To ask if these are the same people?

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Judging from the Education threads-loads of people have DC in private schools.
Over on threads about food shopping- you're all making £50 last a week.
Are these different people?
Or is there a whole demographic of mums paying the school fees by living off the TESCO Value range?
Is this a thing?

Ooh who's been saying that? Give me names!

Thing is, you have to take everything you read on here with a pinch of salt. People love to exaggerate on tinternet

There are a lot of people in MN. A whole range. Why would it be the same people. And come to that - why wouldn't it be? Spending more on education, if that's your things, does not mean you have to throw money away in Waitrose.

Argh. Missing question mark. Sorry.

Psammead: I suspect its not the same people, but I'm curious.

It's possible. I know a family who are pretty wealthy, have a house worth well over a million pounds and send their children to prep, but are quite frugal with money.

I suppose that should say they are otherwise frugal with money, given the huge house and private schools are definitely luxuries!

Yes. They will be different people, I expect.

Check the usernames. They'll be different.

I spend £60 a week atm. I've done it for less. Never sent my kids to private school. I spend what I can afford, not choose to spend little.

I suppose there will be people who spend as little as they can, not because they can't afford to spend more, but because they don't want to. Or because by pinching in some areas they can afford more in others.

But there are people on mn who are surviving on minimal benefits, in minimum wage jobs, struggling but coping, comfortable, wealthy, rich, stinking rich, millionaires.

Owns an island.

Oh yes.

we've got some of everything here.

We have a mahoosive mortgage and expensive hobbies... But I meal plan and aim for £50 a week on groceries (which does not mean eating badly if you cook a lot and are inventive). DC not old enough for school yet.

It's up to you how you spend it, innit.

Not everyone with kids in private education is rolling in cash. Lots are ordinary families who choose to prioritise school fees over holidays, cars etc.

Some are really struggling, but believe, for what ever reason, they are doing the right thing.

Even middle income earners could be struggling with school fees though.

I buy some value range stuff- but because every little helps.

Not the same people. An alarm sounds at the gates of a private school if cheap supermarket bags or value range items are detected in a car.

Just being nosey but Ice, could you share your shopping list with me? I honestly salute your skills!

My ds is 2.5... We live on £50ish a week for a very healthy shopping basket. We can afford more- but every penny over goes into a savings account so that he can go to private school. As long as none of us is under fed or malnourished what's the problem? We prioritise education over buying brioche, and tesco finest! Is that alright with everyone or do I need to spend more because we want our ds to go private?!!!

I should add that private fees are still beyond the reach of many. There are lots of people really, really struggling to make ends meet, without paying school fees.

The problem with paying fees out of earned income, as opposed to "family money" or savings is you don't always know where the next set of fees is coming from. When times are good it all seems ok but the way things are with the economy I've seen lots of people almost bankrupting themselves. Once you've made the decision to go private it's very hard to admit you can't afford it anymore.

I've seen friends going through this and it's very sad. Schools are struggling to get their fees in across the board. One family we knew pulled their 3 children out, owing fees from the term before. That's a big loss to a school, a teachers wage, especially when they won't fill those places. Last year my DDs class was down to 11 children, they started with 24.

It's still not the same as being on the breadline or trying to live on benefits though.

My children arent in private school but shopping wise I only spend 60/70 and thats getting everything I want including booze,treats,lots of meat etc.50 would be easy.

It should be all about balance. Great having a massive house and mortgage but who wants to have to scrimp and save in order to manage the basics. On the other hand I'm sure plenty of families could indeed afford private schools if the quit sucking on smokes,eating the finest chip shop grub whilst swilling back bottles of Stella, 7 nights a week. Some people claim the poverty but its really just reckless spending.

Jesus, I feel like a total loser. What do i do wrong? I spend loads. Poor meal planning in my case and an m&s on my doorstep, two great ways to totally waste it.

Minieggs - I've had a lot of tips from these forums! But meal plan tends to be something like:
From Saturday: Homemade pizza (super cheap and dead easy, yummy too)
Roast
Jambalaya or risotto with leftover roast meat
Spaghetti Bol from freezer (batch cooking is the way forward)
Bangers and mash
Curry/chilli/stew from freezer, or stir fry
Breaded fish and oven chips (well it is Friday)
Lunches are soup, sandwiches, leftovers, eggs on toast etc (I don't plan those)

I don't see anything wrong with value ranges, cook in bulk and freeze and plan so no food is wasted. I also cannot be trusted with biscuits and chocolate (would scoff the lot in one go) so just don't buy it.

My sister is not a mumsnetter, nor does she send her DCs to private school but she scrimps and scrapes, gets stuff off the tip, wears things with holes in that should have been chucked away 10 years ago, budgets budgets budgets, eats value ranges, has to have a lie down and a glass of water (tap) at the idea of any financial frivolity - she is LOADED and all I have just said are the reasons why.

Ice, were quite similar in terms of meal planning, i spend a bit more as we eat a lot of fruit and stupid amounts of milk < preschoolers and dh>

I shop at aldi, it raises lots of eyebrows in my social circle, but we eat well, very well. Lots of lovely meats and cheese and i cook from scratch.

My friend who spend £250 plus a week on food is imho a bit mad!

Thank god we live in catchment for a fab school so no fees needed. If we did pay fees though, i wouldn't change anything. Better ways to spend cash.

Matilda we're the same. We shop at Aldi and I cook from scratch. Our friends are also at Aldi whilst moaning that their food shopping costs £150-£200 a week.

Thanks, Ice! I thought you included things like laundry detergent, dishwasher tablets, kitchen roll etc in the £50 too! I feel more efficient now!!

Sorry Minieggs we kind of do include those things... [embarrassed] I tend to think in terms of the supermarket bills, not split into food and other stuff.

But I guess it's a lot easier to save money on groceries when you can buy in bulk. I don't spend £50 a week, I spend £200 a month, which is two online shops of about £75 and about £10 a week on bits from the local shop. So with the supermarkets having baby offers on at the moment, I just bought 2 months of nappies in one go because they were 7.5p each.

And freezing stuff means you can say 'ooh £10 for loads of chicken', buy it, cook up about 5 family meals worth, freeze and eat over a month or so.

Whereas if you had no food in and £5 in your purse i think it would be really difficult to go into a local Co-op or Spar and feed your family healthy food for a day.

We have 3 dc. One at SN school where we fund the lengthy school run, one in private prep with extra after school costs and clubs ( due to dd1's school run), and a baby.

I tend to spend about £65-70 per week on groceries, and have 2 allergic people to cater for (gluten free bread is expensive!)

Spending on school fees doesn't always mean spending lots at the supermarket.