Learn to control money but do not allow it to control you

gilligansyle

Hope you enjoy your run, and it helps clear your head.

I, too, am one of those sad people who are obsessive about the detail of money. I never used to be, generally rounded spends UP, so there was always more money left than I thought. Now I have my spending diary, transfer set amounts to the 'spends' account, and know to the penny how much I have. (But the pennies themselves are in a jar! so its to the nearest 10p really)

savingwannabe

Family food spending for £41 a week, i thought £30 for a single person was good. Gosh Firewalker you are to be applauded. At the end of the day you are over the worst of it. It is just a little disagreement. Open a bottle of wine and kiss and make up. Make a nice meal and he will agree to anything you suggest. Women always have the upperhand!

Aesop

SW, I was living on WTC when I was doing Avon solely as employment, and only had £70 a week for food for the 3 of us. And DH is one of those men who has to have meat for dinner every night, Roast Dinner on a sunday with everything, shallots, parsnips, swede, roast potatoes, mash, veg. And it has to be different meat every night, no 2 same meat 2 days in a row.

The £70 also included all toiletries, toilet paper, kitchen roll, anything like bleach, toilet cleaner, washing up liquid, etc.

Also, DH takes sandwiches to work everyday to save on money, so I had to make sure I buy different things for his sandwiches, and that means lots of bread a week, DS drinks a lot of milk, and DH eats lots of crisps!

I went on the thread about food on a budget, weezel's thread - sitting pretty with Kitty, and they thought my spend was too much a month!

I did get some good ideas from them about how to bulk out food, casseroles, etc. so I wouldn't necessarily need to buy so much meat, or could buy one pack of mince, but only use half of it.

Possibly £30 a week for a single person is high too, but you shop online. I shop instore and use the printable coupons thread vouchers to help decrease my shopping and also take advantage of glitches, on washing up liquid, etc. I also shop in 4 different stores, not one. But you work very long hours, so it is much easier for you to shop in one store online and get it delivered. I work part time so make sure I visit all the different shops to get bargains and buy whoopsie shopping when the supermarkets are reducing at their certain times. That is not possible for you when you work long hours.

savingwannabe

Bless you i will look at those threads. I stopped visiting my local supermarket as i ended up hypo all the time. My food shop is actually very little i spend on 'bargains' to invest and spend up to £30 as that seemed to be a good figure. Now i know where the pound shops are i reckon i can get it down.

macgirl

Glad you had a good trip FW. I used to visit Florence twice a year for work and really loved it. It's somewhere I'd like to go back to on holiday, the little bridge with all the shops on it, is magical - even at this time of year it's so pretty.

I like your chicken analogy. Although overspending is hardwired in me, I am not as impulsive as I was and really consider and reconsider my purchases now. It must be exhausting for you to try and keep your OH on the straight and narrow while keeping the family finances under control. If he hasn't changed (and it is hard to change) you have a tough job, but are doing so well and should be applauded. £41 a week to feed the family? Well done :T

Hope the run clears your head and sets you up for a good night's sleep.

Firewalker

SW, £41 is not all for us - remember we buy loads of meat in COSTCO and freeze it? This is depreciated at £20 pw - so we do £60 pn food pw, However, I did find that cooking stews is cheaper and, interestingly also better for us (sneaking vegetables is great with Little Boy, is delicious and it is not 'dry' food as a proper Bulgarian will say). I aslo cook soups for lunch and for me to take to work - and freeze them so we have a freezer full of ready meals - only that they are all home cooked and hence no rubbish in them.

Sounds time consuming but it actually is not - just needs some organisation. Otherwise I could not do it (and yes I do most of the cooking otherwise we end up with blokes' food - mainly carbs (pasta, potatoes and things, and meat separately).

£30 pw for you sound OK - after the first one food sosts less...

Firewalker

savingwannabe

In the summer i will buy a big freezer for the garage and then i can make soups. Hooray i am getting there.

Lara44

I don't want the chicken either! Sorry to hear about your row Firewalker, I think Saving Wanabee is right, especially about the nice glass of wine.

williamD1964

why do women seem to think that a meal and a fluttering of eyelids is all that it takes...

Firewalker

William, I am rather masculine in conflict resolution - I think it takes a good old fight and loads of drik. Our relationship though is based on a tandtum (by me), a bit of a raised voice (by OH) then calm and collected discussion, agreement...never stays with us. But last night I could not sleep well - which is probably little to do with the fight.

I am wonsering whether he understands why I do get upset though? Or am I underestimating my lovely OH?

And Lara, no more chicken! Even - except when we really want it.
FW