Really need to 'tighten my belt'. What are your tips?

[Chimps Childminding]

I compared our weekly shop at each of the supermarkets that offer online shopping. Asda was cheaper delivery but overall their brands cost more than Tesco so didnt really save much. Also we get club card points from tesco which are very handy for cheaper days out. Just been to legoland this weekend cost us £35 for 3 adults using clubcard vouchers.

Thanks for that!!! Will have plenty of time on my hands so I'll do some research!!!

[fluff1975]

We use a computer program called Quicken to log all our money; in/out, direct debits, withdrawls, payments everything. We then reconcile the account every month when the statement comes. It's a bit faffy to get going but easy peasy now. Once a week one of us 'puts the receipts through'. It's all catagorised (you create your own), so we know exactly where the money goes, how much we've paid on Gas, petrol, clothes, food etc.

We buy EVERYTHING on the Tesco credit card which gets paid off in full each month. The clubcard points we get pay for our ferry each summer and extra points become days out or meals.

I plan the weeks meals, make a list and stick to it! I used to shop at Tesco but we've switched to Lidl and Morrisons which are next to each other. Lidl is amazingly good value, and well worth a try. I can do a weekly shop for the 4 of us plus mindees for well under £80. We eat healthily and really haven't had to compromise.

I switched from 'Finish' dishwasher tabs to own brand which are absolutely fine and save about £4, and swapped gimmicky washing gel for Bold 2in1 powder or Daz from the local discount store. Again it's fine, just bulky. I buy what I like when it's on offer. Consequently we have 6 bottles of Ecover washing up liquid under the kitchen sink!!!

I have friends who've asked for help bugeting but then make up excuse after excuse as to why they 'can't do it'. We have no choice, we can't afford to live the way we did!

Sorry, that's all a bit long!!

[Jods]

I bulk buy from my local warehouse supplier (Bookers) as I am a business as a childminder, At the moment its 24 loo rolls for £9.99 but they are on a bog off.
A 64 wash of Persil was £16 (but I measure it out exactly and get tonnes more ou), big tins of beans 2.2kg are £1,90 something and one tin opened and then stored in the fridge serves me a week. £7.50 for a huge box of jacket potatoes, which I ten cook in bulk and freeze.

I do my main shop in Aldi and back up with Tescos x

I buy my clothes from Primarni, use the car as little as possible x

I plan my meals a month in advanvce, bulk what I can, freeze what I can, and only buy fresh when neede (1 a week)

milk I buy monthly and freeze, as I also do my bread x

I avoid brands, and multibuy offers as sometimes they are silly, but 1 for 99p or two for 1.50 - thats 51 pence more - but do you really need it ?

I can get my weekly shop to £50 for 6 plus mindees, I also keep my 5 neds (2 and 3 ponys) for £50 month in the height of winter, my two dogs are fed a diet of free raw bones and a bulk bag of kibble, so £7.99 for two months, the cats are the same but there are 5, they cost me £20 a month x

if it helps on my someoney are some menus, set up 4 weekly, they might give you some inspiration x www.samhuntschildminding.co.uk (be warned its a bit all over the place at the mo as I am updating for the new EYFS)

[zippy]

Go through every dd and see if you really really need them, once all them have gone out take your budget out in cash, and put into weekly pots. Write dOwn everything you spend even a penny on, books of stamps everything, when it's in black and white it's really easy to see where your wasting money after a couple of weeks.

[julie w]

I was spending £140 a week at Morrisons or Asda. I now go to Aldi and get huge trolley full for about £50. Its made so much difference and a lot of the food esp fruit and veg lasts so much longer from there.

[kel1983]

I so wish we had a mrrisons or aldi near us. We live in a posh city where people are so snobby. We have tesco, sainsbury, waitrose, m&s and lidl. If the market is not on we go to lidl for fruit veg and milk.

[caz3007]

I so wish we had a mrrisons or aldi near us. We live in a posh city where people are so snobby. We have tesco, sainsbury, waitrose, m&s and lidl. If the market is not on we go to lidl for fruit veg and milk.

Kel - I know you live up the road from me in that posh city...lol. Did you know there is an Aldi in Havant, its not all that far and its great. I heard talk a while ago that there was going to be an Aldi in your City, but think it was just rumour x

[Blaze]

If you sell stuff on Ebay once a month (roughly) they have a free listings weekend - only list stuff then & cut down on the fees

[LOOPYLISA]

I so wish we had a mrrisons or aldi near us. We live in a posh city where people are so snobby. We have tesco, sainsbury, waitrose, m&s and lidl. If the market is not on we go to lidl for fruit veg and milk.

Where are you? lol

Wouldnt be in my neck of the woods would it? Chichester

[caz3007]

Where are you? lol

Wouldnt be in my neck of the woods would it? Chichester

I think she is Lisa....saw an advert on a local FB page...lol.

[kel1983]

Kel - I know you live up the road from me in that posh city...lol. Did you know there is an Aldi in Havant, its not all that far and its great. I heard talk a while ago that there was going to be an Aldi in your City, but think it was just rumour x

Yes im in Chichester lol . And yes I know about he aldi in Havant but last time we went there was no where to park in the car park as everyone was parking in there to go to the town. I also rely on my mum to drive me as I dont drive. It would be great to have one in town but where will it go.

[loocyloo]

i don't have any supermarkets close about 15min drive to a big co-op, 25 min to a lidl or morrisons and then 45min to a tesco/asda/sainsbury.

i do alot of my shopping online, which does mean i miss out on the bits in the reduced section! and also, i don't like not choosing my own fruit & veg. we do have a market, but their fruit & veg seems to work out more expensive than getting it from the supermarket ... but then i am not paying petrol out to get it! i wish lidl delivered! althoughi find that they don't always have what i need, so i end up going to morrisons as well! also , there are things i love that only lidl do, so i have to be very tough on myself and not buy them!

i work to a menu plan and also whenever anything is finished from the cupboard/freezer/fridge, it gets put on the shopping list on the fridge and it gets bought next time, unless i consider it a 'luxury' item, in which case i might 'forget' to buy it!

[caz3007]

Yes im in Chichester lol . And yes I know about he aldi in Havant but last time we went there was no where to park in the car park as everyone was parking in there to go to the town. I also rely on my mum to drive me as I dont drive. It would be great to have one in town but where will it go.

I thought you lived there as saw an advert on a local FB page with the same user name. I am close to the pink pub. So in the middle and have a choice of shops at the posh place and the butlins place...lol

[kel1983]

I thought you lived there as saw an advert on a local FB page with the same user name. I am close to the pink pub. So in the middle and have a choice of shops at the posh place and the butlins place...lol

We love popping over your way. Much cheaper shops lol

[caz3007]

We love popping over your way. Much cheaper shops lol

Definately, just wish the Morrisons was bigger, ok it is supposed to be expanding but its always a case of if and when. There is a big one going in at Littlehampton, so will use that one I reckon and also the new Asda over that way too, but its a little further for you

[zippy]

Impressed - how on earth do you manage that, I would love to get a horse but always thought it was totally out of my budget.

I can get my weekly shop to £50 for 6 plus mindees, I also keep my 5 neds (2 and 3 ponys) for £50 month in the height of winter, my two dogs are fed a diet of free raw bones and a bulk bag of kibble, so £7.99 for two months, the cats are the same but there are 5, they cost me £20 a week

[tinyp164]

Thought I would input!!

I have only been open 5 months but love to save and scrimp! I used to live at uni on a £30 a week budget inc running my car and food /nights out obvs after rent etc so it can be done!!

I found this site a while ago and I havn't looked back; http://www.supermarketownbrandguide....&orderby=Score

For example a box of asda own branded wheatbix 48 are £2.99 but 36 from Aldi are £1.69! I now always shop at aldi ours closes at 8 and I go at around 7:25 and everything is marked down 30% off so I buy and freeze! (mini pancakes, crumpets etc) They always have offers on fruit and veg too. Since it has been the holidays I have made a casserol dish for dinners (this fed 8 of us!); shepards pie, tuna pasta bake, toad in the hole with additional veg.

Resources wise I go to car boots/ ask friends/family and my parents often drop off their old toys/books/games or even big cardboard boxes! We use everything! Also these sites are good as they help to think of things to do with the lo's but with items you usually have in the house;
https://www.facebook.com/stacey.pres...maginationTree
https://www.facebook.com/stacey.pres.../PlayNaturally
These are their facebook pages but they do have websites too!

Extra pennies: I can be a horder and store things so I decided todo a few car boots and put things on ebay/gumtree. Old toys/ extra things we dont use i.e. bags of play food as I have loads sold for £9 each on ebay and a bumbo like seat sold for £14.00 and I orignally bought it off a car boot for £8 so I can't moan. The use any old scrap paper for them to draw/craft with so if I'm printing and it goes wrong etc that goes to the childrens paper tray.

Hope some of these help! I find them useful as I'm very tight but I'm currently saving to buy my first home so I actually have an excuse not to spend for once! x

[Helcatt]

My big save was getting membership at Costco

Buying in bulk, so starts out feeling more expensive, but log term, there are some big savings. Also, because I spend a lot each month, I get 2% cash back and last year got £142 back

I bought an extra freezer so that we could bulk buy meat there, buy chicken thighs instead of breast, that sort of thing

I buy some fresh veg there but only go once a month, so then top up at the £1 a bowl merchant down the road

I have also been limiting my resource buying and we are plodding through the stack that I have in the cupboard

HX

[Jods]

I keep my horses on a fibre based diet, and on 24/7 grazing x

(in winter) One bag of Allan and Page fast fibre lasts my lot about 2 weeks, so at £9 ish a bag, £18 a month, I use chopped bedding as chaff which is £5 a bag and lasts a month, and if its really cold a bag of sugar beet a month £7 (so thats £30) and then 1 large bale of haylage for the lot £20 x

Farrier is £100 for 6, as only 2 have front shoes, and I get him out every 8 weeks x

I rent 13 arcres, and sub let out roughly 1/2 to others which covers my rent 100% and leaves me £100 spare each month x it is hard work at times as I have to maintain the fencing, weeds, barn but its worth my time for the savings in keeping my own.

[LOOPYLISA]

Yes im in Chichester lol . And yes I know about he aldi in Havant but last time we went there was no where to park in the car park as everyone was parking in there to go to the town. I also rely on my mum to drive me as I dont drive. It would be great to have one in town but where will it go.

I would love a aldi, know what you mean about parking its always full
Will just have to shop in good old Chichester