How much do you live on per month?

whiteguineapig

Nohope wrote: »

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 )...............

nohope, you mentioned you haven't got a freezer, you could check on your local freecycle site each day, i have seen them given away on there, and some people even offer to drop off for you

7roland8

Well I would say I am happy and content - even though on very low income, have c.c.debts and poor health which means I am virually hosuebound and very weak.
As someone said - life is being content with what you have not hankering after something else.
I have a warm home, food, family, pets, internet and phone to keep in touch with people and lots of interests.

Hereis a great quote

If thou wilt make a man happy, add not unto his riches but take away from his desires.
Epicurus


Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/e/epicurus.html#ixzz1FA99wdpf

YORKSHIRELASS

Money does not make you happy, and material things certainly dont.

However, not having much money can make life really hard, especially if you are constantly juggling to pay the bills and worrying in case something breaks or an unexpected bill arrives.

Would I be happier with no debts and a couple of grand in the bank? Of course I would, and thats why I keep on with my battle to become debt free in the next 2-3 years.

immoral_angeluk

I'm not a DFW anymore per se, but I still live to strict budgets as a matter of course. For 1 adult (and a boyfriend who regularly has dinner with us etc), 2 daughter 4 and 6, and a cat I budget:

£50pw for food/toiletries/cleaning stuff
£20-£25pw for petrol
£20 -money for trips out, etc

I do all my shopping at ASDA and usually get the cheaper brands bar a few things.

schoolrunmum

I spend waayy too much on food shopping,I know that, but I have to defend Aldi-we have one in East Grinstead and it's perfectly fine. Not smelly, not dirty, just fine. I use it very occasionally for a top up shop..but I do so hate the olympic speed scanners on the till!

foxgloves

Just thought I'd add my two pennorth about Lidl/Aldi. I'd describe both of us as 'foodies'. We both love cooking & I'm always experimenting with making preserves and stuff, in fact, probably ought to start own stall at farmers' market. We mostly use Co-op, as it's ethical & the dividend really seems to mount up, plus we had over £100 dividend bonus before Christmas which was very useful. We shop around though & get most of our fruit & veg at the local market. Anything else we can't get at the Co-op we get from Waitrose, usually the 'Essentials' range. As we always cook from scratch, I like a really good storecupboard and this is what we've found Lidl is really good for. Yesterday, we did a big storecupboard shop at Lidl and despite the trolley being piled so high we nearly had to go & get a 2nd one, the whole shop only came to £82. We bought multiples of tinned ingredients that we use a lot in cooking, such as tinned butterbeans, tomatoes, tomato puree, sweetcorn, mixed beans, bottles of olive oil, sunflower oil, lots of bread flour, tinned fish for packed lunches, etc, & loads of other stuff, such as bulk buys of loo rolls, cleaning stuff, dried red lentils, etc, etc. Our pantry is now absolutely heaving & there are the basis for many different meals there which will last us for months. I understand that in Germany, Lidl & Aldi are regarded more like Tesco & Sainsbury's....they are pretty mainstream. I feel no stigma whatsoever about shopping there. I feel absolutely as home pushing my trolley up & down the aisles at Lidl as I do at Waitrose. The Lidl Perlenbacher lager is on offer too at the moment. A £1 off, making it 6 x 500ml bottles for 4.99. Very good quality....partner prefers it to Stella. Agree that shopping around & remembering to look creatively at what's in the reduced bins is the best solution to getting best value for money. Also, planning menus in advance & sticking to your budget. Getting everything under one roof may save time, but I'm sure it benefits the big supermarkets overall more than it does us in the long run.

7roland8

Regarding fruit - I only buy online once a fortnight and don't get out - so I try and buy value bananas for the 1st week and then have value tinned peaches for the 2nd - or the Tesco breakfast juice which is about49p and will last 3 days.
The Tesco Value fruit seems quite good and won't go off if oyu don't use it!

Lucy1010

foxgloves wrote: »

I feel absolutely as home pushing my trolley up & down the aisles at Lidl as I do at Waitrose.

Interesting point you make here but for me there is a big difference...

I don't know where anything is in Lidl, I don't understand their logic... the pasta is in the same rack as hats and gloves or a random saucepan. I guess I want things to be easy, I must be a supermarket snob, I want to be happy when I am food shopping!

ani_26

whiteguineapig wrote: »

nohope, you mentioned you haven't got a freezer, you could check on your local freecycle site each day, i have seen them given away on there, and some people even offer to drop off for you

Thanks for that info. I've seen people talking about freecycle, but did'nt understand what they are talking about. So i just google freecycle in my area?. I don't have room for a freezer, to be honest, but maybe a small one, if such a thing exists? I will have a look. Do you have to be on benefits, to apply? I'm caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, at the moment.

Thanks whiteguineapig

ani_26

YORKSHIRELASS wrote: »

Money does not make you happy, and material things certainly dont.

However, not having much money can make life really hard, especially if you are constantly juggling to pay the bills and worrying in case something breaks or an unexpected bill arrives.

Would I be happier with no debts and a couple of grand in the bank? Of course I would, and thats why I keep on with my battle to become debt free in the next 2-3 years.

Thats exactly right YL.

Theres a fine line between having enough money to pay for ' essentials ' required in basic living, and poverty, or being on the breadline. If you can't afford bread, is this classed as being on the breadline? I guess so.

But i would never class myself as being in poverty, or on the breadline, as i run a car, ( i have to do, for work ), and maybe in a years time, i'll be able to buy a freezer, who knows?