Penny wise, pound foolish.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.....

"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

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!

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!

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.

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.

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 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?

Off!!

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 ?.

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.

That's supposed to be Linsco56

Bold Linsvo56, "hand on your ha'penny, was a favourite of my mother's, when my sisters were going out. She was always telling me to be careful. I thought she meant crossing the street, even tho' I was 18 or 19, or getting into fights, which were quite common in Glasgow. It was only later, I realised she meant, girls.

You are certainly NOT alone we are all as daft as a brush more time than we care to admit

'Look after the pennies etc' and 'keep your hand on your ha'penny' both featured large in my upbringing, for differing reasons! My kitchen cupboards are full of foodstuffs, laundry and cleaning products bought on offer for when they'll come in handy! My fridge has to be regularly cleared of leftovers 'saved for later'. Thank goodness we have a waste food collection that goes to compost - at least I can tell myself it's going to be useful to someone in the future! I really should stick to my shopping list

I find it fascinating to hear of peoples choices in their spending. I hate to pay full price for anything & retirement ( plus internet) gives me time to shop around. I'm also a "rate tart" when it comes to changing bank accounts, utility suppliers etc. My sister seemed a bit surprised when I produced porridge in a recent hotel - breakfast is always a rip off & this was much healthier, too. However, we treat ourselves to Business Class when flying to see our son - but then OH has two false hips and two false knees. We paid for one hip privately - well worth it. Must confess I am shocked when I see youngsters with iphones , but they probably think I am a spendthrift!

rubylady, well done, DH and i gave up together the night before his hip replacement 5 and a half years ago, i smoked about 20 a day but he would smoke between 60 and 80 ! it cost a fortune and on top of his 10 to 15 pints a day at £3.50 a go, when he gave that up at the sametime i felt as though we had won the pools, when he smoked like a chimney and drank like a fish he was never ill, he had a really hard physical job (scaffolder) and that kept him fit apart from his hip. His surgeon was suprised he smoked and drank so much as his body didnt show any sign s of it in his tests.

I'm celebrating my two years free of the dreaded tobacco tomorrow! Yeah! I probably spent about £25.00 a week on the stuff so that's £2,600 I have saved, not gone up in smoke or to the Government!

Ebay here I come . . .

Holidays maybe fleeting but memories last forever. My husband keeps offering me a new car but mine a 20 year old polo goes well and I use less than a tank if petrol a month. Technology seems to be ever changing so as long as my iPad and laptop work I am happy. A bought a smart phone 2nd hand from a family member and wish I had stayed with my simple phone as I only want it for my emergencies to phone DH and say help!

Houses have to be maintained! I hated spending a lot of money replacing fencing and removing dead trees but it had to be done. I see nothing wrong with the original bathroom but I suppose it is time to update it.

Clothes I like to buy in the sales but good quality and keep finding things in my wardrobe that I start wearing again. I wonder how much good clothing I have given away over the years. I am not a 2nd hand clothes person so that would be my extravagance.

Back to the OP, it took me a while here to get used to the fact that Belgians will happily stand at a checkout with a large queue behind them and count out their payment in small coins, including half cents.
No one bothers or gets annoyed, could be why some parts of Belguim have a high rate of savers as the taxes are some of the highest in the EU and wages are average.Less than €2000 a month for teachers, nurses etc.

MY right hip was bone on bone, this hip is considerably more painful, yet it is not bone on bone. I was very surprised by the x-ray result.