School has started! Thank heavens! I love my boys more than all the grains of sand in the desert. But I love it when they get out of my house too. The only trouble I'm finding is that the money is flying out of the door. There's money for school lunches, backpacks, uniforms, after-school activities, new shoes, more new shoes after the first pair don't last but a week, milk club, birthday party invitations, and we're only a few months from the holidays. Ack!
However, being a stay-at-home mum, I am learning to cut corners. I've recently discovered that I don't have to place a Sainsbury's order for £80 once a week, but can instead shop smarter at discount supermarkets.
The inspiration for this post comes from the Channel 4 program about Poundland I saw last night.
You have to be careful when using discount shops. Which we all knew. I thought the program was a bit reactionary and didn't tell me anything I didn't already know about Poundland.
Here are my Top Ten Tips:
1. Know what things cost. Know the major supermarkets prices.
2. What is the cost per unit? This is written on the price tags, usually in small print under the cost of the item. Not sure if buying the pasta on sale 2 for 1 is cheaper than the store brand pasta in bulk? LOOK at the cost per unit!
3. Get a Costco card. Costco are a beautiful company that set the bar for ethical practices. So you can feel good going there too. Bonus! Be careful at Costco. Often times buying in bulk doesn't beat the supermarket sales. Avoid the butchers and bakery sections. While it is utterly delicious, it is priced at a premium.
4. Plan your weekly menu. Plan what your family will eat for the week based on reading the sale ads. There are hundreds of great meal planning websites to get your started.
5. It's not a deal if you don't use it! I have a teeny tiny house. To help get some perspective, I think about the cost of the rest of items stored.
6. If it is a deal and you use it, store it! 8 packs of wholegrain pita bread? Insane? No! freezeable and never out of bread for a school lunch box.
7. Pay with cash. It's easy to use your card and lose track. A good method my Dad taught me when money was tight, was to separate the budget into marked envelopes and use the cash directly from there. You can see your savings and play a game to try and have some cash left over at the end of the month.
8. Store brands. Try 'em. They are markedly less and often times manufactured in the name brand factory, just packaged under different labels. My kids go through yogurt like it's going out of style. Tesco brand children's yogurts don't have any cartoons on them, but they are less than 50p for a 6 pack.
9. Make your own. Muffins can whip up with anything from sausages to pumpkin to oatmeal. If you have a good pantry, you can whip up muffins (and freeze!) and always have a snack or meal ready.
10. Eat well! Enjoy your meals, make things you like. Saving money and watching the budget does not have to feel like deprivation.
What does this have to do with Scentsy? Well. Scentsy ounce for ounce and gram for gram comes out MUCH more economical than buying scented candles. Even if you are buying grossy cheap ones. A warmer costs anywhere from £25-40 but you KEEP it. It's home decor. A bar of wax that last for approximately 80+ hours lasts for only £5. If you buy more, you save more. So 3 for £14 and 6 for £25.
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