Judicious June... the frugaleers continue!

[ArtemisatBrauron]

For those who like to plan ahead... god why is it not pay day already...

I was thinking "lalalalalala this is just how much it costs to live".

I (controversially) do most of my supermarket shop in waitrose. Not the obv choice for cheapness perhaps but they send me loads of vouchers, e.g. I had £15 to spend this week on anything in store (no minimum spend), a free massive toblerone with the same shop as I spent £40, then I have a voucher for 10% off every shop from now til 7th July.

Plus if you put it on a John Lewis card, then clear it (not building up debt again!) you get loads of JL points which convert into more vouchers you can spend in Waitrose or John Lewis.

I usually get things like: mixers, pasta, soy milk/almond milk (allergies!), flour, eggs, sugar, jam/peanut butter, margarine, some fruits, toilet rolls etc and find their waitrose 'essentials' brand is very competitively priced.

We get a local veg box so usually only buy top up veg in waitrose e.g. onions for a recipe etc. Also use a local market on weeks off from veg box and you can really get some eye opening bargains - for the past three weeks we have gotten a massive 1.5-2 kilos tomatoes for £1. Gorgeous, red ripe ones too.

btw I am a teacher, I am in no way affiliated to waitrose!!

When we move in August I want to get a chest freezer for the garage and then we will try to buy things like tomatoes when in season and super cheap and freeze (obviously only for cooked tomato recipes, e.g. to replace tinned tomatoes or in chili con carne/pasta sauce etc)

I reckon it will pay for itself in saved left overs and stuff bought cheaply/on offer and then frozen.

See, that's what I thought about the Fruit, buy the bog standard stuff in the less expensive shops and we don't have To develop scurvy

Fluffy I've been smiling and nodding so much recently my head is in danger of falling off.

Welcome To fauxfox

adora - you can get a lot of really good fruit discounted in supermarkets too, I usually get a pineapple, mango or other exotic fruit at least once a week marked down because the new lot have come in, and they are fine (not over ripe or bruised or anything, just past the display date set by the supermarket).

I second the market stall thing - if you go often and are willing to smile nicely = loads of extra fruit

It's all about shopping around, my local sainsbury is doing rhubarb 400g for £2, with a red half price sticker proudly displayed as if its ever acceptable to charge £4 for rhubarb, whereas Aldis got it on super 6 this week so it's 69p for 400g.

I would love a chest freezer too. Dh has a thing that you can tell when foods been frozen though. His dad does too (blames parents) so when his dad said he liked icecream I said I didn't because you could tell it'd been frozen. Nobody laughed. I am wasted on this family.

£10 on fuel today.

I rate the Waitrose essentials too - really good value. I must admit I do most of my shopping with Ocado because of the convenience. I've tried other supermarket home deliveries but prefer the service with Ocado. I find it much easier to stick to a budget online too. I do go to Sainsbury's from time to time to stock up on Basics products and I think I might add a monthly trip to Aldi. IIRC the nappies are really cheap.

22 quid in asda. Not ideal but then that's it until next Sunday plus the lunchbox stuff in there isn't too spendy

Fluffy I laughed at that

No Aldi near us :( but I do rate a lot of stuff in Lidl. Nappies, chocolate (the Mr Choc fake snickers bars are well nice!), cupboard staples, oils, vinegars etc. all good. I got a box of 160 PG Tips pyramid bags in there for something like £2.89 last time, when they are normally £4.50ish everywhere else.

Waitrose Essentials are great too. I can't allow myself to go in Waitrose too often because I get carried away by the naiceness of the shopping environment and end up spunking £5 on artisan coleslaw

Best bargain in Morrisons is their value fizzy water. 18p a bottle and the fizz lasts ages.

Arf at artisan coleslaw I know exactly what you mean! Out waitrose is over the bridge in Kernow so I only go there on the way back from there. Unfortunately I have a trip coming up...gah

I aim to do one shop simply to save time. Plus I'm a bugger for popping into somewhere for one item and spending £80 on random stuff. I should not be allowed near Sainsbury's as I'm definitely at my worst in there!

Just done online shop at £67. I know it would be cheaper elsewhere and it is annoying. Plus, get so little for my money as others have said on here. There's bound to be stuff I've missed too.

Maybe I should just enforce a beans on toast diet, then I wouldn't have to try and remember everything I need! I'd be thinner too.

Another Ocado/Waitrose fan. Their essentials range is very good - massive 2kg pack of brown rice was v cheap. Just done an online Ocado shop and saved a mahooooosive £38.00 by choosing stuff on offer . Their essentials fruit and veg is also good, as is the essentials cereal.

Not a NSD here - £38.00 in butcher (but that's meat for a fair few meals). DH has spent £35.00 on building materials and I put 2 x toilet brushes/holder in therew too (but seeing as he paid it's not my spend ).

I can't see now who mentioned being tied into Tesco delivery. I've had a surf on t'internet and noticed that delivery charge renews automático. Just thought I'd mention in case it hadn't been noticed.

And five quids for coleslaw, no way José!

£2.19 today on ice lolly and biscuits after gym for kids. Dh did shop.

So is Ocado connected to Waitrose? I didn't hear about them úntil after we left the UK and haven't looked.

Mystery to me too adora!

Hurrah, payday for dh so start of a new month for us. On a spur of the moment I signed dd up to a couple of classes, £75 and my breadmaker that I use daily stopped working so had to be replaced, £35. Both of these costs I can justify but also took dm to great market and spent a small fortune on naice food including £5.60 on a margarine tub size tub of olives! Unfortunately I'm not confident enough to say 'Whoa! Put some back please'. Did have a a great lunch with family though enjoying the last of the sun. Anyway ended up about £250 over budget and I need to spend £500 this month on various things so being VERY careful with all my other spending.

Fluffy I laughed. In-laws are odd. My mil likes to tell me about a great cheap pasta sauce she buys with all natural ingredients. I've given up pointing out that an onion, tin of tomatoes and pinch of herbs costs even less and takes about 3 extra minutes to prepare.

Helena that's awful. When will you find out exactly what's happening?

Adora we eat loads of fruit. Follow previous advice and just nod along. When is the house viewing?

That'sinteresting Viewing is at the end of the month, unless it rains. I Like the sound of Those Olives, do you have a dish planned or are they just for munching?

Think of Ocado as a delivery network that mainly supplies Waitrose food but that increasingly stocks its own brand too. They've got a contract with morrisons now but it's not live yet. Waitrose also do their own delivery iirc.

Thankyou, thatsinteresting, I thought it was amusing too.

All natural pasta sauce eh? What will they think of next.

Fluffy just seen your been frozen comment, well done.

Thanks for info on Ocado

Thank you Adora. See, wasted on this lot.

NSD here - yay! Toddler group this morning is usually £2 but I brought some craft materials I had lying around at home so I didn't pay.

Not sure of the exact relationship between Ocado and Waitrose but it's def a separate set up as Waitrose have their own home delivery service. I am glad the nearest Waitrose is 15 miles away because I could spend some serious cash - perhaps not on artisan coleslaw though Interesting they are going into partnership with Morrisons, should make for a few cheaper options.

In an effort to save cash, lose weight and generally be healthier I've given up wine in the week. We have been terrible really, always a bottle on the go and it's got to stop! DH is not really on board yet but hoping he will follow suit eventually. But it's Friday night and I have a nice chilled sauvignon blanc in my hand as I type

spangle we have done this (mostly!) and it has made a HUGE difference to both ££ and waistline. It made me a bit ashamed actually - I haven't been drunk in about 2 years but was def drinking too much, if you see what I mean!

Artemis same here, I very very rarely get more than tipsy these days as I can't cope with a hangover + toddlers but at least one small glass most nights. Not good.

Bloody school fair spoiled my NSD. £7.30 on rides, ice cream and tat. On the plus side, we did not come home with a heap of pre-owned tat like we normally do when we let DS loose near the stalls.