# Reduced cost living - share your ideas?



## Time Waster (20 Apr 2022)

Just thought I these times of high inflation and other cost pressures people might be reverting back to the old ways of reducing their costs and reassessment of their actual needs and expenditure. Not necessarily through lack of supply but less headroom in their spending capacity.

What changes have you made? What tips do you have?

I'm guessing that accommodation, heating, food and transportation are big expenses that could give the biggest, potential for reductions. So what and how do you go about it?

We're not in financial difficulties but we're not being clever about things. Food is our big issue and since we have the money we buy something if we want it. There's little thought about whether we should get something. That's changing along with the setting of a fixed monthly food budget. We've been buying too many treats or items without thought as to use. All waste and wasted money.

So budgeting is now more important. Need vs want gets priority. Savings over toys. What's your changes in ways of living in these different times?


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## Oldhippy (20 Apr 2022)

I don't buy processed food, cycle as transport and pay exact electricity not their best guess.


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## Saluki (20 Apr 2022)

I batch cook and freeze real food (note to self, I need a spare, small freezer), then defrost and cook as required. Great for work lunches too. I am considering a Remoska but they are not overly inexpensive to buy and I need more research yet.
I don’t use much in the way of heating if I can help it. I have my huge hooded fleece, also my sofa fleece for cold days/evenings.
For years I have boiled the kettle in the morning for a cup of tea then filled a flask with the rest of the water. I tend to have fruit tea in the day now and flasked hot water is fine. I can’t see the kettle/flask thing changing any time soon. My Nan did this as she had a 50p meter and said that it saved her money.
I shower at the gym, rather than use water and electricity at home. The gym is my luxury and I got an excellent ‘Black Friday‘ deal last year for 18 months membership so paid up front and it worked out to just over half price. It’s my social events, where I see my friends etc and I am glad to have it. In May 2023 I may have to have a rethink.
I drive if I have to, walk or cycle where possible and if I I’ve to take the car somewhere, I try and incorporate another errand, such as picking up a few sacks of dog food.


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## DCLane (20 Apr 2022)

SWMBO lost her NHS job six years ago (a long, nasty story of illegal behaviour by her ex-NHS Trust) and tried to go freelance. That didn't work and she went back into the NHS elsewhere for a couple of years before the Clinical Commissioning Groups closed and was redundant again. She tried freelance a second time and for just over a year we threw everything we had at it before it semi-succeeded with part-freelance, part-NHS roles and she's now busier than ever. Covid _may_ have helped as she worked/works on Covid/Covid-rehab wards as well as other stuff but her policy-writing/conference attendance and talks/networking got her to where she is now. Why have I put this? Because we've been there, despite me having a 'decent' job.

The above meant we had to tighten the purse strings a lot to avoid going into debt, but are now in a much better position. So ... what did we do:

Every bill got looked at and changed if there was a better deal; gas/electric (we're on a 2-year fixed deal to Sept '23), internet, mobile, etc. You don't need the expensive mobile subscriptions - use free wi-fi somewhere rather than a big contract.
Debts were paid off, then the mortgage. Not paying interest = more money.
Food shopping moved to the more 'basic' items where we could. No ready meals, cook from scratch and learn to if you've not done so. Yellow stickering helps sometimes.
Share food and other items to save waste and cost. Olio and others allow you to share items you don't need or need to use.
Don't go hungry. Use a food bank or similar. Being hungry often means we make bad decisions at that time.
Anything we didn't need, we cut. No TV streaming, eating out including coffee/drinks, evenings out, subscriptions unless they helped (TV/food/magazines/gym all cancelled).
Look at the charity giving you do. Reduce that if needed.
Use cash-back websites (sorry CC) such as Quidco/Topcashback, cash-back credit/debit cards, loyalty schemes = triple bonus points.
No new car. No lease car. We ran, until last week, 12/13 year-old cars and I used a bike for almost everything.
Need something? Try second-hand / free. Our home office suites were free (SWMBO's via Freecycle) and £20 (mine via eBay) and both were almost new.
Children's trips got cut back. Son no. 2's racing was almost always local unless we had support.
Take advantage of things like free days out; do a search for your local area. Farm visits, etc. are educational and entertaining.
Holidays got cut back. We went from 2-3 a year, including an international trip, to one basic one. Previously we'd done house-swap holidays which reduces the cost massively.
I sold bikes and bike parts galore, including buying and fixing-up old bikes. We raised £10k+ from that. Thanks to the CC members who bought stuff as it kept us afloat.
Do you need it? Are you using it? If not, and not likely to then sell it. eBay / Gumtree / Facebook Marketplace / local ads / etc. and if using eBay then take advantage of their free/low-cost listing days.
I found new methods of earning; the Royal Mail panel, private work (marking in my case), mystery shopping/focus groups, competitions (a 'bonus' but resulted in a £30k car last week). MoneySavingExpert helps here with an alternative income suggestion.
Fortunately we are in a much better position currently so should ride this current set of increases and issues out, even being able to take a short international holiday this week. I'm aware others aren't so some careful planning, budgeting and decisions now will help.

My advice is to set out your income / expenditure clearly, covering exactly what you have / earn / spend. A good budget means you have a better chance of managing the little bits of expenditure you forget. For anyone who doesn't budget I'd advise doing so and I've attached a blank version of the one we use/used, although there's lots out there.

I'm also aware there are some CC members who make my spending look profligate, and hope they'll add more ...


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## raleighnut (20 Apr 2022)

View: https://youtu.be/26ZDB9h7BLY


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## cyberknight (20 Apr 2022)

Mrs CK wanted to pack in her part time job,not happening .
Just had nearly 4 months of short pay after my accident which has dented the savings so we had already cut things back,if it wasn't for the disability allowance we would be in trouble


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## Moodyman (20 Apr 2022)

1. Earn more
2. Spend less
3. Combination of 1 and 2.

Look at all aspects of your life and make small improvements. Over time they will aggregate and compound. 

Be comfortable at having less.


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## vickster (20 Apr 2022)

I'm certainly eating out less - more just not got back into the habit after Covid (and not in London as much).
One massive saving for me is switching from personal private healthcare to corporate this year


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## All uphill (20 Apr 2022)

We are doing most of the usual things, and have been since I retired five years ago.

We think it's important to have pleasures as well as economies, so we often have a coffee out, but no more meals out.

We buy books, but 2nd hand now, not new.

We cook all our food from scratch and allow ourselves some luxury ingredients. 

To be sustainable for us it has to avoid misery.


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## Moodyman (20 Apr 2022)

@Andy in Germany how are things in Deutschland? Are the usually prudent Germans coping or feeling the pain?


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## Andy in Germany (20 Apr 2022)

Moodyman said:


> @Andy in Germany how are things in Deutschland? Are the usually prudent Germans coping or feeling the pain?



I'm not sure what the current situation is like in the UK, so it's hard to do a direct comparison.

I'm told fuel prices went up here, but I'm not as directly aware of those for lack of car reasons. Electricity has gone up a lot; we have a team in the organisation which can go to people's houses and measure their appliances electricity use, and offer some replacements or a small grant for people to replace things like fridges and washing machines, and they're advertising very hard. There's a shortage of sunflower oil and sunflower margarine, but I haven't noticed much else. Overall the economy is pulling back to pre-covid levels; we're seeing a gradual increase in daily sales at the shop and local employers are hiring.

However, two caveats; this is a federal country, and the states are more independent than Scotland and Wales in the UK, so there will be differences. What is normal here in what, to be fair is a wealthier state, is possibly not normal in other parts of the country. I'm also still getting used to having a proper salary after several years of income support, so I'm used to living on very little by most people's standards and I still have the habits from that time so I'm kind of cushioned from the impact to some extent; I do most of the things described here as a hangover from those days.


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## chriswoody (20 Apr 2022)

Moodyman said:


> @Andy in Germany how are things in Deutschland? Are the usually prudent Germans coping or feeling the pain?



To add in to @Andy in Germany post, the fuel costs went up for a short while and then settled back a little bit, both Diesel and Petrol are currently around the 2 euro mark. I live in Niedersachsen, the home of Volkswagen amongst other big firms, so again a fairly wealthy state. My biggest concern is the gas prices and supply, unfortunately Germany relies a lot on Russian gas and it's a hot topic in the news over here. We have gas central heating and a gas cooker in the house and I've been looking at longer term ways of reducing our own dependance on it. Swapping the cooker for an electric induction one is one immediate solution, I just need to look at reducing our gas central heating. Ground source heat pumps are a no go because of our garden and I'm not so convinced by air source, but I'm still looking into it at the moment.

One immediate change I have made is to finally buy a cargo trailer for the bikes so we can do the weekly food and drink shop without lazily resorting to the car. It's a game changer and one I should have made much earlier, now the car is purely for my wife's commute and visiting her parents who live over 70 km's away.


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## Reynard (20 Apr 2022)

Foodwise, definitely yellow stickers and wonky fruit & veg. But I buy ingredients rather than prepared stuff generally, as I love to cook, which works out a heck of a lot cheaper anyway. Depending on what I buy (and what's available), a typical food spend per week for the two person household chez Casa Reynard is between £35 and £40. I don't stint on stuff and will happily pay money where it's warranted, but I hate to waste money unnecesarily. And the "Mundaners" will know we eat very well here. Here's how I do it:

1) No takeaways or meals out unless I'm "on the road". We live in the boonies, so no one delivers anyway, ergo I have to go out. Which means it's a faff. But a lot of takeaway / restaurant favourites are so easy to cook at home - and much nicer to boot.

2) Very few Big Brands. Sometimes it's unavoidable if there's no alternative, but typically, most supermarket own label stuff is made on the same lines as the branded, just with slightly different spec. More often than not, it's hard to tell the difference, and sometimes I find the own brand product is actually nicer.

3) Very little prepared stuff including oven ready / microwavable - some things have a stupid big mark-up compared to making stuff at home. Even on sticker, some things aren't worth buying. You are paying for convenience.

4) No pre-chopped fruit & veg - it has almost no shelf life, plus again, big mark-ups. And a lot of it isn't very nice.

5) No alcohol. Mum and I are teetotal by choice, mainly because we don't actually like the taste.

6) Almost zero food waste. I remember reading in multiple places that domestic food waste can be around 20% of a household's actual food spend. Tips here is not having too many things open at once, use leftovers creatively, if you see something is beginning to look a little tired, then find a way to use it up (new recipe time!!!), and don't go food shopping if you don't really need it. I will look in the fridge and if I think "nope, still got too much" then I won't go out.

7) Shopping list! Without one, I'm a pain for throwing things into the trolley that I don't need, because it's so easy to get tempted. That's the perils of being a foodie.

8) Take advantage of clearance bargains on long-life cupboard staples e.g. rice, pasta, canned goods, dried goods, flour.

9) Have a well-stocked store cupboard full of staples, seasonings, stock cubes etc. That way you can always whisk up a meal without too much hassle.

10) Get the most out of what you do buy. Save dripping for frying, use bones, cooking juices and trimmings to make stock for soup. Use stale bread to make breadcrumbs or puddings.

11) Learn how to store stuff properly, and remember, that in the right conditions, some fruit and veg will keep a long time. Which allows you to take advantage of good offers when things are in season.

12) And finally, don't buy more than you can use and / or don't buy what you can't use.

HTH...


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## vickster (20 Apr 2022)

Not eating meat anymore saves me money on groceries I'm sure (I do still eat fish/seafood but probably only a couple of times a week) and I'm a devil for ready made stuff (lazy non foodie ) but I don't shop as much in Waitrose now


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## oldwheels (20 Apr 2022)

Saluki said:


> I batch cook and freeze real food (note to self, I need a spare, small freezer), then defrost and cook as required. Great for work lunches too. I am considering a Remoska but they are not overly inexpensive to buy and I need more research yet.
> I don’t use much in the way of heating if I can help it. I have my huge hooded fleece, also my sofa fleece for cold days/evenings.
> For years I have boiled the kettle in the morning for a cup of tea then filled a flask with the rest of the water. I tend to have fruit tea in the day now and flasked hot water is fine. I can’t see the kettle/flask thing changing any time soon. My Nan did this as she had a 50p meter and said that it saved her money.
> I shower at the gym, rather than use water and electricity at home. The gym is my luxury and I got an excellent ‘Black Friday‘ deal last year for 18 months membership so paid up front and it worked out to just over half price. It’s my social events, where I see my friends etc and I am glad to have it. In May 2023 I may have to have a rethink.
> I drive if I have to, walk or cycle where possible and if I I’ve to take the car somewhere, I try and incorporate another errand, such as picking up a few sacks of dog food.



I recommend the Remoska. We have had one for years and now I use it more than any other kitchen appliance. Originally bought for a motorhome but now only in the home kitchen.


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## ColinJ (20 Apr 2022)

Moodyman said:


> Be comfortable at having less.



That is the best advice. I was earning around £20k p.a. in the late 1990s but I didn't feel particularly well off because I spent it almost as quickly as I earned it. 

In 2022 as a pensioner on around £14k p.a., even with fuel prices shooting up and other inflation I should be able to save about £2k, and I feel very comfortable with that.


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## wiggydiggy (20 Apr 2022)

I'm in the middle of a house move but once settled there's a couple things I'm doing

1) Slow Cooker not oven. The new gaff doesn't have a oven, it's got a hob but everything else I'm slow cooking in bulk and freezing to eat later.

2) Wonky Veg boxes. I've found a couple of suppliers that do a subscription for veg boxes. It's a bit random what you get but I want to try it for a bit and see if it's cheaper.

3) Ebay and Freecycle. I've got a ton of stuff,and adding more, for sale on Ebay. Freecycle I'm going to be using a lot more to reuse stuff.

4) Secondhand Furniture. I don't need a lot of things immediately, but what I do I'll be checking the local thrift stores first.



All uphill said:


> ......
> 
> We buy books, but 2nd hand now, not new.
> 
> ......



I've actually rejoined my library recently, they won't have everything I want but it's a good place to start.


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## numbnuts (20 Apr 2022)

No heating at all, turned it off last November, OK I am living in the south of England so that helps.
If it's cold in the evening I go to bed early and read or listen to music.
Turned the water temperature down so when having a shower only use the hot water.
Batch cooking, I have always done this.
No car after it getting written off last May.
All shopping done my trike and trailer.
Not had a telly/licence for years and really not miss it.
Food wise I buy what I like, I don't see the point buying low price products and not really enjoying it.


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## fossyant (20 Apr 2022)

Obvious one is ride to work. I decided, once we started going back into the office, to start cycle commuting again, much to the bosses concern (broken spine last time I commuted). I did it mainly for mental health - really hate sitting in a car for an hour to do 9 miles and cost £7 per day in fuel. Not quite broke even yet as I needed new tyres then new wheels on the old MTB (but would have needed wheels anyway).

Big one for us was the cost of the hot tub - once I worked it out, it is a silly expense. We now turn it down to it's lowest setting, have 'kingspan' insulation on top to retain heat and only turn it up when we decide to use it, once a week - not leave it running to temperature. You still need to have it ticking over - but that's just the filter motor. 

Household heating's been adjusted to go off by 7pm, and not 9pm - we added loft boards about a year ago, and the added insulation is noticeable with heat retention.

Also using the oven less, unless we 'fill it' - we have an air fryer for smaller items, eg sausages etc.


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## wiggydiggy (20 Apr 2022)

numbnuts said:


> ....
> Not had a telly/licence for years and really not miss it.
> .....



TV Licence I've not needed for several years now, for £159/year its a lot of money and comparable to other subscription services. If I was trying to cut back I'd definitely cancel it if I hadn't already.


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## bonzobanana (20 Apr 2022)

wiggydiggy said:


> TV Licence I've not needed for several years now, for £159/year its a lot of money and comparable to other subscription services. If I was trying to cut back I'd definitely cancel it if I hadn't already.



Yes I've not had a tv license for 4 years and don't miss it. My mother lives nearby who has a free tv licence and so anything I want to watch I can watch there but can watch itv, ch4 and ch5 programs on catchup services and use other free streaming services like youtube. The only thing I miss is live news services. What is annoying is I didn't ditch my TV licence years before. I don't subscribe to netflix or amazon prime either or anything like that but still can't keep up with all the stuff I would like to watch.


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## wiggydiggy (20 Apr 2022)

bonzobanana said:


> Yes I've not had a tv license for 4 years and don't miss it. My mother lives nearby who has a free tv licence and so anything I want to watch I can watch there but can watch itv, ch4 and ch5 programs on catchup services and use other free streaming services like youtube. The only thing I miss is live news services. What is annoying is I didn't ditch my TV licence years before. I don't subscribe to netflix or amazon prime either or anything like that but still can't keep up with all the stuff I would like to watch.



Amazon Prime is pretty good, I got mine on a work deal but I think I'd pay full price for it. Loads of films on there which is what I want mostly.Their own series have been pretty good, I'm looking forward to their Lord if the Rings when it comes out.


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## fossyant (20 Apr 2022)

Prime, Disney and Netflix here, but we use it for stuff we want to watch and saves going out. The cost of the 3 pales into insignficance compared to SKY etc to watch football. We also do Prime Music, which we are using more and more - car and at the caravan.

We purchased another car late last year, a little 10 year old Aygo, for daughter/son to use etc, but I take that to do any shop runs locally as it uses significantly less fuel than my old car. Just took it down to Wales at our caravan, and it used next to no fuel compared to our bigger cars. Yes, it's nowhere near as comfy, bit noisy, hifi is rubbish, but it nipped into a space at Rhos on Sea. It got us there and back. I still prefer my big ole car, that will take 4 adults and 4 big MTB's on the roof, but that's it's job and why I've never got rid.


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## Time Waster (21 Apr 2022)

People talk about using free WiFi but we never go anywhere with it. Or if they do, campsite on holiday, there is really poor connection such that mobile data is really the only option.

One year when son was very young our home broadband was so poor we all used my phone data on tethering. BT rewarded us with a £185 bill for the nearly a year of useless connection. Call bt and they simply said they could not do anything. Even switching to cable broadband was not possible because they only had 4 such connections in a street of 21 plus houses.


BTW that £185 bt broadband bill was per month!! When it came through I never dealt with BT again for 6 or more years. Then they became the cheapest and most reliable option in our area after moving house. 


At the time my mobile provider suggested I could cut costs changing to a lower data option. Taptaptap, a whistle and the advice to stick with my tariff until they took it away from me. He said for people who use it the no limits data deal was a very good deal that they couldn't beat. It seems I was consistently using over 30GB of data a month. Well you would in a household that's mostly end up using my mobile data because BT or open reach don't give a flying rude word removed.

Even since moving I've had to use my mobile to call BT to set up direct debit payment when they screwed up and failed to set it up for incompetence reasons. I also used my moving because the house lost phone and broadband connection. Not through the unpaid bill I might add. 

I'm not impressed with big businesses in the communications sector. Everywhere I've lived has had poor network coverage. Last place was in a small town but they didn't put in even half the number of fibre connections into cabinet for demand in most streets. Virgin moved into the area and skirted the town too. Small villages got better connections from BT than most of my old town. I wonder if the average value of housing has anything to do with it? I know rural gets everything last but why would a town with higher population density get things even later? 

Sorry bit of a rant.


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## biggs682 (21 Apr 2022)

Drive slower .
When we are on dual carriageway or motorways I stay at 60 mph


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## Time Waster (21 Apr 2022)

biggs682 said:


> Drive slower .
> When we are on dual carriageway or motorways I stay at 60 mph



Learn about hypermiling!


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## cyberknight (21 Apr 2022)

Time Waster said:


> People talk about using free WiFi but we never go anywhere with it. Or if they do, campsite on holiday, there is really poor connection such that mobile data is really the only option.
> 
> One year when son was very young our home broadband was so poor we all used my phone data on tethering. BT rewarded us with a £185 bill for the nearly a year of useless connection. Call bt and they simply said they could not do anything. Even switching to cable broadband was not possible because they only had 4 such connections in a street of 21 plus houses.
> 
> ...



Phone data wise I have 4 phones on the sky basic contract with 2 GB a month, I always use more so I raid the "banked" data from the other 3 .compared to my old contracts I am basically getting one phone free


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## presta (21 Apr 2022)

Several people have mentioned eating fresh produce. It may be healthier but it's not cheaper, which is why the poor tend to eat less healthy diets. More here from CEDAR at Cambridge University, (full report here).
This is how the foodstuffs in my diet compare:





FSA NPS Info


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## Threevok (21 Apr 2022)

One thing I learned in lockdown was buy cheap in bulk

This was because Mrs V was terrified to go out shoppping and (apart from Iceland) no supermarkets were delivering without a three week wait

I now buy shampoo in 5 litre bottles cheap off ebay and fill the smaller bottle up with it. I think I have two years supply of Dettol Soap too


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## Reynard (21 Apr 2022)

presta said:


> Several people have mentioned eating fresh produce. It may be healthier but it's not cheaper, which is why the poor tend to eat less healthy diets. More here from CEDAR at Cambridge University, (full report here).
> This is how the foodstuffs in my diet compare:
> View attachment 641077
> 
> FSA NPS Info



It is, and it isn't.

Quite often, it's down to a) knowing what to do with ingredients, b) the actual facilities to cook stuff and c) time to cook.

A lot of costs on some fruit and veg is down to the fact that they're flown in, especially tender and unseasonal stuff. I mean do we *really* need things like asparagus and strawberries in the depths of winter?

I mean take strawberries. Last summer, UK grown strawberries were £2 for a 400g punnet, and two punnets for £3 at the height of the season. Once the UK season is over, the strawberries stayed at £2, but the punnets shrunk to 227g (weird quantity I know, but that's what it was).

Never mind that the quality drops as well. Ergo I very rarely buy strawberries outside of April - September, except on yellow sticker. But if I can't smell them, I don't buy them, as so much of a strawberry's flavour is locked up in its aroma.

@mudsticks is right IMHO saying we need to eat more local and more seasonal.

As for meat, it isn't cheap, that's true. But going on general observation of what other people have in their trollies and what some of my cat fancy friends say, I think on the whole, people eat too much of it - above what the guidelines actually are.

When I cook a spag bol or a shepherds' pie, I'll use half meat, half green lentils. Mind, I love pulses, so it's no great hardship, and when it's all done in the crock pot, it's really hard to tell there are lentils in there.

Plus I rarely have a roast joint. I tend to cook a chicken, say, and then use that cooked meat in other things e.g. enchiladas, stir fries, curries and the like, where the meat is alongside other vegetables and pulses. It really does add extra mileage rather than just eating the meat "straight up".


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## Time Waster (21 Apr 2022)

About food I would say one thing ideal is one thing but reality also needs to kick in. We are not all with time to do the ideal with food such as batch cooking but especially avoiding preprepared or takeaway food.

Sometimes when you're child minding for your family and another while working from home you really don't have the time to make pizza and chips for the fussy visiting child from scratch. Besides frozen oven chips are probability cheaper than homemade these days if you buy sensibly.

Box vegetables? Premium product round here. You probably pay well over double the cost of supermarket delivered wonky veg. That's even if they deliver the boxes, the only local one I know about you collect from a local garden centre!!!

Cycle to supermarkets? We do a big, online shop at our convenience with a delivery at a time today suits us. We can pick what we need in a way where you're not tempted by actually visiting a supermarket. Then you have the efficiency involved in trucks delivering to multiple households in efficient, planned delivery runs. Much better than a traffic jam of people driving to supermarkets at least 15 minutes from where they live.

Then there's cycling, it is only feasible if we shop at Booths. They're like that John Lewis owned supermarket chain only better and possibly more expensive for your regular shop. We do buy our meat from them as that's where it's worth investing in with your food shop. I'm sick of big chain premium mince steak smelling of urine when cooking with too much water coming out of them too. We've only bought Booths meat for 10 plus years now.

Oh and don't get me started on the idea of getting better deals shopping from small shops. Working and busy families rarely have time to go to their local butchers, bakers and greengrocers even if they still exist! One place for everything you need for the household delivered effic


cyberknight said:


> Phone data wise I have 4 phones on the sky basic contract with 2 GB a month, I always use more so I raid the "banked" data from the other 3 .compared to my old contracts I am basically getting one phone free



Can't do that when you're using 30Gb of data a month. That's what I was doing at the time. All because BT/openreach really didn't put enough good quality capacity into the area I lived in.

Annoyingly there's a very good local company called B4RN that offers possibly the fastest broadband to domestic properties anywhere. A member company where getting their cable into your property makes you a shareholder. Only for rural areas like I live in. Trouble is it goes from a village one side of ours, round and through a narrow band of our village to the next the other side. We got missed out on the 1000MBs download and upload speeds. That's 50 higher than the best BT openreach offering and same speed both ways unlike most broadband. Annoying to say the least. We're possible 50m to 100m off that band with the main cable young through.


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## PaulSB (21 Apr 2022)

presta said:


> Several people have mentioned eating fresh produce. It may be healthier but it's not cheaper, which is why the poor tend to eat less healthy diets. More here from CEDAR at Cambridge University, (full report here).
> This is how the foodstuffs in my diet compare:
> View attachment 641077
> 
> FSA NPS Info



As regards cost I would have to disagree with you provided we are talking seasonal produce and not "fresh" vegetables flown halfway round the world.

The reasons why households on low incomes tend to eat a less healthy diet are far more complex than the price of fresh produce.


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## Saluki (21 Apr 2022)

oldwheels said:


> I recommend the Remoska. We have had one for years and now I use it more than any other kitchen appliance. Originally bought for a motorhome but now only in the home kitchen.



Good to know. I am watching a couple on eBay. If I hang on a fortnight, I can get twenty quid off at a local shop.


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## oldwheels (21 Apr 2022)

Saluki said:


> Good to know. I am watching a couple on eBay. If I hang on a fortnight, I can get twenty quid off at a local shop.



You need the grille bit that fits inside and make a kitchen foil disk to put on top of most things to stop burning.Not needed for pizza which are much quicker than anything else. Takes a little bit of learning to get the best out of it. I find about an hour seems to do most things except baking a kind of fruit cake which takes a bit longer. Not good for eggs but found no other disadvantages.


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## Ming the Merciless (21 Apr 2022)

Ditch your car. Get a e-cargo bike for your shopping / utility trips. Join a car club and / or look into holidays using train. Hire a van or car for the rare times you really need one. Heat the person not the house. Either create a snug or get blankets and hot water bottles and thick jumper for the winter. Remember that central heating is a relatively modern thing. If you have Sky or Netflix TV or a mobile phone contract then ditch them.


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## SpokeyDokey (21 Apr 2022)

Time Waster said:


> About food I would say one thing ideal is one thing but reality also needs to kick in. We are not all with time to do the ideal with food such as batch cooking but especially avoiding preprepared or takeaway food.
> 
> Sometimes when you're child minding for your family and another while working from home you really don't have the time to make pizza and chips for the fussy visiting child from scratch. Besides frozen oven chips are probability cheaper than homemade these days if you buy sensibly.
> 
> ...



Just to say; you do not have to be a shareholder to have B4RN. 

That is optional. 

Our B4RN is brilliant - most villages round here have it now. 

Cost £150 for the router install and connection which was fully reimbursed through a Gov' funding scheme. 

Very fast, very stable and dirt cheap at £30 pm. 

Are you sure the scheme cannot be extended to your location - ours covers a pretty large multi-village area.


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## oldwheels (21 Apr 2022)

Ming the Merciless said:


> Ditch your car. Get a e-cargo bike for your shopping / utility trips. Join a car club and / or look into holidays using train. Hire a van or car for the rare times you really need one. Heat the person not the house. Either create a snug or get blankets and hot water bottles and thick jumper for the winter. Remember that central heating is a relatively modern thing. If you have Sky or Netflix TV or a mobile phone contract then ditch them.



One point I would make is that the older generation may not be able to hire a car or van as any company I have heard of restricts hire to under 70 but may extend to 75. I certainly cannot hire locally.


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## Andy in Germany (21 Apr 2022)

Reynard said:


> Quite often, it's down to a) knowing what to do with ingredients, b) the actual facilities to cook stuff and c) time to cook.



Three things a number of my clients don't have, come to that, often neither do I. "Eating seasonal" requires the same three um... ingredients.

My solution has been a compromise, as is so often the way. I don't eat meat very often, occasionally chicken at the weekend or something sliced from the local version of the "yellow sticker" shelf which is more seasoning on the evening wraps.

Apart from that I eat pretty much the same every day, which I appreciate many people would find hard to live with. I've got preparation down to a fine art: pasta is boiled up once or twice a week, and used for lunch with a bought sauce in a jar or pesto, heated in the microwave at work.

Mornings are toast, evenings are usually a wrap and salad.

One of my luxuries is a tomato with the evening wrap, not super ecologically sound, but on the other hand now I've got the system working there's almost no waste: everything that comes in is eaten and I only have to empty my tiny compost bag once a week, because otherwise it would climb out of the cupboard itself; most of it is apple cores and tea bags...


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## Oldhippy (21 Apr 2022)

Andy in Germany said:


> Three things a number of my clients don't have, come to that, often neither do I. "Eating seasonal" requires the same three um... ingredients.
> 
> My solution has been a compromise, as is so often the way. I don't eat meat very often, occasionally chicken at the weekend or something sliced from the local version of the "yellow sticker" shelf which is more seasoning on the evening wraps.
> 
> ...



Have you been looking through my kitchen window? You have pretty much got my menu more or less bar the chicken. 😁


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## Reynard (21 Apr 2022)

Andy in Germany said:


> Three things a number of my clients don't have, come to that, often neither do I. "Eating seasonal" requires the same three um... ingredients.
> 
> My solution has been a compromise, as is so often the way. I don't eat meat very often, occasionally chicken at the weekend or something sliced from the local version of the "yellow sticker" shelf which is more seasoning on the evening wraps.
> 
> ...



I guess I'm fortunate in being (mostly) at home these days, and that i was taught to cook by my mum, who trained in a professional kitchen. So yes, I'm not exactly Ms Average in this respect. 

One thing that's been great for making the best out of ingredients is a crock pot. It's equally good for soups, pasta sauces, chillies, curries and the like. It's a "fling stuff in and leave it" kind of thing which takes a lot of guesswork out of cooking. Even a basic can of tomatoes, a chopped onion and some seasonings becomes a vehicle for deliciousness.

I do eat a lot less meat than I used to, and for some things e.g. lasagne, chilli, curries, I actually prefer the veggie option.


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## Arrowfoot (21 Apr 2022)

Some years back while working in London for some unplanned reason I stopped stocking the fridge. I would buy groceries for the day on the way back from work. As write this , my top - the freezer is bare. The bottom - the fridge has 3 green apples bought yesterday, a small box of longans that I bought at an Asian supermarket today, a small of portion of cheese, small milk bottle, plus some drinks. 

I have since lost weight, my food expenses have been reduced considerably and fittest since the age of 22. I have since discovered some healthy food types such as the cheaper protein rich lentils and pulses. 

I realised that stocking the fridge is a habit and I suspect in my mind it gave me a sense of food security. And for some unknown reason the fridge is stocked with a wide range of food stuff, healthy and not so healthy.


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## ColinJ (21 Apr 2022)

Reynard said:


> Once the UK season is over, the strawberries stayed at £2, but the punnets shrunk to* 227g (weird quantity I know, but that's what it was)*.



Spooky... I was thinking that the other day but eventually realised why it was chosen - it is the metric equivalent of half a pound. The worst of both worlds - a silly number in a sensible system of units, equivalent to a sensible number in a silly system of units!


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## Chris S (21 Apr 2022)

numbnuts said:


> No heating at all, turned it off last November, OK I am living in the south of England so that helps.



Is that why you chose 'numbnuts' as your user name?


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## Reynard (21 Apr 2022)

ColinJ said:


> Spooky... I was thinking that the other day but eventually realised why it was chosen - it is the metric equivalent of half a pound. The worst of both worlds - a silly number in a sensible system of units, equivalent to a sensible number in a silly system of units!



Aaaargh!!! I'm officially now something of a plonker...  I really should have figured that one out, given I'm always converting backwards and forwards from metric to imperial etc with most units. Because 227 is indeed half of 454...

Need to go stand in the corner with a dunce's cap.


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## Time Waster (21 Apr 2022)

SpokeyDokey said:


> Just to say; you do not have to be a shareholder to have B4RN.
> 
> That is optional.
> 
> ...



Sure. Checked their website again and my village and even the next which was in planning stage last year is no longer even listed at all! All details covering my village have disappeared. 

Although the map shows live to the boundary of the village and a very narrow strip that goes from the green live area outside my village boundary down parallel to my road but other side of the railway line to the estuary then along it to downhill from the next village.

My parents house is showing on the exact boundary of the green live strip and the purple planning around it. Their road is actually like a u shape with a straight road leading to it. Most of it is in the green except their sure of the u but the end where their house is goes back in green. However my dad checked with B4RN and he been told there's no installation there. The map is not what is actually in place. It's to promote them and gain interest from new areas hence showing green close to new areas and purple "planning" areas even further out.

It's a shame as I've heard it's very reliable. Since I looked into B4RN last year we had BT and openreach putting out letters through various village institutions to gain interest and people logging interest in their fast cable to house running at 950 instead of B4RN 1000. Apparently if a rural area got a threshold of households logging interest in it the government gives openreach a grant to install or gives part of the cost. In our village I've heard of period who have had it installed so it looks like we were successful I getting people to log interest.

So I'm thinking we might just get the BT openreach offering rather than waiting for b4rn to come here.


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## SpokeyDokey (22 Apr 2022)

Interesting thread and the ideas to save seem worthy and well intentioned.

I can't, though, help thinking that saving on expenditure is a bit of a last resort. Surely the starting point should be how you utilise (spend or save) your money and logically the detail of your household finances follow from there?

If someone really has their back to the wall, or even if their back is some distance from the wall, maybe some forward thinking planning re how money flows out of your personal finances would be a good place to start. Maybe question what is really necessary and/or important for you to spend money on? Maybe try to understand the external pressures that drive you to spend on certain things eg peer group/societal/advertising pressures? Maybe question if your lifestyle is over-complicated and whether or not simplification would reduce outgoings? Maybe try to understand whether you control your expenditure or does your expenditure make demands upon you? Etc.

There are other ways to come at this other than the relatively simplistic 'cut back' approach - although I'm not saying that there is anything intrinsically wrong with that.


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## Poacher (22 Apr 2022)

Despite the cooking instructions on a pack of spaghetti, you don't need 3 litres of boiling water to cook 250gm of it! While on the subject, the price of pasta is likely to increase significantly in the next few months, and it has a long shelf life, so now would be a good time to stock up.


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## presta (22 Apr 2022)

.


SpokeyDokey said:


> I can't, though, help thinking that saving on expenditure is a bit of a last resort. Surely the starting point should be how you utilise (spend or save) your money and logically the detail of your household finances follow from there?
> 
> If someone really has their back to the wall, or even if their back is some distance from the wall, maybe some forward thinking planning re how money flows out of your personal finances would be a good place to start.


It's 25 years now since I decided to quit work and live off my savings. The first thing I did whilst making the decision was draw up a detailed budget to decide whether it was feasible, and could be expected to remain so, and the next job, when I quit, was to start keeping detailed accounts of everything coming in and going out. Even the 20p I found on the pavement will be in there somewhere.

Once you have the detailed information you can apply the Pareto Principle, and see where the biggest savings can be made with the least effort. (This is what I did when reducing the fat in my diet, without seeing the facts written down I wouldn't have known that cutting out 'junk' food on an ad-hoc basis would have given 20% of the benefit for 80% of the effort, rather than 80% of the benefit for 20% of the effort.)

Impulse buyers need to knock that on the head, buy what you need, not what you want, and only after careful consideration. When I bought a Dawes Horizon 21 years ago, it was a big decision, and one I'd considered for a year or two. Buying stuff like domestic appliances is only done when the old one's croaked, and uneconomical to repair, not when I fancy the latest model: almost all my stuff is either several decades old, or replaced something that had kicked the bucket after several decades. I still think of my freezer as the 'new' one, but at 22 years old, it's nearly twice the age of the previous one when it failed.


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## Reynard (22 Apr 2022)

Poacher said:


> Despite the cooking instructions on a pack of spaghetti, you don't need 3 litres of boiling water to cook 250gm of it! While on the subject, the price of pasta is likely to increase significantly in the next few months, and it has a long shelf life, so now would be a good time to stock up.



One kettle's worth is enough to cook three portions (225g)

I got lucky when they were clearing the "weird brands" after first lockdown, and was buying up kilo bags of pasta at 33p each.


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## numbnuts (22 Apr 2022)

Chris S said:


> Is that why you chose 'numbnuts' as your user name?



No and that's a long story


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## SpokeyDokey (22 Apr 2022)

presta said:


> .
> 
> It's 25 years now since I decided to quit work and live off my savings. The first thing I did whilst making the decision was draw up a detailed budget to decide whether it was feasible, and could be expected to remain so, and the next job, when I quit, was to start keeping detailed accounts of everything coming in and going out. Even the 20p I found on the pavement will be in there somewhere.
> 
> ...



Similar approach here some two decades back - I'll expand if I get a moment over the weekend.

Got a curry to cook now.


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## BoldonLad (22 Apr 2022)

May I add a third member to the "Budget Group" with @SpokeyDokey and @presta ?

When I took early. retirement (which meant a significant reduction of income, ie a 2/3 reduction), my main planning tool was a detailed budget. Fifteen years later, I still use a budget (updated naturally to reflect actual results), and, monitor my expenditure against the budget.

It has worked for me.


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## Time Waster (22 Apr 2022)

Aren't these saving tips just an extention of the budgeting and analysis? The nitty gritty end. Everyone can spot the most likely 20% giving 80% of the benefit. Once that has been done it's the smaller returns that can still contribute. Sharing the less know tricks is only going to help long term.

Doing the budgeting doesn't actually help if you don't take action. I'm interested in the action. Because while you're doing the big benefit stuff the little benefit stuff can still become part of the background of your more sustainable life.


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## BoldonLad (22 Apr 2022)

Time Waster said:


> Aren't these saving tips just an extention of the budgeting and analysis? The nitty gritty end. Everyone can spot the most likely 20% giving 80% of the benefit. Once that has been done it's the smaller returns that can still contribute. Sharing the less know tricks is only going to help long term.
> 
> Doing the budgeting doesn't actually help if you don't take action. I'm interested in the action. Because while you're doing the big benefit stuff the little benefit stuff can still become part of the background of your more sustainable life.



Agreed, you have to act, otherwise, nothing will change, but, IMHO, having a budget, helps me keep control, whilst, as far as possible, maintaining my "lifestyle".


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## PaulSB (22 Apr 2022)

I'd better add my name to the understand one's living expenses and budget accordingly. Six years ago prior to retirement I was concerned as to whether it was affordable or not. Our net income would drop by 55%.

By downloading and analysing a year's worth of bank and credit transactions I was able to understand where we could make real savings and how we could afford to retire. Hard work but worthwhile.


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## vickster (22 Apr 2022)

I just like shopping  and eating out and socialising over coffee and holidays 
However I don’t ‘ waste’ much money on booze
(And actually I don’t mind working, although fewer days would be nice)


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## Time Waster (22 Apr 2022)

"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered." George Best.


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## ColinJ (22 Apr 2022)

I was spending £2,000+ a year on alcohol ten years ago. I gave it up when my body told me that I wouldn't last much longer if I carried on. That's over £20,000 not peed away! 

If you spend anywhere near that on booze, your bank balance (and liver!) would benefit greatly from cutting down on it, or cutting it out altogether. 



Time Waster said:


> "I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered." George Best.



Who died aged 59, presumably no longer laughing about it!


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## Mike_P (22 Apr 2022)

If you locally have a choice of supermarkets the moblile app Latest Deals has in its tools a supermarket comparison so you can compare prices (although it does not show Buy 2 etc offers) Similary make use of whatever store card apps there are - saved £2 on what would have been a £20.20 shop at Morrisons last night (done by ebike) and £5.27 on what would have been a £21.62 shop at Sainsburys today through the "Nectar price" that is applied when using a hand scanner.


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## Time Waster (22 Apr 2022)

Of course I've never taken financial or health advice from Mr Best.

I'm virtually t total now. I gave up a very low alcohol intake in support of my pregnant partner and even now we'll have one bottle of beer between us at home with a meal or a sherry glass size of wine with a meal at the weekend, specifically Friday or Saturday only. Never smoked or done drugs. So when I get asked such questions by the doctor or nurse during a medical I get the total satisfaction of seeing them clicking through pages of questions without asking them purely because I don't have the main vices that negatively affect health.

PS congratulations on making such a positive change to your lifestyle. Well done!


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## JtB (22 Apr 2022)

Pre-Covid Mrs JtB and I used to eat out several times a week. Since the situation has eased we have tried eating out only a couple of times and on each occasion we found the food extremely disappointing and expensive. We therefore no longer eat out and ever since I retired at the end of last year I’m enjoying spending more time in the kitchen with Mrs JtB.


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## Reynard (22 Apr 2022)

JtB said:


> Pre-Covid Mrs JtB and I used to eat out several times a week. Since the situation has eased we have tried eating out only a couple of times and on each occasion we found the food extremely disappointing and expensive. We therefore no longer eat out and since I retired at the end of last year I’m now enjoying spending more time in the kitchen with Mrs JtB.



There's something very sybaritic about cooking a gourmet meal at home, and then sitting and eating it in your jimjams...


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## ColinJ (23 Apr 2022)

Reynard said:


> There's something very *sybaritic *about cooking a gourmet meal at home


Ooh, I've picked up a new word!


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## Brandane (23 Apr 2022)

ColinJ said:


> I was spending £2,000+ a year on alcohol ten years ago.



That's only about £6 per day, or 2 pints per day. About 1½ pints per day at today's prices!
If I was currently drinking at the same rate as I did in my late teens/early 20's; I'd be looking at £10k per year .
Thankfully, that level of "socialising" was left behind a long time ago. I probably visit a pub about once per month now, and it'll cost about £30. 

Back on topic, I have cut out visiting M&S food stores quite as often. Cut down driving. Sold my motorbike. Use the heating less. Foreign holidays have also been done away with, but that's more down to covid related restrictions followed up with air travel becoming more of a PITA than it's worth.


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## Mike_P (23 Apr 2022)

Brandane said:


> I have cut out visiting M&S food stores quite as often.


The same particularly if I actually have to pay, seem to have a near continual run of gift cards from Christmas, TopCashBack and credit card so actually paying for anything there is rare.


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## Scotchlovingcylist (25 Apr 2022)

I like to think I'm pretty frugal anyway and have struggled recently to cut back even more.
I think its a balance between still enjoying life and being conscientious though.
We like weekends away and are limiting meals out to when we are away as treats.
Now the nice weather is here I'm cycling alot more, not just for work but for errands too saving me alot of diesel.
Heating has been off a while but was replaced with warm pjs and dressing gowns when chilly.
Car insurance has just been paid for the year, saved £60 by shopping around and paying off in one go rather than direct debit, same with house insurance.
On days at work currently so can eat for free usually as long as I'm not too fussy about what I eat.
Yellow sticker items are good for this too again if you're not too fussy.
Considering the balance of enjoying life I've cut back a bit on how much I save too every month, I dont work just to pay bills, I like things and work hard so don't deny myself things all the time.

The main increase for me recently has been the energy bills, almost doubled. Not using central heating anymore but already have led bulbs, turn everything off when not in use, only boil as much in the kettle as I need etc so finding it hard to cut that back anymore.
I'm lucky that I earn enough to support my lifestyle and there is always overtime if needed. I do feel for people really struggling though, got alot of friends who are feeling it right now.

I do find however when speaking to people, especially colleagues, they have no idea how much their monthly bills etc are and often impulse buy or don't budget accordingly.
Work out the stuff you need to pay, then budget accordingly for the rest. Some of the people i know who are currently saying they are struggling have £300 car finance, £50 TV and mobile contracts and never shop around for better deals when things renew which I can never understand.


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## Kingfisher101 (25 Apr 2022)

Well I've started washing down at the local river and sucking on a dishcloth when thirsty instead of turning the tap on. Even though I earn 50K per year I still think I would feel the pinch if I didn't do this. I also go around in rags that are 30 years old and sleep on a hessian mat with an old sack for warmth.


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## All uphill (25 Apr 2022)

Kingfisher101 said:


> Well I've started washing down at the local river and sucking on a dishcloth when thirsty instead of turning the tap on. Even though I earn 50K per year I still think I would feel the pinch if I didn't do this. I also go around in rags that are 30 years old and sleep on a hessian mat with an old sack for warmth.



You have a dishcloth!

Extravagance.

I use grass to wash (and wipe)


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## raleighnut (25 Apr 2022)

speedfreak said:


> Yellow sticker items are good for this too again if you're not too fussy.


Yellow sticker produce can still be excellent as long as you buy the right stuff, I'd never buy 'pre-produced' stuff like ready meals but Meat/Fish and Veggies/Fruit are fine as long as they look OK. Sausages/Burgers can be a bit of a minfield unless you're cooking them that day as they're still 'in date' (i've had a few improptu barbies after coming home with a load of em)


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## Scotchlovingcylist (25 Apr 2022)

@raleighnut Yeah I agree and I tend to freeze it on the day of purchase anyway but find most things are still OK a dayish past their date, the good old sniff test is the tester.
Not a huge ready meal fan but got some lasagnes and chicken tikkas for 20p the other week, handy for night shifts and don't taste too offensive, for that price I'm willing to eat them.
My Morrisons local sells lots of pastries and bread items off for 5p after 8pm which often come home with me 😁


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## SpokeyDokey (25 Apr 2022)

Kingfisher101 said:


> Well I've started washing down at the local river and sucking on a dishcloth when thirsty instead of turning the tap on. Even though I earn 50K per year I still think I would feel the pinch if I didn't do this. I also go around in rags that are 30 years old and sleep on a hessian mat with an old sack for warmth.



Get a better paying job then.


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## ColinJ (25 Apr 2022)

speedfreak said:


> most things are still OK a dayish past their date, the *good old sniff test* is the tester.


Unless you are recovering from a Covid-induced loss of your sense of smell! 

It took my niece 3 months to be able to smell (or taste) garlic in her cooking again.


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## Reynard (25 Apr 2022)

raleighnut said:


> Yellow sticker produce can still be excellent as long as you buy the right stuff, I'd never buy 'pre-produced' stuff like ready meals but Meat/Fish and Veggies/Fruit are fine as long as they look OK. Sausages/Burgers can be a bit of a minfield unless you're cooking them that day as they're still 'in date' (i've had a few improptu barbies after coming home with a load of em)



Yep, this.

The vast majority of my YS purchases are meat, fish, fruit & veg.

Rarely buy ready made stuff, as I prefer to make from scratch. Sometimes though, the odd item comes in handy. Especially things like pasties, sausage rolls, pork pies...


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## Reynard (25 Apr 2022)

ColinJ said:


> Unless you are recovering from a Covid-induced loss of your sense of smell!
> 
> It took my niece 3 months to be able to smell (or taste) garlic in her cooking again.



That's Mesdames Poppy and Lexi's job.

If they'll have it, you know it's OK to eat.


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## Andy in Germany (25 Apr 2022)

Reynard said:


> That's Mesdames Poppy and Lexi's job.
> 
> If they'll have it, you know it's OK to eat.



Isn't it a bit late then?


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## ColinJ (25 Apr 2022)

Andy in Germany said:


> Isn't it a bit late then?



I was going to say that! Small test samples, presumably? 

Mind you, if the dogs (I'm assuming that they _are _dogs, not llamas, warthogs, crocodiles etc.) are anything like my sister's border terrier, a moment's hesitation and the food would be gone. She turned her back on him for a few seconds once and he had jumped up and eaten a whole 12" pizza before she turned back round again!


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## Andy in Germany (25 Apr 2022)

ColinJ said:


> I was going to say that! Small test samples, presumably?
> 
> Mind you, if the dogs (I'm assuming that they _are _dogs, not llamas, warthogs, crocodiles etc.) are anything like my sister's border terrier, a moment's hesitation and the food would be gone. She turned her back on him for a few seconds once and he had jumped up and eaten a whole 12" pizza before she turned back round again!



I think they're cats.


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## Reynard (25 Apr 2022)

Andy in Germany said:


> Isn't it a bit late then?



The girls aren't *THAT* greedy...







Well, Lexi isn't... Usually... But she will steal cheese. Poppy will steal any unattended crisps / snacks / poppadoms...


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## Time Waster (25 Apr 2022)

ColinJ said:


> I was going to say that! Small test samples, presumably?
> 
> Mind you, if the dogs (I'm assuming that they _are _dogs, not llamas, warthogs, crocodiles etc.) are anything like my sister's border terrier, a moment's hesitation and the food would be gone. She turned her back on him for a few seconds once and he had jumped up and eaten a whole 12" pizza before she turned back round again!



My grandparent's JRT once got hold of an Xmas, home cooked ham. Apparently my gran picked it out of its jaws, cleaned it off and fed it to us. The story only came out a year or so later. Considering the ham was well over 1m up on a windowsill or shelf that jrt really wanted it and jumped higher than you'd think possible to get it. It nearly got n the turkey one year too.


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## PapaZita (29 Apr 2022)

We have a monthly budget that covers all the monthly bills, food, fuel, etc. The thing that used to make this difficult is that not every month is the same. For example, water bills are every 6 months, car Insurance annually, etc. So now, on pay day, a chunk of money gets transferred automatically to another account, and (in a spreadsheet) is divided into notional buckets. For example, car insurance of £1200/year gets £100 per month. We have buckets for less predictable things too, like house maintenance, and for fun things, like bicycles or holidays. The number of buckets and the amount we save into each adapts over time, and it’s all quite flexible. It’s really easy to transfer some money back out if we need to spend it, but i think just having to do so makes us think a bit more carefully about what we’re spending, and the spreadsheet helps us understand where it all went. But it’s making every month the same that has really helped to make the budgeting work. Despite the rising prices of everything, we seem to have more money that we did a couple of years ago!


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## BoldonLad (29 Apr 2022)

PapaZita said:


> We have a monthly budget that covers all the monthly bills, food, fuel, etc. The thing that used to make this difficult is that not every month is the same. For example, water bills are every 6 months, car Insurance annually, etc. So now, on pay day, a chunk of money gets transferred automatically to another account, and (in a spreadsheet) is divided into notional buckets. For example, car insurance of £1200/year gets £100 per month. We have buckets for less predictable things too, like house maintenance, and for fun things, like bicycles or holidays. The number of buckets and the amount we save into each adapts over time, and it’s all quite flexible. It’s really easy to transfer some money back out if we need to spend it, but i think just having to do so makes us think a bit more carefully about what we’re spending, and the spreadsheet helps us understand where it all went. But it’s making every month the same that has really helped to make the budgeting work. Despite the rising prices of everything, we seem to have more money that we did a couple of years ago!



Sounds exactly how we do it.


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## bikingdad90 (29 Apr 2022)

And us @PapaZita!


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## Time Waster (29 Apr 2022)

Well we've just taken our old banner to the auto wreckers and got a few hundred pounds instead of virtually nothing if we'd gone to the company that promises to buy anything car like. Money back for a real banger that at least runs well. So we're one car again and saving money.


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## stephec (29 Apr 2022)

Time Waster said:


> My grandparent's JRT once got hold of an Xmas, home cooked ham. Apparently my gran picked it out of its jaws, cleaned it off and fed it to us. The story only came out a year or so later. Considering the ham was well over 1m up on a windowsill or shelf that jrt really wanted it and jumped higher than you'd think possible to get it. It nearly got n the turkey one year too.



Even worse than that, many years ago my MiL walked into the kitchen to find their pit bull terrier dragging the turkey round the floor whilst the oven was warming up.


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## PaulSB (29 Apr 2022)

PapaZita said:


> We have a monthly budget that covers all the monthly bills, food, fuel, etc. The thing that used to make this difficult is that not every month is the same. For example, water bills are every 6 months, car Insurance annually, etc. So now, on pay day, a chunk of money gets transferred automatically to another account, and (in a spreadsheet) is divided into notional buckets. For example, car insurance of £1200/year gets £100 per month. We have buckets for less predictable things too, like house maintenance, and for fun things, like bicycles or holidays. The number of buckets and the amount we save into each adapts over time, and it’s all quite flexible. It’s really easy to transfer some money back out if we need to spend it, but i think just having to do so makes us think a bit more carefully about what we’re spending, and the spreadsheet helps us understand where it all went. But it’s making every month the same that has really helped to make the budgeting work. Despite the rising prices of everything, we seem to have more money that we did a couple of years ago!



Yep, that's how it works in our house though £1200pa for car insurance sounds like an awful lot.


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## PapaZita (30 Apr 2022)

PaulSB said:


> Yep, that's how it works in our house though £1200pa for car insurance sounds like an awful lot.



I should have know I’d get challenged on that. It was just supposed to be an easy round number to use as an example. We don’t actually pay so much.


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## Kingfisher101 (4 May 2022)

PapaZita said:


> I should have know I’d get challenged on that. It was just supposed to be an easy round number to use as an example. We don’t actually pay so much.



I bet you do, its just you're embarrassed about being so obviously ripped off...


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## rogerzilla (4 May 2022)

If you have an expensive mobile phone, run it for a year or two on a SIM-only contract after the initial period expires. You can normally do this after about 22 months of a (nominally) 24 month contract, and it saves £30-35 a month.

Buy any new phone contract just after the annual RPI+a gazillion% price rise. Then you'll only get one price rise during the contract. These are just existing-sucker gouging anyway; the price of a new contract has barely changed over the years.


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## Reynard (4 May 2022)

Hmmm, I only have a PAYG phone. Mainly because I do virtually all of my internetting and social media-ing on the laptop. So my £22 monthly broadband connection covers everything, and the phone is near enough for emergencies only. I do take advantage of free wi-fi when I'm out and about however, if need be.

Also, I recently needed a more reliable watch, as my trusty nearly 30 year old Seiko has started to play up. I've retired the Seiko and bought a beater automatic for everyday use and a nice wind-up watch for poncy occasions, both in good working order off the 'bay. So no more batteries and I give something vintage a new lease of life. The two watches (dating to the early 70s) cost me a smidgin over £20 including postage.

A like for like replacement for my Seiko would be over £200, and the automatic would set me back £360.


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## All uphill (4 May 2022)

Reynard said:


> Hmmm, I only have a PAYG phone. Mainly because I do virtually all of my internetting and social media-ing on the laptop. So my £22 monthly broadband connection covers everything, and the phone is near enough for emergencies only. I do take advantage of free wi-fi when I'm out and about however, if need be.
> 
> Also, I recently needed a more reliable watch, as my trusty nearly 30 year old Seiko has started to play up. I've retired the Seiko and bought a beater automatic for everyday use and a nice wind-up watch for poncy occasions, both in good working order off the 'bay. So no more batteries and I give something vintage a new lease of life. The two watches (dating to the early 70s) cost me a smidgin over £20 including postage.
> 
> A like for like replacement for my Seiko would be over £200, and the automatic would set me back £360.



Sounds good!

I gave up having and wearing a watch several years ago and was surprised at how little I missed it and how good I am at estimating the time. If I need to know the exact time I just glance at my phone.


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## Reynard (4 May 2022)

All uphill said:


> Sounds good!
> 
> I gave up having and wearing a watch several years ago and was surprised at how little I missed it and how good I am at estimating the time. If I need to know the exact time I just glance at my phone.



I'm reasonably good at working out the time - well, my stomach is, anyway... 

I just find it easier to look at my wrist when I'm out and about rather than waste time furkling in my handbag / backpack / bar bag for my phone.


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