Sometimes I can easily overlook the obvious – do you do that?
I refer to a very simple statement I came across recently –
‘Spend less than you earn = more savings’.
In my quest for a simple life this is good simple advice.
I do, as it happens, spend less than I earn overall and do not have the problem of credit or overdrafts, but even so I can take this on board and spend even less than I earn and save even more = less stuff.
Less stuff is something I am working towards so it will be a win, win situation.
Where I fall down is spending too much day-to-day on lunch at work and on the weekly shop. Buying lunches and over estimating on fresh food for the week or turning to expensive convenience foods through lack of planning and time increases our spending unnecessarily.
After all the hard work of searching out and setting up good deals we often lose track of them coming to an end. We also get so busy we fail to check the online bills for errors of which we have at times found plenty. Therefore a little more attention to these areas will undoubtedly keep more money in our pockets.
Being thrifty is a challenge I actually enjoy and watching our savings grow is rewarding and with retirement looming on the horizon I can feel a slight urgency to give our savings a boost.
Putting it into practice is not always easy – sometimes running short on time and temptation takes over.
My thrifty moments this week –
- I have stocked up on the next two months cards for birthdays and anniversaries using a 25% off WH Smiths voucher for cards. Cards are not cheap now so I am always on the lookout for reasonably priced ones.
- An 8p off a litre of petrol coupon from Sainsbury’s.
- Triple reward points plus 800 free points
- A grocery shopping free week – as we were going up to the caravan for a long weekend last Thursday I didn’t need to do a supermarket shop saving a good £50.
What I have wasted money on this week –
- Buying my lunch for work – I could certainly save money here if I took something from home.
- Buying lunch out at the weekend when we could have made sandwiches and taken them with us and just bought a drink.
- Buying a tray bake cake with a drink at Costa – an expensive enjoyment.
My week at work is over now and I will certainly be spending an hour or two on our finances tomorrow.
where the journey takes me 
I’m working really hard to avoid convenience foods. I’ve been exhausted recently and there have been occasions where we’ve picked up something easy instead of cooking as I usually do. Grabbing a coffee at the weekend and eating out have been creeping up too so weve really tried to cut back on that this month too.
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Sometimes I think we should have shares in Costa. It is the Costa in the halfway motorway services at Wetherby between us and my daughter and my mum and sister who all live further up North that seem to get all our money! I must think ahead more and make us a snack for the journey.
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I must admit that I always take a sandwich with me to the CS. I can’t bear to have to buy lunch as it seems such an unnecessary expense when I’ve got food at home. Sometimes, however, on a day out with a friend, for example, I will buy lunch as it can seem a bit penny pinching to take something with me, as I’d then be inflicting my frugality on others.
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I am not a sandwich fan and the reason I usually end up buying a baked potato at work. I need to start thinking ahead and take salad and a roll or pitta bread. Being vegetarian it is the protein part of the lunch that gets me stuck sometimes. Most people at work have chicken or Tuna with their salads but it is not an option for me. I don’t want to eat cheese or egg all the time so need to look for alternatives. I have thought along the lines of cutting up a whole Nutloaf into lunch size portions for the freezer.
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My husband and I are now both retired and last year I invested in a new vacuum flask and picnic set, so when we go out I take our coffee with us. Even if we go to the bakers for our food, it’s works out cheaper than eating out.
I was less than happy today after visiting our new Marks and Soencers Simply Food. I picked up a number of items with yellow labels, (reduced) but when I check out the price since I was home, find I paid dearer than if I had bought them “in date” at the regular price. 12 potatoe croquettes cost 25p each, REDUCED 6 of the same cost 28p each. Shepherds Pie 3 for £10, costs £3.33 each, REDUCED £3.70. So yellow labels can be RUBBISH, and not always the Best Buy. Incidentally i did buy a number of meals 3 for £10
But on this occasion I was done! Should I complaint the store?
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What a shame – It is always worth complaining – equally I always make encouraging comments for jobs well done.
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I echo your last comment. I’m sometimes quick to complain butI think it’s probably more important to make positive comments because they have such an impact. Often the recipients are amazed that someone has been bothered to be complimentary which makes them feel happy and me feel good!
I make my own cards to save money. Often I make 3 months worth at a time because to make them one at a time tempts me to “Buy one just this once “.
I’m delighted that you have returned to Blog Land and hope that you are once again making your retreat feel like home. I do look forward to your posts.
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Hi Sue Thank you so much for your kind comments. I know what you mean about the amazed look but I think it is good practice to be complementary when someone has been helpful – I even have my team at work do this if one of their colleagues has been helpful. I am getting myself geared up to make some cards – watch this space.
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