Live on £4000 for a Year, 2009 Challenge, part 1

angelatgraceland

Sarah147 wrote: »

You can make lovely, cheap meals from scratch, it's just knowing or being shown how to do it. We get the local young Mums into the centre and show them how to cook good food cheaply, it really makes a different to their lives, and they find the actual cooking to be very relaxing too

Excellent! That is what is indeed needed. Well I'm lucky in that both my Mum and my Gran showed me what real cooking was and not with "money" either.
It doesnt make life easy when there isnt a decent shop about but I still wonder how they afford it. Mmm people who think they are uppeer class sometimes enjoy flashing their money on junk-goodness knows why but those who "think" themselves upper class rarely are! I agree-its not a class issue which is partly reflected in my opinion that it isn't a money issue either.
I missed the programme darn it! I will watch it on internet later though. I was too busy in the kitchen with dd and explaining about making pickles and chutneys to notice the time. One of my cousins used to work in a butchers and vows never to eat a sausage in any guise! Well-we do-I am far from perfect but I am aiming to improve so maybe it's another area to look at-I'm sure it will be once I've seen the programme. I was naughty last night and bought 2 bags of chips to share between 4. Well-thats my version of naughty-I think I'm sad too at times! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Skint-chick-considering your previous employers were offering you your p45 previously they hardly seem trustworthy!

lilac_lady

I watched the food programme and found it very interesting - none of the usual hysterics from one side or the other. I think I'll try my local butcher for meat but I'll have to use up what I have in the freezer first (should be able to visit the butcher in November. )

To all fellow fruglins - no matter why you're here, please stay here and keep us all motivated.

In_Search_Of_Me

evening all...just popping in before bed and a loooong day...a nsd thankfully and made lots of money (all in all about 120 from selling garmin, jewellry and babysitting) so chuffed with that...hugs those that need it. Re jobs...I did a job I hates (& was carp at!) for 51/2 years and look back thinking what a waste...I now have a job I love even though its demanding...there were sacrifices but worth every one in my book...my penneth worth!

Skint_Lynne

Just popped in for a quick update:

NSD today:j :j ,

I watched the food programme, it was interesting. I buy a real mixture of foods. Up until a couple of years ago, I would have never have considered buying any basic range of food. It was only 'the best' for me. Now, I do not mind buying basic veg as there is nothing wrong with it, it is just the wrong shape. I would not, however, buy any value range of meat, chicken or sausages. I just think that they are a false economy, but that is my choice, as it does not suit me personally, it is really each to their own for that one. I always use the butchers for sausages, and most of my meat comes from there. However, costco, does really good meat and I have bought theirs the past couple of times when I have been shopping.

I find it best to cook from scratch and buy the best quality meat and chicken that you can. Ready meals are the devil's spawn and I have never liked or bought these. It is actually cheaper to cook from scratch than to buy these things. If you can get whoopsied meat, then even better!!

My downfall as you know was eating out, but have been quite successful in really loweing this, but I am going out for lunch with a friend I have not seen for ages on Sunday.:o

Nite all, I'm off to bed. xx

gillst_2

sophiesmum wrote: »

Hi frunchkins:D
Still feeling lousy, have even been to bed for a couple of hours earlier but up again now can't seem to get comfy anywhere, raging temp and lots of coughs and sneezes.Had a tenant forum here today and catered for the visitors OH helped out as was struggling a little with lack of energy.Had tea from left overs though so saved cooking again tonight;) Might be a sick day tomorrow at this rate although supposed to be cooking tea for oldies and will feel bad if I let them down..

If you are sick you are doing no one any favours by trying to carry on - be selfish for once and think of yourself. If you have a raging temp you would not want to pass this onto any of your oldies anyway. Your lack of energy is your body's way of saying it needs to recouperate. Take a sick day and rest, you will feel better for it a lot sooner. Hope you are feeling better soon.

sophiesmum_2

Skint_Lynne wrote: »

Just popped in for a quick update:

NSD today:j :j ,

I watched the food programme, it was interesting. I buy a real mixture of foods. Up until a couple of years ago, I would have never have considered buying any basic range of food. It was only 'the best' for me. Now, I do not mind buying basic veg as there is nothing wrong with it, it is just the wrong shape. I would not, however, buy any value range of meat, chicken or sausages. I just think that they are a false economy, but that is my choice, as it does not suit me personally, it is really each to their own for that one. I always use the butchers for sausages, and most of my meat comes from there. However, costco, does really good meat and I have bought theirs the past couple of times when I have been shopping.

I find it best to cook from scratch and buy the best quality meat and chicken that you can. Ready meals are the devil's spawn and I have never liked or bought these. It is actually cheaper to cook from scratch than to buy these things. If you can get whoopsied meat, then even better!!

My downfall as you know was eating out, but have been quite successful in really loweing this, but I am going out for lunch with a friend I have not seen for ages on Sunday.:o

Nite all, I'm off to bed. xx

Basic ranges I will buy are baked beans, tinned tomatoes, tinned fruit, kidney beans, porridge oats, biscuits occasionally, pickles, sauces,pasta, uht milk etc
I buy meat/fish in costco - very good quality - not cheap but good value for money and just use less
I will also buy joints etc whoopsied at asda
I make my own sausages so know exactly what goes into them:D
I buy free range eggs from farm

Even when cooking for oldies I buy very good quality meat from costco and stretch it within the meal with lots of veggies etc.For example a £14 pack of best Scottish beef mince from costco will make enough shepherds pie for 25 oldies (large portions) and still be enough cooked mince mixture (mince,carrots, mushrooms, onions,stock) to freeze to form the basis for next Fridays tea of mince and veg and potato pie with crust for 25, which they will have with veggies. That way they are eating very good quality food but it's not costing them a fortune.

JAMIEDODGER

Lingo - Hope you had a nice meal

Skintchick - Go for the new job:)

Sophiesmum - Sorry to hear you arent feeling well, hope you are a bit better today. Take a day off if you need one and put yourself 1st for a change!!

Had a lovely stir fry for dinner last night using some veggies that I had hanging around. The boys loved it! I also threw in some noodles that I bought from co op the other day half price 53p!!

A day at home planned today. Trying to catch up on housework and have rejoined the flylady challenge to motivate myself!

Not sure whats for dinner tonight, will be a use up meal again of some description!

Need to do ironing too, but will put on last nights episode of Bones which I recorded so will make it less painful:D


Better get to it! Hugs to anyone who needs them!

sophiesmum_2

Thanks jamie - feeling slightly better this morning , think yesterday was the worst day, hopefully on the mend from now on.It is really hard taking time off when you are sick, I' m a lone worker so if I am off - everything stops - and so many people really do rely on me being there, some of whom are also sick.
Probably just have a long lunch hour to recharge batteries a bit;)

xnatalie81x

A lot of people talk about temp of rooms on here. When i had kids i was told 18 is th eoptimum temperature for their bedrooms with the appropriate amount of blankets, so we have temp no higher than 18 at home but all wear trousers, a long sleeve top and cardi an socks.

Now we are officially (about 1/2hr) in a recession though they are promising reduced gas and electricity. That would be nice lol

Kittikins

Sophiesmum - don't know if this is a remotely sensible suggestion, but do you have enough frozen meals in your own freezer stash to be able to quickly and easily do tea for your oldies without having to stand around cooking for ages?

Glad we're off to parents today for weekend (mum's 60th), will give DD a chance to really catch up on rest, she burns herself out very easily and so I'm not going to wake her for village preschool today, sleep, cuddles and storytime I think before the journey.

I watched the cheap food programme and am pleased we don't eat meat, was shocked at the water content in the chicken breasts, a meat that I thought was relatively untouched by the supermarkets (appearances can be so deceptive!)

Am aiming for a no-spend day today, will buy mum some flowers using my M&S vouchers and keep my fingers crossed the postman brings her main present before we have to go!!