Pay off mortgage and start having fun!

killerpeaty

Why is the food budget not working out this month? Is it due to not being able to shop around?

Mrs_Money_Penny

I have cancelled a lot of my on line deliveries. Aldi & Lidl are so much cheaper than Tesco’s. I try to do one Tesco shop to get the items I can’t get in Aldi. Saved £100 last month what with eating out the freezer as well. xx

newgirly

Hi MMP and KP, I think it’s because I have been doing the online shop but a few bits from the local tescO express and small M&S which is dearer. I will be going back to Lidl I think very soon, possibly next week 🙄 I think it’s also low budget fatigue to be honest, the budget is pretty no frills so I end up buying the odd treat when out on a walk! I did buy a few nice bits in M&S this week- birthday cakes for the kids partners sister’s  birthday who is back at their house alone with their dad, plus some Harry Potter chocolate for the kids 😬
Yesterday I got a pack of reduced mince from M&S for £1.25 so dh and ds1 had spaghetti Bol last night and will do tonight (with added beans 🤢) and everyone else had bean chilli and jacket potato with Greek yoghurt. Tonight is quorn casserole (large bag frozen quorn pieces and one bag of frozen mix casserole veg) for everyone else except me as I’ll have left over chilli or salad- can’t do quorn chunks! 

Breakfast is usually nothing for some and muffins/egg/avocado/cereal/porridge for those that do eat it, lunch is often tinned soup (I have homemade soup fatigue too now 😆) or sarnies/ something on toast. Snacks are fruit (bananas/apples/grapes/satsumas) value versions usually, as well as crisps/chocolate digestives. 

Our biggest “waste” is still cost@ flat white pods 🙄 I’ve very much slowed down buying those though and am on a subscribe and save on amaz@n  so they are the cheapest I can find, will carry on until life returns to normal 🙂

Booze buying is non existent as the kids have to pay for what they want to order, I think this month from 5th March to now I have spent £363.08 and have £36.92 left until 5th April, that’s shockingly bad and I’m usually way better organised 😱

newgirly

I’m off to work today, at the builders next door to our factory. They needed someone for a couple of days to do some forms online so I offered, very nervous going somewhere new and using computers is not my strong point - except for shopping 😆 dd needs dropping on the opposite direction at 10 for the first day at her trial for a new job, so I will be starting very late. 

Lazy weekend really, watched line of duty last night which we have been counting down to for the best part of a year, and managed to feed us all from the freezer and cupboards, off to the bakers to buy ridiculously expensive bread now as we have run out and I’ve no time to walk to tesco express. 

themadvix

I’m sure today will go well for you NG!

South_coast

Morning NG, have you heard of the app Olio? If you've got a Tesco near you there's probably quite a bit of food (especially bread!) being shared out. It will mostly be out of date stuff, but I'm guessing with so many of you there you'll get through it so quickly that it won't matter. 

Good luck with the work - you'll sleep well tonight!

newgirly

Thanks, it was ok however more like three /four days work not one! I did try registering for olio last year SC I can’t remember why but I had problems with it, I’ll look again though.

I cancelled today’s asd@ too up shop and went to tesc@ last night on the way home from work, first time is ages and I got some cheap bits, plus hit my £36 budget which is what I had left 🙂 

themadvix

Did you get it all done then or will they have you back?

 Well done on coming in on budget for the shop - it must be so tricky with so many mouths  to feed.

newgirly

Hi Vix, no I was all day today and I’ll be all day tomorrow, hopefully won’t need to go back Thursday too if I complete tomorrow. They did actually offer me the possibility of a job there later this year, but only full time and I really don’t think I could cope with the stress of that type of job (not what I’ve been doing this week). I’ve dropped hints to ds2 who has worked there before but I doubt he’s keen to go back, will have to see what happens nearer the time.

Being next door to our factory I managed to see my brother for a few minutes outside as well today after work which was nice 😁 he’s deep in the world of crypt@currency at the moment and doing very well so far, actually so well I’m considering giving him a bit of our money to invest. I wouldn’t have the time or inclination to do the research he and his friends have done over the last months/years and would never risk what would impact is too much if we lost it. It is the opposite of our very conservative financial aims usually, but I can’t help being tempted to gamble a little, I’m thinking at least the extra I’ve earned this week (not sure how much that will be yet!) and perhaps some of the cruise savings so far as I’m ahead of target. Will need to think about it and do a bit of research so I can at least pretend to understand what he’s talking about 😆

newgirly

Oops I’ve been a bit lax popping in lately, didn’t realise it’s been over a week which is not like me 🙄
Not that much to report really, went for a lovely afternoon tea in best friends garden yesterday which took five hours 😆 also went to mums on Monday, it’s just so nice to sit outside and have a catch up. 

I’ve overspent on food a lot in the last month and have a shortfall, however I’m still hoping to get some money for working at the builders last week which will cover it (I’m sure I will but it’s taking time!) I will probably keep the shortfall debt and still op all our wages again this month.

Dd has mentioned they may get married next year, still not engaged and they won’t be until they have bought a house which should happen later this year, but I wasn’t expecting it to be so soon for the wedding 😱 financially I’m not sure how much to help out. Also ds2 and fiancée are saving for a wedding too (even though they won’t be able to buy for a long time) so there’s that to consider too! I’m not sure I can do much except keep oping into the offset and work it out later down the line when they start making plans more.