how do you decide what to spend

[annielostit]

We are a family of 3, ds15, oh & me. How do you frugalers/families decide what to spend on food/household stuff? Generally we don't have any money issues or debt but we can spend what's coming in no problem I feel quite annoyed with myself that it happens. I'd like not to do this and any way forward with tips etc would be good.

You need to come at it the other way round - how much can you afford, then work out what you can buy with that, iyswim.

Have you done a full budget? Bills, car expenses, holiday, Christmas, etc? Then maybe decide how much you'd like to save a month, and then see what you've got left for food.

Without meaning to sound condescending when we are skint we buy what we need and wants have to wait.

On top of this I buy all none perishables in bulk when on offer. so we still get our branded goods but much cheaper.

Then, I buy perishables later on before our supermarket closes to get the good deals.

I shop around and use several supermarkets to buy the loss leaders.
Total your weekly/monthly savings and then save these for a rainy day or for the odd treat.

I don't work though, so have the time to be able to do this, it does save us about £200 per month on average.

Surely you decide by knowing how much you have coming in each month? If you don't have a handle on this figure then it's easy to just fritter money

Minus your mortgage/rent/utilities and any car expenses if you run one then you'll know how much you have left once all the essentials are paid.

The rest you have for food/days out/holidays/clothes miscellaneous stuff then try setting a budget for each if you want to save a bit more

I use the boards on MSE a lot and I used guidance from the SOAs that other posters share on the Debt Free Wannabe boards. I have a good amount coming in each month but things like food, clothes can easily grow in price to fit your income. I like to keep our everyday spending down as much as possible so we can throw spare money towards the mortgage. As a family of 3 we spend about £40 on supermarket shopping every week, including cleaning/household materials. Other families on a good income will spend more but use more convenience products and don't take advantage of promotions/reductions.

Things that others consider to be fixed costs can still be driven down by shopping around/using things more efficiently, e.g. motoring, utilities, insurances.

Thanks for your comments on this.
Maybeimnot- we have a good income and like yourself overpay on the mortgage, we have 45 months left on it. My oh is counting down.
He sees as long as we have no debt gets a holiday every year, a night out with me now and again, what's to worry about.
I'll have a look at the things you've mentioned and from today set a £60 a week food budget. I do save for Christmas and need no clothes. I am - we are are just too frivolous with money and looking at it too social.
Definetly time to change.

Preciousbane- I don't like shopping for stuff/ clothes but put me in a food hall and I'd spend £100s.
I'll have to spend more time at the gym, that's paid for.x

I have aldi/lidl near me an and I shop there most weeks, its just then I go into tesco/asda for what they don't have today's was cumin/ garlic puree and it cost £17.
I will have to write a menu to use up what's here then start again with my new budget.
It takes realisation of what's going out month by month. Like you preciousbane its got to stop, I can cook, make food cheaply etc but ignoring it as I can afford it.x