Giving every £ a job

Blackcats

Ah yes, I think the excessive lace was a youthful design error.  At the time festoon blinds were the absolute height of fashion so I had a festoon blind at several windows.  To be fair, I couldn't afford to buy them ready made so I bought the material and the blind making kit and my mum made them for me.  So, all in all, with the pot pourri, dried flowers, lace and festoon blinds I think my living room was a victim of 80's fashion and youthful exuberance. 

My credit card spend is up this month - nearly up to pre-Covid levels, except now it includes car insurance (paid in full) 5 days' accommodation for a mini break plus public transport costs for travel to holiday.  Previously I spent similar amounts on "stuff" and eating out.  I can pay the card off in full, so I'm pleased with myself.
however, I had a first trip In a few weeks to Bo*ts Yesterday.  Yikes!  Each item looked like a relatively innocent price but the overall basket 😳.  I did buy the 3 for 2 face cream though which is quite expensive but lasts a while and I did have a shopping list which I mostly stuck to. 

savingholmes

You've been doing really well overall. Are you still a month ahead?

Blackcats

That's a good question SHolmes and the answer is no I'm not.  However, I think I understand why and I think I could tweak things to get back to being a month ahead.  The rationale (or excuse) is that I'm paying council tax over 10 months and not 12 and I'm also trying to overpay it by 10% each month.  My council tax is whopping £300++ per month so that 10% is quite significant.  My aim is to save the money from the council tax free months to finish the ISA savings for the year with a flourish.  🥳.  Second reason is that I have a pot for car costs but this year I paid car insurance from monthly spends.  I just couldn't bring myself to reduce the savings pot even though that's exactly what it's for. 🤷‍♀️
i have noticed discretionary spends creeping up a bit - a very nice but impromptu lunch out last week - I need to keep an eye on this as it was a really expensive habit pre-lockdown.  I'm going to budget for eating out but make it a planned event that I look forward to instead of a "going for a curry cos I'm tired and I deserve it" type spend.  

Blackcats

This week I'm going to do a record over 7 days of the things I've changed since I started this diary.  It will help me celebrate my successes - some big, some small but all represent a different attitude.
day 1 is the biggest money saving change - I've gone from spending £100+ per week in Sainsbos as well as more money on top up shops to a fortnightly shop at Lid*.  I'm fortunate that I do a weekly delivery order for my elderly relative from the orange supermarket so I can buy things I can't get from Mr L and top up my fruit and veg and pay for my share of extras.  I spend an average of £80 per week now so even taking the lower figure of £20 per week saving that's a 20% reduction in costs and over £1000 a year saved.  

The food is good quality - yoghurts, chrorizo and nuts are particularly lovely (Not eaten at the same time) and good value.  I still buy meat from the local butcher which is because it's good quality and supports a local business.  

I've signed up to the Lid* app and had the £5 off plus a few discount vouchers.
i realise they reason why I hadn't swopped before was because I was being a supermarket snob - how ridiculous!! 

foxgloves

The cheaper supermarkets have some lovely stuff, Blackcats. We used one of them regularly for our grocery shopping & just went to other supermarkets for specific products we couldn't get there. During Lockdown, we started shopping at a more expensive supermarket simply because we found it had (in our opinion) the best Covid precautionary measures & we've mostly stuck with it since then because we are no longer as keen on calling at an extra supermarket as we used to be. We are still making good use of the local market & various indies though. I think, having also been a 'spender' that grocery shopping is one of the potential biggest savings. Pre-LBM, our main grocery spend would regularly top £100 a week & that's without factoring in those scourges of the sound budget: top-up shops, takeaways & coffee shops. Meal planning & using that to inform shopping list construction has been the key tool in stemming grocery shopping money leakage, as we already cooked from scratch.
I like supporting local butchers too. They are far more knowledgeable & will suggest cuts I've never heard of as well as being perfectly willing to prepare the meat how I want it. For instance, I like larger chunks of stewing beef/lamb than are usually sold in supermarkets because the smaller chunks break up in my slow cooker, & our butcher will do this for me, even if he already has bags of smaller sized ones ready on the counter.
It will be interesting to hear what your other major spending changes have been, especially as our pre-LBM lifestyles regarding housey/interiors-type purchases seem to have been rather similar!
F x

Blackcats

Hi Foxgloves - I moved to fortnightly shop to minimise trips to the supermarket and thus reduce exposure to other people and actually it has also helped me to be more organised with my planning and shopping list.    I agree about local butchers - very knowledgeable and always lots of fun banter in the shop.  You can buy the quantity you want too rather than the packet size that supermarkets sell.
Day 2 of my reflections on the changing of me.  Today .... drum roll ....use soap.  Now that isn't because the government have told me to or because I haven't been washing!    I previously bought hand washes - the lure of the promised smell of ridiculous offerings such as unicorn breath and moon dust or gentle breeze and butterfly wing sold it to me every time.  Pretty colours, sparkly packaging, big price tags - all added to the pleasure.  I explained to myself that Moult*n and Br*wn or better still penhaligons felt so lovely and smelt so lovely that £38 was a small price to pay.  Yes! £38 😱.  I had so little control of my spending and a non-existent budget that I justified the spend as infrequent and almost essential.  

I swopped to good old fashioned soap at the end of last year.  I had lots of little bars received as gifts or purloined from hotel bathrooms.  I won't need to buy any soap during next year either.  I had no idea how long a little bar of soap lasts.  Fear not, I do wash my hands properly but the soap just lasts and lasts.  I have a gifted hand wash available for guests - if we are allowed to have guests visit in the future as I think that in these Covid days It's probably better to have a pump dispenser but I shall save it for "best".  

It makes me think that my grandparents and parents who lived a happy but simpler life had the right idea.  Not bamboozled by a myriad of choices and not wanting to or able to waste money.  So, yes the soap has saved me money but it's also taught me to appreciate basic things that do the job well.  Also, far less plastic waste.  

savingholmes

I definitely think we all would be happier in practice with the simple life - and yet all the goodies are so alluring. Well done for the progress you've both made - Blackcats and Foxgloves. 

Mum2Nan

I've just about finished reading your diary @Blackcats.  Your summer house sounds divine.  Am loving the obsession with teapots   I did wonder what the talk was about regarding the frogs so was glad of the explanation.  Hot chcolate, candles and a film sounds very relaxing.

Blackcats

Thanks for the encouragement  savingholmes and mum2nan.
day 3 of reflecting on changing habits and today it's all about cooking.  I know I'm an ok cook but I never really felt confident cooking when hosting for family and friends.  I would buy expensive ready made meals from Co*k or similar, over cater and over spend.  Earlier this year I bought myself a slow cooker and it makes such lovely food that I'm confident to serve to others as well as using it loads just for us.  Highlights include pulled pork for a lunch party, served with brioche buns and home grown apple sauce "socially distanced and within the permitted numbers at the time" .  I also made a yummy steak and ale pie using slow cooked beef.  Also, my guests seem to love home made puds - apple crumble etc but this summer I made meringue for the first time and can now make pavlova which is easily adapted to Eton Mess if things don't go according to plan 🤗.  

And cakes!  I have learned to make cakes - a bit late in life but I can do it.  (You don't need to look out for me on Bake Off though).  Again, I needed to spend a bit as I had no cake baking pans so I bought a loaf tin and tins for sponge cakes.  I've really, really enjoyed trying different recipes.  Highlights include a toffee and apple loaf (using up more apples from the garden) and my favourite to date, an orange and polenta cake.  

I feel happy about this change and I've found it relaxing and exciting trying new things.  

Mum2Nan

I know what you mean re: cooking,  I'm ok too but do I feel confident to host a dinner party?  Not sure.  Agree about the slow cooker and it's a good investment (I think mine cost between £10 - £15 in a Sainsbury's sale!).  I only tend to use mine in the winter.  Last winter I used to put it on in the morning and come home to a lovely meal.

You've done so well to reduce your grocery spends.

I don't think we will ever agree on plastic plants though

M2N xx