50p a day til Christmas - healthily?! Weezl's next challenge...

cw18

had a read around the benefits board a while back, but as our situation is complicated by a number of specifics (not all mentioned above) I really did need to speak to someone at the agencies who did more than complete forms over the phone -- which was what I finally managed to do yesterday.

actually had a pleasant surprise to find we'd get an extra element I knew nothing about - so can spend just over £27/week more than I thought we could :rolleyes2


I'm really appreciating all the cheap meal ideas on here, as it's giving me a variety of things I can try out while attempting to bring our expenditure down to an "acceptable" level

ceridwen

Hi again cw18

Welll...since its been a while ago that you read the Benefits Board - I do think it would be worth you starting up a thread there and putting all your queries on. Maybe you might also like to start up a thread on the Relationships Board re O.H. and the finances.

Hope we can find some good recipes for you to do what we can on this Board to help out.

cw18

there's loads of fantastic ideas and tips on here...... though I have to admit things have got in the way of trying the "no rise" bread up until now! I really, really must make time at the back end of this next week to give that a go as hubby does love the more expensive loaves due to them being more like HM bread

He seemed to enjoy the liver pate I made, so now he's had a break from it I must pull another tub out of the freezer for him......

And I also want to try and find a butcher who sells the lamb breast to find out if that's an option -- even if only once every few weeks. If it comes in really cheap then I guess we'll all get sick of it before long :rotfl:

Have threatened my son with the pigs head -- but not sure I have the stomach to handle/cook one or pick the meat off it after cooking

loocyloo

big hugs to you cw18

loocyloo xxx

shaz_mum_of__2

Oh Cheryl what a lot you have to deal with...............................

You sound like your managing OK psycholigically though.

i had to have some counselling a few years ago and the best thing that came out of it was this advice

"asses the situation which is upsetting you................can you do anything to change it ?does it really matter in the grand scheme of things ?....................................if not accept it and move on "

I can see you have done this but are frustrated by the beaurocracy and unfairness of the system ,and i can't blame you it sucks


Try and focus on making the most of the time you have left if you can make changes/savings where you can thats great

Sounds simple but i mean well i wish you all the best luck in the world ..............keep posting no matter what ..........sometimes it helps to talk to virtual strangers

Shaz

MRSMCAWBER

Afternoon all

CW18...

Don't know if this would be any use to your meat lovers... savoury meat roll... i can give you the idea -but not exact quantities as my mum always made it according to what she had to use

You basically use left over mashed potato, blast some onions in the micro to soften and mix in to the potato with some raw mince (or a bit of leftover joint blitzed to pieces)-about 4oz should do a family sized one, and 1 or 2 raw sausages (with the skin removed )... Its easier to mix it with your hand so you can "squidge" the sausage meat in well.... plenty of seasoning..
Then roll out a big rectangle of shortcrust pastry(don't try puff as it doesn't work well ), spread the COLD filling over the pastry and roll like a swiss roll and bake until golden..
It doesn't sound like a lot of meat but the flavour goes right through and the pastry on the inside soaks up lots of flavour
Its really filling and tasty -especially with mushy peas n gravy in the winter
you can obviously alter it by adding mashed swede etc...
Hope that helps

MichH

cw18 wrote: »

Ah well! Life sucks sometimes, but moan over!! I guess things can only get better -- right?

CW18 - wanted to send you a big hug :grouphug: , we all moan about our everyday lives (well I do anyway) but my moans are nothing compared to what you are going through. Sending you good thoughts. xx

cw18

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

CW18...

Don't know if this would be any use to your meat lovers... savoury meat roll... i can give you the idea -but not exact quantities as my mum always made it according to what she had to use

Thanks for that Sounds like something they'd at least be happy to try, so will add it to my list. Think I've everything but the pastry in stock, and I can make the pasty from scratch as I have everything needed to do it that way

cw18

Thanks for the hugs MichH -- but I know there are a lot of people worse off than us!

At least (as well as having each other - and all my wonderful cyber-friends) we have a home, and are a long way off being in danger of losing that.....

sammy_kaye18

cw18

sorry to hear about issues yoru facing chick, you have alot going on so big (((((((hugs))))))) to you and yours hun.

The benefits place really is sh*t isnt it. My boyfriend woke up in october 2006 blind. He had a scratched lens since he was 15 and it seemed to come to a head two years ago - he couldnt see, could barely walk, couldnt even open his eye - cue a trip to hospital and turning my hosue nocturnal with duvets over the windows as he was light sensitive. He had to leave his job as he couldnt stay off as it was a mate he worked for and no way he could do the job (motorbike mechanic) so he had to leave. We had no savings and the only job i had brought in £80 a week.

We managed to get housing benefit/council tax benefit and child benefit - my tax credits got stopped because of an over payment in the year (which i knew nothing about until i had no money!)but they gave me £150 on december 23rd! and my wages. Was told bf didnt qualify for Incapacity/Disability as he was still mobile and not 'registered' legally blind/disabled. And didnt qualify for income support as he had voluntarily left his job not been made redundent or fired.

So we had to struggle through all the regular monthly bills and Christmas on a VERY tight budget of £470 was very tight!!!!!!!!

Thigns arent set to look much better as he had surgery to correct it but his eye is rejecting the partial graft they did, the vein is growing back over the lens and last week hehad to have the stitches in his eye out with no anaesthetic:eek: and they are tryign to get him on new meds now (looks unlikely as he will be the 4th person EVER to have been on them) but he has to go through two more surgeries if he cant get the medication - one to remove the vein entirely (which may blind him in that eye) and the other is a complete lens graft (although apparently there is a shortage of donated lens in the uk so his is coming form the states ) which again may blind him. So not looking too promising. They think he will be out of work for 6 months to fully recover. whats even worse is my boyfriend works as a curtosy car delivery driver although has been working in a valeting bay lately but theres no way he could continue working as he wont be able to get there for his 7am start so looks like it will all fall on me again

wow rant over

massive hugs chick