Need Calming Down and Help

ubamother

Just wanted to say Good Morning, and I hope that the fog has cleared a wee bit and you have a handle now on the 'money free' days you have left. Good luck

Penelope_Penguin

EllieA wrote: »

I feel very silly. I know i have loads of food in i have 2 full freezers, i'm just struggling to bring it together. My main problem seems to be lack of the essential's. I get paid on the 30th so my brain tell's be this shouldn't be too hard, i've just got myself in a flap. It's things like what im going to give the kids for breakfast and packed lunches thats got me upset and now i can't see anything straight. I have £0.84p in my purse.

Protien.

Fresh - 1 whole chicken, pk Chicken thighs, 12 eggs
Tinned/packets - 3 tins Tuna, lentils, 2 tins haricot beans, 3 tins baked beans.
Frozen - 1 whole Chicken, Diced Lamb, Chicken Breast fillets, sausages, minced beef.

Veg

Fresh - 1 cabbage, 2 butternut squash, 1 aubergine, 3 sad looking carrots, 1/2 cucumber, 1/4 lettuce, 1 green pepper. lemons??, small pk cherry toms, 1 courgette.
Frozen - sweetcorn, peas, cauliflower, greenbeans, onion, mixed peppers.

Carbs. (ok heres where i struggle)

oats, 1 meals worth of pasta, 1 meals worth of rice, breakfast cereal (but no milk), Frozen SC and puff pastry, 2 sweet potatos, 3 normal potato's.

I've also got various herbs etc and some bits for baking and some other odds and ends but i'd be here all day listing it all.

Good morning Ellie, how are you this morning?

This may sound harsh, and it's not meant to be, but if we're going to help you plan properly, we really do need to know everything you've got in. If you could just go back and edit this post and add all the baking and other miscellaneous stuff, I'll be able to suggest more things you can make

EllieA_3

Morning.

Nope no cheese, and there isn't anything going on for the rest of the month where any of us are likely to get fed. I'm going to have a hunt around today see if i can find any hidden/lost money around the house.

So far i've got this planned.

• 20th
  • Breakfast - Porridge
  • Lunch -
  • Dinner - Chicken/veg/Yorkshire pud and Sweetpotato
• 21st
  • Breakfast - Orange/Nut Breakfast Muffins
  • Lunch - Chicken and Butternut Soup / quiche /Salad
  • Dinner - Chicken/butternut Curry and Rice
• 22nd
  • Breakfast - Pancakes
  • Lunch - Leftover Chicken Curry and Rice / Pasta Salad
  • Dinner - Lamb stew and dumplings
• 23rd
  • Breakfast - Orange/Nut Breakfast Muffins
  • Lunch - Pasta Salad / Chicken and Butternut Soup
  • Dinner - Lamb stew and dumplings
• 24th
  • Breakfast - Pancakes
  • Lunch - Cold Savory Rice / Chicken Lentil Soup
  • Dinner - Sausage and Beans filled yorkshire pud
• 25th
  • Breakfast - Porridge
  • Lunch - Cold Savory Rice / Chicken Lentil Soup
  • Dinner - Beef and Aubergine pasta bake
• 26th
  • Breakfast - Pancakes
  • Lunch - Quiche (for kids)
  • Dinner - toad in the hole
• 27th
  • Breakfast -
  • Lunch -
  • Dinner - Chicken/Veg/sweet potatos/yorkshires
• 28th
  • Breakfast -
  • Lunch - Chicken Soup (for adults)
  • Dinner - Beef and Aubergine pasta bake
• 29th
  • Breakfast - Porridge
  • Lunch - Chicken Soup (for adults)
  • Dinner - Chicken Cassarole/potato
• 30th
  • Breakfast -
  • Lunch - Payday!! buy something
  • Dinner - Payday!! buy something

I like the idea of Pasties for using up some pastry for the kids lunch box's but i'd need a recipe.

I'f i make this lot all i'll basically have left is : -

2 tins Tuna, about 2 eggs, 2 tin haricot beans, 1 tin baked beans, 2 chicken breast fillets

Frozen - sweetcorn, peas, cauliflower, greenbeans, onion, mixed peppers

breakfast cereal (but no milk), Frozen SC and puff pastry

... If i was to borrow/find £10 what would you buy to fill the gaps??

Right now my concern's are that the kids lunch box's are quite empty, i can make a cake so a main dish and cake shouldn't be too bad, but tbh due to the amount of pasta i have things like the savory rice/pasta salad arn't likely to be big portions. Tbh i think i may be kidding myself when i say i have enough rice/pasta to do what i've listed.

Also there are still quite a few empty gaps.

what do you think?

EllieA_3

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

Good morning Ellie, how are you this morning?

This may sound harsh, and it's not meant to be, but if we're going to help you plan properly, we really do need to know everything you've got in. If you could just go back and edit this post and add all the baking and other miscellaneous stuff, I'll be able to suggest more things you can make

Ops ok i'll go back and do that.

Dave_liverpool

Hi,
Would your work not give you a small advance on your wages? Mine have when an unexpected bill has landed (or early) they then deduct it on payday. Make it small enough to not harm your pay packet.

I'd spend any extra money you have on milk powder, it goes further, and some cheese.


daves wife x

Penelope_Penguin

EllieA wrote: »

Also there are still quite a few empty gaps.

what do you think?

You've done really well :T Does your plan use up most of the food you have in, do you think? If so, I don;t think there's anything for it but to get a loan from somewhere. Your children might actually be pleased to help mum and dad

Other suggestions to get food:

• Freecycle sometimes has odd tins and stuff
• Foraging
• Offering to assist someone at their allotment in return for produce

I'm afraid that I've had to delete a couple of posts offering help directly. This is a lovley thought, but against the Forum Rules as it would need personal details to be exchanged.

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: For legal reasons I have to discourage swapping, buying and selling on the forum (please see this rule). While it can be a very useful way of saving money it relies on a certain amount of trust between members and as such can cause problems (and has in the past). If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="%20abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

Bitsy_Beans

I think you've gone really well Ellie.
I would borrow a little money to supplement the items you need to ie rice and pasta.
If you're not sure where the cheapest place to buy the items you need check out mysupermarket.com - they have the big 4 on there and you can compare directly.
My gut feeling is if you can get some reduced bread and freeze (since you say your breadmaking skills aren't up to much), some dried milk powder (Sainsbury's do their own Basics version) and perhaps some cheese for kids sandwiches? I use Sainsbury's Basic Pasta (32p for 500g) and their Basics Rice (can't remember the price).

Some pasty recipes here:

http://www.cookuk.co.uk/vegetarian/Cheese_Onion_Potato_Pasty.htm
http://www.cookuk.co.uk/meat/beef/CornishPastyRecipe.htm
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/vegetable-pasties/Detail.aspx
http://hubpages.com/hub/Easy-Pasties

I've only done a quick search but hope these give you some inspiration.

EllieA_3

I've edited the food list on the front to add in all the extra bits baking stuff etc.

I do think other than perhaps anything i could bake i've exhusted most of the food, Im gonna go off and scout out pockets now

muddlemess

I've been exactly the same this month, have managed to scrape £3 together to buy some strong bread flour, dried yeast and lard/butter so I can make bread and pastry (it's amazing what you can find in old hand bags...)
One thing I've made this month which have gone down a treat are tuna fishcakes made with tinned tuna, mash potatoe and onion. I work full time and pre-made them they were delicious, I didn't have any bread crumbs so litterally just plonked them on the baking tray, very gooey, and baked them, we had them with baked beans, we had fruit for pud so hey presto a very balanced meal which my famil loved!
Good luck, not tried making bread yet but will be later today ready for pack ups in the morning!

Not sure which supermarket you have near you but just looked on tesco website and they sell value UHT milk, skimmed, which I have been lead to beleive doesn't taste funny, 1ltr for 49p, at least you will have some calcium in your diet and would solve the problem of cereals!
Hope this helps...If you don't want to borrow money from your parents could go round and borrow a pint of milk? my mum's always lending things...

[Deleted User]

Hi Ellie, I feel for you dear, as we have all been there at some time or another .It seems sometimes that everything is against you, and you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, but trust me you will get through it .You have done so well so far, and have only another 10 days to go.As a previous poster said borrow from the kids accounts as its important that they eat today and tomorrow ,pay it back as soon as you are able, but feeding them and yourself and OH is your first priority.
Back in the early 1990s my DD and OH went through a real bad patch,unemployment and the threat of repossesion, and she wouldn't say to me how tough it was, but I found out accidently .I knew she wouldn't take any cash help from us so I just went to sainsbobs and got 4 carrier bags of food and dropped them off at her house .She couldn't argue as I wasn't going to take them back home to my house and she managed to get through.Her children then were small and I said its not for you its for the kids .I bet your Mum would be the same .All Mums worry about their children no matter how big or old they get My two are 40 & 42 but I still worry about them at times .You sound like a really caring Mum so let your own Mum give you a little bit of care.Even if its only a few groceries and odds and ends
Good luck my dear we are all rooting for you
JackieO
p.s. I too have been brassic and terrified that there was too much month left before the end of the month and I'm still here :)