Judicious January - Long may the credit crunching continue

[roguepixie]

So, the credit crunching team are into Year 2013. Happy New Year everyone.

Let's continue our cost-cutting, , money saving,penny and pound pinching, NSD ways.

Fluffy that is awful. I have got some of their stuff and the only thing that seems really good quality is a lovely woollen throw/blanket thing which I bought about 5 years ago. Clothes for the DS's and myself, and nightwear have all been a bit disappointing. Boden is cheaper, especially with a good discount and washes and lasts amazingly.

Not a NSD today after all. I took out £50 cash to use from today until I have another shopping delivery next Friday and spent £11 of it.

Tomorrow I need to fill my car up - £75ish I expect

Ali, was it you who wanted the velour robe for Xmas? Cos if its faulty you've only got a few months to get it sorted.

It was, I didn't buy it.

I am seriously thinking of saving up and buying a v.expensive one in the sales next year - from Brora or somewhere like that.

Well today I didn't spend a penny, however this evening I went food shopping. £64 in Aldi and £30 in Sainsburys, I did get a couple of nice sleep suits for DS2 at £4 for two in that. Also anyone looking for a slow cooker they're doing big digital ones for £19.99 and also had half price bumbo seats, could be useful for someone. Aiming for a NSD tomorrow, lots of gardening to do that DS1 loves to help with so DH can keep DS2 amused while we're in the garden :) he's still a little too small to run around in our garden without full supervision as I have a lot of mature rose bushes he could prickle himself on :(

Having been lurking for a bit, I really need to join to help my motivation level. We are in the black, but I need to review all our outgoings, as they seem to be increasing steadily, unlike our income.

This month is going to be expensive. DH car tax was due on the 1st, both our cars are in the garage, mine's been there since early Dec, DH's went in mid December, came out today, broke down again and is now back there. I am not looking forward to paying those bills, especially as I paid over £700 for DH's car at the end of Nov.

I have just got some extra hours at work, so am now working 4 days instead of 3. Unfortunately without a car, it means I have to use the bus to get home 2 days a week, £4.70 a time, plus paying for DS to be at after school club, as I can't get home in time to pick him up from school.

I need to sit down this weekend, and work out what can be reduced, and if there is anything that can go, and I'm not too sure what that is going to be. Fuel is our big outlay, DH works a long way from home, but has a job in a specialist industry so there isn't a short term solution for that one.

Today DS and I went into town to the library and groceries. £5.80 for the bus, 57p in Sainsbury's as I used the remainder of last year's nectar points to pay for the rest.

Ali - there is a lovely cashmere robe from Rosie @ M&S - saw it in the new Woman & Home mag. It's beautiful but is £165 (I think). Don't know if you are interested in that or whether you wanted a cheaper option but if you are thinking about Brora you might want to have a look.

I have managed a NSD but DH is away with the kids for a few days and is probably spending loads so it doesn't count.

£130 stocking up at Tesco Got a new AP coming so wanted the fridge to look full. But it's a lot.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrgghh!!!!!

Fluffy I think the White Company are working on the basis that you use the same sheet constantly for over 2 years.

Okay, now that I have that ^^ off my chest I can post.

We had our shopping trip, I got 3 skirts and 1 pair of trousers that may go back, all with a gift card and 50% reduced. Other than that my costs were

Roads (always use the cheap one during school hols) £2
Snack £4 (DDs had to use their own cash for a treat later)
Reduced summer clothes for DDs £50

Then we went to the supermarket, it was a mistake, we have to buy all school materials and DDs seem to have heeded my advice about thinking ahead. So, while I was carefully pricing up veg etc they were wracking up the pencils, erasers, biros, rulers etc etc. I remembered to look for mozzie repellent fluid for the plug-ins and ended up with a bill of £150. I've doubled checked, there isn't anything I didn't need to buy, and the till didn't over charge, I really did spend a hundred and fifty bloody quids. At least all the school stationary is bought though.

I'm off to cook and drown my spending sorrows I'll finish off catching up later.

How the hell do you misuse socks?

I am feeling quite smug, DH's hugely overpriced mobile contract with O2 has ended and I just got two smartphones with 250 mins (capped), 5000 texts and free data for £7.50 per month each. Through tesco mobiles.
Also get a family extra of 500 mins to other tesco mobiles. I'm so chuffed.

This was my first spend of the year :)

If anyone looking for a new deal I would recommend, ooh club card points as well.

We get paid on the 16th and are a bit skint til' then, but we have £50 tesco vouchers and £50 of vouchers for the local posh butchers.

Now, I have never actually bought any meat from a butcher shop always just go for the 3 for £10 deals in tesco.

Can anyone advise me of how to get the most for my £50? We will mostly be using it for casseroles in the slow cooker and stir frys.

Jeesy peeps, I shan't be buying anything from them.
That is terrible service.

That's ridiculous. I'd take them to Trading Standards on that.

So basically white company is overpriced cheap tat.

Brilliant deal on the mobiles Terra, we know a couple in trouble financially, although they act like they aren't, who both have iPhone 5's. Only £45 a month EACH, they say it likes it cheap, but thats more than both our car insurances combined. Dh And I both have £7.50 contracts too.

Terra, if most of the meat you will use will be for casseroles I would look at the braising/stewing steak (beef) - this is a cheaper cut and needs to be cooked slowly bo ideal for your purposes. Also, stir-frys: go for chicken or steak (see if they have any offers - my butcher will often have gigantic chicken supremes on a buy 4, get 5 offer). Another good, cost effective buy is a whole chicken - roast it (meal 1), extra slices for sandwiches (meal 2), pick off the last bits for risotto (meal 3) and then make stock from the carcass (good for soup bases and risotto liquid (meals 4+). A good, free range chicken will cost in the region of £9-11.

I think the White Co. are appalling - massive mark ups on items you can get cheaper elsewhere. I did get a lovely large serving dish in there once for a fraction of the original price but that was in the last days of their sale one January and I was just passing. I have their fleece dressing gown - it is horrible. It has gone really hard after only a few washes - and I use the right settings and detergents. They are a company that is only interested in selling to you, not in any of the after sales care.

Adora, just think - it was all necessary so nothing was overspent. It is only a mis-spend when it is something that is not needed. If you have checked and everything was required then, unfortunately, it is just one of those "catch up with everything" shops ... I have had them too - see aove for online shop and costco splurge ...all needed but quite a spend. Stiff drink???

Btw, welcome to IhateCobwebs - it never hurts to review the outgoings. There always seems to be stuff to cut.

can I join in a bit late?

The first two days of January were appalling. I popped out for bread and milk and foolishly took DD and her new recipe book and we ended up buying piles of baking ingredients plus 2 big jars of coffee as they were down to half price. Over £20 :( Good news is we now have a big tin of flapjacks, biscuits and a ginger cake

2nd January popped into morrisons for some green beans and came out with green beans, big tub of peanuts and new potatos - another fiver. Then went to Starbucks with DD, DP, DDs best friend and her mum and ended up spending over £22 on cake, coffees, hot chocolates and some lunch for DP who hadn't eaten. I am rubbish at this aren't I?

However 3rd and 4th were no spend days and today may not be too bad. We need to get DD's termly bus pass today (£85) but that's budgeted for and I put money away for it on payday each month. We also need a loaf of bread as completely run out and even eaten the part baked rolls that were lurking in the cupboard.

Today I'm planning to go through freezer, fridge and cupboards and find out what we have. I think that if we are careful we have enough to last at least 2 weeks if we top up with bread, milk and fruit. Only other big cost over next couple of weeks should be nappies which we will just have to buy and deal with

I really have to stamp on my appalling spending habits. I can't believe how much I went through in just 2 days

Organisedhome..com has printable sheets for freezer inventories and store cupboards, loads more things too.

Worth a google.

Thanks rogue.

So far today I have spent £12 on sausages, mince and a duck from the local game stall at the market, which is more then enough ,meat to last us the next week. I'm afraid I'm a stickler for good quality food, particularly meat, usually I get cheap cuts at the farmers market but they didn't have one the other week and the next one isn't till next Sunday. Also spent £8 on blueberries and squash as they were both on offer so we stocked up. Finally £14.50 on a terribly posh gravy seperator that I have been converting for ages and finally decided I might as well just buy and have done with it.

Dp spent £20 on some lunch with a friend that was visiting...do people count dp/h spends?

Spend today £47 on Ocado shopping For the week. Fish pie mix missing from order, saved £5 buy not sure what's going to slot into Monday's meal plan Perhaps I can find something in the freezer and maintain the saving. Managed to park for free purely by being disorganised! When I realised I didn't have any cash to pay for the (nearest) car park that I was planning to go to, I remembered that the station car park not too far away is free after 10am Had to go to a joint 3rd birthday party though so £20 spent on presents this week for that, and I had to endure the 2 hours of screaming and bad coffee too...

If you use Ocado, set up a new account in your OH name and fill a basket but no delivery slot.

Logout.

Within a couple of days the money off vouchers will roll in. You can sometimes get cashback from Quidco or topcashback but clear your cookies first to make tracking easier for them.

NSD here.