Just say NOvember

[economymode]

Want to cut back on unnecessary spending this November? Then you've come to the right place!

I'm starting off the month by seeing if I can switch to cheaper fuel tarrifs...

Helena- Love the DS3 how fun!! shame you have to give it back really- maybe they could charge you £80 but keep it for a couple of weeks!!! Great job on British Gas too!

NSD here, got a raving cold and cough so i really just want to go home and hibernate. Going outside work is too much trouble for me right now. There is always a silver lining huh!

Got £4 vouchers yesterday for complaining to walkers (the crisp people-altho think DH might prefer the shortbread people) They had sealed a bag in with the outside packaging so it opened up. I wasnt expecting anything but within less that 24hrs of the email I got vouchers in the post!

Oh BTW, I have 6 euros worth of vouchers for Huggies that can be sent to anyone in ROI on me so PM me if you want them. The pack I bought has them printed in both pounds and euros. valid till the end of the year, I dont want them to go to waste. Thought Id ask here first

38p paracetamol (might ask mil if she has any off the gp)
79p tupperware for storing frozen soup.
29p for SIL's birthday card. We dont get on .

£8.75 on a ticket to see final Twilight film tomorrow night with friends. Will be smuggling in sweets. Love the idea of smuggling in wine, but I'm designated driver :(

£8 in Asda on pizza topping bits for tea, Toblerone for Ddad Xmas, and aforementioned sweets for cinema :)

Hi, can I join in?

We are on major austerity measures atm to get things back on track. Dh is a spreadsheet freak and has out a mega budget together. We are putting "virtual" money away for absolutely everything we know we are going to spend in the coming year. Makes this first bit tough cos we are spending the "now" money and saving for next time (if that makes sense). When the bills come round next time, they'll already be paid for.

Today I spent £1.59 on my lunch and £1.10 on ds's bus fare home from school. Shopping is coming tomorrow amd we are well within budget (and smugly have been for past 6 weeks). I could murder a glass of wine tonight but this luxury is now banned on school nights.

Well done on all the fab deals you lot seem to be getting.

I think I need to venture into the world

...of fleabay but am nervous of it.

Darn - pressed "post" too soon.

Crikey come on in, we're a friendly bunch of penny pinchers

Had to get petrol today -£50
Roads -£2.40

hi everyone...

im totally skint. i have separated from dh recently and have a one year old. i am studying part time and have a placement and it would be too much for me to get a job as well at the minute. i finish next year, so i really need to think how to get by until then. as far as i know im getting everything im entitled to (apart from income support... i don't think you can get that unless you
are working?)

anyway... ive just realised my car tax is due at the end of the month, and my insurance is due at the end of december! GREAT timing! i don't know what im going to do. im going to get a tesco mobile as my 02 contract finishes in jan, and that will save me around £20 a month. but i don't now about the insurance... i know mum will help me out a little, and i really do need my car for where live with the baby.

ive started buying tesco nappies. and im going to go for more walks so i use less petrol. any other tips?

maybe i could ask my college if there are hardship funds for part time students but this is probably not the case

im probably not actually saving much by changing my phone bill as im taking out life insurance next week so i know dd will be ok if something happens to me, which is going to cost me every month. wish there was more stuff i could just cut out! anyone done without things what are they and how much are you saving!?

I think you can add mobiles to home insurance.

I went through Topcashback.co.uk to get my contract phone which is £7.50 a month and I had £60 cashback. The phone was from carphonewarehouse.

I went through quidco for my Aviva car insurance and got £80 cashback on a £237 policy.

Aldi nappies get good reviews on mumsnet.

ive never used aviva i don't know much about it, ill have a look, saving £80 sounds great!

i mean quidco or those cashback sites

Hi All,

welcome jan and crikey - good to have you on board.

On the topic of mobile phones - have anyofyou thought about giffgaff>? My DH transferred to them - he pays £10.00 per month and gets unlimited data and texts and, I think 250 mins. All calls to other giffgaff users are free. Might be of interest???

I have a tip regarding banana's. I read the other day that if you want to slow the ripening process then you should separate them (i.e. not have them connected at the 'stem'). I did this and it defo slows how fast they ripen. Good if, like my house, you buy them to watch then go black!!!!

A couple of slightly spendy days for me -cake decorating supplies added to the expenditure but I won't need to replace anything for the next century . I also need to do a shop so that will be money out.

Am toying with the idea of starting a vintage business a la Kirsti. I can knit, bake (and decorate), embroider etc so thought about, maybe, putting something out there on the web. What do you think?

jan, just read your post more thoroughly. I think the main thing I would say is make from scratch re meals (sorry, don't know how much you do this or have time to do it). I find that the outlay is much smaller and, if you plan a cooking day you can put meals away in the freezer to use throughout the week. Also, taking your own lunch with you to work or college.

Can you offer any services to others: babysitting? It might make you pennies but pennies add up. Cut out papers (saves a good £5 a week).

Make presents (if you need to give any). Homemade goodies like fudge, toffee and brownies always go down well. There are a number of threads on here to do with homemade Christmas presents etc - they are a good 'go-to' for ideas.

This is the third time I have written this, and my computer keeps deleting it. I am going to throw it! It was a lot longer but I keep forgetting what Ive written!

Rogue- GO FOR IT!! i sell my knitting patterns through Ravelry, and I have free ones too to get a good start. I dont make a lot, but then again it doesnt cost me anything. If you already have the stuff, and it doesnt cost you anything- do it, you have nothing to lose!

Jan, welcome, you sound like a busy woman, hope your course is going well. I do a few things that help me, like taking a calculator to add it up as you go along. I really think more about what is going in the trolley. I also dont take my purse out, and we are only cash too. That helps. As for your insurance, def shop around and cashback is worth it, anything you get back has to be a good thing

NSD for me, I still have awful cold so I dont really even want to be out let alone spend anything! More vouchers came yesterday so Im happy. Little things huh?!
Just found out its just me and the DH for Xmas so am setting my budget for a great dinner for both of us- phew I think Ive finally done it!

Thanks littlelady - I think I will give it a go.

Also, heads up ... there is a free listing weekend on Ebay this weekend. 100 listings starting at £1.00 or above. So, now's the time to get all those unwanted items listed. I have a few things to go on so that's my weekend sorted .

Lots of newbies, welcome !

Came back from toddler group to find a cheque for £25 from the Premium Bonds people in the post. i could reinvest it, but I fancy using it to treat myself.

Got cat food at Pets at Home, that was £6 something. Then 50p for toddler group. I think that's it for the day.

jan, I would second making as much as you can from scratch (although if you're studying, I appreciate time is at a premium. Still jacket potatoes, eggs etc etc are cheap and easy to cook). Walking/cycling where possible to avoid using the car, always go through cashback sites or Nectar (if you don't have a nectar card, get one!), don't bother with branded foods and if you have an Aldi near you, check it out (I save around £25/week shopping there rather than Coop). Got to rush to get my lunch now, but will post back with any other tips I think of in the meantime.

Oh, and check out Approved Foods for bargain food.

thanks for all the tips! and the welcome. walking more will keep me fit too and give me an excuse to dress dd up in all her comfy winter snowy cute gear :)

i live in ni, and here Approved foods costs a fortune to ship too, which is really unfortunate as i would be buying loads of them. we don't have aldi either, but i go to lidl . actually, i find my shop in tesco is cheaper than lidl if i buy the tesco every day value brands. anyone else found this or am i buying wrong? i never buy branded stuff. i do use eggs a lot, need to find time and motivation to cook for 2 (me and dd) more which is my constant problem.

Welcome newbies and thanks for the free listings this weekend tip, rogue :).

Is it Aldi for you this weekend Rogue?

Ooh free listing, I'm putting my kenwood chef on this weekend

Got some great marked down meat in morrisons. It's a little store so they seem to have better mark downs than the big shops, I suppose they dont have the same volume of customers.

Got Mince 1KG @ 1.58
Gammon hocks X 3 @ 99p each
Prime sirloin for xmas holidays @£4.50.

When we eventually have enough to buy a house I am putting a deep freeze on my wish list. I had to leave some right bargains behind for other people.

Tracking cash spending is helping me. Having to fess up to DH over every penny is good for my purse and waistline! No emergency chocolate bars!!

I made £70 selling DD's old school uniform. The remainder will be kept for the next sale.

Have saved £31 on last week's shopping bill so am moving that into savings.

Was slightly kicking myself that I didn't order my virgin package through top cashback but then I realised I wouldn't have got the deal I did so I would only have saved about £3. Will do it for my Lovefilm subscription though.

Aiming for an NSD today!

Hope everyone has a good weekend :).

Jan

Just picking up on you finding motivation to cook for yourself and DD. I know she may not eat much in the way of structured meals yet, but a trick I used when living alone -or when OH is away- works. You may have heard the old saying, "it's not worth cooking just for 1" Well, I decided this one is worth cooking for. I reckon Jan is worth cooking for too having a cooking day really does help, plus a meal plan. A large pan of bolognaise f/e can be frozen in single portions. Ditto veg soups/curry/pasta sauce/lentils and beans once cooked, or use canned beans. I also freeze pasta if I've cooked too much. Mashed potaoe can be frozen too. Have a look on www.lovefoodhatewaste.com for ideas.

I've had a couple of NSDs, but OH is buying fruit juice today.

Rogue YY, definitely give it a go, good luck.

I went into a Tesco today to get bread (DH took ours to work ) and some things that are on offer, spent £9.

I could not believe how noisy and busy they are. I had to walk half a mile just to get back to the car. I hated it. And the white own brand bread was a £1!

Has anyone noticed Aldi beans changing? I bought some and they are hard! DH only likes them now, he went off Heinz after we switched to Aldi but these are not as nice.

hey Adora thanks so much for the motivation to be cooking - thats often the way i feel its not worth cooking really. takes so much time and effort! but you are right, those tips will help, and eating right really is worth it :)