June 2010, 80 payments to go............

[Deleted User]

oops!! :rotfl:
I feel a bit better now for not totally sticking to my freezer challenge! how about a grocery challenge? that got me motivated to see how little people can spend! do you have to eat out a lot for work etc? ...
well done on selling your crafty bits though you must be well pleased you dont have to stand outside in the cold to sell them!

tootallulah

First day of November, milk in fridge, no need to buy any food today. Hi TYO nipping off to your thread as I am definitely up for a grocery challenge. Also back to a £5 a day in my purse.

tootallulah

Coffee £2.20, 6 boxes of Oat so Simple half price in Waitrose £3. I have this for breakfast every day in the winter so it is a SAVING. I would have bought more but they only had 3 boxes, yes it is lazy but it works for me. I will try and find some more to see me through the winter.

museumworker

That is good for Oats so simple, hope you find some more. Have you joined up for a waitrose loyalty card? I did and got a voucher for free wrapping paper, plus pack of sweets. Plus you get points (hopefully they are worth prizes:rotfl:!)

They have their own brand quick porridge oats in lidl, often wonder what they might be like. might be worth trying when your cheap stock runs out?

Sepa74

I just use plain rolled / porridge oats (I've just started using the Lidl variety and they're fine!), add in some dried fruit and water and cook it in the M/w for 5 mins. When it's done I add a bit of milk and a tablespoon of jam or honey to flavour it.

I don't understand the benefit of the packaged porridge oats apart from the built in flavour?

Mine cooks while I'm getting dressed in the morning, and is LOTS cheaper than packaged porridge, AND you know exactly what is in it (especially if the jam is a pot out of the freezer that I made myself!).

It's a lot less packaging too, which is always a good thing. The Lidl rolled oats are wrapped in paper, which goes straight in the compost. You don't see paper wrapping that often these days!

tootallulah

Dear Sepa, there is no benefit as I have the plain oats, and like an idiot never thought of microwaving the real stuff..............so when I am through this lot I will give that a go, thank-you.

SeriouslySeekingtoSave

I actually can't stand those So Simple Oats, just the smell of them puts me off - the sugar or something they add. I use basic rolled oats value brand because oats are about as basic as you get. I don't like my porri made with anything but water, work provides the milk to cover it once it's done and I bring in my own brown sugar (white sugar is just wrong). I know, I'm fussy

Still, a big value bag of oats costs me, say 70p and the sugar about the same and that will last me nearly a year, the rolled oats around about one months worth of breakfasts at work and so tasty and toasty in this darker months.

P.S. :eek: with your food bill but I actually remove my 'nights out' from my food budget and put it under my 'entertainment' budget (well I say 'budget' but I mean spending diary as I just don't budget. I'm sure I've had some pretty shocking food months in my previous life (ie before discovering this site) as well. You are not alone!

tootallulah

I added in coffees and meals out, mind that would only take it down to about £300 which is still a great deal of money. Off to the US for a work trip this morning back in a week. Coffee yesterday and the day before £4.40.

SeriouslySeekingtoSave

I would definately keep coffee in but meals out, if they were actual planned dinner dates or weekend lunch dates with friends, go on my entertainment page. It's still money but I'm not as concerned with money spent in those areas especially atm as I'm working on getting more socialising in work/life/save/overpay life balance right now.

tootallulah

OK so here I am in Arizona, the weather dropped below 75 for the first time for a year on the day I arrived, everyone is horrified by the cold however it is warming up today so I am hopeful of getting some sun by the pool. Tomorrow I have to give my conference paper, and after that just attend the conference and enjoy it. Arizona is really beautiful and I have walked miles looking around, I am at the University of Arizona which is a lovely campus. All week on expenses which will be great for money saving.