Tesco Value? Please I shop at Aldi!

I know a few people who where harping on about Aldi - my mother being one of them. But I've always liked my Tesco (and in my heart I still do) and have been sceptical of the savings I would make.

But you don't try you don't learn. And dam have I now learnt.

I usually spend around £80 in Tesco on a Monday. I then spend a further £30 on a Friday for weekend food. I also have to admit to throwing away some of the food before shopping for the next weeks lot.

My experience in Aldi was not as enjoyable as Tesco. Very stack-em high sell-em cheap sort of stuff and it made me feel a bit sad - all the messy shelves and surly staff members.  However one of my main concerns was whether I would find all the items on my shopping list and I actually did. The only substitutions where:

Bread Flour and packets of yeast - - became - - 2 frozen pizzas

Nappies - - became - - well nothing I had to buy them from Asda but more about this trilling escapade later.

But I found everything else. I was quite amazed they even had Jammie Dodgers! Real Jammie Dodgers!

In regards to price I must leap to the defence of Tesco (the're profit report tells me they need my help- not) as I did walk round with a calculator at Aldi where as Tesco I just brought from my list and chucked in anything else I thought I needed.

So my total was...................................drum roll....................................£42.

FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK SHOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So far I have found that I've liked all the strange brand food too - although the other half is not impressed with their answer to Coco Pops.

Conclusion: Aldi for the win.

Embarked on a budgeting Odyssey

For the past 10 years I've been living in a one bed flat. Having just got to the stage when the layout of shelves, sofa and bed is just right, I love my living room wall paper and having finally convinced my housing association to change the 30 year old mangy front door..................we decided to have a baby.

I love you wall paper:

Thanks to my husband getting a couple of raises I've been lucky enough to be able to give up my job as a secretary to do the best thing I've ever done in my life - look after my little boy. 

So we had less money then when I worked, of course, but mainly we just saved less and I had to be thoughtful when buying clothes (which is my thing) and my husband had to be careful when buying new PC equipment (which is his thing).

Cut to three weeks ago when we received info through the door about a part rent part buy house in a nearby village which is already home to few of our best friends. Looking at the plans for the house, after the letter had sat unattended for the duration of the week, we fell in love. It had a kitchen diner! I've wanted a kitchen diner - well ever since I've been old enough to bake! Then it got better and better, off road parking, garden, en-suite, three bedrooms it was everything we had been wanting. 

So reader we're buying it. 

Fast forward to today. Thanks to some savings, paternal generosity - we are buying the house. We are actually buying a house. 

We are going from this:

To this:

And probably within two months. 

The catch:

One bed flat – short on space, paying empty rent, but with a fair amount of disposable income.

Three bed house – space to grow with family, gaining equity, but with very little disposable income and a tight living budget. 

We will need as much money as possible for fees and such but also to buy some bits for the house (beds for other rooms, dishwasher, more towels - I will have three bathrooms!) So the savings have to start from like yesterday!

Thus begins my adventure into economy.