frugal mums,help to re-educate me, i need to start economising

[milkgoddessmakesthefinestmilk]

hi now we hav dd and we are about to go down to one wage, we really need to start economising, we have never been careful with money, but we need to start.

do you have any tips to help at all wise MNetters?

any particuar shops or anything you recomend for either food, household stuff

and anywhere good for baby toys and clothes?

Do you have a dishwasher? If so, use only half a tablet - I do this and have noticed no difference to the cleanliness of everything. Plus I buy the bog standard Finish ones and just make sure the machine is topped up with salt. I keep meaning to try without a tablet at all to see what happens.

Also, if you are eligible to join Costco you can save loads but you do need the space to store the stuff. Plus, you need to know before you go how much stuff costs in the shops to get an accurate comparison. We bulk buy tinned stuff, coffee, washing powder and dishwasher tabs and other similar non-food items. Though I usually end up blowing it all by buying something like 2 pairs of Birkenstocks at the same time. .

thanks for all the tips, ive been sorting the kitchen cupboards inbetween mnetting of course!

we do have a dwasher and we normally use the powder, i ususally use quite a generous amount too, so i can cut down on that, i thought the powder was cheaper the tabs?

tbh ive never tried nettos lidl iceland, i always used to use ocado and local butchers but that mince and sausages sound great

Lidl do really nice fresh Parmesan too. There are lots of threads on here about what's good from there.

Agree with choosyfloosy and overmydeadbody. both good posts. my way of life too really.

i buy nappies in lidl, but nothing else. everything else has ginger in it or is covered in marzipan. Looks interesting tastes

i buy boxes of cards in book station or discount book shops and you can get about ten in a box for 3 or 4 pounds. Cards are a shocking price, and the person who gets the card NEVER thinks what a tat card, they just think, "oh elizabeth thought of me".

I have had to stop shopping as a type of hobby. i did used to amble about the shops. I don't do that now.

I bought Oasis jeans perfect fit in a charity shop recently. I look in the charity shops near me quite regularly. OH yes, I never pay full price for a book. Only get them from charity shops, and even then, NOT Oxfam!!!!! They're too expensive for a charity shop (for me).

I NEVER buy magazines any more, but I do remove them from other people's recycling bins some times..

Parmesan scootergrrrrrrrl!!! I think you'll find Pecorino tastes the same and is cheaper!! Not that I eat it regularly. But I've bought Pecorino once or twice in my life.

I let it be known in as ladylike and as dignified a manner as I can that I am not terribly wealthy. That way I know people won't take it personally if I buy them a small but thoughtful gift.

I fill up a bottle of tap water before I leave the house too.

Sainsbury's used to deliver my food and either delivery was free on a mon-wed, or, if I got it delivered between 4-6 on a friday they were ALWAYS late, and so I got £10 of next weeks shopping!

on 10k less than I used to be before dd was born and with a bigger mortgage!!

Asda great for kids clothes and adult stuff too. If you like them bags of dried beans/chickpeas are better than tins and cost a lot less (just have to rememeber to be organised enough to ccok them).

Charity shops and find a decent dress makers that can "make-over" old clothes, when you're fed up with stuff see if it can be revamped, you can also get stuff from charity shops and do this or if good with a needel do it yourself!

Buy books from used section of amazon, make cards, take picnics wherever you go and don't go out for coffee/lunch (this used up a huge part of my disposable income). It's not applicable to the op but taking my own lunch into work has saved me at least £25 a week and I've shed my baby weight!

Another vote for Lidl. I get everything there. Even got dolls house furniture for DDs birthday (exactly the same as ELC stuff but 1/3 price).

Also Oxfam for clothes and toys.

There was an article in yesterdays Guardian where Jay Rayner, the restaurant critic tried a selection of products from Aldi - another of the cheaper supermarkets. Some things were hideous, according to him, but there were some gems as well. Things like chorizo, cheeses, antipasti, anything which originates from the country its actually produced in is worth a try in my book.

But what I really love about Lidl is that it has weekly offers. Of things like riding or diving gear, and other weekly shopping basket essentials

oh yeah must remember to get my diving gear in lidl! lol

seems like theres a world out there for me to discover.

b love the magazine ide, now that is recycling !

after cleaning my kitchen cupboards out i have,

in my kitchen cupboards i have.....

tin of prunes from when i was PG
dried fruit-out of date, can i still eat them? would you? perhaps ok in cakes?
3 packs of paxo stuffing for 20 people!
[alright for the next time i have 60 round for a roast!lol] must of ben on offr or something
self raising flour
plain flour
caster sugar
icing sugar
nesquick! how the fuck did that get in there dh im gonna kill you !
pasta
rissotto rice
paprika
5 spice
mixed herbs
jerk spice
macaroni

Some brilliant ideas.

Just one thing personally I wouldn't get a veg box if you're on a budget. We had one for years. I stopped it a few months ago as we were eating around the box,the kids wouldn't eat a lot of it and I found we couldn't eat as frugally as we wanted too as I'd shop for some key ingredients to accomodate the veg box stuff iykwim.

We save sooooo much money since we stopped it,the cost of the box alone, my weekly bill has dropped hugely as we can have jackets etc when ever we feel like it not having a particular veg to use up. I also used to find a lot of the veg is what I call luxury items eg rocket,psb etc. Lovely but not really essential when you're on a budget.

As soon as we're a bit more flush I'll start it up again though.

Visit your local tip too. I get all our big outdoor toys from ours as they pull masses of stuff out and put it in a recycling area. I got 3 cozy coupes for a fiver each(have 3 kids under 5, not going mad). We got a lovely old garden bench for a fiver. A friend of mine got a brand new play kitchen and recently another got one of those Silver Cross pushchairs with all the bits!!!!!!!!!! They have loads of really interesting things,you can get nearly everything.

I'm always been working short term contracts so we've always had to work on the basis of one income (even when we've been a little more flush) when budgeting. Things I've found are...

• Economise, but don't turn into a puritan as you'll end up feeling resentful.
• Enjoy little treats for what they are and the pleasure they bring.
• Cloth nappies
• As others have said, plan meals and take a shopping list. I've got a little whiteboard in the kitchen and when the last tin or whatever is started, it goes on the list.
• Only buy non-perishable items that you already use regularly as buy one get one free. Get 3 or 4 when they're on special.

And the killer...give up wearing makeup!
I'm not a tree-hugging lentil botherer, I enjoy looking nice to go out, my dh likes the way I look without it (bless) so I decided that I don't need it in my life and sod it to what anyone else thinks. 5 years on it's saved me a small fortune!

Oh and I'm not proud when it comes to ds's clothes and accept all donations. What I don't like or need gets passed on to a charity shop or friend. Someone has probably said that one already too .

give up make-up?!!! Now you can take things too far You'll be suggesting a mooncup next!

Have you got a local market nearby? You can usual buy local, cheap, good quality fruit and veg.

don't often wear make up, only about 20% of the time and then its a bit of mascara and lipgloss

this thread is full of fab practical tips

yeah theres a market nearby

Someone on here (kewcumber I think) suggested that you keep aside a certain amount every week for treats like coffees, mags etc and that when it's gone, it's gone. I've found that works brilliantly for me. I allow five quid a week on crap and that's that. It makes the odd mag or coffee feel really indulgent.

I also save all my boots points and use them to buy make up so I can still buy the odd expensive thing here and there. Same with nectar points - I use them for treats.

meal plan, meal plan and meal plan, I feed a family of six on £50 a week and that includes meat. We have very little waste. We are also in the process of getting a run around car to save petrol and walk as often as possible. I keep an eye on my phone usage and phone other mobiles as little as possible. We have a twenty pound slush fund each week, this buys any extras eg lottery, newspapers, wine and when its gone thats it...no more.hth

Quadrophenia, can you give me an idea of your meal-plan please? I am very impressed. I do try to plan, but I don't seem able to stick to it.

The ways I save money are:

1. Go to Aldi once a month to stock up on store cupboard basics.

1. Use www.mysupermarket.com and transfer my trolley to the cheapest online store.

1. Otherwise I shop at Morrisons, I find it cheaper on the things I need to buy than Asda.

1. Meal plan and do shopping list.

1. I don't buy that many clothes for the kids, they are given plenty of things as a gift and second hand, I usually end up buying boring things like undie and pyjamas.

1. Have an Invitation book and plan days out around that and take packed lunches!

1. Buy our clothes in the sale. Tend to only buy clothes from places like Fat Face/White Stuff but only get a few things and wear them. Don't buy loads of cheap stuff as does not laugh and end up not wearing.

Am sure there are loads more things!

does not last!

Ooh yes I'd love Quad's meal plan too,need some serious inspiration!!!! Anybody else who can feed their family for under£80 a week could you put yours on too-pleeease!!!!!!

foxythesnow, my meal plan largely depends on our shifts and whether we are eating as a family or not. I buy lots of potatoes for jackets and stuff to go on them as a reserve and allow for two 'convenient' options a week which are normally pizza, jackets with carrot and cucumber and a fish fingers, chips and peas. This week we have also had chicken tikka marinade with sald and garlic bread, spaghetti bolognese, pasta bake, sausage toad in the hole with broccoli and parsnip and carrot mash etc. I tend to buy any sauces and jar stuff that i don't make myse;f when its on offer.
my for children alwasy ahve brown bread sandwiches with either chicken or cheese for packed lunch with a value ffrais, value biscuit bar and a piece of fruit. I would love to deviate and be more exciting but we can afford this. hth