Every time I…
Squeeze the last little drop out of the shower gel bottle:
Every Little Helps
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Category Archives: Money Tips
You Manage What You Measure
You manage what you measure.
As boring and clichéd as it sounds, the above statement is true.
I was resoundingly reminded of this just last week.
An Experiment In Convenience
As we were away last weekend I decided to delay my grocery shop until we returned.
I stretched what we had in the cupboards to feed us all yesterday (just!), and a grocery trip was planned for this morning.
We took a guest along last weekend, did I mention him?
Cuddles The Cat.
I’d a few photos to get printed of him having a fabulous time at the beach (for my 4-year-olds homework! – I’ve not totally lost the plot…yet…). My previous supermarket has a photo shop, so on the way to Aldi I decided to pop in.
Then inspiration hit. I only have 3 days remaining this week to feed the family, this would be a perfect opportunity to try out a little experiment.
What convenient foods can I buy with £50?
Looking For Inspiration?
My writing mojo has taken a hit this week. I have to be in the right frame of mind to write. My thoughts have been elsewhere. This is not something I’m proud of. I feel I should be able to write-through whatever life’s throws at me, but I can’t.
So, looking for inspiration I put out a call to action on Facebook. To which Shelley kindly responded. It was suggested I post about saving on electricity by line drying etc…
Well…
I do line dry, but I don’t think I could write an entire post about it. However Shelleys’ much-needed suggestion made me think.
What is it that we do each day that makes a difference, not only to our wallet, but to reduce waste of resources?
When Paying In Advance Works
I’m not one for committing to payment in advance, particularly for services.
For example; we don’t subscribe to cable, and I don’t have a gym membership.
I like to pay as I go (apart from my phone contract).
However, the more frugal I become, the more I am appreciating the additional benefits of paying in advance on occasion. Not in a committed regular payment kinda way, but as a one-off.
I’ve recently started taking yoga classes. They are on a Monday morning. I’ve also started reading **Linchpin by Seth Godin, and I know my resistance is strong on a Monday morning.
So, how do I use my relatively new-found frugality, and dislike of waste, to combat my resistance?
Answer – I pay for my Yoga class the previous Thursday. By Thursday each week I know my plans for the forthcoming week, and know if I can make it logistically.
Did I wake up this morning, full of the joys of Spring, pull on my yoga pants whilst practising my breathing, then proceed to bound into the class with my yoga mat enthusiastically tucked under my arm?
No
Neither did the rest of the class, in fact I was the only one there.
So not only did I conquer my Monday morning resistance by paying in advance, I also got one-on-one tuition (which was fantastically useful, and means I’ll be able to practice more at home now I know what I’m doing wrong). All for the grand total of £4.20.
Result =
Paying in advance for Yoga class – 1
Monday morning resistance to exercise – 0
A great start to the week!
I’m intrigued – what works for you by paying in advance? And am I the only one who encounters resistance to exercise unless it’s written in ink in the diary, rather than penciled in?
Don’t forget I’m on Facebook, why not pop along and join the conversation?
**There are no affiliate links in this post
Simply Being Mum’s Spring Sale 2012 Starts
I read a while back that the average UK household contains £600 worth of stuff that is no longer required and could easily be sold.
Now it’s very annoying when someone quotes a statistic like that and cannot find the source to back it up. Sorry but, I’m going to be one of those annoying people today. I have a good idea it was an article in one of the Hubby’s finance magazines, but can I find it? Alas no. A couple of years ago I would have presumed I’d hidden it away, my opinion this morning is that it’s been enthusiastically recycled (aka chucked)!
The reason this value sticks in my head (and thus I’m confident to quote it) is that lovefoodhatewaste.com also claim the average family throw away over £600 of food each year.
£600 saved by not wasting food + £600 generated from selling unwanted stuff = £1200
Enough for a family holiday in the UK, me thinks!
SuperScrimping – Reducing Your Grocery Budget Plus Simple Spaghetti Bolognese
Channel 4 are showing a great series at the moment called SuperScrimpers.
I’m loving that being frugal is now considered ‘on trend’! Yay! Finally!
As one of those that has been part of this growing community for 3 years plus, it’s refreshing. What it does mean, however, that as an experienced SuperScrimper the show can’t teach me much I don’t already know. Disclaimer 
– I don’t scrimp in all areas of my life. I don’t mind spending money but I hate wasting money! It’s about spending on what really is significant to you, not frittering it away here and there, but rather practicing Conscious Spending.
Those who have been following this blog for some time will know that in September 2011 I decided to reduce my grocery budget by 50% through choice.
I think now might be a good time for an update, and to share a healthy and nutritious recipe that would make any SuperScrimper proud.
SuperScrimping – Patching It Up And Polishing It Out
This post was originally planned for yesterday but I’m glad I delayed it, as last night I watched SuperScrimpers on Channel 4.
It would appear that the subject of this post is becoming popular once more.
Patching it up, polishing it out, making do and mending. And of course reducing what we waste, be that food, cloth or just items that we would once have disposed of, that we can breath new life into.
Repair rather than replace.
My First Ever Grocery Trip To Aldi – The Verdict!
It’s been an interesting few months since reducing my grocery budget to £50 a week.
There’s been highs and lows. I’m managing to stick to the budget, but it’s requiring some effort – for example having to shop at 4 to 5 separate locations.
So last Friday I decided to try and do the whole of my grocery shop at Aldi.
Being totally honest, I wasn’t feeling overly optimistic. I had been in Aldi a few times, not for groceries but rather running apparel (which is fantastically priced in comparison to branded) and hadn’t really felt compelled to try a food shop.
Following my usual Friday routine, I headed off list in hand. The plan was (oh there’s always a plan!) to get as much as possible off the list and then top up from elsewhere.
So how’d it go?
I didn’t tally up as I went round. I just stuck to my list.
Sticking To A Reduced Grocery Budget When The Honeymoon Period Is Over
It’s relatively easy to do anything once.
Doing something day in day out, week after week, takes a little more effort.
That’s what forming habits are all about. A habit is something you don’t have to think about, you just do it.
I’m probably not quite there yet with making the reduced grocery spend a habit – not yet anyway. Hitting a target of £50 each week is still a challenge.
How do I meet that challenge now the honeymoon period is over?
