Are you ever embarassed by your money-saving ways?

Kandipandi · 14 November 2009 at 5:43PM

I am never ashamed Im rather proud.
I have just returned from a quick look around the local charity shops - my DS came with me (he is 14) and we had a good rummage for clothes and books.
I do it all, from charity shops to whoopsies to bulking out mince with lentils to doggie bags to asking for stuff for free (have got the kids some posters for their bedroom from a computer game shop).
Its to be admired.

leed · 14 November 2009 at 5:50PM

chocaholic110 wrote: »

I am a teacher and twice a year we get a book fair in with frankly ridiculous prices. I teach (and live) in a quite poor area with high unemployment and I don't think it's fair to ask children to buy books for £5 upwards. My own child goes to my school and I never buy her book fair books - I usually let her order a pack of books from the Book People instead. Plus the book fair books tend to be quite gimmicky, rubbish rather than proper books to read.

It is wrong for teachers / schools to put pressure on parents via children to buy books at book fairs - I was/am never afraid to look and smile and say 'no thank you' if I don't want to buy anything at fairs or stalls.

chocaholic110 wrote: »

I'm another one who is a bit embarrassed at how much I've wasted over the years.
When I first got married I was a bit embarrassed of OH's money saving ways but over the last 12 years I've grown more like him. I used to hate him taking little packs of salt etc when we were out, but think nothing of it now. He uses them to take to work for his bait.

I think you might have to expain what 'bait' means to non-geordies! (I know what it means!)

chocaholic110 wrote: »

Plus I'm quite happy to accept hand me down clothes for the kids rather than paying out most of my salary to Next.

Brilliant - go for it! I'm all for re-cycling children's clothes as they can grow out of them so quickly.

chocaholic110 wrote: »

We don't throw any food away; any leftovers are recycled for lunch the next day or frozen and we buy anything that doesn't matter (tinned tomatoes, fruit juices, salt etc) from the value range, though my mam is always commenting upon the white labels in my kitchen cupboard.

What is it with brand snobbery (no implied critisism of your Mum but in general)? I would far rather get something which isn't a brand (but same or similar quality) for less than pay for the brand/packaging/advertising. I always compare how much per gms/kgs etc as the supermarkets are great at trying to decive the shopper. Long live the canny (wise) shopper!

chocaholic110 wrote: »

I used to spend a fortune on books that cluttered up the house but now I look in bookshops, note down what I'd like to read and order from the library - it costs 30p to reserve but that's a lot less than buying my own copy.

With my library if I reserve online it is free.

chocaholic110 wrote: »

We're hoping to teach our children the value of money and that they can't just have anything they want. They have a budget at Christmas and if they want anything other than at Christmas and birthdays they save up for it. Both our older children have bought nintendo DSs and DS1 bought a Nintendo Wii and a bass guitar with money they saved from odd jobs or pocket money from relatives.

Totally agree - this way children learn that everything comes at a price and will value the items they have bought or contributed to, we have done it with our two and they realised they didn't get everything they wanted but would save up to buy something if they really wanted to get it.

chocaholic110 wrote: »

I have to watch what I say at work about my MSE ways. The other teachers have similar views to my own - I introduced one to Freecycle and she loves it but I did overhear a teaching assistant and admin staff discussing how I wouldn't pay full price for anything - though they were actually right! I have tried to tell them about quidco but it was dismissed as "too good to be true" even after after I explained my car insurance for kast year ended up being around £20 after cashback. I also tried explaining to a staff member who was sayiing she was broke about surveys but she said it was too much bother for nothing. That's as may be but I've made over £250 in vouchers this year.

I wouldn't worry about what people think - if they cannot realise the benefits of sites such as these which help money and resources go further now they may do in the future. As long as we all do our bit, keep plugging away at letting people know about MSE, Freecycle etc the word will get round to those who really do care and want to do something about it. Keep doing a great job in teaching your kids the value of what they have.:T

lickylonglips · 14 November 2009 at 6:23PM

leed wrote: »

It is wrong for teachers / schools to put pressure on parents via children to buy books at book fairs - I was/am never afraid to look and smile and say 'no thank you' if I don't want to buy anything at fairs or stalls.

Teachers don't put pressure on children to buy books at book fairs; it's the schools as they make a certain percentage of the money taken in commission.... I too am a teacher and would never personally buy any books from the book fair as the prices are RRP, and half the time you can get identical books for much much cheaper from amazon, the book people, or even on the high street...

carlislelass · 14 November 2009 at 11:05PM

I`m not a Geordie but I know what "bait" is, down here it`s called "snap"

MrsE_2 · 15 November 2009 at 12:05AM

carlislelass wrote: »

I`m not a Geordie but I know what "bait" is, down here it`s called "snap"

Can we come a bit further south

I don't know what bait or snap is

But judging by the context I'm guessing snack?

yummyhoney · 15 November 2009 at 12:09AM

well im in another country,,so i dont have a clue:)))

foreign_correspondent · 15 November 2009 at 12:15AM

Mrs E - snap is food! Originally from the packed lunches miners took to work with them in 'snap' tins I believe - i.e. tins with a lid that snapped shut! Now used for any food - eg "I am ready for some snap"

ETA - piccy of a snap tin:

Snap%2520tin.jpg

I would like one of these - it is in the shape of a slice of bread - very space saving!

gairlochgal · 15 November 2009 at 12:22AM

SunnyGirl wrote: »

ready beaten eggs in a carton from Tesco

Wow didn't know there was such a thing.

MrsE_2 · 15 November 2009 at 12:23AM

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

Mrs E - snap is food! Originally from the packed lunches miners took to work with them in 'snap' tins I believe - i.e. tins with a lid that snapped shut! Now used for any food - eg "I am ready for some snap"

ETA - piccy of a snap tin:

I would like one of these - it is in the shape of a slice of bread - very space saving!

So its a packed lunch:D
Thank you:beer:

lordswood · 15 November 2009 at 12:37AM

I attend charity quiz nights where each table is provided with a selection of sandwiches and cakes. During the evening any left over food is collected and binned. The lady doing the collecting one evening was surprised by our table being the only one with no left-overs and I had to admit to her that it was all in my bag going home as a treat for my hens.
The next time I went quizzing another lady handed me a black bin liner at the end of the evening and said appologetically "I've been told you might like this ". She seemed relieved when I explained that it wasn't actually me who would be eating the left-overs inside.

(Before anyone tells me that it's not good for my hens, I should say they are free-range and have an excellent diet, but like us they like a little bit of "naughty but nice" occasionally).

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Are you ever embarassed by your money-saving ways?

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