Would you live well for less?

[ImaBraveNhsHero]

I don't think I would. Just watched the programme now and yeah ok I'd use cheaper washing powder but in all honesty if I had more left at the end of the month as a result I'd just spend it on days or nights out or whatever. I mean I've got money that goes into pots and that plus pension and regular savings but otherwise if I've got it I spend it. Am I just really bad with money?

But surely that’s the point? You spend less on stuff that doesn’t matter, like fancy washing powder, and have more to spend on something else. Usually on the show it seems to be a new kitchen, but if you want nights out then why not?

(Although the whole programme is bloody daft, there’s no point telling someone their exercise bike could have been £100 cheaper, they go “it’s a swap”, doesn’t actually mean they’re going to save £100 because how many exercise bikes does one buy?)

Isn't it daft

No because I don't spend 15k a year on food.

I think if you've already got Savings then you don't need to buy cheaper, I don't think you're bad with money, sometimes it's nice to have the choice of buying what we want to and like you say if you were to spend it on a night out anyway you may as well buy what you prefer.
Personally I am saving as I don't have any so I'm quite happy to buy a cheaper option as it makes sense for me to do.

I think the Le Creuset is a good investment anyway. My casserole dish and pans are still good 30 years later.

@woodhill

I think the Le Creuset is a good investment anyway. My casserole dish and pans are still good 30 years later.

But so are cheaper options. We have some Tefal pans that are close to 20 years old, still good as new. We also use Scoville baking trays, which are very cheap in Asda or Argos, about £15, lasts at least 10 years, maybe more. A Le Creuset cast iron equivalent costs around TWO HUNDRED POUNDS. Fine if you want to spend that sort of money, but far from necessary to get something decent quality that lasts.

The people in the programme aren't in the position where they've money for everything they want/need, savings and a pension. That's the whole point of it.

Fine if you are in this position, but if you can't afford to move house, go on holiday, pay off debt or whatever is the driver to the participants of the show, it is a good idea to analyse your spending and see where you can make savings, especially if you're overspending because you don't realise how much you spend on food and how much gets wasted, or you think the £100 moisturiser is worth it until its pointed out to you that in a blind test you actually thought it was rubbish and preferred the £5 Boots version, or whatever.

Yes I agree but was pointing out that my Le Creuset have paid for themselves and I reckon you can buy them for less than £200 anyway

Buying cheap is sometimes a false economy as the things need replacing more often.

Sometimes the branded fashion labels are a rip off

I watched the programme last night, not some I'd usually do. The whole premiss was flawed - "We've swapped your food processor so have saved you money" - utter bollocks.
Reading between the lines, the family are living a pretty affluent life-style and could easily save enough to get a bathroom fitted out, they just wanted to get on the telly.

It is a bit - "here we've got you own brand 'tuna' as opposed to John West". For most people it's the incremental cost of living; bills, travel etc that tip us over the edge not swapping out 'posh' detergent or whatever. That said, if you're smoking 2 packets of cigarettes a week then vaping would be cheaper but then what.

I agree that this 'swap out something you've already bought' could be better framed although the underlying point is good, in that you don't always get what you pay for.

I've not seen Live Well for Less, but I assume that it is a variation on the Eat/Shop Well for Less themes. Maybe they should also encourage people to cut down on things? I think it was one of the 'Shop' programmes where their claimed annual saving by swapping something from expensive to cheap (moisturiser?) was more than I spent in total in about 10 years. They must have been drinking the stuff.

@VladmirsPoutine

It is a bit - "here we've got you own brand 'tuna' as opposed to John West". For most people it's the incremental cost of living; bills, travel etc that tip us over the edge not swapping out 'posh' detergent or whatever. That said, if you're smoking 2 packets of cigarettes a week then vaping would be cheaper but then what.

But it's a significant factor for a lot of people. Look after the pennies and all that.

For things like detergent, also toilet roll, dishwasher tablets, cleaning products, canned food, pet food etc the cost per item between buying a small pack from an expensive supermarket like Waitrose or Sainsburys compared with getting the same brand in a bigger pack on offer in Asda or Wilko/Home Bargains etc is often a factor of 3 or 4.

And that's before you consider choosing cheaper brands. You can pay nearly 30 p per tablet for dishwasher tablets or well under 10 p from Lidl/Aldi, that work just as well. Easily savings of tens of pounds a week or well over £1k pa from just a few changes in buying habits that really help the bottom line.

The problem with these programmes is the people actually have plenty of money so I have little sympathy for them.

They aren't scraping by. Spending £400 on a toaster because the colour or brand is in fashion then being surprised that a £30 one actually toasts bread is their own stupidity or vanity.

I’ve found that the cheaper dishwasher tablets don’t keep my machine as clean as the more expensive ones, so I end up buying dishwasher cleaner.
My machine goes on twice a day, so I use the cheap tablets for the breakfast/dinner wash, and the more expensive ones for the night wash. This way I rarely buy the dishwasher cleaner.

I couldn't see the point in changing the stuff they'd already brought like the fridge and the kitchen aid.

Almost had heart failure at the cost of the Le cruset stuff though.

Also the holiday house swap thing was a bit daft. Not everyone would be comfortable with letting out their house like that.

It depends on your income, your future needs etc.

Are you putting enough in a pension to keep the heating on in your 70s? Have you got enough for a new roof or a new boiler? Or for your dc's room deposit at university? Or all three?

@GoodnightGrandma

I’ve found that the cheaper dishwasher tablets don’t keep my machine as clean as the more expensive ones, so I end up buying dishwasher cleaner. My machine goes on twice a day, so I use the cheap tablets for the breakfast/dinner wash, and the more expensive ones for the night wash. This way I rarely buy the dishwasher cleaner.

That's a great tip ! I agree I buy the expensive tablets but usually on offer as they work better

@Toddlerteaplease

I couldn't see the point in changing the stuff they'd already brought like the fridge and the kitchen aid.

It's more about getting to realise that in future, spending more doesn't mean a gadget will perform any better and to get them to actually think before they spend.

@GoodnightGrandma

I’ve found that the cheaper dishwasher tablets don’t keep my machine as clean as the more expensive ones, so I end up buying dishwasher cleaner. My machine goes on twice a day, so I use the cheap tablets for the breakfast/dinner wash, and the more expensive ones for the night wash. This way I rarely buy the dishwasher cleaner.

I use a cup of white vinegar when I want to clean my dishwasher. Never used a special cleaner and it works well.

I didn't really understand the university package either. The stuff tends to come back so more clutter

We just cobbled together stuff we already had and relatives were downsizing. It gets so manky or pinched so is it really necessary to buy new. You could pick up stuff in a charity shop but this isn't mentioned

I remember on one of the programmes they bought the children some really cheap plastic toys "that they liked just as much as their old ones!" ....Well duh, not many young children are going to turn down new toys (they were around 5) ...but they looked exactly the sort of toys that would be broken in about 2 days weeks

I'd think fair enough if this was really all the family could afford but you saw them wasting money on all sorts of other stuff, so I thought buying really cheap toys was false economy. Stuff like lego or sylvanian families lasts forever and can often be found second hand on ebay or fb selling pages.

Although these type of programmes generally annoy me because I feel like they are designed to make people look silly. Ditto the cleaning programmes.

I didn't get the car costs in relation to all the children - I mean who would seriously pay for driving lessons, buy a car, insurance etc for 8 kids. My son has paid for all that himself - why did they think it is their responsibility ? And then they wonder why they can't afford a new bathroom 🥴

@Daisyhoney yes I thought that. They won't have space for 8 cars anyway! And real Lego etc can be sold for good money. I imagine the imitation stuff can't. Meaning it will just go to waste.

How they measure the savings is a bit mad. They quoted a total saving figure at the end of the programme and within that was the university starter packs for all eight children. The youngest was 20 months old !