Our attempt at being MF!!

lulabelle1

How did the viewing/s go? Fingers crossed for you.....
Very inspired by the amount you spend on your food shopping. What are your favourite family meals? (looking for some ideas!!)

CathT

atypicalblonde wrote: »

Hi CathT, your diary is on my must-read-when-I-get-some-spare-time list! How old are your children? Mine are still really small (3 years old and 19 months), but I am already looking forward to the day we can dust off my old Roald Dahl books for them, not to mention my Judy Blume books for DD! xx

Hi ATB, mine are 7 and 4 so have a much bigger age gap. I do wonder where the time is going though! Dd reading for pleasure didn't go so well, she drank her hot chocolate and no reading was done by her. She doesn't seem to have discovered reading for pleasure

norfolkdream wrote: »

I was trying the cupboard challenge but I found the kids couldnt cope with hardly having anything in! (that they liked anyway) And I go through stages of bulk cooking in the slow cooker then cant be bothered to do it before work. Its tiring being organised all the time lol

We tend to eat a lot of the same meals, I do think it's easier when children are small though. It is getting close to slow cooker weather though, sausage casserole is always a good one?

smallholdingsister wrote: »

Very impressed that your house stayed tidy between viewings.

It wasn't without its stresses SHS, it was easier to go out a couple of hours before the viewing or I would have just gone round in circles tidying otherwise!

CathT

lulabelle1 wrote: »

How did the viewing/s go? Fingers crossed for you.....
Very inspired by the amount you spend on your food shopping. What are your favourite family meals? (looking for some ideas!!)

Hi Lula, thank you. Getting feedback tomorrow. I have a good feeling though so hoping not to be disappointed if feedback not what we are hoping for. Re: food shopping we cook from scratch mostly and are good at making meals stretch. The children eat small adult sized portions so it is a challenge! We enjoy homemade curry, lasagne, pasta and bolognaise, roast dinners and carbonara mostly. We have started having our meat delivered and a £35 deal lasts all month. We eat meat most days so we are definitely getting a lot of our money.

norfolkdream

We love saus cass, its a family favourite. Just watched eat well for less and got some more ideas (that my DS prob wont like) The family were eating the same thing on the same day each week, how boring. spending £200 a week for four, I dont even spend that a month for 3.

CathT

Well it's been a good weekend, didn't go too quickly and we did some nice things. DS had swimming, house had a viewing, trip to the park then today I got a PB (54:43) at a 10k race and we went for lunch with friends. I felt it was money we shouldn't spend but we can't go through life saying no to everything that costs money. So, £30 spent, children loved it and friendship strengthened.

I did sell some toys just before we went so the £20 we made offset much of the cost. side of the house looks tidier too!

£40 food challenge begins. Spent £8.10 yesterday and will draw out remaining cash on Tuesday. Rough meal plan done for next two weeks to demonstrate we actually need to buy very little.

Have also been consciously trying to cut down on caffeine, had 3 cups today when in the last week I have still been having 4. Plan is to give up completely and switch to de-caff and try fruity teas (don't like tea!) does mean I've drunk a lot more water today too.

Fingers crossed for good house feedback!

HelenDaveKids

well done on PB. We haven't made it through the 60 barrier yet so well impressed.

CathT

Thanks Helen, wanted sub 55 so am pleased. Ran with friends initially but they did it in just over 50! Not sure how I could have run any faster! Tempted to enter another HM now.

newgirly

Well done on the pb cath :T

HelenDaveKids

The 10 miler was a nice distance, like a compromise. We really fancy doing a HM overseas.

lulabelle1

Did you get any feedback/an offer yet?

I watched the eat well for less programme too - the thing that frustrates me is that we do everything that they recommend.... we shop in Aldi every week and then go to Mr T afterwards for the things we can't get in Mr T.... we never buy brands (well, just a few items, but not that much), we look for offers, cook from scratch and don't really eat like oinks, yet we spend an absolute fortune. Shaking head and shrugging shoulders over here!!