Can you survive on £135pm?

MoneySpendingExpert2011

Thanks Doubtful

Am a veggie, which believe it or not seems to be a more expensive option.

Tixy

Well considering what you have said I would think that for you (and given your priorities/situation etc) that maybe the £135 is not sutainable long term. Certainly try it for a month or 2 and see how you get on.

I would think for most glasses/meds/mobile costs as essential and would budget for them before coming up with the left over figure available (I know the figures might be the same overall but then at least you are not working to something that you'll never achieve).
For me I would also put haircuts and clothes in that category (assuming that the budget is set at a low but achieveable figure).

Its up to each individual how much they are willing to cutback on to pay off their debts and its about weighing up priorities. I know some people cut back on everything to achieve their debt free goal, but for me that wouldn't be sustainable. I would rather have a TV licence and the ability to go out say once a month even if it means being in debt for a few months more overall.

Tixy

MoneySpendingExpert2011 wrote: »

Thanks Doubtful

Am a veggie, which believe it or not seems to be a more expensive option.

Interesting point. I do think it depends on what you buy. eg I know veggies who buy quorn burgers and similar ready meals or pre-prepared food which can end up costing a lot.
I'm veggie but I get a lot of my protein from chickpeas/pulses etc which can work out very cheap. Providing you cook from scratch then it can be done very cheaply (eg a cheap veggie curry with a tin of mixed beans, tin of chickpears, tinned toms and then various veg and rice will do me for maybe 4-5meals and overall cost per meal is very little and certainly less than someone who is putting meat into the same meal). I also make sure I get extra protein by using things like quinoa rather than grains with lower protein content.

Then for other protien things like cheese and eggs can be as expensive or as cheap as you are prepared to go for (cheese is expensive in my case as I don't/won't eat the very cheap blocks you can buy but it is possible to live very cheap if you want to or need to). Again looking on the oldstyle board should give you lots of ideas for cheap veggie meals, a big tip is to pick vegetables that are in season to keep costs down.

MoneySpendingExpert2011

Thanks Tixy

I just wanted to canvass some thoughts and see how realistic it is. I appreciate it tends to vary from person to person.

Realistically I would be looking at a budget of £160 pm (if I average the other items), and if I were to exclude those items then I am looking at a grocery budget of £75 (which on the face of it may seem high) and entertainment budget of £35.

Tixy

I don't think £75 is that high a grocery budget for an individual on a sustainable basis.
There are people who can manage on say £60 or so but usually if someone has say £80 on a statement of affairs they post on here then I don't think many people would suggest there was a lot of savings to be made. For a month or in an emergency you can certainly do less if required but to eat a healthy balanced diet long term then £75 is reasonable (in my opinion!).

MoneySpendingExpert2011

Tixy wrote: »

Interesting point. I do think it depends on what you buy. eg I know veggies who buy quorn burgers and similar ready meals or pre-prepared food which can end up costing a lot.
I'm veggie but I get a lot of my protein from chickpeas/pulses etc which can work out very cheap. Providing you cook from scratch then it can be done very cheaply (eg a cheap veggie curry with a tin of mixed beans, tin of chickpears, tinned toms and then various veg and rice will do me for maybe 4-5meals and overall cost per meal is very little and certainly less than someone who is putting meat into the same meal). I also make sure I get extra protein by using things like quinoa rather than grains with lower protein content.

Then for other protien things like cheese and eggs can be as expensive or as cheap as you are prepared to go for (cheese is expensive in my case as I don't/won't eat the very cheap blocks you can buy but it is possible to live very cheap if you want to or need to). Again looking on the oldstyle board should give you lots of ideas for cheap veggie meals, a big tip is to pick vegetables that are in season to keep costs down.

You have hit it on the head for me, I buy a lot of quorn (mince, pieces etc but also sausages etc) which can be painfully expensive. For example, I got Cauldron Cumberland sausages the other day £2.10 for 6 :eek:, I try to stock up when things are on offer but freezer space is limited.

I also eat a lot of fresh fruits, I can assure that it is very expensive! Crappiest bananas are about 11p to 15p each! The list just goes on!

Lets not even start on the milk and cheese!

Doubtful_Guest

Quorn is so expensive. How about TVP for things like chilli/curry/bolognese ? I used to buy it in bulk from GoodnessDirect but I imagine there will be load of places you can get it cheap in London.

Also, 'ethnic' shops round here do big bags of pulses and grains for really cheap. Like cornmeal with is about half the price of polenta at the supermarket but just the same. We buy big bags of popping corn for less than a pound and it lasts us for ages. A big bowl of hot, salty popcorn is much nicer than a bag of crisps and costs hardly anything.

Regards prescriptions, have you checked if it would be cheaper to get a prepayment prescription at all ? And your glasses prescription should only need changed every two years unless there's a special reason. Keep your old frames, just get the lenses changed.
With the dentist, this might sound daft but have you tried the university dental schools ? I got treated at the one near us by final year dental students, they were extremely careful and kind, perhaps because they were being marked by a tutor. And it was free.

MoneySpendingExpert2011

Thanks Doubtful!

Will look into TVP as it does look like a cheaper option particularly as I am using Quorn mince right now for chilli / bolognese

ani_26

£135 pm is a huge amount of money to live on.

I would suggest the ethnic shops / areas too. There must be plenty of areas in London, chinese, indian , asian, with a wide choice of fresh fruit and veg, anything you want, at a fraction of the prices from the supermarket. Or try supermarkets first thing or last thing at night, and buy reduced items at a fraction of the normal price, and if you have the luxury of a freezer, you can bulk buy, make meals in bulk. How about bulk buying tofu, from a chinese supermarket? Mmmm

MoneySpendingExpert2011

Thanks for the reply Ani.

I now realise the mistake Tixy had mentioned. I actually have £110 pm not £135 (this includes cash earmarked for prescriptions, dental and glasses).

Going to the supermarket first thing in the morning and last thing, unfortunately, is not an option I leave home about 6.30-7 and don't come back till after 9.30. Thus, the only time I can do my shopping is on weekends.

There aren't many shops around where I live, a dozy little village / area in the suburbs of London. However, I will certainly explore the ethnic shops to see what bargains I can pick up