What have you done to save money which didn’t work out?

[SoBoredHelpMe]

Some of mine :

Buying hubbards tomato sauce instead of Heinz 🤮

Buying cheap plastic lunch boxes (lasted 2 days)

Bought crisps in bulk (just ate more)

bought a slow cooker (never used it)

Another slow cooker hater here - I’ve thrown two out as I got sucked in for a second time by people on MN saying they couldn’t live without theirs. It’s all just gloop and stew-like. I’ve done a whole chicken in it and it repulses me at how wet everything gets 🤢

I do love my air fryer, for whoever asked up thread. Gets used as much, if not more than our oven. I only wish I’d bought a bigger one.

I also now shop at Ocado/M&S mostly cheaper than the others and the quality is so much better.

@FfeminyddCymraeg I was given a slow cooker and over 10 years I used it maybe a dozen times and that's it. A few times were different meals that just came out as soggy messes. The only real use for it was a honey and mustard gammon which is AMAZING. But it's so rich that you can't have it a lot or you'll get sick to death of it.
I will be buying a replacement slow cooker now DH cracked mine but a tiny one for a tenner that will fit just a gammon and not meals big enough for our family of 5. There's no point. They're horrible.

I was given an air fryer too. I've done chicks a few times. It's mainly just something that takes up space and gathers dust. I'm very glad I didn't pay for it.

**chips not chicks. I don't put chicks in an air fryer. I'm sure the rspca wouldn't approve.

Growing fruit and veg from seed or small plant. The only thing that worked well was the tomato plant, until it got blight and I lost them all overnight.

Does my head in loads of unused stuff cluttering up cupboards. People are free to do as they wish but for us Gousto suits our current lifestyle and has personally reduced our shopping bills. I did say in my post I was aware I could do it cheaper but that doesn’t work for us and it ends not being cheap. I’d rather work the extra hours and earn more than fanny around with meal planning, shopping and the same dinners on repeat every week just to save a few quid

Yeah I have to believe it’s a more a long term gain! Realising that the water tank is nowhere big enough for four people was a pain and definitely need to figure out the overall heating system for next winter! Hopefully all the money we’re putting in will increase the value too!

To be fair, meal planning and cooking from scratch saves me a fortune. 2 adults and a part time teenager costs around £70 per week. When I see that people are spending £100+ a week on food I know I must have got something right.

Why would you think that by someone saying Lurpak they meant spreadable? Lurpak certainly is butter. The spreadable Lurpak is marketed as a “spreadable” not as a butter anyway

Because the people I know who have lurpak in the silver tubs (assume that’s the spreadable) call it real butter.
Apologies to any poster I have mis buttered

Anything to do with vouchers or coupons or similar or bargain hunting round different shops doesn't work for me. I get so stressed trying to figure out what / where /when to buy, whether I should get two of a something in order to 'save', that it costs me more energy than I have. Ditto stocking up with bargains when my kids just go off it in a few days anyway, etc.

I just buy what we need from where I want to shop that week and that is confusing enough, thanks.

@KStockHEROtotally agree with you, my mother balks at me paying 5e for two rolls of kitchen towel, but it last me ages, the sheets are strong so only need one. a good tip is to write the date you open stuff on the pack and you will see who long it lasts you.

Agree also on the dryer side, my sis in law refuses to use her dryer, when ever you go to her house its covered in clothes horses etc drying clothes', i detest it. Its easier and helps keep on top of things by throwing in the dryer. Use the eco setting helps.
For me swapping to Aldi wasnt worth it, their selection is poor, the dogs and cats wont eat their food from there. Fruit and Veg doesn't last. I went back to Dunnes ( Helps here in Ireland that Dunnes give vouchers off for money spent there ) i can go on line and get a delivery for 5e, order 180e worth of goods and have it delivered, it will cost me 150e
For us we have cut down on the none essentials - me clothing and reduced our takeaways

Another one for me is bulk buying, it takes up so much space, you tend to use more then because you know you have a back up there so it doesn't work for me, only buy what's on shopping list . Add to shopping list when you are closed running out or have run out. Don't have 10 bottles of washing up liquid stored away

Mis buttered 🤣

Yes different things do work for different people. But I still do think that cooking from scratch is not only cheaper, but more healthier too. Buying all purpose seasoning can be used on fish, chicken, and vegetables. There is no need to buy tons of different spices, unless you are following a recipe that means that you have to have specific spices. Plus things like paprika, curry powder, and oregano last a long time. I by no means have a limited repertoire of dishes that I cook.

We wash our clothes, take them out and hang them up on the clothes horse next to the dehumidifier in the evening, leave it on overnight, then stick them in the TD in the morning. Overnight, the dehumidifier gets a litre or so of moisture out of the air and they dry in the TD in no time.

Try half a leg of lamb (1.5kg), 2.5kg of potatoes under and around the lamb and 15 decent sized carrots peeled and chopped on top. Set it to medium for 9/10 hours.... Delicious!

I find the portions are quite generous and you could get 5 people fed with them. This particularly applies to the dishes involving potatoes, there's always loads.

Just don't order the ones that have one chicken breast/fish fillet per person cos then one person will get the short straw of 4 bits cut off 😂

Good for you. But this is a thread about what you did to try and make things cheaper that didn’t work, not healthy eating. Preaching not required thanks!

I think you must be over cooking, that is too long with the slow cooker. I know mine says seven hours on low and I find five, sometimes 4.5 is more than enough. Also you need to use quite tough cuts of meat, with bones and 🫣 sinews, so that the meat has a bit of substance to cook with.

So is Tesco

Gousto is cooking from scratch though 🤷‍♀️ it’s just you only have the exact amount of ingredients needed so I would regard it as healthy as doing it all DIY. It’s perfectly possible to cook from scratch and have an unhealthy diet depending on what you make!

Hardly preaching, just refuting your rather far fetched claim that it costs a sodding fortune to kit out a stock cupboard with a few spices. Hth.

Bought Sainsburys own brand coffee (I'd liked the own brand from Lidl but they didn't have it in stock this particular month) which was half the price of Kenco or Dowe Egberts,. Unfortunately I need twice as much to make it almost as strong as one spoon of DE or Kenco!

Like PP bulk buying crisps or biscuits - just ate twice as much in the same amount of time.

Not got an air fryer but heated blankets and throws are excellent and meant we could keep the thermostat lower and turn heating off earlier at night without feeling freezing. The heat is a gentle and comfortable kind of warmth like cuddling a warm furry animal.

Electric under blanket is the most efficient because the duvet keeps the heat in. Keep your pyjamas laid out flat in the bed and they are warm to put on.

Doesn’t help at all thanks, spices aren’t the only
ingredients that go in recipes. For ME it wasn’t cheaper, that’s not far fetched or a lie. Seen as you aren’t me, with my pantry, finances or life, you can’t ‘refute’ me. Basically do one preachy pants 😘