June benefit challenge

Emmzi

£10.35 in asda. Mainly veg but some little treats..

feta cheese and black olives to go in tomato couc cous

pre made cheese sauceforlentillasagne (would be cheaper buying block of cheddar BUT then I would eat block of cheddar!)

avocados and limes to make guacamole. got value pack, no idea how to ripen them (brown bag like bananas??)

grapes - will freeze them, last longer that way and stops me craving icecream

£115.60 left.

sammy115

I'm hungry now!

Emmzi

£5.65 on hair colouring. Will do kit later tonight. Will hurt!!

£109.95 left. Lentil lasagne in oven.

Emmzi

£13.45 on pub dinner for me and b/f (myturn!)

£96.50 left. Loads of food still in.

Emmzi

Arrgh...

Just as well I have loads left (freezer a bit thinner now!) as I have managed to get a really nice second hand wooden futon for £50.

£46.50 left and I am going to spend the £6.50 in Lidl now for weekend munchies! Will post *thrilling* purchase list when I get back!!

Emmzi

£7.63...half of it on treats!!

Food..

bread
pitta bread (still got gaucamole to make, need something to put it on!)
passata
tomato puree
tortellini x 2
sweetcorn
OJ
mozerella

Junk!

own label diet cola
own brand cornetto (bargain really, 1.24 for 10)
choccies £1.49

parents on sunday and away with work(nospends) tues/wed.. so should be me until next weekend!

£38.87 left but loads of food in, 3/4 tank of petrol and enough booze to sink a ship!

Emmzi

Ok..was £38.87

Bought..shoes £5
Bread mixes, cheese sauce (more lentil lasagne), 2 packs skinny cows, veggies and strawberries- £11.57

Left until Saturday - £22.30

The trick now is not thinking "I'll just spend it.. I have 4 lasagnes in the freezer..."

purplestar1uk

From the point of view of a person who actually *does* live on benefits, this is an interesting challenge to read about!!

One of the hardest things is that you never do get the chance to 'do the shop' or whatever in advance, so you can have more to live off during the single month you're on benefits, because it's a constant. Every shop, futon, phone etc. has to come out of the benefits as there's nothing else for it to come from!

It feels somewhat validating for me to read some people struggle slightly with this - makes me feel less useless when I struggle!

Emmzi

Yes.. struggling a bit! It'snot buying things that 'takemy fancy' that's hardest!

I'm going to keep going for a few more months so the 'shop in advance' is gradually eradicated and not a benefit anymore..then we'll see! I have nothing but admiration for people who cope on this budget for extended periods.

sammy115

I can see what purplestar is coming from. When I had very little money to live on and was living week to week on the CTC and child benefit money once it had run out it had run out. I couldn't really afford to do a monthly shop, it was more or less daily. I was scared to do a massive shop in case I needed money for other things.

However, giving yourself an extremely tight budget to live on certainly focus's the mind towards what is really important, which is what Emmzi is managing.