Walking the walk...

LivvyLoo_2

Hi Em,
Have you seen a thread on the OS boards about calculting your waste based on the cost of what you throw out?
I used to be so guilty of that, but now I base my meal plans on what goes out of date first. We used to do the same as you with the chicken breast, on a good week we would make sarnies out of the legs too but that was when I was half heartedly saving money.

DD wastes so much, a bite out of an apple and she doesnt want anymore grrrr.

Have a great weekend xx

E2006

Hi Livvyloo,

My DS is exactly the same, he wastes loads, and like your DD, has a few bites out of fruit and wastes the rest. Thankfully my DH is a wastebin and finishes most of DS's half eaten meals

I havent seen that thread - I must have a look. Im much better these days but Ive just thrown a bag of wasted food out today. Im so cross about it! I just havent been as vigilent this week. I threw half a tub of coleslaw, a full green pepper that had gone awful, half a bag of carrots that had gone off, half a tin of sp custard that wasnt finished by DH (the only one who likes it) and a few slices of bread - again DH's. Mine and DS's goes in the freezer but DH takes his out, puts it in the cupboard then half is wasted when it goes mouldy! To some that wont seem like much, but to me its such a waste. My aim this week is to end the week with either an empty fridge, or only with things that will carry into next weeks meal plan.

x

E2006

Morning,

I have a little bit of a headache this morning. We went out to a family function last night and I had a few glasses of wine. Im such a lightweight these days, so despite coming home and ending the night with a cuppa and some toast, its still affected me. We managed to get a lift there and back though so that was a good result, and the bar wasnt too expensive so we didnt end up spending much for a good night out.

I did my food shop yesterday in Al**. Im getting so much better at getting the majority of my shopping there. It came to £26, but I have enough bits for DS's packed lunch to last next week too and I bought loads of fruit that was 69p per pack, because we go through loads when we are at work. Ive found that it works out cheaper in the longrun to buy it in bulk at the beginning of the week, rather than enough for a few days, because when I go back for the top up I end up spending money on other things. I couldnt get weetabix though as they had sold out so I will need to pop into Mr A for that later today.

A few weeks ago I planned to do a month of slimming world to get back on track. Earlier this year I joined a group and lost 13lbs, but I stopped going - I just couldnt justify paying £5 per week to be weighed, especially as I had fallen off the sw wagon and paying to be weighed wasnt enough to get me back on the plan. Although I planned to do it alone I havent yet. Im slowly putting back on what I lost earler this year so have that, plus a bit more to loose. I got weighed yesterday in boots, and plan to go every Friday, and I going to try to go it alone on slimming world. The meal plan this week therefore is both slimming world, and simple as its our first week back at work after a week off. Here goes:-

Sun: Sunday lunch (tea something lite)
Mon: Roast chicken (thighs), baby boiled pots, roast pots, mushy peas and carrots (yorkshires for the boys), (and chicken gravy from my syns)
Tue: Baked potatoes with cheese and beans
Wed: Chilli & rice (and wedges for DH)
Thur: Pork steaks, sw chips, poached eggs and beans
Fri: Turkey meatballs with tagliatelli in a tomato and garlic sauce
Sat: SW cheese burgers, with sw wedges (and garlic dip from my syns)

Breakfast, lunches and snacks: (b) Weetabix & a bananna, (s) cereal bar, (l) prawn or chicken salad, and grapes, (s) 2x clementines

I would be happy to lose 18lbs, but my ideal loss would be 25lbs. Im going to stick it on my signature and try to approach it like I do the DB'ing.

Have a great Sunday. x

E2006

Sunday again, work tomorrow. I went shopping yesterday and it was my cheapest week so far - only £9.64 I still have some meat in the freezer so need to use that up.

Yesterday I used a 500g pack of mince to make three large servings of shepherds pie, I also used a pack of the reduced turkey mince I bought to make 5 portions of chilli and rice for lunches during the week. I have some vegetables and want to make some veg soup but have used all of my tuppawear now (I have 10 frozen meals in total in the freezer). I may make it later in the week when I have freed up some space and tubs.

Meal plan this week is as follows:-
Sun: sunday lunch at in laws, tea, something light like a jacket and beans
Mon: Shepherds pie
Tue: Hm soup (from the freezer)
Wed: Jackets with cheese and beans
Thur: Shepherds pie (again)
Fri: Lasagna (from the freezer)

2 more weeks until payday . It seems forever away.

E2006

Morning,

I havent been on for a while. Im really struggling at the minute - not just the DB'ing, but alslo some personal stuff. Everythings ok, im just under some treatment, and I feel pretty rubbish and quite down.

As Christmas is approaching, Im struggling more and more with the budgeting. It just seems to be snowballing out of control. Anyway, Ive been paid today, and have managed to pay a chunk off the debt. But I just want it gone now! I feel like we are wading in quick sand at the minute in terms of getting rid of it - and I know thats not the case. I know we are (presently) luckier than some and able to reduce the amounts by a decent chunk every payday, but but its the whole budget situation that I cant get to grips with. My food and petrol budget seems to be gone in a matter of weeks, leaving at least 2 weeks of each month with next to nothing to live on - that then of course leads to using credit as a means of surviving. Ive tried relaxing the payment amounts to increase our available expenditure, but the same thing happened. It seems that no matter how much we have to spend it, its gone in the same short time. If I can get to grips with the budget and stick to it, then I will feel more in control. So once again - as I say every month, the focus this month is sticking to the budgets!

Em x

E2006

Im off work today as DS is poorly - full of cold and was up most of the night bless him. We're just chilling out, playing with toys and watching tv. I have a lamb casserole cooking away in the slow cooker, so thats dinner taken care of.

I ordered myself a top from next for a work night out this weekend. Im recycling a skirt Ive had for years, but needed a new top and it was only £26. The problem is, I ordered 2 sizes as I wasnt sure which would fit best, and they have only sent one, but the delivery note says they had sent both of them. I rang straight up and was told that they would look into it and come back to me. Im really chewed that they will say it has been sent. How can I prove I havent had it?

In terms of Christmas, Im almost finished buying (thankfully), I just need to finish off DH, and a few bits for my family. Ive wrapped most of it too, so Im much more organised than I would usually be.

Ive also booked DH's birthday party for January. It cost £50 for the hire of the room and a huge bouncy castle. All I need to do is catering (which should be easy for a group of 5 yr olds), and some party bags. Its worked out so much cheaper than paying by head and Im relieved its booked as I was worrying about what to do/where to go.

Ive been looking at my db plan for next year. I hope to pay off santander by March, and after that will concentrate on barclaycard. It will be so much easier having just one card to worry about. Im not sure yet if I will reduce the monthly payment to a more manageable amount (as after Xmas im going to be paying £1000 per month rather than £800) or whether to keep going at that rate for another few months. I guess I will look at circumstances then, and decide what is best. I just pray I still have a job.

E2006

Morning diary,

Just sounding out what Im going to do. Its 14 days until payday. I have £128 to last. Theoretically that should be enough, but, I have a couple of presents still to buy. Some of them can wait until my next payday (21st), but 2 need to be paid for now. One is a joint gift with my sister, she wants to get sorted now and I dont want to say that I cant afford to until payday (she doesnt know about the situation and I dont want her to). Now this might not be too bad as mum lowes me £37, so all I need to find is another £23 to make it up to the £60 I need. But then I have ordered a gift for DH which needs paying for, thats £55. I just cant pull that out of what is left, and Im not sure I can get away with waiting until 21st.

I should have enough food and only need to buy fresh (fruit and milk) next week, and maybe some loo roll and juice, but shouldnt cost a lot. I will then need £55 for petrol next week and then £30 for the few days before payday. So £85 petrol, maybe £15 for bits of food, so £100 is doable, if we have NSD's every day in between. Which means I can take the £23 from the surpless.

So all that leaves is DH's gift. I'll need to have a think about that one. The rest of the Christmas stuff can be bought on 21st December when Im paid, along with the Christmas food and drinks, and then thats the spending over (phew). I always budget for Christmas, but then feel out of control spending so much money in one go and in such a short space of time. Thankfully I bought quite a bit during the year so havent felt the bite quite as much as previous years. Still, next year I want to be even more organised.

E x