It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

Optimisticpair

sammy_kaye18 wrote: »

Ha Ha I agree with that - could be an interesting experiment if your brave enough

I could never let Owen loose to do the food shopping - he'd just bring home pizza and junk etc - I cant stand food shopping with him - love him to bits but I can manage a decent fortnightly food shop on about £45 with £20 for top ups of reduced fruit/veg/milk whereas if i take him and Ben with me it comes to about £60 - £70 easily and still not got half of what i need!!

I had no choice but to send my OH for the monthly meat shopping the first week in May. Bless him he spent the usual amount and didn't buy junk and he was really chuffed about it ......but we had to do another meat shop before the end of the month:eek: eeh never mind.

mardatha

BMF, this is true re diabetic. I had our bill down to £30 for the two of us, eating pasta, home made nibbles and puddings. Now hes diabetic I cant give him half the stuff he used to have, anything with pasta or carbohydrate in sends his BS through the roof.

zarazara

smileyt wrote: »

I too have noticed things being more expensive in the shops :mad:. I don't drink, don't smoke, don't have a car (I use my bike and cycle or walk most places), don't have a pension or any insurance. I don't have sky or any cable packages. I don't eat out, go to the cinema or the theatre. My only 'luxuries' are my two dogs and my two chickens. Oh, and my knitting and gardening mags that I get on subscription - but I am thinking of cancelling those soon. Oh, and I don't go on holiday either. The dogs are my health preservers and the chooks provide eggs, and poop for the compost heap.

At least I'm not in debt - but I would be if I was paying into a pension or had insurance.

Sometimes I feel really p****d off that the people who make the rules have everything and more that they need. I bet they don't shiver through a winter's day wrapped up like Michelin man because they can't afford to have the heating on!

Sorry - rant over!

Can anyone enlighten me - what does TPTB mean? Thanks.

PS I know I sound a right grumpy old so-and-so, but actually I am quite happy with my lot!

Sounds very much like me. I'd like TPTB to my income for a year and see how they would manage!

spike7451

mardatha wrote: »

There is a steamer that fits inside this pressure cooker, so you can keep the veg up out of the water. You think that's worth getting ?

How about one of these?
I have one but rarely use it now since I got an electric steamer.
I can heartily reccomend them & a snip at £3 odd!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bamboo-Steamer-steamed-oriental-authentic/dp/B002U1ZD22/ref=sr_1_4/275-3721476-9005339?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1276097250&sr=8-4

mardatha

TY will have a look when I get a minute. I am doing my granddaughter's homework !

spike7451

mardatha wrote: »

TY will have a look when I get a minute. I am doing my granddaughter's homework !

No cheating!!!:p

Charis

mardatha wrote: »

BMF, this is true re diabetic. I had our bill down to £30 for the two of us, eating pasta, home made nibbles and puddings. Now hes diabetic I cant give him half the stuff he used to have, anything with pasta or carbohydrate in sends his BS through the roof.

Mardatha, and anyone else with diabetic rellies, this monthly newsletter may have some useful recipes and advice:

http://ginews.blogspot.com/

Chris

Winged_one

I had to get milk last night, so an extra €4 on to my total.

I count my budget as the food for the household (not including "snacks" and coffees etc that I buy at work for me - that's from my €100 to cover all weekly expenses, bus fares, petrol, coffees, any magazines or treats etc) as well as any other purchases in the supermarket (like the cleaning products, toiletries etc). Sometimes I may buy (usually stocking up on special offers) toiletries in chains like "another name for Wellingtons", but I tend to include those in my grocery total also.

lauren_1

I am about to buy a complete travel system for £30, its a Hauck infinity, found it last night on preloved. Then on freecycle a lady was offering some white baby clothes, turned out to be the same lady!

Going to pick it up in a bit! :j

catznine

charlies-aunt wrote: »

Welcome MissisP!

IKWYM - I'm squeezing my money so tight at the moment, its squeaking

If things get worse, I guess I'll have to turn it inside out, put a patch on it and put it through the wringer! Seriously though - for us it will mean cutting back on non-food - heating, lighting, running the washer less and the dryer not at all, repairing and making do to the max...although we're fast approaching that state already.

This years Christmas presents are going to be simple and/or homemade jam, jellies and wine (fingers crossed for some decent hedgerow crops of elderberries, brambles etc) I am going to get cracking tomorrow on my stash of old Christmas cards to make recycled cards and gift tags for this year - if they are ready to go, I won't be guilted into buying full price one just before Christmas

Love that expression!:T My money is squeaking as well! We have a dd's wedding in 11 months to save for as well as trying to get the mortgage down!

Haven't had to do a proper shop for a while as we were living off af stock but looked up a regular shop online and was totally shocked at the rise in prices!:eek: Going to menu plan now so that we use up what is in store first. Love the idea of home made jams and preserves for presents, think I will incorporate that in the hampers I make. Bought a carrier bag of bramleys from our local apple growers (12lb bramleys for £3.90) so I can make some apple jelly up. Today I cooked up 3 for some apple pie filling and then instead of throwing away the peel, I remembered what my Mum used to do and simmered up the peel and cores until soft and mushy, then poured them into a sieve over a jug, and got 450ml of apple juice (no additives) and then pushed what was left through a sieve into a bowl and got 200g of apple sauce! I reckon it cost me about 60p incl gas and sugar and if I had bought all that it would have cost me £2.21 so I saved £1.61:)
Quite literally squeezing the pennies!:rotfl:

Now to find some more ways to cut back!