Sixty quid August??

Emmzi

As some of you know, financial dire straights loom.

My current (well paid) job ends in about 3 weeks. Despite approx. 1 million interviews, no luck in finding a new one for decent cash. (Getting lots of second interviews, so am doing something right, but a real 'always the bridesmaid' spell.)

As a stop gap, I might have to do some call centre work, which would be ok, but only leave me with £160 a month after bills, for petrol, any socialising, food and toiletries, saving for car service, pressies, etc.

My mission for August is to try and keep food and toiletries spend under £60. I do have a *stuffed* store cupboard and will be relying on this heavily. If I can manage it, I should be able to survive 2 months on my last wage. I want to know I *can* survive on call centre wage (telephone interview next week for that one btw!!) before I use my savings to pay off the last debt. If not, it looks like higher paid interim work in London (where I would be all alone!!) which I do NOT want to do.

Obviously being me, and being awkward, I'm starting by having a HUGE grocery spend!! with the aim of not going anywhere near a shop for as long as possible.

So today I bought...

Tins (cut down on wastage, cheaper than fresh)
2 x tomatoes
2 x chickpeas
pineapple
2 x peas and carrots
2 x peaches
2 x strawberries
papaya
2 x creamedmushrooms
3 x evaporatedmilk
2 x pear halves
2 x kidney beans
2 x sweetcorn
2 x friedonions
2 x bakedbeans
1 x beans+veggiesausages
1 x condensedsoup(formakingcasserole)

other food
pizza bases
jar pizza topping
2 red pasta sauce
2 white pasta sauce
lemon squash
dried onions
sugar
2 x OJ
2 X longlifemilk
4 x breadmix
12 x own label diet cola

fridge
cheese
more cheese
butter
smoked tofu

household
value bog roll
toiler cleaner
disposable razors
dishes for freezing leftovers (reusable)

With current store cupboard contents (thanks to grand opening of new Aldi-see £19 spend!!!) I really don't need anything - all I don't have is JUNK and CHOCOLATE.

I think I will feel less bad about myself if I eat better (ie less fat and sugar) and do some exercise. So target 2 is some time (unspecified, depends on heat!) on the old lateral thigh trainer every day I am at home (still doing work travel).

My total spend for this was £36.89. I reckon I can go at *least* 3 weeks on it. The main thing for me is a big upfront shop, so no need to go back to temptation.

MCBIRNIE25

Going to be a tough one this Emmzi, you have the drive to do it. If i was disciplined I would join you. AM enjoying the adventure though.

Emmzi

Heh heh...b/f isn't. He remembers when we used to have champagne every time I'd been through the airport (£40 for 2 bottles? What a bargain!!)

However as he is going to be a student soon, he'll come round..

lynsayjane

ooooh! fingers crossed for you. defo a good idea to avoid temptation!

jessicamb

Go on then - I'll kick in for this one if thats ok??

I'm on £70 challenge with Lynz et al anyway (which is currently going miserably because I've fallen off the DFW wagon and I darednt update my sig). This will give me a kick up the @rse I need for August.

Mirtos

You can do it Em. Am rooting for you.
xxx

Emmzi

jessicamb wrote:

Go on then - I'll kick in for this one if thats ok??

I'm on £70 challenge with Lynz et al anyway (which is currently going miserably because I've fallen off the DFW wagon and I darednt update my sig). This will give me a kick up the @rse I need for August.

Of course it's ok!! fellow beans-on-toasters..unite!!

lynsayjane

oooh if this is gonna turn into a challenge can i join?

i'll say i'm plannin on £30 to do me food wise through august and i'll include the shopping i bought today cause that won't arrive till tuesday. so thats a £7.19 grocery spend so far!

Smiley_Mum

About £1.97 a day. Good Luck to you all. If I was single I'd come in on it but my kids eat me out of house and home. I'd manage on around £20 or less if I was single when it comes to groceries.

homersimpson_3

i'll say i'm plannin on £30 to do me food wise through august and i'll include the shopping i bought today cause that won't arrive till tuesday. so thats a £7.19 grocery spend so far!

can i just check i understand this correctly- are you saying you only intend to spend £30 for whole month on food for one adult? does this include all stuff you take to work/college or whatever and include cleaning materials? if so what do you intend to eat- it works at about £7.50 per week.

Emmzi

Tonight's luxury dinner.. lentil lasagne (4 big or 6 regular portions)

Boil one cup lentils in 2 cups water, add ready made pasta sauce, tin of peas and carrots and half tin ready fried onions. Layer with lasagne sheets and top with white sauce and grated cheese. all out of tins, all delicious!! And at least 2 portions left for the freezer if b/f doesn't scoff it. Costs about £2.00 (got 2 for 1 pasta sauce) so max 50p per portion.

Lunch was h/m bread and peanut butter. Think I'll need to whip up a pudding of some sort though.. maybe the one where you boil up wholewheat flour, add maple syrup and lemon juice.. sounds *gross* but is low fat and filling and very yummy when chilled. Takes about an hour though... costs about 30p for 4 portions.

So.. day one looking good for no extra spend, only 30 days to go now!

Still no job! 1 application this week so far.