What else can I do?

lynzpower

Ooh this is more like it GW!! You are doing REALLY well :T

scottishspendaholic

Woo-hoo Green Wellies - yuou are doing brilliantly!

You are an inspiration to me too!

scottishspendaholic x

OberonSH

just a quick thing about the grocery thing - when i was still with hubby we'd merrily go off to the supermarket and come back with £100 of food for just 2 of us. Now I sit down on a sunday, look in the cupboards and do a menu for the week, and note down what I needed (from Netto, natch). I buy that on ONLY that!!

Grocery bill before - £100 per week
Grocery bill now - £3.51 for this week (but me and daughter are having a freezer clearing week)


You seem to be doing great though, well done!

Greenwellies_2

I haven't realy been updating this as much as I think I should, but hey-ho!

This week has not been any easier, in total I think we have spent £100 on repairs to the car, smashed mirror, smashed window, and a few bits of maintenance.
Food wise, I went to Asda at 9pm, Hoping to find some bargains, but I found lot of empty shelves and discarded packaging everywhere. (really, really messy)
While in Asda, I only brought what I needed, but I couldn't get everything I needed

I have gone way over my budget, I'm not sure by how much yet, I will look at that next week. (sort of avoiding it, plus very busy)

However, I did get a bank statement in, and it said that I was £400 (maybe slightly more) over spent this last month. I don't consider that to be too bad, when I consider that I have cut back, (and that I hope to clear CC debts in the next 2 weeks, so that will save me £300 PM)

There's nothing on the job front for hubby. He has had a few days agency work, which is great, but as he has exceeded the 15 hour limit, he has to sign off, yet he has no work lined up for next week
He has been turned down for more jobs this week, I think he has been turned down for 4 this week, which makes him so miserable, because he feels unwanted.

Oh the other bad news this week... My gas and electricity meters were read, I owe about £450, so they want to put my monthly DD upto about £90. I am going to try and clear the debt (with the car sale) and then I can continue on a more sensible rate.*fingers crossed*

So that's my update, thanks everyone for your support and encouragement. Now that we have the 'Thanks' button back, I will put it to good use


GW

mdeebee

Greenwellies wrote:

Thank you.

I even went to Lidl today and got some bits. I picked up a grater / slicer device thingy, because well it'll make my life easier wont it... and then I thought actually I am very good at slicing things neatly, and there's nowt wrong with my bargain ikea grater that i love, so it went back

I must admit a few years ago I got fed up with all the 'things' in the house, so I made everyone (inc Children) think about things before they brought them. Christmas is harder now because the children don't WANT much and they done't really NEED much, so I feel guilty. But then as we are not a religious family, I make it that their birthdays are their special times. This year I am taking my sons into london to see a show and go for dinner in China town

It takes a moment for the penny to drop, but when it does, shopping becomes really boring and a waste of time. I now (well I thought I did, until I came here) consume a lot less.

Next time you go shopping on a whim, think about it, do you need that handbag, lipstick etc, Will it make your day brighter? Chances are No!

Oooh I sound like I've been here for years don't I LOL

Best of luck hun

Greenwellies

#




Speaking as a person who has always had to/wanted to find the best price for absolutely everything, I had to say how much I agree with the sentiments aired here.

I wish you all good luck.

sweetmoneysaver

Well done GW, you are doing really well. Don't get too disheartened with the overspend. As you say you will get the car money soon and hopefully you will be better next month. You have come such a long way since your first post.:T

newleaf

Hi GW, I'm new today and just want to say that reading your thread has been inspirational. :T My OH is about to be made redundant and I have a large personal debt to clear so we face some of the same struggles that you have overcome. Fortunately I'm employed F/T, we have no kids or pets, and my MIL is completely the opposite to yours so I think things will be easier for me. I just want to thank you for posting your progress notes.
For what it's worth, my tips are: In addition to Aldi/Lidl, try Morrisons if you live near one, cheap, and abundant BOGOF offers.
Eat less meat. A meat portion should be roughly the size of a pack of cards, padded out with vegetables. If you think the family will complain, make stew/chilli/casserole/potroast/fajitas/ragu - anything that allows you to make less meat do for more people.
Example: I got (at Morrisons) a reduced steak (single portion) for £1.69 and BOGOF tortillas. Yesterday I made beef & vegetable fajitas (with hm yogourt instead of sour cream) - a cheap and substantial meal for two and could easily have stretched it to three or four with a bit of extra veg.

Eager_Elephant

Hi GW,

Just read the whole of this thread, you are doing so well.

You mentioned that when you get the money for the car you will pay off different things, one of which was the overdraft. Make sure as soon as you have the money to cover the overdraft you ring the bank and cancel it, the temptation to spend again will be immense.

I am sure you will find it easier to manage if the overdraft is at £0, it will be easier to budget and once the money has gone, it's gone.

With regard to JSA, it is correct thet if he works over 15 hours he will have to sign off but as soon as he has no work then he should sign on again. Even if he signs on every week but then gets some work he can let them know. JSA is paid fortnightly in arrears that way if someone has worked the money can be sorted out wihout an overpayment.

Council Tax Benefit, you are not guaranteed this benefit automatically on receipt of JSA. You are if it is income based JSA which means the income for the family id less than the applicable amount, in you case a couple is £90.12.
If your husband is in receipt of contribution based then you can still apply for CTB but may get less depending on the other income for the household.

Either way it is worth applying, this should be done seperate to the JSA claim.

Thanks for reading

EE

Greenwellies_2

Thanks everyone for the encouragment.
As for Morrisons, there isn't really one near here

CTB has been a bit of a nightmare, I have followed the online way of reporting it to them, but I have heard nothing at all.

You'll be pleased with me for today's dinner....
:A
The other week I made my son (13) who has serious phobia about going within 100 miles of lidl, go to lidl and buy a chicken. He got two small frozen ones for £3.58
I have cooked them both, I roasted them, have provided the family with roast dinner, I have 1 breast left over and 2 legs, the wings will be eaten tonight for tea.
At this present moment I have the carcuss' cooking away for a soup


See I'm trying.

GW

lynzpower

Excellent about the chickens GW!! Brilliant!!
i have one defrosting at the mo, I'll be making a curry with the remainders tomorrow!