Update from Ratty

PoundsLookAfterThemselves

ms_london wrote:

What was your reason for coming to MSE in the first place? Do you have debt? Were you looking to start some savings? Or were you just asking for advice on your budget?

Debt. The result of running my own business for three years.

ms_london wrote:

Your food is astronomical for one person, and its fab that you havent overspent on your earnings this month, but you are cutting it very fine. Would you not rather have some savings than having nothing to show for your wages each month?

I completely agree. I was very shocked by the amount I spent on food. That is the point I guess for keeping a spending diary, because what you 'thought' you spent, is not always the same as what you actually spend.

PoundsLookAfterThemselves

Hi all -

Quick question. How do you make sure you stick to your food budget?

I’m finding it hard. I’ve tried the one big shop, but then find I need to still buy things like salad. Most recently I have tried shopping every other day for the next two evening meals? Not really sure how that has gone as it is not the end of the month yet. I still think I’m over spending.

Advice please?

lynzpower

hello love- how goes it?

We do a weekly shop which is all done off the menu plan, but of course bread, milk and salad in particular are done off other change, but out of the budget.

We set 25pw, and then go through the cupbaords what have we got in, what do we need, etc, then make a menu plan costing as cheap as poss.

Hows london treating you? Are you finding it expensive then? Havent seen you around much

PoundsLookAfterThemselves

Hi all -

Please find July’s receipts, as follows:

Rent and bills £850 (same each month)
Travel, Bus & trains £35.00
Food £145.35
Entertainment £18.10+cashout?????
Clothes, gifts and sundries £89.06 (hair and eyebrow shape £58.55 /every three months)
Gym £59.50

Sub Total £1197.01
Savings and debt £237.73

Total £1434.74 Income £1434.74?????

Summary
I think its time looked at my budget again…

Revised budget (after two months):

Rent and bills £850 all pcm
Travel, Bus & trains £35
Food £100 (any advice to how I can stick to this?)
Entertainment £70
Gym £59.50
Clothes, gifts and sundries £50

Sub Total £1164.50
Savings and debt £381.90

Total £1546.40

Ratty

Imelda

Hi Ratty,

Re: food spending

Do you keep all your receipts? For the next month keep all your food shopping receipts (make a note of things you buy at the corner shop etc) and then make a spreadsheet of what you actually buy. You should then be able to identify what you spend the most money on. My weakness was cheese (I used to spend about £5 a week on it!) and buying 2 loaves of bread per week and throwing most of it away (I now buy one and freeze it, defrosting what I need). It's actually quite surprising how expensive some things are, do you buy lots of ready made foods? Take a look at the OS board, people on there have very low budgets (I don't I spend £60- £70 per month on just me) and some very useful ideas and recipies.
Let us know how you are doing!

lynzpower

I think your hair and eyebrow shape is also expensive.

The tony & guy academy and scores of other places do model stuff. I used to go to Charles Worthington for a restyle & blowdry, and thats only £32.

I get my eyebrows done locally for a fiver I will not pay any more than this, Id rather go without!

PoundsLookAfterThemselves

Imelda wrote:

Re: food spending

Do you keep all your receipts? For the next month keep all your food shopping receipts (make a note of things you buy at the corner shop etc) and then make a spreadsheet of what you actually buy. You should then be able to identify what you spend the most money on.

Thanks Imelda, I will try that next month. I had already binned last months receipts after doing the totals last night.

Imelda wrote:

My weakness was cheese (I used to spend about £5 a week on it!) and buying 2 loaves of bread per week and throwing most of it away (I now buy one and freeze it, defrosting what I need). It's actually quite surprising how expensive some things are, do you buy lots of ready made foods? Take a look at the OS board, people on there have very low budgets (I don't I spend £60- £70 per month on just me) and some very useful ideas and recipies.

I will take a look at the OS board. Really not sure why my food shopping is so high, my sister says I have expensive taste but £170-145?????

PoundsLookAfterThemselves

Really going to work hard to reduce my food bill this month, so far I think I have spent about £40 (not calculated).

Plus salads I think have at least two/three meals left in the cupboard. My £10 food shopping challenge starts today... So far I have spent £6.40 on pitta bread, milk, rocket salad, sunblush tomato, f/range eggs X6, bananas. So £3.60 to last me the rest of the week?

lynzpower

red ratty rat, where are you shopping? ONly the rocket salad in my local Lidls is about 40p, as all the veg seems perm on half price. You might want to source your local one, mines a bit of a trek so I dont go too often but yours might be more local?

PoundsLookAfterThemselves

lynzpower wrote:

red ratty rat, where are you shopping? ONly the rocket salad in my local Lidls is about 40p, as all the veg seems perm on half price. You might want to source your local one, mines a bit of a trek so I dont go too often but yours might be more local?

Sainsbury’s. I have a nectar card so I gained points on my purchase!