Budget Household

[philheybrookbay 439]

As my companies ‘realinement’ gathers pace and all overtime is cut from April , do any of you other deathlisters have ways of saving money on everyday items from supermarkets And what wouldn’t you change at all or avoid like the plague?

 

For example- I’ve stopped using Ariel £5 for 24 washes and gone onto Lidl washing powder. 100 washes for £7. It’s good stuff even got a curry stain out of a white shirt. Impressed by Wilko washing up liquid as well- half the price of Fairy.

 

Personally coffee is totally not going to be cut to a value brand. Someone bought me one from the pound shop- tasted like burnt sausages. Vile.

 

Any more tips?

[Cat O'Falk 3,287]

I've not paid so much as a penny in bank charges for at least 20 years by simply not going into the red. I'm not a rich man by any means; I just live within my budget. My nephew on the other hand pays about £50 a month in charges because he can't resist spending money he doesn't have.

[En Passant 2,955]

Good Idea Phil. 

 

Been getting more and more parsimonious the more I learn about the things we buy. Although I don't have a great deal of money neither am I in penury, however like many I object to being ripped off. Here's a couple of things I learned to do.

 

1.As you point out, branded goods cost more than non branded or own brand. Usually, though not always to no benefit. You are double whammied here, you pay more for the product, and then have to suffer the advertising your money paid for. A Vicious circle.

 

2. Try to check everything back to a cost per kilo. Cheddar in Lidl at 4.20 a kilo for example, or a branded cheddar in the big 4 at double that. Can you tell the difference? I usually can't.

 

3. Avoid prepared food there is a massive markup on this. Something like sliced potatoes with cheese on top marketed as potato-au-gratin or such might be 3 or 4 times the cost of its constituent parts and saves nothing but a few minutes of prep time. Work out the cost - See 2 above.

 

4 Lidl and Aldi are generally cheaper but not always so. I'm sort of a veggie and like those Linda McCartney sausages. Used to be 1.29 at Lidl/Aldi, recently both put them up to 1.49. This is still better than the 2 quid the big 4 ask for exactly the same thing, but occasionally they do them for a quid on an offer. (seen in both Morrisons and Tescos), you might have to  buy 2 for that, but they are frozen so its not a big deal.

 

There's probably more of me being a tightwad in my head somewhere, but lets not post a doctoral thesis on it here. eh?

 

Incidentally, if you mean instant coffee, I definitely can't drink the cheap stuff, but the golden roast own brand stuff is indistinguishable from gold blend to my palate. If you mean real coffee, as you were.....;)

 

 

[msc 17,763]

19 minutes ago, Cat O'Falk said:

I've not paid so much as a penny in bank charges for at least 20 years by simply not going into the red. I'm not a rich man by any means; I just live within my budget. My nephew on the other hand pays about £50 a month in charges because he can't resist spending money he doesn't have.

 

We got a small overdraft on the main bank account when weans were born. Useful safety net, but the better safety net is budgeting and not spending what you don't have, as you say.

 

I'd advise against paying bills with direct debits. Experience of those is that the fuckers come off the account on any day of the month bar the one they're meant to! So in the long run..  Btw, Cat, Fifty quid? A month? After bills/household necessities, I don't spend 50 quid on myself in a year

 

Shopping tips? Cut unnecessary stuff, buy the cheapest sensible things (ie if you're buying, say, lean mince cheap, there's probably a reason...). Tins, dried pasta, cut out ready meals etc. Basic pasta and a tomato sauce is cheaper than most ready meals. Healthier too. Only adds about 10 mins to prep time too. En Passant's Point 3 is a good one there. Shop around so you know the cheapest places. Basically budget the bugger to the 9th degree, then you'll find space for that preferred coffee.

 

Draw up a household budget for the month, stick it to the wall where you'll notice in your bedroom, and stick to it.

 

Oh, and open up a savings account.

 

Apologies for the Captain Obvious offerings...

 

 

[runebomme 376]

you can usually get discount goods at big uk supermarkets after 6pm and/or 9pm try asda

[Lard Bazaar 3,687]

Use a Cash and Carry.  I get a 5 kg pack of 18 fat juicy chicken breasts for twenty quid, individually wrap them and bung them in the freezer. They last me ages. Also I buy bog roll, laundry liquid and canned soft drink in bulk for much cheapness. 

[runebomme 376]

dot you need a VAT number so shop from Cash and Carry

[theoldlady 1,994]

There are ways to save money. First stop buying unhealthy products like: fizzy drinks/sodas, all processed snacks like Potato chips, pretzels, pre-baked cakes and cookies, candy, alcohol, frozen dinners, junk food, instant noodles, packaged gravies, etc. Basically buy only real food - the so-called food with only one ingredient: like eggs, flour, fresh vegetables, meats, fruits, etc.  Drink only water, CUT down on tea and coffee. Buy bulk foods, and then put them in small freezer bags and freeze until needed. Consider the portions of food you really need. Like in Norway, mince meat/hamburger meat is usually sold in 400 gram packages. I buy 5 kilos of hamburger meat and pack it into small freezer bags of only 300 grams. This is the portion for 2 older adults. Buy bulk real oatmeal for breakfast and use honey instead of sugar.

 

N.B. you might lose some weight doing this, but saving money and getting healthy are good things. It will mean cooking a bit, However for example homemade brown gravey made with flour and margarine, some onion bits added afterwards is very good! Stop going out to eat and to the pubs. 

 

Buy the store brands. 

 

Pay off all credit cards as soon as possible. 

 

To be continued....

[Bentrovato 998]

1 minute ago, theoldlady said:

There are ways to save money. First stop buying unhealthy products like: fizzy drinks/sodas, all processed snacks like Potato chips, pretzels, pre-baked cakes and cookies, candy, alcohol, frozen dinners, junk food, instant noodles, packaged gravies, etc. Basically buy only real food - the so-called food with only one ingredient: like eggs, flour, fresh vegetables, meats, fruits, etc.  Drink only water, CUT down on tea and coffee. Buy bulk foods, and then put them in small freezer bags and freezer until needed. Consider the portions of food you really need. Like in Norway, mince meat/hamburger meat is usually sold in 400 gram packages. I buy 5 kilos of hamburger meat and pack it into small freezer bags of only 300 grams. This is the portion for 2 older adults. Buy bulk real oatmeal for breakfast and use honey instead of sugar.

 

N.B. you might lose some weight doing this, but saving money and getting healthy are good things. It will mean cooking a bit, However for example homemade brown gravey made with flour and margarine, some onion bits added afterwards is very good! Stop going out to eat and to the pubs. 

 

To be continued....

My good God, you must be huge. And addicted to food. There is a phoneline where you can get help. 

[TQR 12,194]

5 minutes ago, theoldlady said:

There are ways to save money. First stop buying unhealthy products like: alcohol,

 

WOAH. I'd like to depart from that theory. I'd rather go bankrupt 

[Grim Up North 3,565]

Do a shopping list for your supermarket trips and stick to it.

 

Aisle cruising results in very expensive shops.

[theoldlady 1,994]

1 minute ago, The Quim Reaper said:

 

WOAH. I'd like to depart from that theory. I'd rather go bankrupt 

I know, but in desperate times, desperate measures are needed. 

[TQR 12,194]

To save money, it's worth noting that a bottle of 2012 Vintage Châteauneuf du Pape is less costly than a 2003, and just as delectable. 

[DevonDeathTrip 2,290]

24 minutes ago, theoldlady said:

... use honey instead of sugar...

 

At the risk of sounding like a character from The Good Life, we've been beekeeping for the last few years and haven't bought sugar since.  That said, it'll take a few decades for the savings to show, as it wasn't that cheap to set up.

 

I also run a few lobster pots, but concede that can't be a practical arrangement for everybody. 

[charon 4,938]

Stop Sky/Netflix etc.

 

Everything available semi legally elsewhere. And in Netfilxs case, usually in better quality...

[Lord Fellatio Nelson 6,132]

Best tip of all. Get a fucking divorce and your shop spend gets cut in half.

[philheybrookbay 439]

20 minutes ago, Lord Fellatio Nelson said:

Best tip of all. Get a fucking divorce and your shop spend gets cut in half.

Did that in 2013. Lost 19 stones as well- 3 of which were my own.  

 

[Lard Bazaar 3,687]

8 hours ago, runebomme said:

dot you need a VAT number so shop from Cash and Carry

Not the one we use, just knocked up a business letterhead as a sole trader and showed them a bank statement and boom I’m buying 36 packs of Frazzles within minutes 

[YoungWillz 19,104]

1 minute ago, Lard Bazaar said:

Not the one we use, just knocked up a business letterhead as a sole trader and showed them a bank statement and boom I’m buying 36 packs of Frazzles within minutes 

Gawd, I love Frazzles.

 

Should have got some down the shops earlier. Now I'm tempted to walk down the garage....

[Lard Bazaar 3,687]

3 hours ago, Lord Fellatio Nelson said:

Best tip of all. Get a fucking divorce

I concur, and only wish I was married so I could divorce the cunt.

[Sir Creep 7,013]

11 hours ago, Lard Bazaar said:

 individually wrap them and bung them in the freezer. They last me ages.

Lardy, I am adopting this and will use it often.

SC

[theoldlady 1,994]

On ‎23‎.‎03‎.‎2018 at 19:25, DevonDeathTrip said:

 

At the risk of sounding like a character from The Good Life, we've been beekeeping for the last few years and haven't bought sugar since.  That said, it'll take a few decades for the savings to show, as it wasn't that cheap to set up.

 

I also run a few lobster pots, but concede that can't be a practical arrangement for everybody. 

In Norway we can ocean fish all the time, except maybe in the Oslo Fjord area. A delicious and semi-cheap sourse of food. Crab nets can be set as well. The King Crab from Russland have invaded the coast here, but man do they taste good. I think the lobsters are more regulated.  In the summer there are all sorts of wild strawberries, blue berries, multe-berries (cloud berries) ,etc. That are there for the taking up in the mountains and hills. Fun to make ones own jellies and concentrate to make drinks/ punch out of.

 

Norwegian honey is very good by the way - most is now organic as well. We are experiencing a bee decline though. Scarey situation. 

[charon 4,938]

Fuck the bees. Overated and beloved by hippy no righters.

 

Blowflies etc carry more pollen than the workshy striped shysters.

 

 

I do lift lobster/crab creels now and then, and I've never tasted either. Too much hassle to cook them IMO, even if they tasted as good as a raison and biscuit Yorkie.

[charon 4,938]

Back on track...

 

Books are expensive, libraries are FREEEEE. 

 

I note today that a boy found a book overdue since 1982 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-43519557

 

The fine would be £374...

 

 

 

 

* I have one, The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliffe.... that is more overdue than that 

[Mort de rire 9]

Strange thread.  I use to look for promotions until I realised the savings were minimal. I looked at the cost of a meal, packet soup or burgers were £2+, whereas omelette or rice and veg less than 50p. Then I started wondering if I was eating an omelette because it was cheap or because I liked it, put me off.

 

Junk food is subsidised so it's cheaper per calorie

 

List spending in order to get an idea where money is going. can you renegotiate you mortgage ? Have 2 accounts, one for wages and standing orders, other for credit card. Transfer a fixed amount to credit card, doesnt matter if debit dates are correct. Easier to see your situation.