I'm eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge

Lynsey

Afternoon all, hope all are well.
Welcome to MSE Mockingjay1 and to the thread to both you and Towser.
As Edwardia says, it is chat really and we all help and motivate each other ............ well we try. A bit like "Loose Women". lol

Edwardia - yes, frugal to the end and although NO budget next year, I'm going to impress Kirri and empty/ish a freezer. To be honest, I would love to have no food in freezers and cupboards and start afresh .................... I think that what was intended initially with this thread.

NSD yesterday, but did buy a bottle of Rose (Tempranillo) for only £3 from the Co-op. We did go to Ikea and I bought some bits - candles are cheap. We also ate out.
The rain and wind yesterday caused a leak in our porch and hubby did offer to put his waterproofs on .............................. and hold the ladder for me while I knocked the lead flashing back in!!
Seriously though, HE has sorted in today, though the lead flashing needs replaced come Spring.

Done shopping early and bought the turkey joint from Sainsbury's and bought bacon, butter, pate and cashew nuts (half-price @ £2.25 for 350g?). £17.25 spend there when coupons came off.
Also bought some dips, mince pies and fresh cream fill puff mince pies from Morries - £3.19 spent there and £20.44 for the day ................... so far.
Not a lot needed now apart from fruit and veg, cream, milk and more crackers and perhaps some more crisps. I'll check Aldi tomorrow to look at their Xmas stuff/goodies.

Lynsey

ms_night_ryder

Im feeling less angry, thought I'd cheer myself up by dropping a food donation to.salvation army, didnt help my mood, but realised, so what I'm not getting paid until after christmas, but I do have a roof over my head, I have a family to spend christmas with and there will be tons of food qnd I get to bake Cupcakes with my god daughter who is excited and boring her mum with the Christmas eve Cupcake story, lol she's 6. I have most presents sorted, I can easily survive on the food I have in f&f and then some would have to go a bit vegetarian but hey, I get to celebrate my cousins 30th with her, there will be loads of food and i get to spend nye partying with my cousins, its not so bad, I did spend the night crying, as i was wondering how the hell i would pay my rent and all the direct debit charges I could possibly face, but I have changed my dd for rent and phone bill until after i get paid, so its not so bad, I will eat very well over the next week or so, probably won't cook much, I always get leftovers .

Life is not perfect and i may not have much money, but there are homeless people out there with no family, writing this has cheered me up and made me sad, I really wish I had a mum, she died when i was 6, so never experienced what it was like really, saying that my aunt and grandma have been there.

Just had some Icecream, unsure what dinner will be, not really eating much lately. Prob POP back later with dinner details lol.

Kirri

^ I would be SERIOUSLY impressed if you get to an empty freezer stage, Lynsey I will get there in the next few months!! Was your OH trying to get you back with the porch repairs for making him go shopping so much this year?!

I've had the lovely organic competition win hamper delivered this morning, mince pies, chocs, cheeses, drink, biscuits, chutney etc. I also went to Holland & Barrett for a few vegan bits as everything is on a buy one get one half price offer (got vegan gammon roast, hope it's not strange!) and Asda to get a few bits whilst passing, wasn't too busy, their loose clementines with leaves are 50p/kg cheaper than anywhere else. Went to Waitrose yesterday as well to get lots of things I can't get elsewhere and Sainsbury's a couple of days before. My kitchen is a bit untidy now but I didn't really buy much in any of the shops. I've managed to eat the salted nuts 'for Christmas' 3 times now, not sure I should replace them again... I didn't really intend buying any Christmas food shopping...

But maybe need more nuts, crisps and a tree... oh and some presents but having to keep them very small due to lack of spends so makes it difficult to know what to get as anything I spend comes out of what I have set aside for food... Might venture to Co-op for a change this weekend and poss M&S on Monday for some salad.

Lynsey

ms_night_ryder - bless you.
Hope your cash-flow doesn't spoil things, though you have posted quite a few positives there.

The BAY FOODBANK we donated to on Tuesday have done really well and with some BIG donations. I thought our last drop off was quite a bit, but hardy showed amongst all the other donations, which is good really. I don't think this foodbank will suffer as it's supported by businesses, Churches and of course the general public and even the supermarkets.
Sad that those in the UK need to turn to foodbanks though!! Another gripe I'll not expand on.

Kirri - I WILL impress you, I'll clear a freezer before the end of March at the latest ...................... before starting to buy and fill it again. I'm NOT even bothered about Xmas "whoopsies" this year, even though you can amass great bargains to get you through. In fact next year my shopping visits will fall and I'll be good. lol

Just waiting for my Son to call and give an idea when he'll be home. He's dropping his girlfriend off at Leeds first.
Hubby is making a stir fry for himself and Son, I'm having fish and chips from the freezer.

Time you wish you all on this thread all the very best wishes over the Xmas period. Have a great festive time with family and friends.
Thanks for the support and fun.

:xmastree: :xmastree: :xmastree: :xmastree: :xmastree: :xmastree:

Lynsey

Welsh_Poppy

ms_night_ryder

I know my husband lost his grandmother when he was 11 who was his mum and how devastated this left him and still affects him.It is so young for you to lose your mum.

Wow busy day we went back out and spent a fortune around £50 but I blame husband he is not very frugal at all!!! but that is it apart from reduced goodies on Christmas eve.
Then my friend gave us fresh Chicken breasts 6 of them so had to fit in freezer but they look lovely.

Towser

Thank-you Lyndsey.

This thread is basically hoarding food as far as I can see in your freezer. I didn't fancy reading all 377 pages!

I have just finished watching the Hoarder at Christmas and has frightened the life out of me. Somebody please give me hard and fast rules on how to empty freezer or to stop hoarding. I am finding it really difficult at the moment. What's the best website where you enter your three types of food you want to use up and it comes up with a recipe?

I really don't want to eat out of date and freezer burn food. I need to get a grip as there is clutter all over our house and don't want to turn into one of those extreme hoarders.

Thank goodness I only have one under the counter sized freezer for a family of four. All the money you save on whoopsies means you must be loosing on electricity keeping your freezer going?


As always cutting back not cutting out.

Lynsey

Towser wrote: »

This thread is basically hoarding food as far as I can see in your freezer............................................

Thank goodness I only have one under the counter sized freezer for a family of four. All the money you save on whoopsies means you must be loosing on electricity keeping your freezer going?

For myself, around this time last year there was talk of an "annual budget", so I set my budget and planned to eat out of cupboards and freezers within my budget. The budget has gone so well, thanks to "whoopsies" and the use of coupons etc, that I've ended up with almost the same amount in the freezers and more stuff in the cupboards.
I don't think that freezers cost that much to run (60p per week maybe), so getting 70%+ off meat etc is really worthwhile.
There has to be a balance though and hopefully I'll find that balance better next year when the pressure is off by having no budget.
My "logic" this year has been to get as much cheap stuff as possible to take away any pressure. Though it's no longer needed as well in budget and will save approx £300 more than planned.
But the title is misleading now and is an old thread - maybe time to start another one, even a monthly thread??

BTW - hoarding can be addictive!!

*** Son home safely and has lost quite a bit of weight ....................... probably be put back on before he leaves the way he's ate tonight though. lol

Lynsey

Towser

Thank-you Lynsey. Your budget is amazing how many people is it for?

I was overspending and now want to go other way to empty my house in every aspect not just food.

As always cutting back not cutting out.

Lynsey

Towser wrote: »

Thank-you Lynsey. Your budget is amazing how many people is it for?

I was overspending and now want to go other way to empty my house in every aspect not just food.

As always cutting back not cutting out.

It's just for the 2 of us, Son is home for Xmas only. Food and what's in sig only. No household items in the budget, just wanted to cut back on food spends. I have cut back money-wise, but not on the amount bought.

Good luck, I've spent far less this year by keeping OFF the Grabbit board.

Lynsey

Lynsey

Afternoon all.

Been shopping and got all the veg and some fruit - tot up spends later.
Lidl have chantenay carrots for only 60p (500g).
Both Lidla and Aldi are open until 10pm and staff reckon it's very, very quiet late on.

Off shopping in Newcastle city centre with Son. Hope we get parked!!

I'm just snacking today, hubby and Son are having a veggie curry.

Lynsey