How much do you live on per month?

ani_26

Just read the whole thread now. Its very interesting, especially the sense of looking down ones nose. Sometimes beggars can't be choosers. I don't choose to live my life like this, although i suppose you could say i did, because i'm the one who got into debt.


In answer to Lucy's question, yes, it does become a way of life. Well, it has to me, anyway. I don't particularly want to live like this for the rest of my life. I've forgotten what its like to go into any shop and buy anything that takes my fancy.

Like its been said previously, each meal is a surprise. Whatever is being sold off for 10p, 20p 30p etc. This does'nt neccessarily mean low quality food. I buy alot of fresh fruit and veg for next to nothing. Things that other people turn their noses up at, because its got the same day sell by date on. Nothing wrong with it. Perfectly ok. Someone gave me this tip, too. I went to a local greengrocers and got the closest thing to a hessian bag, ( which is how we used to store veg ), in the ' olden days ' . By putting my fruit and veg in there, it prolongs the life, considerably.Take it out of the plastic bags that everything comes in, nowadays. I rarely eat meat, anyway, but occasionally i'll but something if its reduced. I do eat alot of fish, and until i moved, i always had my freezer stocked with fish. M*'s were great for selling two portions of fresh smoked haddock for 25p. Obviously no one else likes haddock, except me Sadly i don't have a freezer anymore, so i've had to change my ways, somewhat, and can't stock up on bargains anymore. But at least i get chance to call into whatever supermarket i'm near on any given day, both in the morning and the evening, to see what i can pick up, that day.


As for doing your food shopping on the internet, this i've never done. If you think about it, you are going to get all the fresh products with the shortest sell by dates on, from the front of the shelf. I always choose products with the longest sell by dates, ( and always have done ), on the rare occasions i'm buying something thats not reduced. I've heard so many complaints from people who do their food shopping , online.


Yes, on balance it will be a good feeling when i get to the stage where i don't have to count pennies when shopping, ( i used up all my 5p's to pay for my bread yesterday ). Its all extreme at the moment, and i don't remember the last time i bought clothes, but when i do, its from charity shops, and yes, i am a bit fed up of the comments people at work make about my clothes. However, they are not walking in my shoes.


As for a social fund. I have'nt socialised with people for years. I've almost completly cut myself off. Its embarrasing going out with people, when you don't even have the money for a pint, and they are talking about holidays etc. Well, theres no point, if you don't have the money for a drink. Yes i'm well aware, they are lots of free entertainments, ie visits to the museum, walking, etc, and its possible to have a cheap holiday ' break ' .


I still think there are lots of people out there, in today's soceity, that can't comprehend when someone says they have no money in their bank account or wallet, they really DON'T have money in their bank account or wallet, and how that actually makes you feel. Maybe i'm becoming immune to it now, because i've become accustomed to the feeling, for so long, now.

Theres only one way, and thats upwards, and we should all be thankful and appreciate what we have, as there is always some one worse off than ourselves, ( os so they say )...............

Lucy1010

Nohope wrote: »

As for a social fund. I have'nt socialised with people for years. I've almost completly cut myself off. Its embarrasing going out with people, when you don't even have the money for a pint, and they are talking about holidays etc. Well, theres no point, if you don't have the money for a drink. Yes i'm well aware, they are lots of free entertainments, ie visits to the museum, walking, etc, and its possible to have a cheap holiday ' break ' .

Ahhh but that is sad to cut yourself off from people. This is why I asked the question recently "Are people happy?"

7roland8

Hi Nohope -I do shopping online with Tesco (can't get to shops) - cheapest delivery is £3 and I do a fortngihly one. BUT you do miss out on all the reduced items - but perhaps if it keeps people to a budget and you know the total before you pay it might help someone.
Re socialising - I can see buying drinks would cost - evn if only one. How about some groups - ones that meet for walks etc - like ramblers? That way they prbably take their own lunches etc so would not cost much (if anything).

frugalqueen_2

Hello everyone, It's been a while since I walked into the forum and I thought I would let you know about my budget.

Due to the increases in costs of travelling to work, we have even less money each month, and our water bills are also increasing.

I have a budget of £200 a month for the two of us. Our friend cuts our hair for free. We make extra money by going to jumble sales and then selling on ebay to have a fund for car tax, clothes and household repairs. I cook from scratch, grow food and forage. I also work 70 hours a week as the head of English in a local secondary school. Our £200 buys what we need from charity shops,car boot sales and jumble sales. We ration everything to make what we have last. I will be debt free in 2012 and we do what ever we can to get debt free. We got rid of credit cards in 2009 and have not had a holiday since 2008. I've discovered, that I can live on next to nothing. I've more than halved my household bills and my clothing and shoe costs are £150 (from my £200 a month budget and put in sep. account) each a year. If we go out, we always take a flask and homemade food. I stock pile jam, chutneys etc made from foraged fruit. we heat the house with scrap wood we get from builders skips (always ask) and I make all the christmas and birthday presents, we use the library, freecycle (I now have two dysons, a single bed, a coffee table, puffee, arm chair and curtains from there) and we socialise at home and friends homes by eating with each other, we are also active in our community and have lots of friends and socialising. I have halved my debts from £45K now down to £21K and we'lls oon be debt free! It's worth it in the long run. Read my story by googling my user name xxFrugalqueen

Lucy1010

I have taken lots of advice... I spent £7.00 on my weekly shop today and I managed it in my fave supermarket too! (Tesco)

Thanks guys!

[Deleted User]

Lucy1010 wrote: »

It does amaze me how many of you live on so little compared to me and yet I still don't manage. Are you people happy too?

Yes, I am happy, despite my disability, disadvantages etc...

The secret of happiness to be content with what you have at that moment. Stuff is just stuff and tbh I don't really want a lot of stuff cluttering up my life.

Yes, I wouldn't mind a few more £'s but only because I'd like to travel more - see more of the world. In my view experiences are what make up our lives, not how many DVDs we have.

The ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus wrote words to the effect of 'What we enjoy, not what we have, constitute our abundance' and his thoughts on what we needed for a happy life were these: We need shelter, warmth, clothes, good food and good company to share it with.

I'm very lucky, I have all these :rotfl:

painted_lady

I have really enjoyed reading through the last few pages of this thread. very interesting.

WASHER

MibsXX wrote: »

I keep my 4 yr old son and myself on just £23 per week for everything after rent and bills! This time last year I had a whole £31!
This scrimping living has been going on for some three years now, and with costs going up all the time I dread where we will be financially in 6 mths time!

This really is all I have left after paying rent, C/Tax, elec gas water, he gets all he requires, and thus I generally eat once per day for three days per week now, the rest of the time I just drink a lot of water to feel full!

I may even lose my part-time job due to inability to concentrate! Saw docs and he just blithely suggested that I eat more! WITH WHAT!

All I can say is, despite what the papers will insist on saying re single moms, it simply isnt the case that choosing to bring a life into the world is an easy option, I would not change this for the world, but do wish I had more to offer my son!

Thank the good being above for Freecycle is all I can say!

Have you checked you are getting everthing you are entitled too, check turn2us (use to be entitled.com) and see if you are getting everything you should. Are you servicing debts? If so, let us know and we can offer advice on how to repay them a lower amount.

Your health is really important, skipping meals isn't the way to go, I appreciate you only have a small amount of money left over, but why not pop over to the OS board, the ladies on there will come up with some meal planning ideas for you within your budget. They can almost work miracles over there.

Some really cheap meal ideas for you:

Jacket Potato with beans (1/2 tin) - day 1 (50P)
Pasta with tin of chopped tomatos stirred in (1/2 tin) - day 2 & day 7 - (approx 60P, if you use value pasta and tomatos)
Beans on toast (1/2 tin) - day 3 (30p)
HM carrot soup (really easy and very cheap) - day 5 and 6 (with bread) (60p)
Poached Egg on toast - day 4 (40p)

With the reminder of the bread you can make sandwiches for work, tesco value ham.

You could even buy a few pieces of fruit.

I have added this up to be £5.00 per week for you.

meal idea for you and your son: (is your son entitled to free school lunches?)

Beans on toast x 2 - day 1 (60p)
Sausages/mash/carrot x 2 - day 2/day 4 (80P each day) Tesco have cumberland sausages on half prices 8 for 98p, you could freeze half the pack, you can buy frozen sausages too even cheaper.
Egg and chips x 2- day 5 (60p)
fishfingers/chips/peas x 2 - day 3 (90p)
Fishfingers, mash and beans x 2 - day 6 (90p) - you can get quality fishcake half price.
Jacket Potato with Tuna x 2 (90p) If you use Tesco value Tuna

Factor in milk, Tesco value bread, a few pieces of fruit, Tesco value toliet rolls, Tesco value teabags,Daisy Kitchen Cleaner (47P), use it for the bathroom too!, Tesco Vlue Squash, you could do this for £10.60 per week, (I have just done it online with Tesco), you could get it cheaper at Lidl. The week after you could buy Tesco Value Soap powder and washing up liquid, as you have the frozen sausages , some eggs, some chips from the previous week, ( another meal for day 8). I'm not saying its easy or ideal, but at least you and your son has eaten.

Hope I have helped, my sister is a single mum who struggles too, I see it first hand what having very little money can do to your health and wellbeing, with careful planning my sister and her children can eat,not the healthiest of diets (in terms of little fruit and veg some weeks, when the bills are a little higher than she expected, but at least shes fed and watered, she will not take help from me either, Ive offered, but she is managing ok with charity shop finds for the children clothes, her clothes and her meal planning, I admire her really being able to do what she does with very little money, I have learnt alot.
WASHER.x.

ani_26

joolzred wrote: »

Yes, I am happy, despite my disability, disadvantages etc...

The secret of happiness to be content with what you have at that moment. Stuff is just stuff and tbh I don't really want a lot of stuff cluttering up my life.

Yes, I wouldn't mind a few more £'s but only because I'd like to travel more - see more of the world. In my view experiences are what make up our lives, not how many DVDs we have.

The ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus wrote words to the effect of 'What we enjoy, not what we have, constitute our abundance' and his thoughts on what we needed for a happy life were these: We need shelter, warmth, clothes, good food and good company to share it with.

I'm very lucky, I have all these :rotfl:

This is so true. I don't particulaly want or need anymore ' stuff '. I would'nt say i'm happy, who would be with the way things are at the moment. I'm still just existing, theres a sense of status quo. I've no idea how i'm going to get through next week. Maybe i'll have to change all my dd's,this week, and buy myself some time, as most of any money i'm owed seems to come in the second week of the month. I know i'll receive some pay soon, but not soon enough. Ah well. If i have'nt got it, i can't pay it.

Travel gave me food for thought, this morning. Try and conjure some good thoughts, to see me through this week, if nothing else.

mummyroysof3

i try to spend £350 on food and toiletries, nappies and pet stuff etc there is me hubby and 3 little ones, 2 cats and a guinea pig and some fish, then everything else i didnt used to have a budget as such just spend as little as possible and hope for the best but starting from this month we are trying to be better and set a budget, i payed the home insurance in full this month which i was really pleased with but i dont think there will be any savings