Save Money On Your Weekly Shop

This post follows on from my earlier one recommending the substitution of higher price 'branded' products for cheaper alternatives. There is however an alternative! Check out what offers your supermarket has on and use them.

For example currently at Asda, dried pasta is on special offer - buy 2 500g bags for £1 (usual price 70p each). Therefore if you choose this option rather than say buying a single 1kg bag (at £1.08), you can save money.

However, you have to watch out because these "special offers" are not always the cheapest option for the product you want.

For example: Coke Zero - special offer 2 packs of 8 x 330ml cans at Asda are 2 for £6, which works out as 37.5p per can. However alongside this special offer Asda sell a box of 15 x 330ml cans for £5.50, which works out as approximately 36.67p per can.

Okay I know these examples only save you pennies here and there but it all adds up and there are occasions when the offer can save pounds.

My tips to saving money on your shopping over time would be: -

1. Always check the cost per can/100ml/100g of a product (usually highlighted on the price label). Check around on the same shelf and see whether you can save money by buying a different size product (like with the pasta above).



2. When a supermarket have a special offer on, stock up! This works best with dry packet foods, cans and frozen goods, which can be stored in the cupboard/freezer and use as and when you need them.
   For example; I always buy Quorn Mince, at the moment it is currently over £2.50 per 350g bag, however about a month ago it was on special for as little as £1! Needless to say I bought 3-4 bags and put them in the freezer. Another good saving I've made is on Batchelors' savoury rice, supermarkets have in the past had offers such as 4 for £1 whilst these are currently at 50p each.



3. Shop around! If you have the time or patience consider which supermarkets have the best deals on which foods. For example, Aldi have their "Super 6" fruit and veg at 49p each - this week including 49p for 1kg bananas and 49p for 500g grapes - conversely 1kg bananas when checked at Tesco are 84p, with 500g of grapes at £1.44.



4. Watch out for the offers each supermarket has in any given week, it is common for supermarkets to 'follow' each other with special offers (e.g. one week Asda have Mullerlight yoghurts on offer and then the next Tesco will have the same offer when Asda's offer ends).



5. Try internet shopping. The first time you use it, you may find it confusing and yes it could take a little longer than you would like to start with, however as time goes on the quicker it will become and it can save you money! I've been using online shopping for years now and find that I always spend less when doing this than when I go to the local supermarket. You know what it's like, you pop to the shop for one thing and come out having spent over £20 on things you didn't really need. Internet shopping prevents this, you get what you need and you aren't attracted to what's on the next shelf, ergo you buy less and save money. Finally it also leaves you time to do other things and completely takes the stress out of shopping (who hasn't wanted to ram their trolley into someone in a busy supermarket on a Saturday afternoon?!)



6. If you do your shopping online, don't always rely on your saved favourites. Whilst it is quick and easy for you to just select the usual items you need, it can mean that you miss out on offers. Using my example above, if you usually buy the 1kg bag of pasta, you wont necessarily know that it's infact cheaper to buy 2 500g bags instead. Look at what offers are on that week!



7. Plan your meals around what is on offer, for example make a curry/stir-fry using vegetables from Aldi's "Super 6".
   
   
8. Try the cheaper option. If you don't like it fair enough but if you do you could be spending less every week. - for example I would have Smartprice Digestive Biscuits any day over McVities.

For more money saving advice go to moneysavingexpert.com

All prices stated are correct online as of 11th July 2009

Francais s'il vous plait!

Do you know what is really annoying me on TV at the moment? The advert for Stella Artois !

The guy walks up to the bar (supposedly in France) and asks for a "Stella Artois four s'il vous plait." If they are going to have the dialogue in French, the least they can do is ask for a "Stella Artois quatre s'il vous plait"!

(The same goes for La nouvelle 4).

If you want to watch the ad click here

The local Council - do they think we are that fickle?

Has anyone else noticed that their Council has very recently started doing work or repairs that should have been done ages ago? Tarmacing a road full of potholes for instance...

Such repairs/works starting around about the time of the local elections maybe?

Coincidence?
Or just call me a cynic... :)

Big Brother 2009 - Can't Wait or Can't be Bothered?

So Big Brother is 10 years old! Was it really that long ago that reality TV took off? It would seem that these days you can't turn on the TV without finding one 'reality' show or another, ... Big Brother, Britain's Got Talent, X-Factor, Come Dine With Me... the list is endless. Are people really interested in watching 'ordinary' folk? It would appear so!

With Big Brother starting its 10th run this week, isn't everyone just a bit fed up with it? I know I am! Don't get me wrong, I couldn't miss an episode of Big Brother when it first started and for the first few years, but you can only see so much of the same thing!

When Big Brother started it was an original concept, unpredictable with real and ordinary people. However it now seems to be the same bunch of early 20 somethings, looking for fame no matter what it takes! You will also usually find 1 or 2 "older" contestants and 1 or 2 who have a different culture or beliefs (either in an attempt to cause controversy or attract a wider viewing audience I don't know which). Watch it on Thursday and then tell me if I'm wrong!

If you see the auditions of those chosen it is clear that the Big Brother chiefs choose people who will be controversial, clash with other housemates or cause a stir hoping their actions will increase ratings. It reminds me a bit of Wife Swap really, you always see a switch between a really strict family and a laid back family, or a workaholic and a housewife. Well let's face it, who would want to watch real-life, 'ordinary' people going about their daily life with no controversy? We watch the Soaps after all!

What also gets me is the pressure on people to watch these shows just to fit in at work/school. I know from experience that you can feel totally left out if you did not see 'what happened last night'!

We all remember the romance of Paul & Helen, what Stuart & Michelle did (or didn't do) under the table and of course Jade's anticis, but how much more of the same can we take and who actually remembers who won last year anyway?!

My Fan Oven Doesn't Heat Up! (How to Fix)

We have a built in fan oven and a couple of months ago I went into a panic... the fan was turning, the thermostat light came on (and stayed on) but only cold air was circulating around the oven. I left it for nearly an hour hoping it would heat up, but nothing happened!

At this point I was thinking it was going to be a very expensive job. The cooker itself is built into the kitchen units and therefore I couldn't simply buy a new one if needs be. I was also worried about how much time I would need to take off work to wait in for a repairman - not to mention the extortionate call out fees some can charge!

So as we do in this technological age I Googled for a solution. I found out that the cause was likely one of two things; either the thermostat had gone, or the fan element had. Searching further I established the following: -

1. If the thermostat light doesn't switch on - the thermostat is likely be the problem - this was not my problem - sorry I can't offer any advice on this


2. If the fan itself is working and the thermostat light switches on, but doesn't go out - it is likely that the fan element is faulty - this was my problem - keep reading for a solution

Before you remove the fan element or start any repairs to your oven make sure that it is turned off at the wall. For additional safety I would also recommend turning off the electricity.

If the fan element is faulty, there may be visible signs of burning or splitting.

If the fan element is faulty, it can be replaced. We found a replacement fan element for as little as £10 from a reputable ebayer. If you use ebay however make sure you choose the correct element for your oven make.

Once you have found your new fan element follow the below link for a detailed step by step guide we used to replace our fan element. Thank you to ransomspares for their easy to understand guide and who also stock many oven fan elements!

How to Replace a Faulty Fan Element

Things to watch out for

• Do not attempt any repairs to your oven until the electricity is disconnected
• Do not touch the fan when it is spinning
• Make sure you use the right replacement fan element for your make of cooker
• Some cookers (like ours) are built into the kitchen units and cannot be accessed from behind - luckily our fan element could be accessed and removed from the front - make sure yours can too
• Some cookers will have very short leads running to the fan element - be careful not to let these slip down behind the cooker when removing/replacing the element
• I would recommend wearing a mask to prevent breathing in of fumes which may linger in the oven
• Make sure you tighten the screws attaching the element to the oven - to prevent the slippage or the element coming away

It could cost you as little as £10-£20 to fix your oven rather than around £100 for a repairman or a new cooker!

Disclaimer: Information given either on this blog or via the above link is for information purposes only. No liability is accepted for any loss or damage that may occur from attempting the advice.

Things that make you go awwwww!

Okay I know this post has no useful information whatsoever, but these links made me smile and I though I would share them with you :)


Hedgehog

Panda


Enjoy!

Switch to Skype and Phone for Free!

It all started when BT added a £4.50 charge for not paying our phone bill by Direct Debit. Whilst Direct Debit may be a simpler option and will ensure that the company gets their money (and gets it on time), we would rather pay on receipt of the bill when we can raise any issues rather than have the money taken out to then chase for a refund.

We started using Skype on our computers and convinced our family (on which most calls went) to do the same. A USB Skype phone at the time was only around £10.00 and are even cheaper today - of course all you really need is computer with a microphone and speakers.

Subsequently we have seen a decrease in our phone bills from around £15.00 of calls per quarter previously, to less than £5.00. On several occasions calls have actually been at £0.00 leaving us only having to pay line rental.

The difficulty with using Skype on the computer however is that when you want to make/receive a call you need to be near the computer, with the computer on. Obviously therefore you can't make/receive calls whilst you are out and about (excluding of course where you have a laptop or access to another computer).

However 3 seem to have solved that problem... Skype on your mobile phone! 3 offer a range of Skype phones, which means you can use Skype on your mobile phone to call and receive calls from other Skype users FOR FREE!

I purchased an Inq1 Skype phone a couple of weeks ago and despite making several calls to my fiance (who has the Skypephone), his parents and my parents (who have Skype on their computers), I have hardly spent a penny.

There are also many additional features on that are free on the phones offered by 3 including Facebook, MSN Messanger and Ebay. Check out their website for full details.

It may seem like I am 'plugging' 3 here, but they seem to be the only mobile phone company in the UK offering such features and for free!

Whilst there is an initial expense in purchasing a compatible phone, you could save a lot of money.

However, if you want to 'try before you buy' Skype on your computer before considering a mobile phone like we did!

Visit Skype to find out more and download here

Try Something New - Save Money!

At a time where the economic market is struggling, everyone is trying to save a few pounds here and there. However to keep our spirits up we still need to treat ourselves a little, but this can be done without breaking the bank!

Usually as a treat I would buy a bottle of Baileys sit back and enjoy. However having seen the price continuing to increase so that a 1 litre bottle is now usually around £18.00 (excluding any special offers) when in my local supermarket a couple of months back I decided to try something different...

Carolans is an Irish Cream Liquor and is very similar to Baileys - to be honest I actually prefer it. It was the price that attracted me to it and today it can be bought in Asda for just over £8.00 for a 1 litre bottle, which considering that Asda also sell a 35cl bottle of Baileys for £7.68*, it's worth a try! We've certainly not looked back!

I know cheaper products have a reputation of being of lesser qualtity, but I can assure you that this is not the case here. Whilst some 'cheaper' products I have tried are not as nice as the well-known brand, I have found quite a few that are just as good, if not better.

My advice to anyone trying to save a bit of money on their shopping is to try something new, break away from the norm, save some money... you might just like it!


Visit Carolans Website

* Prices taken from www.asda.co.uk on 16/05/2009

Question...

Question....

It is 14-15 degrees centigrade outside and it is hailing heavily! Why?!

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