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?

btw the only frozen food I ever buy are fish fingers and frozen chips, other than that i find typical convenience food to be a false economy. Most shops do offers on chicken breast and i buy these when on offer and then use mince etc, veg lasagne is another cheap option, most shops do cheap lasagne sheets and home made tomato and white sauces are cheap enough.
One food product which doesn't seem to have risen to much is dairy, morrisons are fantastic in their cheese offers, none of this is about eating top quality food but I conisder our diet to be fairly balanced.

Sounds daft but I reckon one of the best things if you can is to try and hang out with people on a similar or lower income to you. Its really hard if your friends want to go out to places you can't really afford, or their children have loads of expensive stuff that yours then want.
Round here, everyone is on a budget (apart from the 2nd home owners) so everyone is in the same boat.

There are some great tips on this thread. I'll add my own tip about shopping (sorry if it's been mentioned and I've forgotten). If I see something I think I want, I walk away and if I still want it a week later then I might go back. 9 times out of 10 I've forgotten what it even was!

We probably spend about £60 a week for me, DH, a toddler and two cats, including nappies, toiletries and household stuff. I'm constantly trying to reduce this but I'm finding it hard in the current climate.

I'm likely to get a fairly substantial wage cut in September (the price of hopefully getting my job permanently ) so we're preparing all the time. We've got a way to go yet.

Thanks Quad

Did what the moneysaving expert suggested and moved down a brand when shopping. I only shop online so it's very easy to meal plan - was spending £120 a week, now about £80 as I'm more organised. If you shop midweek at sainsburys delivery only costs £2.50, as someone said earlier if they're ever late (they'll always ring to tell you) they give £10 vouchers as good will.

I avoid ebay but will have bought fab clothes, books and toys for dcs at car boots. Their garden slide, rocker, full toy kitchen, work bench, garage etc all come from car boots and are in fab nick. I usually only buy new clothes in the sales.

Also I buy Xmas presents throughout the year when I come across a bargain.

I don't need an all-singing, all dancing mobile phone. We don't need SkyTV. Phone (unlimited calls) & high speed broadband costs £20 a month. Unless tied in, say you're thinking about leaving, ask to be put through to Retention and ask if that's the best deal, and they'll probably offer you a deal.

Good point about the utilities. I switched broadband and phone from BT to Sky at no more expense that Sky TV alone. Check out USwitch for all other bills.

And if renewing any insurance, accident cover, AA or anything, always, always call them up and ask for a better price. You will get one.

Meal plan 1 - minced beef tacos:
Recipe
Fry medium onion in garlic infused olive oil, add a red and green sliced pepper, add and brown 400g mince, add canned chopped tomatoes, quarter pint of chicken stock (kallo stock cube), 2 tsp of sweet chili dipping sauce, mild chili powder to taste, cook for 15 mins, add small can of kidney beans and cook for a further 3 mins. Meanwhile rinse & cook rice (50g per person), rinse. Pop shop-bought tacos in oven or microwave. Sprinkle filled tacos with grated cheese. Have the left-overs for lunch next day.

Don't have Sky telly, have one of those monthly dvd rental schemes instead and rent whole series as well as films.

Live like your Gran (if you have a thrifty Scottish granny like mine!)ie. make soup and learn to bake really good basics.
Join your local library, I read vogue and good house keeping while DS3 reads the toddler books. Try Ebay for clothes and toys. Give up the tumble drier and get a ceiling mounted pulley and a clothes line. Turn the heating down and get an electric blanket, v.addictive.
Never go shopping as a leisure activity, for one thing people wandering around shopping centres always look like extras from zombie movies to me!
There are lots of websites devoted to frugal living.
I don't have a mobile phone either as I am at home a lot but if I had one i would get a pay as you go.

My mum heard this recipe on the radio in the '70s, during a programmme on thrift and it's been a family staple ever since and saw me through many a sticky patch at university (ah the days before students could get credit cards).

Cheesy potato pie.
In an ovenproof dish put a layer of cold baked beans. One tin will feed 3/4 hungry people. On top spread a layer of mashed potato, and on top of that grate a layer of cheese. If you're feeling flush/posh, you can add bit of cooked bacon or sausage, or even ham to the beans. Worcestershire sauce in the cheese layer is also nice.
Cook in the oven at 180deg until the top goes melted and bubbly and scoff with loads of lovely brown sauce.

Very comforting and dead cheap. Also the most useful thing that I ever learnt to cook was a cheese sauce from scratch. I find it a great way of using up milk that's starting to turn. It's dead useful for making a pasta bake which also uses up random vegetables and meat cuts.

i economised like mad in the last few months of mat leave before going back to work.
for me, dh and nearly year old ds plus dog the supermarket shop costs about £70. no readymade meals: pretty much always cheaper to cook from scratch (and freeze leftovers). cheap cuts of meat - if you like liver you're on a winner, otherwise mince (chilli, spag bol, shepherds pie, meatballs, homemade burgers, the list is endless....) stewing cuts that have to be cooked for a long time, fresh fish like mackerel cheaper than salmon etc. fresh fruit and veg in season is cheaper than out of season (rule i usually break for ds's blueberry obssession). join the boots baby club (can do it online) if you have an advantage card, you get points/money off wipes and nappies and stuff regularly. haunt charity shops for kids' clothes/toys. grow salad in the garden. make friends with someone with an allotment they always have gluts!
check utility bills against something like uswitch.com to see if you could save by switching providers for gas electric etc, also check all your house/car insurance etc to see if you can get better deals. walk everywhere you can rather than drive/bus/tube.
stopped meeting other mums in cafes with babies and started meeting at each others' homes (too many£2.50 lattes). gave up takeways, dvds from library or an online service like lovefilm, turned down the thermostat one degree, linedried instead of tumble dried (then used all saved electricity on MN, obviously...).
i always found i spent most money when disorganised (you dont get home in time for lunch so buy a sandwich out; are appallingly late for something so have to drive; forgot someone's birthday til last minute so didnt have time to think of cheap creative things) so tried to get more organised (mostly failed...)

make your own wine is another one .. elderflower and elderberry are delicious!