I really am C**P at budgeting

magentadreamer

It's a good start Louise, you have cut down and it's all about taking little steps in the right direction. I know I couldn't just slash my budget for food over night. My aim for Feb is to save £20 and gradually cut it back.

Farmfoods are actually very good for Quorn stuff - not been for a while but I did stock up on quorn mince,peices and fillets all at offer prices last time I went in.

rainbowseeker

Gosh, before getting into debt, I thought budget was a four letter word - told you I was c**p with the numbers :rotfl: Would just stroll along the aisles of the local super (mainly tesco, sainsbury and yummy old m&s) and casually throw in anything that looked nice without a thought to the cost. I'd easily spend about £80 for just me and hubby. I feel so guilty because every now and then have a clean out of the kitchen cupboards, fridge, freezers and the amount of food that I have to throw away because it's past its sellby is criminal. THAT has all had to change. Now I just try to buy fewer things and eat them all while they're still fresh and resist the temptation to stock up.
Oh, have started to write down every penny I spend in a little book (kept forgetting to put entries in at first) and you really don't realise just how much you spend until you start doing this - amazing, now I think twice whether I really need something, because basically I'm lazy and can't be bothered to have to go jot it down unless necessary. :rotfl:

sa1nt

Thanks for the discount code links magentadreamer.
There is so much depth to this site & I am still trawling the forums for info & finding new stuff. I could easily spend most of the day on here!

fairylights_2

Wow! That's still a lot of shopping, no matter how many you're buying for! We currently (2+2 kids - no animals - unless you count OH?) do a big tesco onliner once a fortnight, with meals planned for the full two weeks, and then do a top up of milk, cheese, fruit and small others (chutney, normally) in the week inbetween. The big shop is about £50, the extras shop about a tenner. If you're serious about budgeting, then you really do have to meal plan - it's easier the more of you there are, actually, as there isn't then debate of what to have. We don't set the days in stone, we just have 14 meals of varying cooking times to choose from each day.

You seem to spend a lot on odd things too - new tablecloths, a mirror, candles - they sound like treats to me and what headache pills do you have? gold ones? :eek: they seem dear - 16 paracetamol, 16p a pack from wilkos ... I could have 28 packs of parrots for the cost of yours ...

Please don't think I'm being mean, it just seems like you're still spending more than you really NEED to (fillet steak from a farm shop, for example) - it's a case of desire vs necessity, surely? If you can still live at the end of the week if you don't buy it, then don't buy it.

halloweenqueen_2

Stop going to tescos so much - we used to go in the evenings once or twice because we were bored, buy a few bargains, get a few treats and then this became a habit. I rarely go there now to be honest, I go to lidls but I'm trying to use butchers and greengrocers more, you go in, get what you want and theres no other things to tempt you with.

elisebutt65

What I do now is get all the food out of the freexer and parcel into meals - IYSWIM and then write down what I need to go with it??

I only keep in the freezer now, what I might need if I couldn't go shopping for a week and top it up when I run low. Basics like fishfingers and frozen peas. Also the reduced stuff from Tesco's goes in their. I only bought a smallish one so I wouldn't have to buy loads to keep it economical.

Doing meal-plans for a fortnight is another way to keep the budget down - I just have the same fortnightly plan and cycle it over and over unless theirs a birthday or something special - like BF coming round for dinner - and then he puts in for his share of the food - how well he knows me now - lol.

You say the kids are contributing but it doesn't sound very much. Why don't you all sit round the table and get the contributors to give some input into the meal-planner so everyone's happy.

And for heavens sake does it really matter where you get the basic ingredients from??? - If they're out working and you're cooking - they'll never know unless you tell them or they go through the bins??


Also £4.63 sounds a lot for headache pills - get the generic(unbranded) ones from chemist - heck of a lot cheaper. How old is DD2?? Does she have to pay for her glasses - cos my DS1 (10) gets his for free.

I could go on forever di-secting your list - oven gloves etc that you could make yourself - lol, but I won't

pixie1

I hope you didnt think i was been mean when I mentioned clearing out your freezer and making meals out of them Its just that I have lernt the hard way, so much over the years has been thrown away because I just didnt know i had it and by the time i found it, it was way tooooooo late

Every little bit help, but we are all learning togther.

Take care.

PoshPaws_3

Here's how I attack the thorny question of shopping. I have a choice of most major supermarkets, but I choose to go to Asda because most of their stuff is good quality, there is a reasonable choice and their prices work out at under a quid per item. When I used to shop at Sainsbury's, things were working out at almost exactly a quid per item, albeit I did earn the jolly old Nectar points. However, I like the idea of the saving being made across the board, as opposed to accruing.

So ... before I shop, I sit down and make up a menu list for the week. I schedule in dinners which involve fresh salads at the beginning of the week, fresh vegetables in the middle of the week and pasta dishes which don't rely on vegetables at the end of the week.

That way, I don't find myself on Monday (we shop on a Tuesday) needing vegetables which have either gone manky or been used up - and having to go to the supermarket again.

This also has the benefit of making a shopping list much easier and it being almost completely targeted. In turn, that has the benefit of making the trip around the supermarket a lot quicker, as I'm mostly just going and getting stuff that is on the list, not drifting around looking at this and that whilst considering what I could use it for.

When I next do my menu list, THEN I remember what I'd seen the week before and wonder what I could use it for!

I work that way with special offers and BOGOF's, too. If there are some things that are just too good to leave behind, then I buy them, freeze/store them and then work them into the following week's menus. Hence, this last week, I only had to buy four dinners because I already had the "makings" for three already in the freezer.

A word about dog food. Tesco are currently stocking a dried biscuit complete dog food called "Gusto". Its fabulous stuff. I have a Greyhound and a Saluki who both eat it and love it. They are super healthy, shiny and full of bounce, without being mad. If you'll forgive the detail, it also has the benefit of arriving on the grass in neat firm packages, which makes clearing up after them a whole lot easier! A 20kg bag is currently priced around just under £5. Lasts my two dogs about 2-3 weeks, fed with a small tin of Asda's own brand dog meat. I highly recommend it!

jellycat40

Thanks again guys.

The painkillers are for my back. I have prescription ones but they had run out and the ones i bought are the strongest available without prescription. No way will paracetamol touch arthritis!

The dog food idea is fab but will it be ok for my puppy. She is six months old and I was told she had to have premium puppy food for at least 12 months. Therefore have been feeding both dogs on it.

As I have said before we are all on slimming world plan so I would be amazed if anyone could get all their fruit and veg at the beginning of the week and have it last. I buy something in the region of 100 bananas a week. Also strawberries would go off after only 2 days.

Pixie I do not think you have a mean bone in your body, you come over as really caring and kind.

I am going to try again next month for the £500 in the challenge for groceries.

We had to have new light shades because we got energy saving light bulbs and as we only had up lighters it was virtually pitch dark in our house so we had to get down lighters. We did get 7 lampshades and a table lamp. I can't make oven gloves. DD2 is 17 and in full time education. However she needs a second pair of glasses now she is driving as she needs to keep a pair in the car at all times in case of a problem with her contact lenses. She has one pair in the house at all times for when her contacts are not in.

I am still trying to cut down but even today I failed. I went to Boots to get some plasters as OH cut himself and didn't like wearing Mr Bump ones. While I was in there I got some more painkillers for just in case because they were one third off, some Mach3 razors for the men and some totes toasties as they were half price. Double points though. I am still being suckered aren't I?

Keep on with the advice though. I am trying and your support is appreciated.

Also went to morrisons this morning and spent £6 on some bits and bobs.

Louise

bank_of_slate

hi Louise.

Are you just relying on painkillers for your arthritis?
Pain is there for a reason.
Have you explored every option open to you with your GP?
masking pain can be a problem in that when you feel pain, you stop doing what was causing it...therefore preventing further damage.
masking pain can make things worse as you don't stop as you can't feel the 'warning pain'
Are you on free prescriptions or a season prescription in which case your GP could prescribe your medication?
...Linda xx