useless with money

jojo1969

any ideas on how i can save more money i have posted a thread further down the page regarding shopping,i dont by much clothes and makeup and kids do all sports so money dos go on kids a bit but my food shop needs to come down any ideas plz

addictedtosoreen

Hi Jojo
meal plan meal plan meal plan!!
i have saved a fortune doing this (from over £400 to under £200 a month for me and 3 kids)
you can do it weekly or monthly depending how you shop. start by doing a quick look at what you alreay have and shop accordingly to clear your fridge/cupboards. then do a meal plan. i just do evening meals but buy cereals for breakfast and ham/cheese ect for lunch.
also stop buying cleaning stuff! i use vinegar and bicarb for most things (link is on here somewhere with a mass of info) will save you a fortune
make your own cakes and bread, very easy even i can do it
use half the dose of washing powder, most things you wash only need a half dose. anything really dirty use recommended dose.
use vinegar insted of fabric softener, i promise you wont know the difference or the smell.
will post more as i think of them...........thats all i can think of for now

addictedtosoreen

Pink.

Hi jojo,

Have a look at Martin's Budget Planner, that should help you to find out if/where you are overspending and give you ideas on how you could reduce your spending. There is also his article on Supermarket Shopping which has lots of hints and tips on saving money on groceries.

As others have said, meal planning is a good way to save money. To get some ideas and help with this, have a look in

The Complete Menu Plans Collection

Also there are lots of ideas for cheap meals on these threads:

Cheapest recipes???

Meal for two for 50p. Suggestions?

The Cheapest Healthy Meal Ever!

Feed 6 for £1.62

Cheapest meal

Your Cheapest Evening Meal.

cheap, easy family meals

Good luck with cutting back.

Pink

beemuzed

Have to agree with the meal planning - it really does save loads of unnecessary spending and waste.

thriftlady_2

Good tips from addictedtosoreen I'd add;
1) Use up leftovers. Freeze leftover portions of a meal until you have enough for a family meal of assorted leftovers.
2) Spend your cash on food that pays its way nutritionally.
3) Check out farmshops, discount supermarkets, markets and specialist shops like butchers for bargains.
4) Search this forum for storecupboard and freezer lists. They can be useful guides to what you need and don't need to produce tasty, economical meals.

addictedtosoreen

thanks Thriftylady!
also make the most of your freezer. i bought a 2nd hand one last week to store my home made stuff. i tend to bake loads while the oven is on and freeze stuff.
join quidco, money for a bit of your time
make meals from scratch, sooooo much cheaper
follow martins tips on the website, it will save you money in ALL areas of your life, even if you didnt think you needed to!!!:money: