How are you coping/surviving with the credit crunch?

[poppy160]

Now that my MA has stopped and I handed my notice in at work, not very well. My original plan was to be a SAHM because my OH earns enough to keep us going, but with my PND and the fact we have sod all money left over after everything has been paid for I'm now thinking it's best if I get a part time job.

To try and save money, I make bread and feeze half to stop it from going stale before it can get used. I would like to grow my own vegetables but at the moment we have a communal garden area so there's nowhere to grow them..and our new house won't have a big enough garden. I'd to invest in a herb window box..Also, we find meat expensive so for something like a spaghetti bolognese I half the batch of mince and use aload of chopped up vegetables to bulk it out.

I'm sure there's alot more that can be done to save money..anyone got any tips?

 

[sarafet]

charlotte go on this website --->

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/

martin lewis has got LOADS of good tips and ways to save money, discounts etc!!

we're having a nightmare with it too xxx

 

[Squiglet]

We shop in Lidls..

 

[sarafet]

We shop in Lidls..

have you tried lidls lasagne.. it is AMAZING!! xx

 

[Misslarue]

If you don't already turn off all the lights when not needed and appilances off at the wall. Nothing is switched on in my house unless we are using it. Just by turning off a mircowave at the socket will save the average household £50 a year. I read that on a leaflet last year so its probably more than that by now!

Get some energy efficent lightbulbs. A lot of electric companies are sending out some for free, so check with your supplier.

A roast chicken can go a long way! After a roast I make a large pot of stock with the carcas. You can then make a huge pot of chicken broth which is not only cheap but easy and chuck in loads of veggies for a reall hearty meal! You can also use the leftover chicken and stock to make rissotto. I can make 3 meals out of one chicken!

Have you got a farmers market anywhere near you? Fruit and veg are a lot cheaper than the supermarkets and I find they last much longer.

 

[Happybunny]

I am in kind of the same boat. I got my last pay cheque this month as I quit work to be a SAHM. We calculated the OH earns enough to support us, however, with things the way they are; we are tightening our belts quite a bit. Things I am doing.....

Getting veggies from my FIL allotment
I have swapped from shopping at Sainsbury’s to ASDA. It has saved on average £15 a week.
Using washing ASDA own brand washing powder as opposed to tablets – it goes further.
Generally buying own brand or Smart Price
Planning shopping meticulously so that there is no waste.
Making own meals from scratch.
Freezing anything that may go off.
Scanning for BOGOF deals on meat and freezing portions for following weeks.
Buying BOGOF non-perishables like shampoo, toothpaste etc.
Putting on extra socks/jumpers instead of turning up the heating.
Making Christmas presents for my baby (it is cheaper and entertains me on an evening)
Planning birthday and xmas presents in advance, taking advantage of any deals, like 2 for 1 in ASDA or Boots. We have also told everyone that we have a £5 limit this year.
Kept our old mobile phones and signed up to a £5 a month deal with Virgin.
Most of my daughter’s clothes are hand-me-downs. I also scour charity shops and NCT sales, I have got some fab things for very very little money. Car boots are also great for toys and clothes.
Saving Boots advantage points and using them to buy weaning essentials and nappies.
Walking where ever possible to save petrol costs.
Taking advantage of all the free Sure Start activities so that we don’t have to pay for pricey franchised ones.
Use Freecycle – it is great!

The best advice I can give is sign up to http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/
this site has saved us lots!!! We have got hotel rooms for £9 at Christmas when visiting relatives!! We have also swapped our energy provider and capped our tarrif so that our energy price won’t rise for 18 months. We have also got a few good deals for eating out – we don’t eat out very often, but it is good to get it very cheap when we do.

I have to admit, after 10 years of the DINKY lifestyle, I am actually really enjoying taking proper responsibility for our money and trying to make it go further.

 

[Miss.Monroe]

I have to second what others have said about money saving expert, its an invaluable source!!

My mum bought us a slow cooker. were enjoying making meals. i cook things from scratch and bulk out with grated carrot, lentils anything i can really! Also being on a diet stops be buying cakes etc so we save money that way too!

we snuggle with blankets and spare duvets on the sofa

other tips are:

water down milk, fabric conditioner, shampoo and shower gel if oh uses tonnes like mine!!
fill brand name packaging with the value brands! hehe
turn over off 10 mins before end of cooking tin, but leave the food in (same with the hob)

 

[LisaJ1986]

We're not coping very well. We're giving up the house coz we can't afford to keep it. But to be honest i'm not bothered. We have no boiler so no heating or hot water.
I cook alot of casseroles, then take some of the veggies out and freeze it for Angel.

 

[Charlie:-)]

I shop at Lidl then Morrisons for stuff I cant get from Lidl and i plan what meal we are having each day and write a list of what I need based on what im cooking.

One great tip is when you have bought fresh herbs from the supermarket just as they are about to start to perish finely chop them up and place them in ice cube trays (I usually do 1 tbsp per ice cube) and fill with water and freeze. When you next need that herb just pop a cube into your cooking. This way you save money on not having to buy fresh herbs all the time and also you have the herbs readily available in your freezer.

 

[nickilubs]

We just switch everything off by the plug, only use lights if we need to, wrap up in warm clothes and blankets on the sofa, if we use heaters then just small portable ones, wash every day with water boiled from a kettle and use dry shampoo or cold wash your hair then have a nice hot bath once a week instead of daily(we have a boiler and it costs a fortune to have hot water!!), buy own brand cheap food at the supermarket, we have got rid of the car and will use trains, got rid of sky tv, reduced our home phone package. And the biggest rule is never use the credit card unless it is for absolute emergency's because you always have to pay it eventually and it works out so much more in the long term.(Luckily we have no debt but we have a credit card just incase we are out and our bank card doesn't work)

Went shopping this afternoon and refused to by chicken breast it was so expencive, its a bugger all this stuff.

 

[bhe101]

Iv always been a grippy bugger so coping quite well!!!

 

[Tina & Gabs]

One great tip is when you have bought fresh herbs from the supermarket just as they are about to start to perish finely chop them up and place them in ice cube trays (I usually do 1 tbsp per ice cube) and fill with water and freeze. When you next need that herb just pop a cube into your cooking. This way you save money on not having to buy fresh herbs all the time and also you have the herbs readily available in your freezer.

I love this tip; thanks.

 

[mum2ollie]

were coping ok with it atm, but we have changed a few things we used to do our shopping at tescos, now we do our freezer shopping at farmfoods get some great deals for branded stuff our fridge stuff at asda and our fruit n veg we go at the end of the day at the market and get a few bowls for a quid if not then i get mine from ALDI !!!!

we are doing ok but i know for a fact we have cut down on the nice stuff that we want, but we also have energy iffecant (sp) light bulbs i hate them but i dont mind the bills, everything is switched off at the plug so to save money we hardley have the heating on now a days cus we are in the middle we get the heat from both houses and its great if we do get cold the quilt comes out lol

i tend to put more layer on when im cold

 

[mummykay]

havent changed anythin lol

still buy what i want etc, jus annoyed at leccy and water bills bein stoopidly high

 

[HideiLu]

Our bills were actually lower recently! We have always had energy saving lightbulbs which have been up for 18 months so far, and always switch everything off at sockets.

On tip for anyone who rents. It may just be me, but I have never bargained with a rental price before, but thought we'd give it a go on the house we just got. It was on at 850pm with one agent had a look around and found it for 795 with another, so went through the cheaper agent and asked them to put in an offer of 750 if we sign a 12 month lease, and it was accepted! Saved ourselves potentially 100 a month!

 

[HideiLu]

wrap up in warm clothes and blankets on the sofa

We do this in the winter and light a load of candles - Its amazing how much heat they create and so much more cosy

 

[ninjawomble]

Im not coping..

Just got back from xmas shopping in town, and realised Ive spent more on my debit card than I have in my account

When do they take it outta your account? I get paid friday so am I dont go over me overdraft

 

[poppy160]

Great tips, guys! Keep em' coming!

Thanks to whoever mentioned the lightbulbs! EDF are giving them away for free, we can't use them yet because our flat only has spotlights, but we've ordered them anyway for when we move into our new house next month.

Would you say Morrisons is generally cheaper than Tesco/Sainsburys? We don't have an Asda or Lidls around here but there's a Morrisons. Do they do clothes? I like Tesco's baby clothes because the prices are quite reasonable.

Just going to join up to money saving expert!

 

[Happybunny]

Just going to join up to money saving expert!

it is fab!!!

Sorry I don't know anything about Morrisons.

Another quick tip...ALWAYS check your bank statements!! We just did ours and found someone had used OH's card to pay a £30 phone bill!!!! Luckily our bank are refunding us the money and sending us a new card! We are always very very careful with card details etc, so it pays to be vigilant!!

 

[poppy160]

Oh no! Good tip though!

Speaking of phone bills, if you switch to online mobile phone bills then you save money. I think it's like £1.00 so not much but it does add up.