What small, mundane things have you stopped buying because you just can't afford them anymore?

[LydiaDeets]

I was just reading threadbandbthinking about shower gel and bath soaks.

I used to buy a couple of shower gels a week, £2ish ones and now I just buy bars of soap and will occasionally buy aldis own.

I also used to buy the rigid toothpaste tubes that have the push down button so the DC had a one push portion.
I just get the normal squeeze tubes now.

I used to get midrange shampoos and conditioners. Now it's Alberto Balsalm apple shampoo.

I don't buy bubble bath at all

I just little things but I miss having a nice bubbly soak and using a nice shampoo.

I haven't bought any moisturiser in a while either. I still have some soap and glody ones left but after that I will probably go without.

It's just surprising how in such a short space of time I've gone from buying these things as standard, without a thought, to cutting back on them even though they're quite basic things. Not fancy at all. 😩

I'd already stripped back lots of things. What I have done is buy the rest in bundles, strictly prioritised, often on offer. So I have the store cupboard stocked for over winter (basics like rice, pulses, pasta, tomatoes), six months of cleaning supplies, vitamins, toiletries, tampons, and so on. My thinking is, fewer things to worry about as we struggle to cover bills and fresh food.

That leaves a carefully costed list of 'treats' like coffee, chocolate, warm clothes, which can only be bought in the event of a windfall or finding something to sell on eBay. Alcohol is already a thing of the past, as is going out, anywhere, or travelling, ever. Books? Pfft!

(The worry then is scrabbling through winter only for everything to run out at once in spring with no hope of replacing any of it.)

@Stravaig could you not join your local library for books? Free to sign up but just be prepared not to be able to get the ones you want straight away

@autumn1610 Well yes, and it works fine for reading something, anything - but not at all for reading what and when you want. There are fees for requests and inter-library loans, which quickly add up, and would apply to almost all the books I want to read but can't afford to buy. Especially with a tiny local library; easier of course with a large city or university library to hand.

It's a bit like suggesting those cutting down on hair and beauty treatments go to the local beauty college and have whatever the trainees are practising that day. Interesting, yes; fun, maybe; a lovely surprise, if you're lucky - but not at all the same as having the colour, cut, style, eyebrows, nails you actually want!

Yesterday I saw a new book in Waterstones (just published) that I fancied reading. Checked in library round the corner - and there was one copy! Bullseye

Our local library subscribes to BorrowBox which means free audiobooks and ebooks for all members. There's a fantastic selection - not completely comprehensive but after a bit of browsing I've got a huge reading/listening list saved. It also offers free use of Libby a newspaper/magazine subscription service. So worth checking if your library offers similar.

Apologies your library system must work differently to mine with fees etc

Buyless meat and started to make a pack of mice last 2/3 meals for spag Bol bulked with veg and tinned toms

I make own Tom sauce where dh still swears by dolmio

less Starbucks. Love a chai latte but now using pods at home. A box of 8 is roughly price of 1 at sb

candles . Love them. Yankee girl now Aldi unless someone buys fir me

nails still get done every 3w as know my £20 I pay my lady helps her out

one day nails may go ………

but as someone said if we stop out luxury items like hair eyebrows nails etc it’s the people with own businesses who will suffer

Streamed films. We were spending €€ until recently.

Paper napkins. That started during lockdown. Last year’s Christmas presents were a character Alessi napkin ring each and two sets of me-made cloth napkins per family.

Cheap restaurants, takeaways and frozen dishes. I can make much healthier and usually cheaper at home without much effort.

Tip for bar soap to last longer , do not leave it wet in shower, put atop a small dish so it dries, I load up wet washcloth with bar soap before getting into shower and put on a petit four/bonbon dish so that bar soap does not rest on wet side but is raised by edge of the little dish to air dry.

Came over here from Daily Mail article so have not read all posts yet.

Shower gels wait for sale. I am using up leftovers from out of season shower gels winter/autumn/spring scents.

We went from 2 meatless days to meat/poultry only 3x or 2x a week and limited deli sandwich meats only weekend breakfast. S/o small packets 1 of 90 gram bacon and 1 100 gram ham and me just 1 packet 75 gram corned beef or smoked chicken or beef salami. Cherry, apricots etc was much less in shop and expensive so that too was just for weekend..........KFC takeout only twice this year............

Even before all this I used to all my own beauty treatments. Yes I cut my own hair too.
Instead of paper kitchen towels for only water spills use old kitchen teatowels cut into 4 pieces. The paper towel use for sauce/greasy spills throw away.

Have not bought any clothes this year.
I am on a no-buy for books, magazines, crafts and art supplies.

Make-up have enough of dry powder items so is only 1 new lipstick for Xmas 2022.

All my facial care is near empty so trying to find some things online. I live in EU homebound due to severe health issues can not go to the shops so depend on online shopping.
S/o does the once a week weekly grocery shop and he finally admits the shortages and the much higher prices.
Kitchen drawer with spare backup pasta, rice etc he say use that too for cooking so my reserve is dwindling fast.
Due to my homebound had spares of many items to avoid having 0......

I cook pasta for 2 days and paella for 2 days with just 1 small chicken fillet cut into small bits. Frozen vegetables soup mix for filler. Plain yoghurt instead of fancy fruit yoghurt and ad some fresh fruit or a little syrup.

Snacks is only on weekends s/o 1 bag of peanuts and me 1 small bag of crisps.

I cut open empty toothpaste tubes still few days use in it.

Using up leftovers perfumes colognes and any that smell weird use as toilet freshener spray.

What do people do to whiten school shorts instead of buying those Dr Beckmann whitening sachets? I need to stop buying them they’re pretty pricey

Cheap shampoo recommendations would be good please mumsnet…

ALBERTO BALSAAM is so thin it runs out of the tube too fast…

I shop at ALDI and ASDA…

Another question- is anyone bulk buying dry goods etc to reduce the impact of growing inflation??

@moneynotsofunny

Vosene.

is anyone bulk buying dry goods etc to reduce the impact of growing inflation??

I started this as brexit approached and its worked well. I now only buy the 10k bags of rice when they are on offer and tesco do huge bags of pasta too. Luckily I have a spare room to keep them.

@thenightsky thats funny I did that too pre-Brexit! I think the storage reassurance factor appeals to some… :) I’m going to need to balance out what is worth spending on now rather than later rather than running out of money now - cause we’ve bought too much for later. Iykwim.

Cutting down or have stopped altogether…

hair & eyebrow appointments
Alcohol
basmati rice (sometimes I just use smaller portions)
window cleaner - I clean the windows I can reach and that’ll have to do
frozen meat
tinned fish meals
takeaway coffee & lunches out. Using the FLASK instead.

Good new habits: (not all of them new-new)
Lentil dishes twice a week
Using up every last bit of food in the cupboard instead of just keep buying ‘stuff’
A water butt!
Buying smaller gifts
Hosting coffee and cake rather than lunch

My other plan is defrosting the freezer. Uses less energy to run and I also spend less…

Struggling to reduce:
Nespresso coffee pods
dark chocolate
just nice food in general

@moneynotsofunny If youve used Alberto Balsam and liked it even though its a bit thin, try their shampoo bars. £2.50 in Asda, you can lather up as much or as little as you like

Try Asda stain remover powder 1kg whites oxy - its 2.78 for 1kg and is chemically alike to Dr Beckmann whitening sachets as compared to 5 sachets of 40g each for 1.50

Image 1 is Asda and image 2 is Dr Beckmann

£50 a month on nappies?! I'm gobsmacked! I dont think I'm even £10 per month for my 1 year old even after the price increasing

I buy all the food/cleaning/toiletries shopping & have now started not buying extra treats that I'd normally buy. Also i'm now buying the budget brands in some cases. For example, I'm now choosing cheap, medium sliced bread instead of thick sliced, toastie, branded bread. I already shop at Lidl & Aldi. I'm quite worried about things to come if I'm honest.

I used to love spending £20 in Tkmaxx every month. I'd buy random homewhere on clearance or some Korean skincare. Haven't done that once this year! Now I just wait for my birthday in October and will ask for a Tkmaxx voucher from my parents and partner.

A couple of shower gels per week?! How much are you all putting on?! Even for a family of 4 that's excessive

@LydiaDeets 1-2 Showers per day? Each I'm sorry but that's beyond ridiculous and totally unnecessary

Hi. I didn’t want to read this and not reply.

Please please do not let your GP fob you off. They SHOULD be prescribing emolients for your children (epiderm, zeroderm, fiftyfifty etc). It is your right and their duty as a medical professional. Tell them you can’t afford them over the counter, and do not leave until they have done it. If they refuse, ask to see another GP or speak to the practice manager.

A monthly big tub of emolient is far more cost effective for the NHS (and eczema-preventing) than a small (yet hugely expensive and eczema-perpetuating) tube of steroid.

Grr. Sorry, GPs refusing basic treatment to children suffering make me very annoyed. Best of luck xxx

-Ditch the gel nails- Natural can look very high end so long as they’re kept clean, filed and the cuticles are in good condition.
-Quit smoking
-Switch to drinking water
-Cut down on your hair appointments
-Treseme shampoo when on offer is fab
-No more Costas or Starbucks

I’ve not stopped buying anything but moisturiser is very far from “mundane” imo. My skin just wouldn’t feel right if I walked around sans moisturiser.