Penny wise, pound foolish.

I too hate paying the full price for anything and will shop around and wait for sales, as so often in the past I have bought gifts or personal items and a week later they are on sale for fourpence. However, this all falls to pieces frequently as I am a sucker for paintings and will spend, on impulse, far more than I can afford on my credit card for something to 'look at every day' - my excuse. Also, after a very careful supermarket shop, sticking firmly to the list, I then buy a huge bunch of flowers as parsimony really depresses me.

I too was advised to 'keep your hand on your ha'penny' by my aunt - what a marvellous piece of social advice, pity it's not compulsory today.

Last week I ordered a bathroom storage unit from M&S, I thought of waiting for the 20% offers but wanted it for when my family visit next week. Sods law that in today's post an offer for 20% of home ware. I will have to make that £25 up somehow ?.

Off!!

My OH throws his money around spending it on big expensive presents for family members or gadgets he hardly use. I spend mine on treating family members to a holiday every other year. I think it is better to do that than buy presents they might not need or like. Everyone likes a holiday don't they.

I buy reasonably priced clothes so that I can have a change now and again. OH prefers to buy expensive and make them last for years.

I have a mobile pay as you go, OH has a contract.

I do not like 'Christmas Lists' or 'Birthday Lists' but OH swears by them.

What is your choice?

Have I got it wrong all these years? I thought 'keep your hand on your ha'penny' meant something entirely different to saving money :-)

My nephew examines the shopping that his partner brings home and,if he can get it cheaper at another supermarket, he takes it back and gets a refund! This happens every week with the big supermarket shop. Personally,I would make him do the shopping in the first place.

I save by buying so called dead plants. I get them from 40p to £1 when the are at the end of the season and looking sad. My garden is so full of my rescued bargains. All they need is some TLC and hey presto, no longer dead.

Iam not a spend thrift I like to spend my money on my grandchildren when I can see the pleasure it gives them. We spend quite a lot on travel, as that gives us pleasure although sometimes I feel we may be spending our childrens heritage!

Daddima good posting. I like to research household buys then buy them when there is a sale, 20% off. I recently bought some John Lewis bedlinen like this. I chose the colour months before, then bought it as they were selling out the line in the sale. Pure luck really.
I now have a pay as you go, gave up on contracts years ago. I have a digital camera for taking photos that load nicely onto my PC.
I make a list when I go food shopping and stick to it, unless its a cake from M+S for a treat. I used to have a garden full of flowers to pick for inside the house - now only rarely do I buy them but they are a treat.
Someone mentioned treating oneself for Christmas - what a good idea!

"keep your 'and on your h'penny" - remember from my teens - absolutely nothing to do with saving !!!!!

I to was brought up with "look after the pennies & the pounds will take care of themselves". My "big spends" are good coats/jackets & shoes/boots - they last me years but I always go for Classic styles.

Can't bear food waste - I do eat some odd meals but as I only have myself to please now I don't care. Stir fry is great way to use up veg which is just "on the turn". Cheese which is starting to go slightly mouldy is trimmed, grated & frozen as it's fine as long as it's cooked. My DD is forever throwing food out, she'd have a fit if she checked my cupboards

My biggest extravegance is presents for my family particularly DGS

Oooh rubylady envy you two years not smoking....its my first day today and i so will be glad when its bedtime.its so flippin hard.45yr habit.....

Sue1169 - Good luck with the no smoking. I smoked for over 40 years and really enjoyed it. It was very difficult to give up but if you have really decided it's time, you can do it. I would never start again now - 4 years since I stopped. I didn't have COPD but do get much less breathless now.

I always feel really cross if I have to pay full price for anything and have points cards for just about everything! We have just had two nights at the Gatwick Hilton for £100 including one breakfast, using Avios collected on our Tesco card and by doing online surveys. As we also have Nectar cards, we get points on those in Sainsbury's where we do our big shop, so we get points on the Tesco card and points on the Nectar card for the same shop! Sainsbury's often do a few days when you can double up your points and buy something (often clothes or electronic items) very cheaply-I have had a few nice items of clothing and a Kindle for next to nothing just by using points in this way.

My hobby is charity shop browsing and most of my clothes come from them as I love good brands like East but won't pay the full price, do shop in sales too for Seasalt for example, order online and pick up free from the store, cook most things from scratch, don't have much (any) food waste, recycle, up cycle, wait for sales if I need anything for the house but holidays are never a waste, I love travelling and look out for last minute bargains but we travel when we can, may as well do it now while we are fit enough and look back on those memories when we aren't

I will buy goods on offer and store them until needed. Absolutely hate throwing food away, always check sell by dates before I buy, and plan menus before so only buy what I need. Find the reduced rack in supermarket very good, can freeze so much for later. I put money away in different accounts for savings, always useful. The one thing I cannot do is buy clothes from charity shops, for some reason I feel that they would have part of the previous owner in them, stupid I know. However, I always look out for good quality clothes that will last and not date and look for offers on them. M&S just sent me 20% off tokens and have been wanting to replace some undies so will use them. Doing all this means if we want a little "splurge" we can and not worry about it.