It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

Prudent

Really interesting reading everyone's top five, plenty of ideas to follow up.

Mine are 

1) Being retired gives me more time to shop around. Especially good for charity shops. I like to sew and upcycle so will alter and adapt things I find second-hand.
2) Youtube exercise videos. I use a Fabulous 50's and The Girl with the Pilates mat. I started these in lockdown and haven't paid for classes since.
3) Using a wee 'at cost' and supermarket surplus shop run by my local community centre. It sells groceries, cleaning products, and toiletries. I have had some good bargains. Stock is quite limited but it varies every week other than a few core staples.
4) Growing herbs on the windowsill/ in the garden.
5) My heated throw.

Snowy_Owl

London_1 said:

His younger brother Mikey has got a place at Essex to start in September and bless him he has been grafting all the hours he can, and stashing his cash away like a 6ft blonde squirrel that he is I shall make sure he has a good box of stuff to start him off when he goes.


JackieO xx

I used to do this as a student in the mid1990's!!  I worked in my home town to save money. If they were certain things on offer in the shops (sanitary towels, toiletries, simple foods like pasta )I would stock up for the following year  - it just made life that bit easier

London_1

All my freezer and tinned good cupboards are inventoried now, and I have worked out my menus for the next 2-3 weeks and have very little to buy for the foreseeable couple of weeks.

Running down the freezer since Christmas has been a godsend and I have stashed the left over cash away to help restock when I have defrosted at long last. 

Going through to dried goods cupboard is next on the agenda today, and seeing what can be used up to make things with I know I have plentry of rice, pasta ,flour, lentils,oats  etc so nothing to get there at least.
I also have a stash of those packet sauce mixes in a box that I am going to get out and stick on the side to get those used up as well.

Had dinner at eldest DDs last night, and she had a clear out of odds and ends from her cupboards and I came home with an assortment of little jars of jam. I will use these up in either jam tarts, or as flavouring for plain yogurts or rice puddings. 

Utilising all my food stocks as much as I can this year as I feel the coming winter will be a tough one.
I have lists pinned to the inside of my store cupboards noting what I have available. 

JackieO x

SIRENS

Morning All and Happy Easter
my top 5 are
1. Food planning, I do a 4 week plan so I know what I'm shopping for and cooking, quickly and everyone knows what's for dinner!
2. A well stocked pantry (well under the stairs) plenty of staples tinned and dried and lots of spices.
3. My slow cooker, I can pop it on before I leave for work and there is a nice hot meal ready when we get in.
4. Cloth san pro also, have been using then for the last 14 years, started when my son was was in cloth nappies.
5. My ipad, I know it may not seem money saving but I use it for so much, I can find free knitting patterns, recipes, free books to download, look for discount codes and the best prices, research things I need to buy, look for ways to fix broken things, a wealth of how too. 

Wraithlady

Happy Easter to all! 

My top 5 'things that make my life significantly easier' are:

1. Filter coffee machine - loaded the night before, OH turns it on, I shamble down 1-2 hours later and I have a hot cup of coffee waiting for me.

2. Bread maker - I can experiment with different types of bread flour, and have made focaccia, pizza dough (quite a regular feature!), sourdough, challah and the dough for hot cross buns. Yes, I could do it by hand, but it means I can just load and leave it whilst I work/do other things/sleep

3. My slow cooker(s) - the small one gets the most use, but the large one comes into its own for batch-cooking or dinner parties

4. The little outside chest freezer (in conjunction with my larger indoor freezer) - in fact, all my extra storage including behind the toeboards on the kitchen cupboards, where my tubs of breadflour live.

5. My garden. Long and thin as it may be, it has a large patio where live all my tubs and the raised bed OH made. This means I can grow things like salad and tomatoes ( I am reminded anew each year how gorgeous tomato plants smell!)

YorksLass

London_1 said:

I also have a stash of those packet sauce mixes in a box that I am going to get out and stick on the side to get those used up as well.
JackieO x

I remember a "conversation" we had a long while back (on the LFHW thread, I think) about these and it seemed we were as bad as each other for hoarding them.     I've managed to tame mine and have a much more reasonable stock nowadays.  I still buy them as they're very useful to have in but only when they're on promotion.  Like you, I have inventories for the freezer and cupboard contents.  I even have one on the front of the fridge to save opening the door so much.  

I've always budgeted carefully but still look for ways to keep costs down.  It might only be a few pennies here and there but it all adds up in the long run.  Any spare or saved cash is going into a squirrel fund for next winter.  Being retired, I look upon it as a challenge to make my cash work for me, not the other way round.

One area that's been given the chop this year is clothing expenditure.  Not that I spend a lot on clothes anyway and I've never really enjoyed that type of shopping, so I've decided not to buy anything new (apart from undies) until it's really needed.   Even then, I'll look in the CS first.  I have more than enough to wear, plus I enjoy knitting and sewing.  I have large stashes of yarn and fabric to use up so it's a win-win.

London_1

YorksLass I remember that conversation we are definitely 'sisters from a different mister' I too have given up buying clothes as I doubt at my age i will ever wear out the stuff I already have.
 My DDS tend to buy me tops or cardi's or jumpers, and I suppose the only thing I do treat myself to when needed are comfortable shoes.
I am definitely a Sketchers or Hotters lady I have a pair of Sketchers that are almost falling apart but they are so comfortable and keep my feet dry, my days of elegant high heeled strappy shoes are sadly long gone:)

I am built for comfort now not speed . Underware always from M&S as I just like their cotton stuff , can't abide nylon or anything that causes static Again comfort is king.
 I did have a smart coat made for my two years ago at an eyewatering price but that's because I have lymphodema in my right arm so cannot get ordinary coats to fit very well as my right arm is twice the size of the left one and I can do nothing about it.
 I have to get coats two to three times bigger than I need to accomodate my grotty arm. But I do have at least one smart coat when needed now. 

My family keep me well supplied with slippers etc and i'm not one to get glammed up anymore as I don't go very far from home when I go out .usually to coffee morings on a tuesday or to either of my two daughters for dinner.
I suppose the one luxury that I do enjoy is really nice perfume. L'occitane or Jo malone now and again or my number one favorite is Chanel no.5. I buy very little make up now, but like nice soap or talc. long as I'm clean and tidy and smell ice I'm quite happy. My youngest grandson when he gives me a hug always says 'Oh Nanny you always smell nice' bless him.

Those sauce mixes are a lot more under control than they were, and having some on the side in a small basket in the kitchen reminds me to use them up.

Saying that I have just got back from my youngest DDs house with the large joint of the left over leg of lamb. That will be turned into a good few shepards pies tomorrow once I strip the bone and mince it all up.I have plenty of onions carrots and mushrooms in store so none of it will go to waste. I may even have enough to make some moussaka for the freezer.
her and my son-in-law are going away for a few days with the three dogs and two of my gransons will be at home as Jack is back teaching on Tuesday, and Mikey has his mock A levels this week. So I shall be doing extra meals for the boys, and DD said to use it up as I want to. So nothing will be wasted at all.

JackieO xx

PS I remember starting that LFHW several years ago  

borefest

I try to save money every day but the one thing I can’t give up is a squirt of Jo Malone every day…..even if I stay in the house and just do housework 😗I have tried to stop but just can’t🤪

littlemoney

Since my last friend died 18 months ago I have saved on eating out. Going for a coffee or lunch  on your own isn't the same so I don't bother. If I go out I don't stop for refreshments, it's amazing how much you can spend without realising it. Having no family who is interested about me means another money saver as no need for cards or presents and no family get togethers with the subsequent debates about how to split the bill.

OrkneyStar

littlemoney said:

Since my last friend died 18 months ago I have saved on eating out. Going for a coffee or lunch  on your own isn't the same so I don't bother. If I go out I don't stop for refreshments, it's amazing how much you can spend without realising it. Having no family who is interested about me means another money saver as no need for cards or presents and no family get togethers with the subsequent debates about how to split the bill.

Sorry you lost your friend. I have to say though that I don't mind eating alone, in fact I quite enjoy it. I don't do it very often though and it would tend to be lunch in a cafe instead of an evening meal somewhere a bit posher. I have got to say I am with you about 'splitting the bill debates', had a few times where people ordered a main that cost twice as much (eg a steak) and a starter, yet still expected to split with those of us just having a cheaper main - I started to see why some of them were well off, they expected less well off people to subsidise them!