Should itsthelittlethings spend less on coffee?

itsthelittlethings

Just getting ready for the day. Need to vacuum and do the washing up before heading off to the gym. It’s a bit cold though so I’m under the covers with a coffee.

I’ve sold an old hand mixer for £5 so that’s £5 in. The person is getting a bargain as it was barely used and is still in its box. Plus I’ve made some space in my cupboard.

Need to block social media on my phone for the day as I’d like to be productive.

itsthelittlethings

Back to work today. Was worried I would have to take a sick day as I was a bit poorly yesterday but I woke up and feel ok today. Just listening to the radio and going to put the wool I was cataloguing away in a minute. Also make another coffee, moisturise and put primer on and brush my hair. I was going to wash up but I don't want to get my work clothes wet.

30 days to payday. To be honest I only really have food to buy. Everything else is secondary. I have a load of ingredients for Chinese food coming in my Waitrose order next week. In complete coincidence, it's Chinese New Year in February. I'm making Kung Pao Prawns and Vegetarian Chow Mein. I need to invite my sister etc round this week. Might make spag bol as I have spaghetti and tinned toms so it's just a load of mince @£10. Let me tell you, that family can eat! Just remembered that my niece prefers not to eat spaghetti (let me repeat that for you) so might pop to Tescos and get some fusilli.

Off to London next weekend. It is budgeted. Last holiday this year except visits to mum. I booked it when I wasn't so serious about paying off debt. I'll tell you all about it afterwards.

liselle

I make macaroni bolognese rather than spaghetti as my family prefer it.

[Deleted User]

I use penne or pasta bows because I find that works better than spaghetti when microwaving the leftovers in work for lunch.  

[Deleted User]

itsthelittlethings said:

Back to work today. Was worried I would have to take a sick day as I was a bit poorly yesterday but I woke up and feel ok today. Just listening to the radio and going to put the wool I was cataloguing away in a minute. Also make another coffee, moisturise and put primer on and brush my hair. I was going to wash up but I don't want to get my work clothes wet.

30 days to payday. To be honest I only really have food to buy. Everything else is secondary. I have a load of ingredients for Chinese food coming in my Waitrose order next week. In complete coincidence, it's Chinese New Year in February. I'm making Kung Pao Prawns and Vegetarian Chow Mein. I need to invite my sister etc round this week. Might make spag bol as I have spaghetti and tinned toms so it's just a load of mince @£10. Let me tell you, that family can eat! Just remembered that my niece prefers not to eat spaghetti (let me repeat that for you) so might pop to Tescos and get some fusilli.

Off to London next weekend. It is budgeted. Last holiday this year except visits to mum. I booked it when I wasn't so serious about paying off debt. I'll tell you all about it afterwards.

Hi @its@itsthelittlethings

At least while your trying to reduce debt would you consider a cheaper supermarket?  Waitrose is known for being expensive.

For example, a four pack of baked potatoes in Aldi are £0.79p.  In Waitrose they cost £0.95 or £1.90.  

If this was a product you purchased every week, then Waitrose based on the lowest price would cost you £8.32 more a year. Think that doesn't sound much and isn't worth it? what if say 10 items or more in your shopping basket cost you £8.32 each or more per year, you could save alot.

Another example, I use tomato passata instead of tinned tomatoes, Aldi £0.49p and Waitrose £1.40. Would cost you £47.32 more a year!

My last example is broccoli which is £1.30 in Waitrose and £0.79p in Aldi.  Costs £26.52 a year more on just one item.

There is a website where you can compare prices in different supermarkets.

[Deleted User]

Re your emergency fund, have you needed to dip into it for an emergency?  I noticed it says 50/3000 today instead of 100/3000 it said previously.

You started your EF in December and if you hadn't dipped into it in both January and December you would have £200 now instead of £50.  £200 would have been a good amount to continue to build on to reach your target of £3000.  Do you move the EF money to a separate account?

I think you still misunderstand the purpose of the EF.  As I said in a previous post, I have lived the reality of genuinely needing the money I had saved in my EF, it would have been a whole lot more stressful had I not had the money.  Imagine a worst case scenario and you had no money coming in at all?  How would you cover your priority and regular outgoings like council tax, service charges, electricity costs, etc let alone money for food and travel to work.

itsthelittlethings

[Deleted User] said:

itsthelittlethings said:

Back to work today. Was worried I would have to take a sick day as I was a bit poorly yesterday but I woke up and feel ok today. Just listening to the radio and going to put the wool I was cataloguing away in a minute. Also make another coffee, moisturise and put primer on and brush my hair. I was going to wash up but I don't want to get my work clothes wet.

30 days to payday. To be honest I only really have food to buy. Everything else is secondary. I have a load of ingredients for Chinese food coming in my Waitrose order next week. In complete coincidence, it's Chinese New Year in February. I'm making Kung Pao Prawns and Vegetarian Chow Mein. I need to invite my sister etc round this week. Might make spag bol as I have spaghetti and tinned toms so it's just a load of mince @£10. Let me tell you, that family can eat! Just remembered that my niece prefers not to eat spaghetti (let me repeat that for you) so might pop to Tescos and get some fusilli.

Off to London next weekend. It is budgeted. Last holiday this year except visits to mum. I booked it when I wasn't so serious about paying off debt. I'll tell you all about it afterwards.

Hi @its@itsthelittlethings

At least while your trying to reduce debt would you consider a cheaper supermarket?  Waitrose is known for being expensive.

For example, a four pack of baked potatoes in Aldi are £0.79p.  In Waitrose they cost £0.95 or £1.90.  

If this was a product you purchased every week, then Waitrose based on the lowest price would cost you £8.32 more a year. Think that doesn't sound much and isn't worth it? what if say 10 items or more in your shopping basket cost you £8.32 each or more per year, you could save alot.

Another example, I use tomato passata instead of tinned tomatoes, Aldi £0.49p and Waitrose £1.40. Would cost you £47.32 more a year!

My last example is broccoli which is £1.30 in Waitrose and £0.79p in Aldi.  Costs £26.52 a year more on just one item.

There is a website where you can compare prices in different supermarkets.

Aldi don't deliver and as I work shifts and don't have a car I do struggle to do a big shop without delivery. I guess I could try Asda delivery. I did try it once before and I wasn't very impressed.

I just did my next shop on Asda. I saved nearly £15 so I suppose that's worth it.

liselle

T—sco deliver and the prices are reasonable

OneThranWeeCutty

How far away from a supermarket are you? Could you more frequent little shops instead? 

[Deleted User]

itsthelittlethings said:

[Deleted User] said:

itsthelittlethings said:

Back to work today. Was worried I would have to take a sick day as I was a bit poorly yesterday but I woke up and feel ok today. Just listening to the radio and going to put the wool I was cataloguing away in a minute. Also make another coffee, moisturise and put primer on and brush my hair. I was going to wash up but I don't want to get my work clothes wet.

30 days to payday. To be honest I only really have food to buy. Everything else is secondary. I have a load of ingredients for Chinese food coming in my Waitrose order next week. In complete coincidence, it's Chinese New Year in February. I'm making Kung Pao Prawns and Vegetarian Chow Mein. I need to invite my sister etc round this week. Might make spag bol as I have spaghetti and tinned toms so it's just a load of mince @£10. Let me tell you, that family can eat! Just remembered that my niece prefers not to eat spaghetti (let me repeat that for you) so might pop to Tescos and get some fusilli.

Off to London next weekend. It is budgeted. Last holiday this year except visits to mum. I booked it when I wasn't so serious about paying off debt. I'll tell you all about it afterwards.

Hi @its@itsthelittlethings

At least while your trying to reduce debt would you consider a cheaper supermarket?  Waitrose is known for being expensive.

For example, a four pack of baked potatoes in Aldi are £0.79p.  In Waitrose they cost £0.95 or £1.90.  

If this was a product you purchased every week, then Waitrose based on the lowest price would cost you £8.32 more a year. Think that doesn't sound much and isn't worth it? what if say 10 items or more in your shopping basket cost you £8.32 each or more per year, you could save alot.

Another example, I use tomato passata instead of tinned tomatoes, Aldi £0.49p and Waitrose £1.40. Would cost you £47.32 more a year!

My last example is broccoli which is £1.30 in Waitrose and £0.79p in Aldi.  Costs £26.52 a year more on just one item.

There is a website where you can compare prices in different supermarkets.

Aldi don't deliver and as I work shifts and don't have a car I do struggle to do a big shop without delivery. I guess I could try Asda delivery. I did try it once before and I wasn't very impressed.

I just did my next shop on Asda. I saved nearly £15 so I suppose that's worth it.

I don't have a car and don't drive.

I live 20 minutes walk or a 10 min bus ride from the nearest supermarket approx 1 mile away and I use a shopping trolley similar to this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lightweight-Shopping-Trolley-Foldable-Flat-Pack/dp/B09NT6SWTT/ref=mp_s_a_1_16?

There are loads of similar ones available.  I've had the same one for over a decade and it is a bit battered but still serves a purpose.

It's easy to get on/off the bus and I put the heavy items at the bottom and the lighter items on the top.  It's a bit like a tardis and not that difficult to move even when full and heavy because there is no lifting involved.

I understand working shifts may make doing a weekly shop a bit more challenging but surely there would be weeks where you could do shopping earlier or later depending whether you are on early or late shift?  Or on a Saturday as I don't think you work overtime every Saturday?

It's about whether you are really interested in saving money initially to pay your debt off quicker than waiting for payday and in future to build an emergency fund.

You mentioned in a previous post about spending £65 on the Waitrose order and that didn't appear to get you much to make many meals from.  I could get two weeks groceries for £65 to include breakfasts, lunches and dinners plus snacks.  

Edit - I'm a bit confused!  You done an Asda online shop as well as a Waitrose one?  Do you mean for different weeks?!
I'm not against online grocery shops, they are useful occassionally but I'd choose one at the cheaper end of the market as I'd still want to save money.