What Would You Give Up

It’s a bit late, but my eleven year old has just heard of the credit crunch. I don’t think she clearly understands what it means but she knows enough to realise that consumers have to give up things we would’ve otherwise had.





She came into the kitchen while I was cooking and asked me a simple question. ‘What would you give up?’ I have to admit I was stumped. Not only did I not have an answer, the question had not even occurred to me before she asked it.





What would I give up.



I thought about my shopping and realised that I haven’t been putting anything in my shopping trolley that I could actually leave out. I considered the clothes I’d gotten for the kids and there was nothing I would return to the rack, was I given the choice.



I already save on electricity and gas. Entertaining the kids is always done sensibly. In my mind I wildly tried to find something I could easily do without. I don’t like wear make-up unless it’s put on me for work, my hair is a wash-and-go mode that needs no styling, and our social circles are made up of people who specialise in ‘everyone-bring-a-pot’ parties.



I still can’t answer the question, but it made me realise one thing. Living well and comfortably takes a lot less than most people think. We have a good life. Like most people we have a mortgage and bills, and live within our means. Our lives, comfortable though it is, hasn’t come from buying more than we need. Comfort for us has been getting exactly what we need and just the right amount of what we want.



Overspending has been a curse for so long, that it took this current economic downturn to make us realise that a good living can be had for much less than we previously thought. It’s widely believed that we’re on our way out of the recession, but if it were to get worse and you had to tighten your belt further to keep spending at a minimum, what would you give up?



Read more in my book, ‘How to Spend Less.’ Details on this page.

A Brief Look At My Book on Saving

As many of you know, I recently published a book called, 'How To Sp£nd L€$$' in a downloadable version on Smashwords and as a hardcopy on Lulu. I've since been sharing some money-saving tips around the Internet and as this blog partly about my books, I ought to post some here too. Here is a compact version of a few of the things I talk about in 'How To Sp£nd L€$$' concerning Supermarket savings.



1. Instead of buying several different cleaners for multiple tasks, add soda crystals to washing powder to do a multitude of cleaning around the house. It’s cheaper, safer, better for the environment, and gets the job done.



2. Visit ‘discount’ or ‘cash and carry’ outlets for items like paper towels, shampoo, toothpaste etc. You may find that they stock end-of-line products and sell them cheaper than your supermarket. While you’re there, buy long-life items like rice, pasta, oil, toilet roll etc, in bulk. You’ll get them for as much as half the price.



3. Before you think you’ve got a deal it’s wise to check the price per smallest unit (100ml or 100g for example). This information will be on the price tag on the shelf below the item, in almost-invisible writing which you have to bend over to read. Generally, larger items are cheaper per unit, especially with things like cereals, washing powder, toilet roll etc.



4. Frozen spinach, carrots, beans, peas, okras, roasted (frozen) aubergines, etc taste exactly the same as their fresh counterparts and sell for almost half the price. You save in two ways:



a. The amount you pay for the product.



b. There is no wastage. Fresh items are sold by weight but you can’t use end bits and stems. There’s also no ‘going bad’ in the fridge so you never have to throw it out.



5. Not having a list is a very expensive way to shop. If you don’t know what you need, you’re likely to grab everything you think you want. Make sure your supermarket visits are accompanied by a list.



6. Always look at the bottom shelf or the one above eye-level for the true price the item is worth. Supermarkets put their most expensive items on the eye-level shelves. The chopped tomatoes you pull off the shelf on your way to the freezer section could very well be selling for 20% less on the shelf right under your nose – literally.



Next week we'll look at a different topic, but until then, feel free to share your own tips. If you know how to spend lesss and still live well, I'm sure there's a place for you here.