Need some good ideas urgently!

reverie

Hiya MissK. First just wanted to say, stay positive, you must be super organised to be a full time student, have a job and be a mum, so bet you will be fab at sticking to a budget!

Some of my favourite meals are as follows:-

Pasta with mushrooms, passata and chilli flakes
Chickpeas in tomato sauce
Spag bol (stretched out with cheap veg like carrots)
Chilli con carne (also stretched out with veg)
Homemade soups (can be really cheap, something like leek and potato)
Vegetable curry
Pasta salads
Anything reduced in the supermarket

With regard to expensive fruit, I try to eat more veg than fruit as I find it a lot cheaper but am still normally getting more than 5 a day.

Try and change the way you shop. Always look for Smartprice first! (There are lots of helpful threads about which cheap products are worth buying or not). Also, consider buying at markets if you have one, mine is really cheap. 30 Apples for £1 the other day!

You will get loads of help from this forum. >hugs<

Essex-girl_2

Ive cut down loads since being on here. Firstly used to spend a fortune on cleaners - now only use, vinegar. stardrops and bleach - they also do a better job and are kinder to the enviroment.

Menu planning is essential and here we have a couple of 'cheap' meal nights each week. Egg and chips - ok not healthly but for once a week its ok. Jacket pots - usually with tuna mayo and beans on toast - everyone seems happy with these.

Also we try and buy fruit and veg which is in season - with the exception of bananas. We dont have the luxury of an Aldi or Lidl nearby but these are excellent value.

Wish you luck - but it can be done.

comping_cat

Big hugs to you, and good luck, im sure things will work out for you in the long run.:grouphug:
Most ideas i think have already been covered, but something i do is cut my dishwasher tablets in half, and as its only myself and my 2 children, i find i normally only use the dishwasher every 2 days.
Also, i would keep all my shopping receipts, so you can see exactly what you are buying, and then see if there are things you are buying that you dont need/arnt using.
I also use half measures in my washing machine, unless im washing something particularly dirty!!!!

lucym

£15 a week shouldn’t be impossible if you shop very carefully and make everything from scratch.

If you love sandwiches for lunch make sure that you fill up by using brown bread – you won’t need as much food at supper time. Save on the ham by cooking your own gammon (as already suggested), put in less meat and fill the space with salad vegetables. When I was in your situation I found it cheaper and easier to always get lunch (and usually another meal) from the previous night’s leftovers – flan, meat pie, meat salad, sausage pie, sausage salad, chicken salad, chicken with leftover veg and so on.
You will probably find that adding more uncooked vegetables to your diet reduces your (more expensive) fruit cravings.

When I first found myself on my own with a small child I borrowed a book about nutrition (internet didn’t exist in those days) and was very surprised to find how little food (particularly carbohydrates and protein) is needed to have a healthy diet.

As for nappies…the only thing I can think of is that some local authorities offer a free cloth nappy starter pack (don’t know if they would do anything suitable for a two year old).

culpepper

I would go with cloth nappies at night.Pick nipper up and put him on the loo or potty last thing before you go to bed, he may hardly wake up but will probably pee.
Dont buy special kids foods or drinks,just give water with meals and he can eat the same as you in smaller amounts.My kids (18 and 16)never had 'sodas or juices' and only very occasional chocolate and have no fillings at all.
All these chicken and fish shapes and shaped pasta etc are a rip off and full of rubbish to bulk it out or sugars to make it 'taste good'.

JailhouseBabe

hi missk_ensington. I'm sorry to hear of your predicament, I went througha similar experience myself when DD was 2 and I was in HE, but luckily was in rented accommodation so got most of my rent paid with benefits.

I'm so glad I continued studying, as eventually got my degree. It is hard, but please don't give up on your studies!

My tip: Following advice on another thread,
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=129142
I made my own washing powder mix last weekend. I can't believe I had never really considered the cost of my washing - I was buying tablets that worked out at nearly 20p per wash.
With this mix, my washes will now work out at about 4p each.

Good luck xx

exlibris

I am sorry to hear about your change in circumstances. As others have said- Keep positive. If you can use this major problem as a challenge you will come out of it at the end very proud of all you achieve on your own.

I don't think others have mentioned looking in your cupboards. You may be able to get some "free meals" from there to tide you over until you can get organised.

This site is amazing for the help and advice people will give. Big hugs and remember to look after yourself.

SnowyOwl_2

Hi there

Sorry to hear of your predicament, but you sound like you're full of determination, and I'm sure you'll find a way.

There was a thread a while back about things called Soapnuts - they are a natural substance, actually the shells of a particular type of nut, and they contain a natural soap. You can use them instead of washing power - and you can omit conditioner totally. The thread is here:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=174684

It's a long thread I know. If you just want to try the soapnuts before you buy them, then look at the following website for an address for a free sample. You need to send an SAE.

https://www.inasoapnutshell.com

I have to admit I haven't tried them yet, am so disorganised I haven't got two stamps to send the SAE. As other people rave about them I don't expect any problems. In any case they are cheap so they would help you stretch your laundry budget, and be good to your and baby's skin - you could always do a separate wash with powder for very grubby items if you think they mightn't be strong enough.

Hope that helps a bit - the others are much better than me when it comes to cooking.

Oh, forgot to say, if you haven't already, you could try Netto/Aldi/Lidl for groceries. Their ranges aren't as wide as Tesco etc, but the food is generally speaking just as good.

Jay-Jay_4

Hiya, I haven't read through all of this thread but I noticed that you work 14 hours a week. If you work 16 hours you qualify for tax credits which may mean that you are better off than you are now.

chickadee

Hi Miss_K, Really sorry to hear about your situation. I just want to reiterate all the things other have said on here. It is amazing what you can do if you set your mind to it. There is a fabulous support network on this forum. I wish it had been around when I split with my ex. You will find out loads of stuff that will really help you out, and there seem to be a lot of experts on various different things so make use of us!

Do check out Arkonite Babe's Meal planner, there are loads of useful ideas there.

Have you thought about using Ebay to sell stuff you no longer need to generate some extra cash? Baby items sell well at car boot sales if you have anything that you don't need any more.

Re the dishwasher thing, I know what others are saying about washing up in the sink, but if you are used to a dishwasher it is a real drudge going back to the old way, and if you are feeling down it may make you feel worse. I use half a tablet in my dishwasher and never have a problem. In fact, getting my rolling pin out and giving the tablet a whack can be theraputic, depending on what you are visualising at the time (Eg. ex-partner's head or other part of anatomy!!)

It may not feel like it now, but you will come out of this a stronger person and more of a survivor than you might currently feel.

Best wishes,
chickadee
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