To spend money every day?

[Moneymoneymoneyisntfunny]

NC’d for this as I’m prepared to get hounded.

I spend money every day. It’s driving me mad. I’m keep a book with all my purchases in as I’ve been trying to figure out why we’re struggling. I don’t buy anything nice for myself, no house bits, no make up, no clothes (last was a charity shop jumper for £4). Everything seems to be essential. Bread and milk one day, nappies the next. Cleaning things we’ve run out like washing up liquid. It just seems to be constant. I have little DC, so maybe that’s why?

is it just me? Am I going wrong somewhere or is this how everyone lives?

[Bluebellsand]

A family friend, goes back and forth from the shops on purpose. Because it breaks up the day and you save money, she says.

This winter a lot of libraries will be almost full. Free heating and free books to read.

Sorry I can't help you with budgeting. Just know a lot of things are more expensive, have you adjusted for the new prices?

[Dixiechickonhols]

@Moneymoneymoneyisntfunny

It I do, as I say I am keeping a written record of everything I buy and it’s all essentials. I’ve been highlighting anything that isn’t and in a few weeks of stuff there’s only one or two bits that have been non-essential!

If it’s all essentials and you need to cut down look if there’s cheaper alternatives eg you mention cleaning products. Lots of tips online for cheaper alternatives to branded products eg white vinegar.
Nappies - not sure how old children are but children were potty trained earlier in past. If you are needing to cut down on nappies and they aren’t babies maybe think about trying sooner rather than later.

[seperatedmum]

Online shopping is 💫 saves time and money because you buy less random shit.

*not for everyone. I'd be influenced by 'offers' that weren't a bargain
*I'd be influenced by things to go with things and treats and I was terrible with all the lovely baby things/big range of posh 'natural' stuff available on online supermarkets
*no matter how hard I tired to note things as they ran out id always be missing something
and have to go to a physical shop and get it which often cost petrol
*Id also go the other way and panic and dramatically reduce the basket to get it under X amount and then be very low on things I needed
*substitutes or random shit as you put it refuse then you have to pop to shops anyway

[Moneymoneymoneyisntfunny]

@notmyrealmoniker

Write a list for goodness sake and do a weekly shop.

I do? As I said I struggle when I’m shopping.

no need to speak to me like rubbish. I’m asking for help and support, not a kicking

[Moneymoneymoneyisntfunny]

@Bluebellsand

A family friend, goes back and forth from the shops on purpose. Because it breaks up the day and you save money, she says.

This winter a lot of libraries will be almost full. Free heating and free books to read.

Sorry I can't help you with budgeting. Just know a lot of things are more expensive, have you adjusted for the new prices?

Probably not to be honest. I will keep at writing everything down and looking at the receipts and maybe I need to switch to cheaper alternatives for sure! I guess this is just the current climate.

[Rowthe]

Aa long as you aren't buying a lot of impulse buys, or having a tea/ coffee/ snack in the cafe/ or buying a toy/ magazine one of your kids has licked up everytime you buy something.

Then it doesnt really matter how many times you go to the shops but you have to be disciplined. And how are you getting to the shops, if you are needing a bus/ taxi or using your car then the costs of the frequent trips will add up.

[Charcy]

@Moneymoneymoneyisntfunny

online shopping might be the game changer for me.

Honestly, it has its cons but with the little one now, the supermarket is a) stressful and b) I still forget stuff (baby brain)

Online I can plan in advance, write out all meals, snacks, etc. Check cupboards as I go and add things to the trolley before I actually sit down and comit to ordering.

It takes some practice to be able to "browse" like you would in the supermarket, but being able to schedule deliveries when DD is in bed and knowing I've got everything coming, is absolutely life saving.

Don't get me wrong, I still pop out occasionally for milk/bread but it's massively reduced since using online.

Do a bit of trial and error with different shops. And then buy a delivery pass for your favourite. Asda for eg is 6 quid a month but you can have as many deliveries as you want as long as you hit minimum spend.

[Tabbouleh]

I really recommend Monzo bank app to help budget sensibly. It is really user friendly and you can see how much you are spending and on what. My young adult DC find it super useful.

I probably spend at least every other day even on essentials and Tube tickets. I don't think that is the problem per se.

[Tabbouleh]

Said really too many times! I don't work for them. Really:)

DH has a Starling account, and he is equally enthusiastic about their app.

[Catflapping]

I don’t really see why it matters if it’s all still in your budget? I have a £15 a day for essentials budget I give myself and it rolls over to the next day. So if I only spend £5 on Monday I have £25 on Tuesday and could get petrol and then at the end of the week whatever is left from the essentials budget gets added to my treat budget. I can’t do big shops or online shopping as I always end up over spending, but a daily spend budget helps me keeps track and let’s me add a little extra to my treat money at the end of the week.

[Millsbills]

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t spend money everyday

so YANBU

[Dixiechickonhols]

Maybe post your last few weeks spends and ages of children and people can post suggestions?
Sometimes we get stuck in a rut buying things or fall for marketing.

[Cactusprick]

@Moneymoneymoneyisntfunny

I do? As I said I struggle when I’m shopping.

no need to speak to me like rubbish. I’m asking for help and support, not a kicking

Not sure what help and support you will get on here; you’ve said it’s all essentials and you have kids so don’t want to potter around the supermarket doing big shops.

[TheDogAteMyHousework]

I do a weekly online shop, but I understand. There always seems to be something else we need. And even if I realise in time for the order, it still feels like I'm always going over budget - no matter how hard I try to cut back, there will be something else that needs buying.

I use Tesco for online delivery and have their clubcard credit card. I pay for everything on the credit card and pay it off in full every month. I get the clubcard prices and also earn points, which I usually use to pay for a meal out or outing when I have enough. But you can use them towards your shopping.

I have a budget and I try to stick to it. I book the slot several days ahead and start adding things to the order. If I reach the limit of the budget or go over, then I scroll back through everything to see if there's anything I can leave off. If I have enough in the freezer, then I will try to space the deliveries a bit further apart and go to the nearest shop to buy just enough milk, eggs and fresh fruit/veg to get through to the next delivery. So it might feel like I get a weekly delivery but it averages out a bit less frequently.

I'm spending less since I started being really strict about this.

If I don't need much but can't get to the shops, I'll book a delivery and top it up with e.g. washing powder or (at this time of year) things that will keep until Christmas, especially if they're on offer. That helps me keep to a lower weekly budget overall because there are other times when I need to go over the basic budget (e.g. catering for DC birthday or guests or need a bottle of wine as a gift) but I don't also then find that I urgently need to buy cleaning products at the same time, because that's the kind of thing I have in reserve. Hope that makes sense.

[Cw112]

I do find online shops helpful because you can search low to high in price, remove things from your basket without having to put them back and keep an eye on your running total. You can also have an idea then of what you normally use in a week and compare your basket across different shops so you're getting the best deal without leaving your littles. I also think meal planning for the week ahead and batch cooking helps us because then we use what we buy and it stretches further. Things are really expensive now and I think everyone is feeling it to some extent. I do myself up a paycheck to paycheck calendar and mark on it all direct debits, petrol money based on when I fill up for work, any extra occasions like birthdays and try to cover all the basics and record a running total at the bottom of each day. Then I know how much I should have in my bank account to cover everything for the month. I have a separate account for spending money and one for saving money so once I've got my running total and I know everything is accounted for I decide how much to put into the savings pot and how much into the spending pot. The savings I try not to tough and the spending I use if I decide I want my nails done or a coffee or whatever and once it's gone then I know I can't have any nice extras until payday so I tend to try and hold off until near the end of the month so it's like a treat. I also have it set to round up and put the extra pennies into my savings so I'm paying in there without realising.

[FusionChefGeoff]

I think the biggest risk with everyday shopping is that, on the way to get milk, you throw a few other things into the basket. So the pint of milk ends up costing £7.

Do that everyday and it adds up.

However, if you're literally JUST buying essentials each time crack on!

I often find that I think I HAVE to go shopping as we've got no food but if circumstances change and I can't get out, I can usually make another 2 meals from dregs in the cupboards / fridge / freezer if I really have to - that's a great money saver for us

[Jellybean23]

Do you waste food, OP? Do you throw away part used loaves or shrivelled vegetables? Do you ditch everything past its use by date? If you do, that can add up to a lot of money wasted. Its easy to overbuy when topping up daily. Put your mind to using up all the little oddments in the fridge.

If something is near the end of its shelf life plan to make something with it. Soups are brilliant for this. A drying slice of ham and a couple of mushrooms can easily become a tasty omelette.

Do you have cooked leftovers after a meal? Discipline yourself to cook only what the family need for that meal. Throwing away a tablespoon of cooked rice, an extra potato, leftover chips - all very costly over a year.

Are you heavy handed with laundry detergent and cleaning products? Discipline yourself. Simple things like using a clean dishcloth every day instead of loads of kitchen paper saves money. Wash the dishcloths cloths with the laundry.

[Friendofdennis]

I understand what you mean. It can be frustrating to feel that you can’t even go one day without spending money. I have now tried to only spend every other day. Popping into the local shop can become a habit so I’ve started writing down every single purchase so that I can see where it all goes

[PinkSyCo]

You just need to organise yourself better. Write a list. Buy in bulk. Make good use of your freezer space (a full freezer is cheaper to run than an empty one. Do your main shop online.

[808Kate1]

@TheDogAteMyHousework

I do a weekly online shop, but I understand. There always seems to be something else we need. And even if I realise in time for the order, it still feels like I'm always going over budget - no matter how hard I try to cut back, there will be something else that needs buying.

I use Tesco for online delivery and have their clubcard credit card. I pay for everything on the credit card and pay it off in full every month. I get the clubcard prices and also earn points, which I usually use to pay for a meal out or outing when I have enough. But you can use them towards your shopping.

I have a budget and I try to stick to it. I book the slot several days ahead and start adding things to the order. If I reach the limit of the budget or go over, then I scroll back through everything to see if there's anything I can leave off. If I have enough in the freezer, then I will try to space the deliveries a bit further apart and go to the nearest shop to buy just enough milk, eggs and fresh fruit/veg to get through to the next delivery. So it might feel like I get a weekly delivery but it averages out a bit less frequently.

I'm spending less since I started being really strict about this.

If I don't need much but can't get to the shops, I'll book a delivery and top it up with e.g. washing powder or (at this time of year) things that will keep until Christmas, especially if they're on offer. That helps me keep to a lower weekly budget overall because there are other times when I need to go over the basic budget (e.g. catering for DC birthday or guests or need a bottle of wine as a gift) but I don't also then find that I urgently need to buy cleaning products at the same time, because that's the kind of thing I have in reserve. Hope that makes sense.

This is exactly what we do, and find the £7.99 delivery saver really pays for itself over the month. I also find the Clubcard savings easier to spot if it's an online shop.

If I'm trying to scale back non-essentials in my order, I'll schedule the following week's slot before the current one's even arrived, and pop it into that basket instead. If I run out of milk, fruit or whatever else between deliveries, I purposely won't pick them up until I'm on the way home from work and generally too knackered to browse the shop, so I just want to get in and out really quickly with a pint of milk.

As a way of shopping, it's been a real game changer for us.

[Dixiechickonhols]

Depending on space another freezer can really help (often cheap on Facebook buy and sell) obviously cost to run but you can freeze bread, freeze milk, have frozen fruit and veg to avoid the we’ve run out scenario and a trip to the shop where you spend £10 on bread and a few bits.

[AperolWhore]

@Moneymoneymoneyisntfunny it’ll definitely be a game changer, it was for us. We use TESCO, they do an Aldi pride match and I save the Clubcard points up for my big Christmas shop.

I plan 6 meals for the week and decide each day what we eat out of those 6 meals and I buy nappies, wipes and milk for the month.

[Bonatos]

I used to do this too (also have two young kids) but that was because I often didn't realise we were running low on things until the last second.

[AdoraBell]

Could you do an online shop? Either monthly as suggested or more frequently if that works better for you.

[Pipersouth]

When I was single and childless I shopped every for what I fancied for tea or what was on offer! Saved loads as didn’t hold anything at home except cereal ,milk and soup- it’s amazing how much food would add up to if you counted everything in your cupboards that you haven’t used in a week! With kids it’s much trickier though - fruit and veg costs are through the roof good luck