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

slowlyfading

^^^ haha thats ace!!

Brighton_belle

loupyloo - don't be suprised if working on your budget takes longer than a day:D . My own experience is it may take a litle longer to truely get everything now you need to consider. But, once it is done, you really can begin to feel in control of your choices. Once you know what are essentials, you can gradually start paring even those costs down, especially if you are at home. I really hope you get to be at home with your baby. And I think it is really lovely your DH liked coming home from a days work to you and acuppa. I think you're half way there:D .

Nyk - the duck house is way too cute and inviting :rotfl: . And just to add to the general voices that this challenge has so changed my life: It has enabled me to stay out of debt as our circs got harder. Well, getting into debt just cannot be an option as my earing potential is fairly limited, but with this challenge I can actually plan how to have a good life with our limited financial bounderies (good sig grandma). I'd also say this challenge has given me a lovely sense of commnunity I felt was lacking from my life so you all enriched itmy life in differnt ways and as a whole. (And yes that includes you SF - I always enjoy your posts.)
Andromache - well done on the summer job offer:T .

We're off to my parents tomorrow afternoon and a valentine trip to an observatry which should be fun (what's more romantic than holding hands, looking at the winter night sky but not freezing your !!!! off:D )

And sunday, hopefully bails and I are meeting up:j and she gets the grand tour of project maximising storage.

cw18

Had a minor rifle through / rejig of my freezers this morning -- but why is it that whenever I do this I seem to lose space in them (especially as I took the bolognese out of the boxes, so should have gained the equivalent of 3x500g rectangular marge tubs).....

I now have all the home-cooked meals together, which 'weighed in as' (individual portion packed) 7xSteak, Kidney & Mushroom; 2x Sausage Casserole; 1x Liver and Onion; 4x Beef Stew; 1xCurry, plus another tub Curry (2 portions) and another tub Beef Stew (2 portions).

I also have 2 tubs of WW Bolognese Sauce (very whoopsied) which means 4 portions there, plus boil-in-the-bag chicken in gravy (x1), beef in gravy (x1) and fish in butter sauce (x4), plus a chicken dinner 'oven meal'.

I then proceeded to pull out 7 freezer bags - 1 with bread rolls for my lunch, and 6 for tea (chicken thighs - 2 ptns x 2, mushrooms, red peppers, diced carrots, sliced green beans). Used the first 4 of the 'tea' bags to make a 4 portion Chicken Chasseur, so I now have 2 of those to go back in -- once I find some space for the tubs :rotfl:


Got a message from DD some days back that elder DS is due home on leave for a week - from today/tomorrow/Saturday..... When I fed a message back through her that I'd appreciate the message directly from him, with an expected ETA and departure so I can budget/meal plan he got the hump. DD sent him a f/book message a couple of nights back saying I was still waiting - and he's now deleted her as a contact on there !!!! So I've no idea if I'm feeding 2 or 3 for the next week or so

So plans for the evening meal tomorrow are :-

if elder DS is home, grilled sausages (12 of 20) with stuffed pasta and sauce
if just me and younger DS, lamb grillsteaks (2 of 4), roast potatoes, brocolli and cauliflower - plus sprouts for me and mini corn on the cob for him

either way, it's another meal with everything from the freezer -- and this time nothing to try and squeeze back in afterwards


I still can't believe how well I'm doing with churning out meals without having to shop for 'main ingredients' this month.... and it looks like I get to the end of the month without too many repeats of meals, as I also have chicken kievs (x6); fish fingers (x30ish); chicken breasts (too many to counts); beef steaklets (x4); pork chops (x3 + 1 port steak); bacon rashers (x20ish); salmon fillets (x14?); breaded turkey steaks (x6 - normally used on a Monday when feeding younger GD as they're a firm favourite of hers, so these cover 2 meals for 3); large pack chicken nuggets; carbonara sauce (x4 whoopsied tubs); beef joint (x2); pork joint; ham pieces (enough for at least 3 chicken and ham rissottos); beef mince (value and 'decent'); pork mince (2 packs - probably 8 portions)....... and more bits and bobs beyond that :rolleyes:




my grocery budget so far this month gives me an 'allowable spend' of £50.20 - and a quick add up of receipts shows I've actually spent just under £27.50..... and just over £10 of that is still on a shelf / in the fridge / in the freezer, so I'm really happy with how it's going for now :T

I really can't believe I've spent less in almost 2 weeks than I would have spent in one mid-week trip to Mr T not so long back -- and I'm convinced that's largely from seeing how people on this thread stretch their ingredients and turn out some creative dishes..... so to one and all, a very big from me



and speaking of 'creative dishes' -- younger DS is very partial to Enchilladas, but I've only ever made them from the complete (just add chicken and grated cheese) packs before now. However I picked up some whoopsied deli wraps that looked like they'd work for a cheaper version -- I just don't know how to go about making the spicy sauce (or what to buy as a cheap alternative). I've checked my recipe books with no success, so wondered if anyone here has any pointers please?

grandma247

I like being part of this community because no one thinks I am crazy if I talk about money saving unlike a lot of the people around me. Although I do expect an avalanche of questions from said people as things get harder and they need to know how to cope.
Ddil told me ds experimented with their heating settings and came to the conclusion it was cheaper for them to leave the heating on all the time very low and she said "you are beginning to sound like your mother!" I took it as a compliment. I am getting through at last.

Marru

Hello all,

And thank you for your worry, there is absolutely no need for it. I have had my old wellies for years and years and they were hand me downs to start with. I have so wanted to have a proper pair considering how much dog walking I do in all weathers and no as my old ones are leaking I was finally able to justify getting proper ones which should pretty much last for the end of my life.

As what comes to the other stuff I am in the middle of big diet overhaul to gain my long lost energy back. Hence going to talk to GP to get his support hopefully in form of some tests and to find other ways of treating me instead of stuffing with anti depressants and hormones which are taking the vicious circle into deep downward spiral.

As it happens when I am starting to feel better and more positive about things I am getting very unpleasant comments from people on this board. And also the fact that I was able to keep well under budget in January having the February going overboard is not too much of a problem as I now know thanks to this thread that I can do it. I can budget and I can stick to it when need be. What I have been doing is to stockpile for my future to gain my energy back and to be healthy again. There is absolutely no price I can put to that considering what has been going on during previous years.

No need for Nyk to stop this thread. I gladly walk away as this thread used to be one that made me feel better after a bad day and now it seems to be completely the opposite.

I wish you all well and hope you can stick to your budgets and save some money.

Marru

PS spent some more money today as got baby sitter so that was able to go out for a meal with my new work colleagues. In total almost half of my montly grocery budget. Who wants to shout at me first? Especially knowing that I haven't done practically any socialising for last 10 years.

angelatgraceland

Well I spent loads today! however-it was planned(well most of it)
Went to Iceland and spent £25 on party food which is gonna last until at leat tomorrow night as it was DD birthday today. Also gave her money for her present. Wentr to Waitrose and got their cheap bread and fruit n fibre. Then went to Co-op for birthday cake(she wanted a yucky sweet, shop one)
I popped into the farmshop/butchers to look around again and noticed theat the FR chickens which were being sold for 2 for £10 had 12th Feb label on them. There were 5 chickens and that is the same as 2 days previous so I was cheeky and asked if they would be reducing them. He said yes-he would reduce to £3.50 each so I offered him £15 to clear his shelf and he accepted so I got FR chickens for the price of value caged. No idea what they weigh-I must weigh one. They also had chicken pieces-wings legs and breast at £4.99 per kilo. I asked how much breasts were so he had to make a phonecall to find out. 4 breast for £3.50 so I asked him to pick out 4 nice big ones. Also got a dozen FR eggs which is why I really popped in-£1.99 so I did very well methinks-even tho its £18.50 I didnt plan on-it will keep for about 6 weeks. Also went in Somerfield and did well with my Lurpack vouchers. I also got a halfleg of lamb-the top bit reduced to £2.75 so all of the above will save me a lot on my lowcarb diet! I bought the 500g lurpack on halfprice offer and they accepted my vouchers for the small size "light". I was gonna play dumb if they didnt. Also got rid of a couple of vouchers in Waaitrose. On top of that I got my refund for my prescription now Im exempt so a very sucessfull day! Ive been very good and even with a table full of party food I didnt touch any! I had sliced lamb and salad-then sugarfree jelly and cream.

Anyone else doing Atkins???

Nyk-I think you need an extension to your[STRIKE] dog [/STRIKE]duck house!

Marru-don't let anyone get away with pushing you out!!!

Oh-I also bought a Michael Ball cd in the charity shop for 49p-perfect for the car.

grandma247

Marru please don't leave this thread I for one would miss you.
Changing your diet can be costly to start with. do you keep a personal diary to record what you eat and how you feel? It can be very useful. I have found that If I do not eat enough protein my energy levels are not good even though i eat wholegrains etc.
You have also had a lot of stress to deal with and that depletes your stores of just about everything.
Keep thinking positive thoughts, things will get better over time. I am guessing the hormones were age related? If I am right it is a longer journey and starts much earlier than people realise.
I think maybe people were worrying about you more than anything because you have seemed so down at times.

lilac_lady

Nyk's thread has enabled me to recoup some family expense that I have this year. I've already replaced some Premium Bonds that I cashed in for that project and I know I wouldn't have been able to do that if I hadn't followed the advice on this thread.

Marru - As usual the friction you speak of on this board has passed me by but it's usually a lovely friendly one so please keep posting. You've inspired me too.

Let's all keep helping each other.

sophiesmum_2

Marru - Tomorrow is another day.


I'm off to check out tortilla presses as OH loves tortilla wraps - I think he may be having one for his (late )valentines present.

Marru - did you buy ALL the tortilla presses - everywhere I look is out of stock in the uk

sophiesmum_2

cw18 wrote: »

and speaking of 'creative dishes' -- younger DS is very partial to Enchilladas, but I've only ever made them from the complete (just add chicken and grated cheese) packs before now. However I picked up some whoopsied deli wraps that looked like they'd work for a cheaper version -- I just don't know how to go about making the spicy sauce (or what to buy as a cheap alternative). I've checked my recipe books with no success, so wondered if anyone here has any pointers please?

CW - most of the enchillada sauces are basic tomato sauce with oregano, garlic and chilli powder added. I would be tempted to buy a smart price jar of bolognese sauce, add an extra sprinkle of oregano, clove of garlic(or tsp lazy garlic )and then add chilli powder to taste. Should be about same sauce:D (couple of recipes add a teaspoon of cocoa powder too - brings out flavour of chilli)