HUGE challenge for you all!

Beki

unfortunately (or is that fortunately? lol) we don't have a credit card, as i simply don't trust us with one.

i didn't realise that chooks could eat lots of apples?! we have loads of windfalls that i didn't think were fit for anything, as they're brown and maggoty! if i can supplement them with some apples, i can see their food bill going down quite a bit thanks!

as for the nappies, ds is almost 3 years old - i wonder if the re-useables will still fit him? i'm having a really hard time trying to potty train him - the HV says it will come, but it doesn't seem to be! lol

Pooky

I know it's not what you want to hear and I'll no doubt get shot down in flames but....

Why on earth if you've been strapped financially and your parents are paying your bills, and you've got a child so young he won't remember even going, have you booked this holiday? Why not wait until your son is old enough and you've saved the money? If I was helping a child of mine out with bill payments then I'd be pretty annoyed if they swaned off on holiday....

My personal opionion, I don't expect others to agree....and I know it's not what the OP asked for....so.....

Regarding the SOA - your insurance looks high - might be worth getting some quotes and seeing if you can lower that price - might not kick in, in time to make a saving now but it's a step in the right direction. Your BT is high - but again I don't think you can make a saving before the payment is due.

Have you asked the holiday company if you can pay a smaller balance at first and then the rest a month later? Would that help at all?

Beki

i've also got a daughter who's almost 10. we were actually not going to book a holiday, but it was my parents who insisted we did. i felt terrible (as you can probably imagine) about even thinking about going on holiday when we weren't really paying our way.

but it my my mum who asked us if we were going to go again this year. we said no, obviously. and she sat us down and had a long talk about why we should go, and that we shouldn't feel like we owe them anything etc.

i feel like i'm taking advantage of them, but i honestly think that my mum would have felt almost 'offended' if we didn't go , feeling like she was to blame.

it's hard to explain, and i know i'm coming accross as a user, but i'm really not trying to be

tattoed_bum

hi is the £138 for food shopping or other things as well if its just for food it should be easily do able give us an idea of whats in your cupboards and freezer and the things you like to eat and see if we can come up with something for you

Beki

hi

the £138 breaks down into -

£30 a week for food, cleaning products, loo roll etc

£18 a month for dog and chook food

we've also budgeted £25 a month for nappies and wipes on top of this, but we're now going to start using homemade fleece/towelling wipes as suggested, which should bring this down to under £20 a month.

as for a food plan -

In the cupboard

2.5 bags pasta
2 x tins sardines
3 x boxes lasagne sheets
1 bag pudding rice
1.5 bags long grain rice
1/2 a bag basmati rice
1 large bag couscous
1 bag quinoa (never tried this - too chicken! lol)
1/2 bag red lentils
1/2 bag pearl barley
3 x cans plum toms
1 can pineapple chunks
1 can baby carrots
2 x cans baked beans
1 box tapioca
4 x tomato cup a soups
1 jar pasta sauce
meat-free mexican chilli mix (i won't eat this, but oh will)
12 x strawberry whip mixes
1 x burrito meal kit

In the freezer

1 carton of home made pork in red wine sauce (enough for 2 at a pinch)
2 x large bags stewed plums
2 x small bags stewed plums
2 x small bags plum juice/syrup
1 x large bag plum juice/syrup
1 french stick
4 x rolls
3.5 x bags home grown peppers & chillis (don't really want to touch these,as making jam for BIL's xmas pressie
5 x bags of home grown tomatoes
5 x portions home made lasagne
3 x small bags roast chicken
2 x 'finest' char fish fillets
1 loaf granary bread
8 x fish in butter sauce
2 x simply cod fillets
1/2 bag broccoli
1 bag quorn chicken pieces
3/4 bag green beans
1 portion steam-fresh salmon in sauce
6 x fish in parsley sauce
2 x cracked pepper quorn fillets
3/4 bag mixed veg
4 x WW sub rolls
1 portion beef in black bean sauce
1/2 bag aunt bessies dumplings
3 x small cod portions
2 x frusi puddings
5 x slices sandwich beef
1 portion home-made chicken soup
1 large piece salmon
1 large piece smoked cod
1 portion 'extra special' smoked salmon chunks
4 x 100% beef quarter pounders
2 x small home made muffins
1/2 bag sprouts
1/4 bag swede
10 x fishcakes
1/2 bag chopped spinach
1 bag carrot & swede mash
4 x quorn sausage rolls
1 bag meat-free meatballs
2 x small bags roast lamb
large bag blackberries
cod in cheese and parsley sauce with veg - ready meal
2 x trays beef mince
4 x bbq salmon fillets
2 x organic chicken breasts
2 x boneless salmon fillets
5 x veggie cumberland sausages
1 tub home made vanilla ice cream
2 x tea cakes
6 x wholemeal pittas


On top of that we have plenty of blackberries still to pick from the garden (probably about another 2-3 large zip-lock bags full) and 2 apple trees with plenty to come still.

We also have 9 chooks, and get roughly 4-6 eggs a day from them (they're ex-battery so don't lay 1 a day anymore).

Oh, and in the fridge we have a block of cheese, a few relishes, 1/2 a lettuce and the usual margarine and milk.

We've also got quite a few tomatoes still to pick from the garden, along with some onions which have now dried in the greenhouse. Oh and 2 cucumbers which will be ready in the next couple of weeks.

We also have 1/4 of a bag of oats, a bag of bread flour, 3/4 of a bag of plain flour, and 1/2 a bag of self raising flour. Loads of spices, curry powders etc, and lots of baking odds and ends.

So we're fine for meals for the evenings (although any ideas would be FAB, as i'm a bit lackin in imagination! lol), it's just packed lunches etc that i'm struggling with. I suppose i could do DD some sort of savoury rice for packed lunch along with a home made scone, a drink and a tub of tomatoes (or buy some carrots from the farm shop).

The only things i won't eat are mince, processed meat, and non-free-range chicken and pork.

Thanks peeps - i LOVE this board xxxx

princesstippytoes

You still don't mention child benefit and tax credits. I know your Mum encouraged you to take this holiday but does she know how much it is stretching you and that you will be struggling to feed the family, and presumably having a very tight Christmas if you are to save some spending money for while you are there. IMHO A Florida holiday is a once in a lifetime experience for most people if they are lucky and takes years of savings (you see it in peopl'es signatures on here all the time.) I would rather wait until I could afford to do it without my family going without.

Beki

sorry - the child benefit and tax credits are what i've classed as 'my' income. £92 a week, and £125 a month.

my mum realises how much this is stretching us, but to be honest it's something we don't mind stretching ourselves for (hence me asking for advice on how to best manage my money over the next couple of months) - it will only be a couple of months of struggling, and as for the spending money we're going half-board so it will literally be money for souvenirs (we're taking fruit-shoots to refill with juice for drinks for the kids).

xxxx

p.s. we're going to disneyland paris

princesstippytoes

Beki wrote: »

sorry - the child benefit and tax credits are what i've classed as 'my' income. £92 a week, and £125 a month.

my mum realises how much this is stretching us, but to be honest it's something we don't mind stretching ourselves for (hence me asking for advice on how to best manage my money over the next couple of months) - it will only be a couple of months of struggling, and as for the spending money we're going half-board so it will literally be money for souvenirs (we're taking fruit-shoots to refill with juice for drinks for the kids).

xxxx

p.s. we're going to disneyland paris

Oh I'm sorry, I thought it was Florida. You do seem to have quite a lot of food so should be able to meal plan quite well.

Beki

that's ok. i should have specified in my original post really

princesstippytoes

Beki wrote: »

hi

the £138 breaks down into -

£30 a week for food, cleaning products, loo roll etc

£18 a month for dog and chook food

we've also budgeted £25 a month for nappies and wipes on top of this, but we're now going to start using homemade fleece/towelling wipes as suggested, which should bring this down to under £20 a month.

as for a food plan -

In the cupboard

2.5 bags pasta
2 x tins sardines blend with cream cheese to make pate for weekend lunches
3 x boxes lasagne sheets FR chicken and mushroom lasagne
1 bag pudding rice Make rice pud with evaporated milk
1.5 bags long grain rice Make kedgeree with one fillet of smoked haddock and a few of your eggs
1/2 a bag basmati rice use the extra leftover meat from chicken to make a chicken pilaf
1 large bag couscous
1 bag quinoa (never tried this - too chicken! lol)
1/2 bag red lentils Lentil soup
1/2 bag pearl barley use in chicken broth made with stock from the chicken carcass
3 x cans plum toms
1 can pineapple chunks
1 can baby carrots
2 x cans baked beans use with baked potatoes.
1 box tapioca
4 x tomato cup a soups
1 jar pasta sauce
meat-free mexican chilli mix (i won't eat this, but oh will)
12 x strawberry whip mixes
1 x burrito meal kit

In the freezer

1 carton of home made pork in red wine sauce (enough for 2 at a pinch)
2 x large bags stewed plums
2 x small bags stewed plums
2 x small bags plum juice/syrup
1 x large bag plum juice/syrup
1 french stick
4 x rolls
3.5 x bags home grown peppers & chillis (don't really want to touch these,as making jam for BIL's xmas pressie
5 x bags of home grown tomatoes
5 x portions home made lasagne
3 x small bags roast chicken
2 x 'finest' char fish fillets
1 loaf granary bread
8 x fish in butter sauce
2 x simply cod fillets Fishcakes will make these go further
1/2 bag broccoli
1 bag quorn chicken pieces
3/4 bag green beans
1 portion steam-fresh salmon in sauce gain.... turn into fishcakes
6 x fish in parsley sauce
2 x cracked pepper quorn fillets
3/4 bag mixed veg
4 x WW sub rolls
1 portion beef in black bean sauce
1/2 bag aunt bessies dumplings
3 x small cod portions
2 x frusi puddings
5 x slices sandwich beef
1 portion home-made chicken soup
1 large piece salmon
1 large piece smoked cod
1 portion 'extra special' smoked salmon chunks
4 x 100% beef quarter pounders
2 x small home made muffins
1/2 bag sprouts
1/4 bag swede
10 x fishcakes
1/2 bag chopped spinach
1 bag carrot & swede mash
4 x quorn sausage rolls
1 bag meat-free meatballs
2 x small bags roast lamb
large bag blackberries
cod in cheese and parsley sauce with veg - ready meal
2 x trays beef mince
4 x bbq salmon fillets
2 x organic chicken breasts
2 x boneless salmon fillets
5 x veggie cumberland sausages
1 tub home made vanilla ice cream
2 x tea cakes
6 x wholemeal pittas


On top of that we have plenty of blackberries still to pick from the garden (probably about another 2-3 large zip-lock bags full) and 2 apple trees with plenty to come still.

We also have 9 chooks, and get roughly 4-6 eggs a day from them (they're ex-battery so don't lay 1 a day anymore).

Oh, and in the fridge we have a block of cheese, a few relishes, 1/2 a lettuce and the usual margarine and milk.

We've also got quite a few tomatoes still to pick from the garden, along with some onions which have now dried in the greenhouse. Oh and 2 cucumbers which will be ready in the next couple of weeks.

We also have 1/4 of a bag of oats, a bag of bread flour, 3/4 of a bag of plain flour, and 1/2 a bag of self raising flour. Loads of spices, curry powders etc, and lots of baking odds and ends.

So we're fine for meals for the evenings (although any ideas would be FAB, as i'm a bit lackin in imagination! lol), it's just packed lunches etc that i'm struggling with. I suppose i could do DD some sort of savoury rice for packed lunch along with a home made scone, a drink and a tub of tomatoes (or buy some carrots from the farm shop).

The only things i won't eat are mince, processed meat, and non-free-range chicken and pork.

Thanks peeps - i LOVE this board xxxx

I really think you can cut your shopping bill down hugely. If you make your own bread for sandwiches and toat, make puddings like rice pud and Angel Delight for lunchboxes, and you seem to have enough to do evening meals then it is doable. There is no harm in having beans on toast once a week when you are struggling.
Soups make good evening meal too and could not be cheaper. I would do lots of baking of fairy cakes and muffins too.
Cut back on cleaning products until you have more money too or buy the cheapies for a while.