20 Pence Lunch & Swopping

I am always on the look out for cheap ways to each lunch at work with the minimum of preparation required, as intrinsically lazy and prefer to spend 10 minutes in bed of a morning rather than preparing a sandwich or salad.

As we know I am a big old fan of the Tesco Everyday Value range, all (bar one) of the products I have bought in this range have been excellent value for money.

So a new purchase of the Tesco Everyday Value Soft Cheese at 50p a pot seemed an excellent price, plus it tasted really yummy (just as good as Philadelphia). It lasts me Monday - Friday.

A lot of people seemed to be obsessed with yellow stickers at the supermarket denoting goods about to go out of date and heavily reduced. I am no exception. However, it is rare I manage to find the discounts some of my blogging friends seem to happen upon.

The one place I always get a bargain is the bread. There is always something reduced. Yesterday I bought 4 huge burger baps for 39p. c. 10p each.

I simply put the baps straight into the freezer when I get home.

Come the work morning, I stumble out of bed, stagger to the kitchen and grab a frozen bun (on a Monday you have to remember the cheese as well). Stuff it into the handbag in a plastic bag and by lunchtime it is defrosted. Half it, stuff it in the toaster and then spread with the above cheese whilst hot.

Consume in the break room, accompanied with free office tea and gentle moaning noises of enjoyment whilst clock watching.

SWOPPING
According to The Chap, I am currently turning a little Rainman-ish when it comes to Tesco Alessi Cutlery Vouchers - see more information here - obsessively collecting / counting my vouchers.

I have already bought 9 sets of knives and forks, and needed to obtain 140 vouchers to achieve my goal of 10 of everything by Christmas. A total spend of £132.27. Buying the whole lot retail would cost approaching £1000. Over £800 is a good saving, but only if I can get the vouchers for free.

And I have, by fair and foul means, Facebook allowed me to ask friends all over the country to collect them for me and they are all kindly posting them.

But, I have also used freecyle (donations currently totalling 60 vouchers) and a cashless exchange post. In fact tonight I have been out and collected about 20 vouchers in exchange for 2 homemade Nigella Lemon Syrup Cakes, which cost aprox £1 to make.

A little blinging of the packaging also helps the swopping process and creates some goodwill.

Current total stands at c. 120 vouchers and counting.

Frugally yours
Abigail
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