What things can't you compromise on?

McKneff

Bread, i like nice bread.
Cant do with this pasty stuff, i like doorsteps of nice crusty bread with
Jam, salads, chips - the only 'nice' bread i dont like is if its got cheese/onion in it.

Bronnie

If you can afford it and you like it, there's nothing wrong with spending money on good quality food. Just do with what you're feeling comfortable with.

You can still be thrifty by using the ingredients wisely and balancing dishes using fish and meat with less-costly meals like a simple fresh pasta dish. Also by searching out the most cost-effective places to buy, for example a farm shop maybe cheaper for top quality organic veg than Waitrose and by trying out the odd Sainsbury's own brand item (thread of recommendations on MSE) every now and again to see what you think. You can save money on fruit and veg by buying 'in season' too.

My mum had been thrifty all her life, a very astute food shopper and never wasted money, even later in life when they were a bit more comfortable financially. When she became ill and housebound, my dad , who was clueless about food shopping and remained so, became responsible for the shopping. He brought home some terrible stuff .

In the end she just used to get him to go to M&S for all their food shopping. It was less stressfull all round and because she at least knew whatever he brought home would be quality-assured.

jennyjelly

Have to have Douwe Egberts coffee and Yorkshire tea, have tried cheap brands and decided it's worth the extra.

Can't pass a charity shop or boot sale without having a browse, and very rarely leave without books and/or wool. Wouldn't dare to add up how much I spend each year on 'bargains'!

And I Love Sushi!!!

helyg

I can't buy cheap processed food either, although I think sometimes you save just as much by buying good ingredients but using them wisely and not wasting anything.

Same goes for clothes, I find buying really cheap is a false economy as they wear out quicker, I would rather buy stuff which will last, even for the kids as although they grow out of them they can be handed down to siblings or friends.

To me though thrift doesn't mean buying the cheapest of everything, it means being careful with things and not wasting them.

tiff

I think you should do what makes you happy. I am thrifty in a lot of ways but wont go without a holiday (unless we really dont have the money). Even if its just a 4 night break in the UK. So dont beat yourself up, although personally I think you can make great meals with cheap ingredients.

Cooking makes you happy and is your thing, so dont feel bad.

Gingernutmeg

I'm thrifty about most things but I find it hard when it come to cleaning products. I've really tried with vinegar, bicarb etc but I just don't like it (and OH hated the smell of them). I enjoy cleaning so decent cleaning products are a small treat for me - I adore the Method stuff. I justify it by using less and scrubbing a bit harder! Likewise we've just saved to get a decent vacuum and I can't tell you how happy it's made me (tragic, I know ) I see that as one of those 'long-run' economies.

Meat's probably the only other thing. I'm quite happy to buy value veg, but I will not buy value meat. We eat very little meat, really, so I'd rather go to a good local butcher and get something locally raised and organic and have it less often than a daily dose of value mince or chicken.

daska

I can't justify buying 'cheap' products if the quality means that they are poor value. That can be taste, function, fit etc. That doesn't necessarily mean that I buy the most expensive e.g. I find that own brand high juice blackcurrent squash is often as nice as or nicer and much better value than Ribena. Shoes are an area where I won't economise, I take the time to find a good quality pair that fit well and are comfortable because cheap shoes just don't last.

thriftlady_2

I think you should accept that good food is one of the things you personally can't compromise on. I can't either. However it is possible to be thrifty about it if you need to be.

You say you love to cook from scratch, me too, me too!

There are loads of things that cost a bomb to buy yet are really cheap to make at home. I'm thinking of things like preserves and chutneys that cost nearly £4 a jar in a posh deli or farmshop. Yogurt is a lot cheaper to make than buy and you can flavour it with your own homemade fruit purees.

Homemade chicken stock is way better than any cube yet is a thrifty thing to make that will improve the quality of your home cooking no end.

You can make soup of better quality than those posh cartons for pennies and it's easy too.

Bread, well don't get me started lol! I've been baking my own bread for years now, so long that I genuinely have no idea how much a sliced loaf costs anymore. I've just discovered the joys of homemade sour dough which costs a fortune to buy, it is simply fab -u-lous;)

And on the subject of baking homemade biscuits and cakes are so much better than bought ones, and even if there are good quality bought ones around yours' will be so much cheaper.

Meat -I love meat but we don't have it every day and I don't stretch it with lentils or oats to pretend there's more of it.

I buy cheaper cuts like shin of beef and cook it long and slow until it is luscious and melting, kidneys and liver are gorgeous cooked properly - lamb's kidneys with chilli, sheery and lentils -yum.

I also buy in bulk for my freezer from a quality butcher. That way I have mince, free range chickens and sausages at a reasonable price. I always make sure I get the most of a joint by rolling leftovers into other meals. I make up for the smaller quantity of meat in these meals by adding other ingredients like chickpeas and nuts to lamb for a pilaff, puy lentils to leftover baked ham, or bacon, mushrooms and sweetcorn to chicken for a pie. These sort of leftover meals are far from being depressing or second best, they are delicious in their own right- a bonus rather than an austere necessity.

There are lots of things I buy that might be considered extravagances by penny pinchers; good chocolate, good coffee, nuts, quality cheese, cream, alcohol for cooking, cold pressed oils, free range meat and eggs, butter rather than substitutes. I buy expensive fruit and veg like asparagus and cherries but only when they are UK produced.

However there are loads of things I never buy no matter how good the quality; biscuits, cakes, boxed cereals, jam, marmalade, chutney, bread, yogurt (except now and again to 'start' my hm yogurt), ready prepared desserts, meals, soups, packet mixes, ready made sauces (except Patak's curry pastes), butter substitutes, ready prepped veg, out of season imported fruit and veg, sweets, processed cheese products, anything marketed for children.

Yes I am food snob;):D I also find it difficult to be thrifty about cookbooks, but I buy fiction second-hand or use the library. I shop for second hand clothes too;)

Sorry, I seem to have written a manifesto:o:D

anguk

For me being thrifty is about getting best value for money and making things last. For example I only use fairy washing up liquid and fairy washing powder & fabric softener, I could buy cheaper but won't. Instead I stock up when it's on special offer or multi-buy.

It's also cutting back on things I don't mind cutting back on so I can afford the things I do like. I love the soap from purenuffstuff, at almost £3 a bar it's more expensive than "normal" brands but to me it's worth it.

I don't like feeling cold so I'll put the heating on when I want to but to get best value for money I make sure my house is as insulated as possible and line curtains, stop draughts etc.

thriftlady_2

anguk wrote: »

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I don't like feeling cold so I'll put the heating on when I want to but to get best value for money I make sure my house is as insulated as possible and line curtains, stop draughts etc.

Me too, I'm thinking of turning it on now actually, my hands are turning blue, and yes I have put another layer on;)