socks on!

There will be more to come, but I think these will make a good start!

trailingspouse

Welcome abbe89. It's good to realise that you need to get sorted before you get to a point where you really need to get sorted!!

Loving your ideas so far!