Changing the way we do Food Shopping

I had already made a decision about the weekly shop this morning before friend S rang and said she was going to Aldi today. I had been thinking back to when I was a child and my Mother used to go to the Butcher, the Baker and the Greengrocer for her shopping each week. As we are all aware, when the likes of Tesco and Sainsburys started to pitch up in every town the whole idea behind the concept of Super or Hypermarket shopping was being able to buy everything under one roof, to save time but sometimes at a premium. OK, all these stores have great special offers at any one time, but to make real savings if you are on a tight budget, you really need to reconsider how to Shop.
My first change in Supermarket shopping habits, when I started this Blog, was to shop online at Sainsburys rather than visit Tesco each week. The reason for the switch in loyalty was that Sainsburys are always synomous with good quality and what I was happy to eat in their basic range I wouldn't touch with a barge pole in the Tesco Value Department. Shopping online also means you are not tempted to buy things just because they are on special offer and end up throwing them away at a later date and with Sainsburys, another major factor was the tempting "feed your family for a fiver" recipes/adverts on T.V.. By switching Supermarkets and shopping online, I save at least £30 per week.
Another thing I began to do was to buy toiletries, washing powder, loo roll and medicine from Savers, something I have told you many times before.
So this morning my decision for this weeks shopping was that I wouldn't really need to do a Sainsburys shop this week as I have quite a lot in the freezer and the plan was to pop to Aldi for a few bits, but also to visit Iceland. I never go in Iceland, don't ask me why, but when I saw a 4 pint carton of milk advertised in the window for £1, decision was made to give them a visit.
So friend S picked me up and we hot footed it into town. First Stop Aldi. Lettuce, Toms and Cue at 29p each and a Savoy Cabbage for 49p. Their equivalent of Coco Pops for 99p, a pack of Gouda slices for £1.15 and a pack of 4 bagels for 89p along with a pack of marinated Smoked Salmon slices for £1.99. A few other bits and my total came to £12.28. These were all things that would be required this week and would have been a part of my normal weekly shop so I wasn't tempted by anything I didn't want or need.
Then on to Iceland. 4 pint cartons of milk for £1, I bought 2 to freeze. I picked up an Iceland Pizza then moved along the freezer and saw a Chicago Town stuffed crust, which was bigger for the same price, only £1.50. A pack of 18 ice lollies for £2. 6 chicken kievs for £2.50. 2 packs of Willow butter for £1 (now that has to be the deal of week). Buy 2 loaves of Kingsmill for £1.50, bargain, where can you get branded bread for that price? the cheapest is normally £1 when its on offer, if you are lucky! A few other bits and pieces and the total spent in Iceland was £15.
All I need to do now is pop into Savers and buy Loo Roll £1.89 for 6 rolls of Kleenex (it was £2 in Iceland!) and my Aerial liquigel washing powder and my total spent this week will be approx £32 for a family of 5.

So if you want to make real savings there is no doubt you need to shop around and you have to be a savvy shopper as some things in Aldi were cheaper in Iceland and vice versa, but with a little time and effort, it can be done. Next week I will be going to the cheaper shops first and then buy the remainder of what I need at the Supermarket, but you won't do better than the salad stuff in Aldi at 29p or the milk and butter at Iceland. If you sign up for the Iceland Bonus card and spend over £25 instore, they will deliver your shopping for free, storing it in their freezers until your scheduled delivery time. Having a bonus card also means you will recieve money offer coupons throughout the year and get entered in regular competitions to win free shopping - can't be bad can it? I might even spend £25 once a month and get it delivered, making life even easier!

S is for friend S and shopping savings (a lesson in how not to shop)

My dear friend S is probably waiting for this post and will be filled with dread when she sees it! S has lived a rather charmed financial life for a few years now, but all that could soon be about to change and she really needs to get things in order now to help secure a brighter financial future for her and her daughter.

Yesterday on our way home from school, she needed to pop into the co-op because she was starving, so me being me, I said make yourself a sandwich when you get in. She said she fancied a croissant or something.
When we got in there, my little one decided he wanted a Duck wrap and a Dr Who magazine and there was no way I was going to pay for that as I had chicken, ham, cheese, bread and bagels in the house. I told him that if he wanted those things he could give me the money back out of his pocket money when we got home and his little Booty came to £4.80.
Meanwhile S is walking around filling up a basket with far more than a couple of croissants! She pointed out that she had bought some snacks, a couple of bags of chipsticks, a couple of bags of quavers and some other stuff. She had already told me that she rarely buys crisps but when she does she likes an assortment. I told her it would be far cheaper to buy multi-packs but still she bought them all loose at probably 40 something pence per bag! As we got to the checkout I saw a pack of 12 Nik Naks for £1.00 and pointed these out to her, so she bought those aswell but still kept the others in the basket. From what I could see, she had also bought a pre-packed sandwich, about 3 different items from the Bakery section, I saw a carton of fresh juice and a physcologies magazine. As she approached the checkout, she asked for my loyalty card, as she doesn't have one, so I picked a leaflet up for her, but she said she has loads of them at home. Her little basket of shopping came to £36 which to me was astonishing! This week I had spent £56 on my weekly shop with Sainsburys online and she had only spent £20 less and had about 10 items if she was lucky!

So the lessons to be learned here are:-

Magazines - If you do have a magazine that you like to buy on a regular basis, then please look at the different subscription deals available, just type the name of the magazine into Google and they will all come up. With S's favourite Pschologies magazine you pay for 6 issues for 6 months by direct debit with www.isubscribe.co.uk you make a massive 69% saving on the cover price of £3.30, so each isssue works out at only £1.00! Plus you recieve a free designer make-up and wash bag set by Allegra Hicks, which would be great for Holiday. Magazine subscriptions also make fantastic gifts and at these crazy prices you won't be going far wrong for a birthday or Christmas pressie. Always tell friends and relatives what you would like to recieve as a gift, as often people are stuck for ideas and would welcome a suggestion from you. My birthday is right near Christmas, but I add things to my list all year and then give the list to my husband about a month beforehand so he can sort out who is buying what. This year I have already written down a jewellery box and some body cream that is £22 which you can only get from Harrods and came highly recommended via another blog, along with some Lime, Basil and Mandarin Cologne by Jo Malone which is £29. Don't forget that with the Sales on, this is a great time to start buying in advance for Xmas to ease the strain nearer the time. Look out for Handbags, purses, cashmere, Nightwear etc

Bakery - If you love the fresh bakery goods available at Supermarkets (and who doesn't?), try to pop in of an evening when items are reduced, buy in bulk and freeze them.

Pre-packed Sandwiches - Avoid them like the Plague! If S had bread indoors and ham or cheese it would have been cheaper to buy one tomato and a lettuce, add some seasoning and mayonnaise and there you have it, a sandwich no different to the one you have bought, but at lots less than the £2.50+ you probably paid in the shop. Even pots of sandwich fillers (although I prefer to make my own) and packets of chicken tikka, work out cheaper than buying a pre-packed sarni and you have enough for the next day awell. The co-op also had a deal on Tuna, 3 tins of John West for only £1.99, mix that with mayo, add some leaves and some cucumber for a tasty lunch. Use the other tins for a pasta dish using ingredients from your storecupboard and you have lunch and dinner sorted for less than £2!

Crisps - Avoid buying loose packets at all costs - this is a completely crazy area to waste money! A loose pack of crisps somewhere in the region of 40p! but at co-op 12 nik naks for £1 - or Walkers crisps in any big supermarket, 24 bags for approx £3.50 - I'll leave you to do the Maths! and if you like Quavers and Chipsticks it will still work out cheaper in the long run to buy two multipacks, even if you don't eat them on a regular basis, products like these do have a long shelf life.

Loyalty Cards - You must have one for every shop you may possibly go in. I don't use Boots very often as Savers is cheaper, but I still have a card which has £11 on it! I will use some of this up when Boots are giving away a make-up voucher which is usually £5 off certain brands.

Local Shops - Do support them, but in the right way. Chains like Co-op and Costcutter do have great deals so keep an eye out for what you need. I mentioned the Tuna and the Nik-Naks above so will be buying them locally and won't then need to order those items on my Sainsburys shop as they are both something I use on a regualar basis.

So if you popped into your local co-op and spent £36 per week, just think what that adds up to over a month and then over a year. Its no good being the kind of person who won't withdraw cash from the ATM at the Post Office because it charges you £1.75 if you are then gonna waste cash in other crazy ways. So if you are popping into the co-op or any other local store for a croissant or two, then just pick up the two croissants and head straight for the checkout. We all deserve a treat sometime!

My friend M, is another culprit. I am always seeing her coming out of the co-op clutching a bottle of squash and a loaf of bread.... what can you do? Doing one large weekly shop and buying enough bread and milk for the week will save loads. As I have mentioned many times before, freeze your bread, it defrosts so quickly, it eliminates waste, especially in the summer months when bread can go mildew quickly. Most supermarkets do 2 loaves for £2 and that would probably be enough for her family of 3 for the week. Semi and Skimmed milk can also be frozen, buy the 6 pint carton, decant half and freeze (allow 24 hours to defrost, less on hot days). Buy squash in 2 litre bottles, works out much cheaper and buy supermarkets own brands, they are no different. Saving money does take time and effort but once you get in the swing of it, it gives you a real thrill to have saved a couple of quid! Turn it into a hobby, keep that spending diary, check those bills to see what you have saved by taking showers instead of baths or by switching lights off when they shouldn't be on anyway! Do you know that a phone charger uses the same amount of electricity if the phone isn't attached? How many of you take the phone off and leave the charger sitting there, switched on at the wall? You will find loads of ways of saving money by looking through the archives of this blog, so come on - start saving!

A fantastic range of summer fruits at Aldi for 49p each

I have just seen the T.V. commercial for the latest fruit offers at Aldi. I often go to Aldi to buy their fruit and veg special offers as these items can really send your food shopping bill sky high and the kids always take fruit to school as well as what we eat at other times. This week they have Kiwi's, a pineapple, plums, peaches, cherries and a melon all at only 49p each - really amazing value!




I

Extra Nectar Points when shopping online at Sainsburys during April

Collect an extra 150 points with Sainsbury's online groceries until 30th April, collect an additional 150 points each time you shop online through Nectar first, on top of the usual 2 points per £1 spent from Sainsbury's.

Extra Nectar points when shopping online at Sainsburys

Collect an extra 150 points with Sainsbury's online groceries until 30th April, collect an additional 150 points each time you shop online through Nectar first, on top of the usual 2 points per £1 spent from Sainsbury's.

Freebies, Discounts and why buying Bulk is not always cheapest!

1. Another great freebie from Nivea, a little tin of Nivea Cream.

2. 20% off Odille Lingerie and Nightwear at Oasis - enter code ODILLESS09 in promotional box.

3. I use a lot of pasta and always buy a 2kg bag of Spagetti, but was surprised to see today when adding items to my online shopping trolley, that buying in bulk is not always cheapest. The 2kg bag of spagetti costs £2.50 and the 1kg pack is £1.35, so great you say, by purchasing the larger bag you are saving 20p! but hold on a minute, I looked at the next item down, the 500g pack and saw it was 56p. So if I bought 4 x 500g packs (making the 2kg I usually buy) I would actually be saving 26p. Weird eh? Worth checking if you always buy in bulk. Sainsburys did redeem themselves however, by their offerings on Veg reductions. I said the other day, about buying in Aldi, all their fruit and veg for 69p each, well Sainsburys has some fab things for just 60p, pack of 4 x baking potatoes, 500g bag of brussel sprouts, 1kg bag of carrots, 500g bag of parsnips. More than enough to get your 5 a day this week!

Things I will and won't economise on!

I find that a lot of personal finance blogs I read are exactly that, personal. They may contain posts about an individuals journey out of debt or what they have spent in the Supermarket that week etc, whereas I feel that mine is more about ways to save money and where to go to grab a bargain, along with the latest financial consumer news and some receipes thrown in for good measure. I have recently left comments on a few blogs where the author has asked its readers what they do to save money and whether they buy branded or unbranded items when shopping for essentials and what products they would never cut back on i.e. Loo roll, Baked Beans, Shampoo etc, so today I am going to give you an insight into my shopping basket and share with you my favourite products whether essential or luxury.

Food Shopping

In the last few months, I have started to shop online rather than instore and find I am making huge savings each week. I am no longer tempted by special offers I don't really need, I have a 4 weekly menu plan and stick with it. I add essential storecupboard items each time I run low, or out of them, as you can save your trolley contents until you checkout. I get the shopping delivered Midweek, when delivery charges are cheapest, but what I save, more than makes up for delivery.

I sometimes go to Tesco in the evening with my eldest daughter, who has recently left home and now has to do her own shopping and it is at these times that I take advantage of cheap bakery items. Last time I went a few weeks back, I got packs of rolls, uncut loaves and french stick all for 13p each! When I got home, I sliced the bread before freezing to cut down on waste and that way, can just take out what I need as I need it, as bread defrosts quite quickly.

My essentials and things I use a lot of and am happy to economise on


Onions - Sainsburys Basic range is only 50p per bag and contains approx 18 onions!

Stew Pack - much prefer the contents of the Sainsburys basic range bag and at only £1 it is cheaper than Tesco and really fills up a stew or casserole or makes a great vegetable soup which will feed loads for a quid with a bit of crusty bread.

Bananas - More than happy with Sainsburys Basic range again. I honestly find their Basic range far superior to Tesco Value.

Pain Killers - I buy paracetamol in Savers for 19p!

Flour - have used value ranges for years, fine for yorkshire puds, baking etc

Things I wont economise on

Loo Roll - I tend to buy this in Savers, as they always have the 6 instead of 4 pack of Kleenex for approx 30p cheaper than Supermarket. So not only do you save money but you get 2 extra rolls.

Tuna - I always used to get Tesco Value for years and never had a problem, but then about 6 months back, I opened a tin and it looked like bloody Kitty Kat we used to feed the Moggy on when I was a kid! I topped off my childrens jacket potato with it one day and they all refused to eat it! It was pale pink, no sign of a chunk anywhere (it looked like puree) and it stank, so now it is John West for me, but I buy the 4 packs when they are on offer.

Tea Bags - My fave is the yellow pack of Twinings but when they are not on offer, I find Sainsburys red label very palatable.

Cereals - I buy branded - full stop. I read on a blog that someone said she couldn't taste the difference between sainsburys crunchy nut and kelloggs - I don't want to take the chance, so buy branded, but only when it is on offer.

Bread - I do buy Supermarket own brand on occasion, usually when there is nothing on offer, but won't buy value or basic.

Crisps - Won't buy anything other than Walkers but will buy Cheese Puffs or Quavery type snacks in a supermarket own brand, when Walkers is not on offer.

Cola - nothing but Pepsi Max in this house! but they usually have 2 bottles for £2 at one supermarket or another! I won't buy it full price, I will get a different type of fizzy instead.

Washing Powder - only use Aerial, but buy it from Savers and have started to buy Sainsburys basic range soap powder at 65p per pack for washing towels, bath mats and bedding - it smells gorgeous!

Shampoo and Conditioner - I totally love my Frederic Fekkai! I have just run out and last night, used Herbal Essences (the girls fav) but my hair feels totally different today. It is quite costly when bought at Space NK, but go to HQ Hair via Paypal and at least you get cashback! I have also bought this on Ebay quite often. You may have seen my previous post on the free Loreal Professionnel shampoo and conditioner, well I have my voucher ready to pick up my freebie next time I visit the salon. This offer runs until August 09 so it could be a while before I get any FF! Check out my previous posts if you want a Salon professional range for free and details of the downloadable voucher.

Other things I do to cut costs on shopping

I often go to Aldi's when I see a TV advert showing their fruit and veg products for silly prices as I use a lot of fruit, doing 3 lots of pack up each day. In fact yesterday I took advantage of their current offers on fruit and veg and at 69p each got 1. 6 oranges 2. 6 red apples 3. a punnet of plums 4. a punnet of red grapes 5. a punnet of button mushrooms and 6. a bag of salad potatoes. Total £4.17.

I go to the Farm Shop when I can get there, which isn't often, but it defo saves money.

I don't buy pots of expensive sandwich fillers, I make my own, 1. cheese, onion, mayo 2. Tuna, sweetcorn, mayo. 3 Coronation chicken with chicken leftovers, and a bit of curry powder mixed into mayo and a few sultanas 4. egg mayonnaise 5. prawn mayonnaise etc etc

I feeze bread, pitta bread, muffins, crumpets etc and take out the night before, whatever I will need the next day, saves them going mouldy green before they all get used.

How I make use of Leftovers or items going out of date

Chicken - make a pie or if not enough, I use leftover meat for sarnis or wraps for packing up.

Pizza & Pasta - taken cold for pack up.

Ham & Bacon - I use in Quiche or add to the chicken pie.

Apples - if old and going a bit soft, I cook for apple sauce with pork and freeze.

Bananas - I make banana cake - great for pack lunches or picnics.

Bread - if there is any going a bit stale, I make bread or bread and butter pudding.

I would never buy value Beefburgers but do buy cheap chicken. Now I realise this is a controversial subject that will no doubt raise a few eyebrows after the plight of battery chickens was bought to light last year by Hugh Fearnely-Whittingsall in his Channel 4 programme. Now don't get me wrong I love Hugh and when I watch his series and see what that man can do with a wild mushroom, it makes me want to move into River Cottage!
In his programme on chickens, Hugh interviewed shoppers in Tesco and a few mums said "I would love to buy organic, but I simply can't afford it, I have a family to feed". So, if you have a family to feed on a weekly budget of say, £50 and you have the option of buying a chicken for £2.50 or an organic one for £7, what do you do?

Everyone seems to have jumped on the "Thrifty" bandwagon of late, with even the Broadsheet newspapers giving us tips on how to save money but I am a bit fed up with broadcasters and journalists harping on about a. being middle class (I thought that the class system in this country was dead, but oh no, it is alive and kicking, in the eyes of the snobs that believe they are middle class) b. making no apologises for only buying organic produce and c. not buying clothes from certain High St chains due to child labour issues. Although I agree, in priniciple, with some of these issues, I just don't think these people have a bloody clue! I have friends who don't have a bloody clue either! They have never had to think about switching a light off to save money, nor do they break out in a cold sweat at the supermarket checkout, for fear they don't have enough money in their purse to pay for the contents of their trolley.
The idea for this Blog had been around for a while before I actually started it, but it was bought about by personal experience due to a drastic change in circumstances last spring. My aim is to help you whether you are a student, a single parent on benefits or just a normal family who is feeling the effects of the credit crunch and may need to make savings on everyday things to afford them the luxury holiday they have wanted for years. I don't want to be patronised by people waving the single parent flag, when they have a wardrobe of designer clothes, a full time job and a full time nanny to match! and I certainly don't want to patronise the readers of my Blog. Sure I love designer goods and have spent a fair bit on them over the years. I have always been the kind of girl who prefers to have one pair of Jimmy Choo's a year rather than 6 pairs from Office or Faith, but times are different now. Even people who have money are scared to spend it. If a girl is going out on a Saturday night and needs a new top, we have to realise that some people can only afford Primark and others can't afford to go out at all! I told you talking about chicken was controversial and look how it has taken me off at a tangent! So yes I do buy cheap chicken and make no apologises for it, it makes a bloody gorgeous pie!

Waitrose launches cheaper range of products

Waitrose shoppers suffering in these hard times, will be pleased to hear that the Supermarket has launched a cheaper range of own brand products.

The range – named Essential Waitrose – is made up of more than 1,400 lines of staple groceries including fruit and vegetables, household goods aling with meat, fish and poultry.

The Essential Waitrose range is made up of 200 new lines and existing Waitrose products. Around 450 of the existing goods will be reduced in price.

Products will have a consistent packaging design so shoppers can identify Essential Waitrose.

The launch began yesterday, and will continue until October 2009 across 98 grocery categories.

Waitrose said that the Essential Waitrose range ‘hasn’t compromised on quality standards or sourcing integrity’. Bananas in the Essential Waitrose range will be Fairtrade, eggs will be free range and chicken will be British.

The range is set to compete with the already comprehensive own label ranges in Waitrose's 'big four' rivals - Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco.

Waitrose said; ‘Essential Waitrose effectively combines the quality our customers have come to expect and the reassurance of Waitrose values, together with affordable prices and an easily recognisable brand.’

Singing the praises of Savers - again!

Sorry guys if it gets a bit boring, me singing the praises of a certain High Street cheap shop but I am about to tell you why, so hang on. Now my silly husband likes to use Mouthwash, but not any old Mouthwash, just the most expensive one that Listerine do. It is pink in colour and it is called Total Care, Antibacterial something or other and makes him smell like he has eaten a tube of Ralgex (that doesn't look right, you know what I mean that pain reliving cream).
Well, whilst doing the online shopping yesterday, he informed me that he needed more. Normally that would be fine, as it has been on offer at Sainsburys for the last few weeks, but now it is back to full price, so I didn't put in the trolley and was going to pretend I had forgotten it when the shopping is delivered tomorrow. I mean honestly, what is he doing to use so much? is he making Mouthwash Cocktails once I have retired to bed? Anyway, popped into town today and needed to get some make-up remover wipes for the girls (only 69p in Savers) and low and behold my husbands amber nectar sitting proudly on the Savers shelf for only £2.49! Unless you are a purchaser of Mouthwash, this may not seem cheap, but let me tell you, it is currently £4.19 in Sainsburys, £3.84 in Tesco and £3.83 in Asda (which proves the point about my post on Asda's 1p price cuts). RECESSIONISTA'S LOVE SAVERS - NUFF SAID!

Asda cuts prices by just 1p!

Having reported on this blog last week that Asda was to banish "buy one get one free" in order to cut prices on over 5,000 items by Easter, a recent survey by the GROCER magazine has found that the majority of price cuts, are in fact by just 1p!

Asda insists that it still offers great value for money, which of course we know to be true, as they frequently come out on top in the weekly basket challenge, but I feel that consumers like the "BOGOFS". With "BOGOF'S", theoretically, you could end up with two weeks shopping for the price of one! BOGOF's will not save you any money if you just buy things that you don't need because they are on offer, as you could end up throwing stuff away and that would be a waste in more than just monetary terms!

Things I will and won't economise on!

I find that a lot of personal finance blogs I read are exactly that, personal. They may contain posts about an individuals journey out of debt or what they have spent in the Supermarket that week etc, whereas I feel that mine is more about ways to save money and where to go to grab a bargain, along with the latest financial consumer news and some receipes thrown in for good measure. I have recently left comments on a few blogs where the author has asked its readers what they do to save money and whether they buy branded or unbranded items when shopping for essentials and what products they would never cut back on i.e. Loo roll, Baked Beans, Shampoo etc, so today I am going to give you an insight into my shopping basket and share with you my favourite products whether essential or luxury.

Food Shopping

In the last few months, I have started to shop online rather than instore and find I am making huge savings each week. I am no longer tempted by special offers I don't really need, I have a 4 weekly menu plan and stick with it. I add essential storecupboard items each time I run low, or out of them, as you can save your trolley contents until you checkout. I get the shopping delivered Midweek, when delivery charges are cheapest, but what I save, more than makes up for delivery.

I sometimes go to Tesco in the evening with my eldest daughter, who has recently left home and now has to do her own shopping and it is at these times that I take advantage of cheap bakery items. Last time I went a few weeks back, I got packs of rolls, uncut loaves and french stick all for 13p each! When I got home, I sliced the bread before freezing to cut down on waste and that way, can just take out what I need as I need it, as bread defrosts quite quickly.

My essentials and things I use a lot of and am happy to economise on


Onions - Sainsburys Basic range is only 50p per bag and contains approx 18 onions!

Stew Pack - much prefer the contents of the Sainsburys basic range bag and at only £1 it is cheaper than Tesco and really fills up a stew or casserole or makes a great vegetable soup which will feed loads for a quid with a bit of crusty bread.

Bananas - More than happy with Sainsburys Basic range again. I honestly find their Basic range far superior to Tesco Value.

Pain Killers - I buy paracetamol in Savers for 19p!

Flour - have used value ranges for years, fine for yorkshire puds, baking etc

Things I wont economise on

Loo Roll - I tend to buy this in Savers, as they always have the 6 instead of 4 pack of Kleenex for approx 30p cheaper than Supermarket. So not only do you save money but you get 2 extra rolls.

Tuna - I always used to get Tesco Value for years and never had a problem, but then about 6 months back, I opened a tin and it looked like bloody Kitty Kat we used to feed the Moggy on when I was a kid! I topped off my childrens jacket potato with it one day and they all refused to eat it! It was pale pink, no sign of a chunk anywhere (it looked like puree) and it stank, so now it is John West for me, but I buy the 4 packs when they are on offer.

Tea Bags - My fave is the yellow pack of Twinings but when they are not on offer, I find Sainsburys red label very palatable.

Cereals - I buy branded - full stop. I read on a blog that someone said she couldn't taste the difference between sainsburys crunchy nut and kelloggs - I don't want to take the chance, so buy branded, but only when it is on offer.

Bread - I do buy Supermarket own brand on occasion, usually when there is nothing on offer, but won't buy value or basic.

Crisps - Won't buy anything other than Walkers but will buy Cheese Puffs or Quavery type snacks in a supermarket own brand, when Walkers is not on offer.

Cola - nothing but Pepsi Max in this house! but they usually have 2 bottles for £2 at one supermarket or another! I won't buy it full price, I will get a different type of fizzy instead.

Washing Powder - only use Aerial, but buy it from Savers and have started to buy Sainsburys basic range soap powder at 65p per pack for washing towels, bath mats and bedding - it smells gorgeous!

Shampoo and Conditioner - I totally love my Frederic Fekkai! I have just run out and last night, used Herbal Essences (the girls fav) but my hair feels totally different today. It is quite costly when bought at Space NK, but go to HQ Hair via Paypal and at least you get cashback! I have also bought this on Ebay quite often. You may have seen my previous post on the free Loreal Professionnel shampoo and conditioner, well I have my voucher ready to pick up my freebie next time I visit the salon. This offer runs until August 09 so it could be a while before I get any FF! Check out my previous posts if you want a Salon professional range for free and details of the downloadable voucher.

Other things I do to cut costs on shopping

I often go to Aldi's when I see a TV advert showing their fruit and veg products for silly prices as I use a lot of fruit, doing 3 lots of pack up each day. In fact yesterday I took advantage of their current offers on fruit and veg and at 69p each got 1. 6 oranges 2. 6 red apples 3. a punnet of plums 4. a punnet of red grapes 5. a punnet of button mushrooms and 6. a bag of salad potatoes. Total £4.17.

I go to the Farm Shop when I can get there, which isn't often, but it defo saves money.

I don't buy pots of expensive sandwich fillers, I make my own, 1. cheese, onion, mayo 2. Tuna, sweetcorn, mayo. 3 Coronation chicken with chicken leftovers, and a bit of curry powder mixed into mayo and a few sultanas 4. egg mayonnaise 5. prawn mayonnaise etc etc

I feeze bread, pitta bread, muffins, crumpets etc and take out the night before, whatever I will need the next day, saves them going mouldy green before they all get used.

How I make use of Leftovers or items going out of date

Chicken - make a pie or if not enough, I use leftover meat for sarnis or wraps for packing up.

Pizza & Pasta - taken cold for pack up.

Ham & Bacon - I use in Quiche or add to the chicken pie.

Apples - if old and going a bit soft, I cook for apple sauce with pork and freeze.

Bananas - I make banana cake - great for pack lunches or picnics.

Bread - if there is any going a bit stale, I make bread or bread and butter pudding.

I would never buy value Beefburgers but do buy cheap chicken. Now I realise this is a controversial subject that will no doubt raise a few eyebrows after the plight of battery chickens was bought to light last year by Hugh Fearnely-Whittingsall in his Channel 4 programme. Now don't get me wrong I love Hugh and when I watch his series and see what that man can do with a wild mushroom, it makes me want to move into River Cottage!
In his programme on chickens, Hugh interviewed shoppers in Tesco and a few mums said "I would love to buy organic, but I simply can't afford it, I have a family to feed". So, if you have a family to feed on a weekly budget of say, £50 and you have the option of buying a chicken for £2.50 or an organic one for £7, what do you do?

Everyone seems to have jumped on the "Thrifty" bandwagon of late, with even the Broadsheet newspapers giving us tips on how to save money but I am a bit fed up with broadcasters and journalists harping on about a. being middle class (I thought that the class system in this country was dead, but oh no, it is alive and kicking, in the eyes of the snobs that believe they are middle class) b. making no apologises for only buying organic produce and c. not buying clothes from certain High St chains due to child labour issues. Although I agree, in priniciple, with some of these issues, I just don't think these people have a bloody clue! I have friends who don't have a bloody clue either! They have never had to think about switching a light off to save money, nor do they break out in a cold sweat at the supermarket checkout, for fear they don't have enough money in their purse to pay for the contents of their trolley.
The idea for this Blog had been around for a while before I actually started it, but it was bought about by personal experience due to a drastic change in circumstances last spring. My aim is to help you whether you are a student, a single parent on benefits or just a normal family who is feeling the effects of the credit crunch and may need to make savings on everyday things to afford them the luxury holiday they have wanted for years. I don't want to be patronised by people waving the single parent flag, when they have a wardrobe of designer clothes, a full time job and a full time nanny to match! and I certainly don't want to patronise the readers of my Blog. Sure I love designer goods and have spent a fair bit on them over the years. I have always been the kind of girl who prefers to have one pair of Jimmy Choo's a year rather than 6 pairs from Office or Faith, but times are different now. Even people who have money are scared to spend it. If a girl is going out on a Saturday night and needs a new top, we have to realise that some people can only afford Primark and others can't afford to go out at all! I told you talking about chicken was controversial and look how it has taken me off at a tangent! So yes I do buy cheap chicken and make no apologises for it, it makes a bloody gorgeous pie!

Asda banishes "BUY ONE GET ONE FREE"

Asda is to ditch it's "buy one get one free" deals in favour of 5,000 price cuts across the store. The price cuts are expected to be in store by April. It will be interesting to see what Tesco, Sainsburys etc, do in retailiation.

When it comes to money - stand up for yourself!

When it comes to money matters - if you feel something is unjust or you have been ripped off, never be afraid to complain.
My husband took delivery of the Sainsburys shopping last week, as I was out. When I got back and checked the receipt and the list of substitutes, it became apparent that we had been substituted the Fairy Dishwasher tablets which were on offer for £2.98 for another Fairy Dishwasher tablet which cost £8 odd! Naturally I went mad, there is no way I would pay that for dishwasher tablets so hubby got the blame, he tried to say the Driver hadn’t explained properly at the door La La La…. Anyway, I thought I would ring up and be very nice to the man on the other end of the phone and I just said that I didn’t feel that it was a fair substitution. I told him that I understood they may have run out of stocks on the offer product, but that surely it could have been substituted for another product at least costing under a fiver! They were extremely helpful and within about 3 minutes I had a lovely little e-voucher appear in my inbox for £7, so it was well worth the phone call and I got to keep the large pack of tablets they had sent out aswell! So total profit was approx £8.

Sainsburys cheaper than Asda or Tesco!

A basket of 24 everyday food items costs £30.38 at Sainsbury's compared to £30.43 at Asda, according to MySupermarket.com.

The same basket of goods, including items such as white bread, bananas, eggs, milk, potatoes, beef mince and orange juice, cost £31.15 at Tesco.

Asda has occupied the position of cheapest supermarket for most of the past year since the economic downturn took hold, except in June 2008 when it was held by Tesco.

Sainsbury's has seen prices increase by 13.4 per cent in the past 12 months, compared to an increase of 19.2 per cent at Asda and 20.5 per cent at Tesco.