Where do we go from basics?

bluebag

threemuttleys wrote: »

thanks guys..I do try...but things are getting so tight, and if its a choice between having enough money to keep him happy and fed, then Im happy to just drink tea...could do with losing my baby weight anyway.

I will check the benefits site and see what that suggests. thank you

Bless you, tht reminds me of my mum who when we were little was often on a 'diet' and didn't have a meal with us, but always scarfed anything that was left over. I didn't realise until I was an adult that in reality there wasn't enough food.:(

It isn't good for you to miss meals, homemade soups can be made for very little money and sometimes out of things that you would throw out, potato peels, broccoli stalks, onion skins, chicken bones, bacon rinds and that sort of thing, it's amazing what you can cobble together in a slow cooker.

You can made dumplings fronm cheap self raising flour, salt and pepper and a little milk or water. Just add them to boiling soup and simmer for 10 mins.

Add some value bread and it is at least filling and nutritious.

Hope things get easier for you and indeed all of us that are struggling to manage.

Gigervamp

rigsby1967 wrote: »

Aww that's really nice bless him, and you, for giving him the company he obviously wants.
That reminded me actually, for any of you who have hens (like i have), I give some eggs away to close friends and 1 free cycler i have come to know, but any surplus, i take to work and sell for 75p per half dozen;), they always sell and i'm always told how much better they are than shop bought free range eggs and so much cheaper to:T, so while my girls are my pets and quite obviously need feeding, i still get a little money towards thier food and eggs in various forms in my diet as well:D;).

rigs

That's what we do. We sell ours for £1 a box and put the money in a pot which then pays for the layers pellets and corn. Everybody raves about how good they taste (hubby's uncle said they tasted like eggs used to taste).

bargainhunterss

patchwork_cat wrote: »

I know what you mean when it is 5 for £4. They are never enough though are they? If you bought £4 of food for cooking from scratch it would be a bigger meal, but the extras like, oil, seasoning etc. etc. add up!

i know what you mean! it might be nice to have a jacket spud or something along those lines to bulk out a meal like that. i've done that before with weight watchers meals before when i wasn't religiously counting points.

donnajt

patchwork_cat wrote: »

I know what you mean when it is 5 for £4. They are never enough though are they? If you bought £4 of food for cooking from scratch it would be a bigger meal, but the extras like, oil, seasoning etc. etc. add up!

they taste awful too! whenever DD goes to play and dinner after school with a friend she always comes homes hungry cos dinner is a ready lasagne or the like and in her words "gross and slimy"

donnajt

the_cat wrote: »

That would be fab!! I don't think one exists though

I'm going into Southend tomorrow and there used to be a scoop shop there - will investigate and report back if you like. Where abouts is the hairdressing college you go to - it might be ok for me as we seem to live fairly close

Thanks for the info on barleylands - aa route planner says it about a 20 minute drive - would you reckon it worthwhile to spend 40 minutes worth of petrol to buy there or would that offset any saving?

Blimey I am terrified now!!! lol!! Being a non driver I have no idea how much it would cost in petrol...also depends on what you want to buy, i tried to find a receipt so i could type it for you to give you an idea of costs/produce, if you want to buy lots of fruit and veg esp pots onions etc, then go for it - if you are just going over for the sake of it no def not. A couple of my friends take turns twice a month to go, they then buy potatoes, onions and things like swedes that have been 3 for £1 (massive they are too) and split them to save on money also the trays of eggs

as for hairdressing college - i can't think what the roundabout it caused, i'm thinking timberlog lane but not sure if i have that right, my hairdresser works there so i will ask her when i next have my hair done

the_cat

Ah don't worry sounds like it might be a bit too far to make it worthwhile - thanks for replying anyway:D

charlies-aunt

Try the local market around closing time on a Saturday afternoon for fresh meat, veggies and fruit and try to be brassfaced and haggle - they want to sell it and at that time are usually up to any offers.

Slowcookers are good for making a little go a long way - bulking out stews and soups & eating with dumplings/baked spuds or chunks of bread.

TudorRose

I went to a nearby town today with a friend for the first time in about 6 months & was surprised to find that the scoop shop there had closed. It's been there for longer than I can remeber so things must be hard when a long established shop like that closes down.

We did a trawl of the numerous charity shops & much of what was on offer was expensive or tat. Went into Matalan & stuff on their 1/2 price rails was better value than the CS shops.

I am on my own & I am always looking to save money as have a limited income like most on here. I always think that at least I am not trying to feed a family nowadays. It was hard enough in the 80's & 90's but sems worst now.

I try hard not to think about how things will pan out in the next few years but if I do I get worried thinking about how I am going to look after myself with not much hope of upping my income.

dandy-candy

I visit car boot sales and although I have never bought clothes at one, the rails are all poster up with "Any item 50p" when I have gone - and they do a roaring trade too. Charity shops are ridiculously overpriced, especially Oxfam - they charge more for used Primark clothes than the original selling price!

donnajt

the_cat wrote: »

Ah don't worry sounds like it might be a bit too far to make it worthwhile - thanks for replying anyway:D

doh! just realised i gave you wrong Facebook name - its Barleylands Farm Shop, if u have fb have a look as it gives us an idea of what they offer