Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget.

jackieblack · 11 November 2018 at 7:13PM

Prinzessilein wrote: »

I don't actually like champagne!...I do however love a good cup of coffee, so I will join in here as someone who aspires to Blue Mountain on a budget own label income!

I'm with you on the not liking champagne thing. Actually I don't like any alcoholic or fizzy drinks at all!

But a cup of really good coffee... :drool:
My daily treat is a small cafetière of my favourite coffee every morning

I stock up when it's on offer.
I do this for a lot of things actually, I don't believe in paying full price on things that are regularly on offer!
The main exception is gifts I'm buying for other people (although if I can get them at a discount that's a bonus

)

jackieblack · 11 November 2018 at 7:19PM

lessonlearned wrote: »

Oh yes. Good coffee is an absolute must......

I have just had dinner and my coffee is now sat in the cafetière.i shall enjoy with just a small square of dark chocolate as my after dinner treat. .

Speculoos biscuits are fab. I too have stopped buying them except for high days and holidays because I just can't resist them......

I might have to try these biscuits

I'm not a big biscuit eater, but can't resist a Border's Lemon Drizzle Melt :drool:
As for chocolate, I have decided that Bendicks Bittermints are the only thing worth the calories

(But I only buy either of these when they are on offer

)

DundeeDoll · 11 November 2018 at 9:38PM

Don't know where you live. Just finished reading Kathy Kelly 'how I lived on a pound a day' (for the 3rd time!) she lived in a university town which she found very good for free lectures, sometimes with drinks and nibbles afterwards. Have a good trawl of the what's ons at your library for more free events. go to your more salubrious areas to visit charity shops. book train tickets well in advance (I've got 1st class cheaper than 2nd!) (wrt the biscuits my fave are borders dark chocolate covered ginger biscuits) if you have a nearby theatre see if they do last minute prices. call in your local department store for free a free make-over and a squirt of your favourite perfume though only if you won't succumb to the sales chatter. make a list of what you consider champagne lifestyle and we'll put our mse heads together to come up with suggestions :-)

pollypenny · 11 November 2018 at 10:08PM

We are great users of vouchers for meals and are very grateful to the Meerkats for our cinema trips. We haven't yet used the meal offer, as we've had other offers to use.

Registering with chain restaurants often gives you offers. We have a free bottle of wine at Carluccio's to use by 13th.

suki1964 · 11 November 2018 at 10:35PM

Well after being slated for saying look at free entertainment in another thread, Ill not mention that on this one :rotfl:

Im another that does lunchtime or early bird menus when eating out, Around here you can get the same menu during the day as the expensive al a carte evening menu, for £10 for 2 course plus a glass of wine or a beer

I also do the cinema on half price Tuesday. If your cinemas don't offer it, then I think that one of the comparison sites offer it if you buy something from them. A days travel insurance usually fits the qualifying criteria

Not living on the mainland the theatre is a no no, but the cinemas usually cover the big shows. So its nearly as good as going to the National , without the travel etc. You get good seats as well

I save my Tesco points for ferry travel to get me over to Scotland a few times a year, every £5 point gives me £15 quid off - every little helps

Don't know who your mobile provider is, but 02 have some fantastic deals available which I used all the time when living on the mainland ( not much choice here)

And yes, lidl wines are very good for the price and their chocolate is also fantastic What better to spoil yourself with

DundeeDoll · 12 November 2018 at 8:49AM

suki1964 wrote: »

Well after being slated for saying look at free entertainment in another thread, Ill not mention that on this one

:eek:well hoping this thread is a more positively constructive one. I enjoyed two wonderful evenings last month, courtesy of the University of Dundee. Fascinating subjects, wine and nibbles after. Also good to support our Universities as they continue to offer these public outreach events. As they say about the libraries 'use it or lose it'

Mr T vouchers are excellent yes, especially if you can use them for your champagne lifestyle e.g. if one of the restaurants doesn't cost too much in travel. My friend has M&S the yellow sticker window down to a t. I like Mr L for shopping though. my bills are much less, and I like to go with the theme of the week for added fun. I save my Boots points for luxuries.

[Deleted User] · 12 November 2018 at 9:28AM

My local cinemas do 'silver screenings where you get the movie and a cuppa and a biscuit usually on Tuesday or Thursday mornings

for £3.00 and its films that aren't maybe more than a month older than the general release.

I am a great believer in getting out and about and if its free or low cost so much the better When you live on a fixed income as most pensioners do then the better you can make your cash work for you the better it is .

I figure I have done my bit for society and brought up to hard working productive daughters and worked hard for most of my life so now I am older, then it's time to enjoy what there is, and enjoy life I jolly well will

:):) so go for it and use the facilities available

pinknsparkly · 12 November 2018 at 9:44AM

lessonlearned - I'm also a big theatre fan and have recently discovered National Theatre Live (http://ntlive.nationaltheatre.org.uk/), where theatre productions are screened live into cinemas. They cost around £15ish a ticket and also the views are so much better than you'll get from being in the theatre as the cameras are right up close to the actors. I was very very impressed. Keep an eye on your local cinema screenings (and look at different brands too - Vue and Odeon are the major ones, sometimes the productions are only screened in one of these, not both!) as it seems to becoming a bigger thing, with more organisations joining in. So far I've seen Hamlet, Warhorse and Frankenstein's Monster (all National Theatre productions) and they were all incredible. I've recently seen the King and I advertised (https://www.kingandimusicalcinema.com/) and the next one I'd like to go and see is the Nutcracker as I've never seen a live ballet (https://www.roh.org.uk/showings/the-nutcracker-live-2018).

lessonlearned · 12 November 2018 at 12:06PM

Good morning everyone.....

What a glorious day. I am going to wrap up and take a stroll to my local shops then come back and plant up some pots for some spring colour.

Pinknsparkly.....what a fun name. :rotfl: thanks for the advice about special theatre presentations at the cinema. Sounds good. We do have a couple of local theatres but obviously they don't offer the "big events". The Nutracker looks fab.

Dundee Doll And Suki. Don't worry you won't receive any negativity about any of your ideas on here. Free fun.......bring it on.:rotfl:

I am usually an extremely upbeat and positive person......I just am. A blessing or a curse. I'm not entirely sure.

I know my relentless enthusiasm and positivity annoys some people. It drove my late MIL crazy but then she was one of life's born pessimists, bless her. I know I can be a Marmite at times........I can be a bit "Tigger". Like an over enthusiastic puppy. :rotfl:

Having said all that I am still coming to terms with widowhood.....will I ever, I doubt it. So Yes I do have my down days, when I need to take a step back and be solitary, when I just shut the door and have an "at home" day. After all I'm only human.

All I know is we only get one life and I believe we need to make the most of it. In my case I am living for my husband as well as myself. He died at 57. He didn't want to, he wasn't ready, he was desperate to live. But, as the old saying goes, we can't always get what we want.

Sometimes I do find it hard to mingle when I'm feeling low and missing my husband but I know when to push myself and make an effort and when to lie low and just be alone and quiet and lick my wounds.

But on the whole I am ok with it all and I am determined to have some adventures and fun, and I am determined to have luxury and glamour.

Luxury on a budget.....and that champagne lifestyle. I am sooooo ready.

.

My Mantra......

"Life is short. Take the trip. Buy the shoes. Eat the cake".

I have very little money but I'm not going to let that stop me.

I read the Kathy Kelly book, £1 a day. Brilliant.

buildersdaughter · 12 November 2018 at 2:01PM

Totally agree about the tech college.
Suki, not sure if I saw that thread about free entertainment - I do remember posting on one thread about it, where people were saying sadly, there was very little around now. Still worth watching out for. The only 'free' show we now get in the firework display, but Xmas light switch on is fun,and usually the mince pie money goes to charity.
'Entertainment' is so variable. I know someone who will spend hundreds once every year or two on travel, hotels and a huge concert, but won't give our local £12 concert (includes wine & cake!) a go - even though I pointed out that he could walk out if it lived down to his expectations!
I am a huge fan of the live, beamed shows. You get interviews with director & cast as well.
You may not feel able to do any of these whilst doing up your house, but I'll include them anyway:
Volunteering at your local theatre or concert venue will get you free shows, and volunteering at the National Trust gets you free membership.
House sitting is a fantastic way to get a 'free' holiday but terms & conditions vary enormously, so look carefully.

And if you are very lucky, you will live in a village like mine, where every year, the Village Hall committee do a Xmas dinner for £15 (includes 1 drink) with the same, traditional entertainment & singing and we all have a wonderful time!

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget.

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free