1 mortgage, 2 babies, 3 years to be MF, 4 goodness sake!- weezl's diary

phizzimum

hi cazz - it's stressful wondering if there's a better deal out there isn't it? (one of the disadvantages of discovering MSE). so at least you know to stick with your mortgage now.

weezl - like you I've been following Mark88man's challenge. those comments have surprised me too - I tend to think everyone on the OS board has a squeaky tight grocery budget!

but Mark's challenge is an interesting case. At the moment they are still using up ready meals/processed food from the freezer. Once this has gone I'm hoping they'll be preparing more from scratch and this should mean both that the costs fall and the nutritional value increases.

I'm sure the extra allowed in people's budget is not for fruit and veg! I'm always horrified to see (in the supermarket) how much of a trolley is full of snacks, crisps, fizzy drinks etc. things that my kids view as party treats, not everyday essentials...ok ok I'll calm down, I'm starting to rant now!

phizzimum

[QUOTE=weezl74;28856421

hopes no-one is waiting to pelt me with rotten fruit

[/QUOTE]

could use it to make jam!

shaz_mum_of__2

Weezl

I agree mostly with what you say but from experience (as a teacher of adults) know that not everyone has the skills or wherewithall to do what you do so well...........But i hope to remedy that when i finish my degree in my area at least!!

i want to set up something like this http://nfap.org.uk/index.htm

in fact i started before and had to step down due to bankruptcy and the co directors took it in a different direction

My dream is a community cafe, shop(mobile) alongside a programme of healthy eating cookery classes combined budgeting and shopping advice.and possibly a community gym



Not sure what will happen if i end up with a smallholding though!

setmefree2

Weezl,

I think you are right fwiw. I don't think a healthy diet has anything to do with how much money you spend.

The setmefrees probably spend a lot more money on food than you but I would say our diet was probably a lot worse than yours or the poster you refer to ( I haven't read his thread tbh).

The Smf2s probably over spend on food. We probably have way too much fat in our diet as a result.

Keep up the good work:T:T I wish I had your discipline when it comes to food.

Smf2

vandanfc

Hi Weezl

I too have been reading Marks thread (and followed your 50p thread) some of the comments have been very eye brow raising ! I think that people have forgotten what proper food and sensible portions are. Despite the recession, I think we are still in the "they've never had it so good era". Things that we take for granted and have everyday, used to be special treats just once a week or so. Food was much more basic and smaller quantities were eaten. I don't think it is quite so much about how little you spend, but what you spend it on. Why shouldn't someone only spend 50p a head or a day IF they can manage to do so healthily. Yes it takes a huge amount of effort to be organised to shop for just what you NEED and cook from scratch and batch cook, but just because you can afford to spend more, doesn't mean you should.

taka

I've been lurking on that thread too. I didn't quite understand it either... I took it to mean that £25/adult per week (I think it was??) was what would likely be permitted during a DMP to make sure that peeps did have enough food etc and not do without. I guess some may have been spending 2 or 3+ times this so this would be seen as a huge cut but hopefully a managable one...

Personally I think thats a bit too generous a budget for 1 - I allowed £25/week for me last year but I was still being treated for an eating disorder (and combating a huge fear of being in my kitchen at all) so it included eating in my work canteen every working day (so ~£10-15/week) as it meant I definitely had at least 1 hot healthyish meal a day (often brekkie there too) and some kind of regular eating pattern!

I am about a million times better this year and am actually quite enjoying experimenting with cooking and have lowered my budget to £20/week (plus a bit for Xmas) which I think is still quite generous - I just don't want to put too much pressure on myself if I have a bad day (thankfully far rarer now) so still allow a bit more for the odd ready made pizza, some posh pasta or something very quick... Next year I hope to drop it to £15/wk (unless prices go sky high) as I think that would be do-able for veggie old me if I can learn to cook a few more things from scratch!

weezl74

thank you all for the interesting thoughts about my rant of earlier

I was glad to have a diary as a place to share it, it seemed wrong to potentially derail Mark's thread- he is doing very well.

Todays financial news from weezl towers:

Halifax mortgages have made a boo-boo and charged me as if my last 2 months mortgage payments were actually excessive overpayments :eek: Bit sressful to ring and explain this with Fergus whooping with life's joys in the background, but think they understood eventually.

Started completing my online tax return this morning at 5 am. What else is a pregnant insomniac to do?

Have set aside £520 after careful maths. HMRC site disagrees and wants me to find £2200 in a fortnight! Eeeeep, confessed all to DH, but he feels it is not our error even if they enforce it. Lovely man I'm pretty sure they are wrong, but with no sleep and many hormones flying around I may be wrong...

In_Search_Of_Me

oo me goodness weezl that must have been a bit of a shock! Hopefully its an error but even if it isnt theyre usually quite good at coming to some arrangement...lus if anyone can frugalise money you can me lovely.
Sorry you feel ranty Could pregnant insomniac not lie on the futon and listen to calming music or have a soak in the tub instead...so at least she is resting if not asleep?!!
Re extravagent lifestyles...umm tricky. Having watched the weezl at work dear readers I know its doable but it is exhausting and with much geeky maths needed I know I wouldnt be able to do it cos my head would pop. I do think in this country that we have lavish lifestyles compared to some that I have visited (Phillipines was a total culture shock) and my recent dire financial situation (self imposed by my own stupidity) has made me realise that I dont need "stuff" and now, happily have very little now but still struggle with spending too much, and suspect always will. Alas, I love shopping so have a struggle...am better than I was but still a bit of an "instant gratification" kind of girl...my downfall which I'm working on...and suspect always will!

Queen-Bee_2

Hi Weezl, you've made me try and track down Mark's thread, as I am trying to reduce my grocery bills and frankly, think I could do better. Really interesting to hear what you and your OH achieved too. Alas, a veggie diet doesn't suit me for health reasons (something of a nuisance MSE-wise), but even so, I'd have thought that £20 a week should have been OK for one, and I am finding it quite hard. Clearly I've got a lot to learn!!
QB

LilacPixie

I have also been reading Marks thread and some of the comments left have been exceptionally rude and IMO quite wrong. I do think the bigger the family you have the cheaper you can do it on a per person basis unless you have a huge freezer.

CAzz - so sorry for your loss.My and OH do have occupational pensions we each pay 6.5% of salary into them.

Nowt happening in Chez Pixie. My approved food order arrived today. we have found a house we like but needs some work. It would mean increasinW mortgage from 51k to 97k which seems HUGE but is actually only twice our wages even less if you consider child benefit as income as many mortgage providers do. I am feeling jittery about it though. Our excess income would be swallowed by repairs and improvments so OP would have to be put on hold for a short time if we did go for it unless overtime was flowing and then we would have no time to enjoy the new house/kids. GAH!!