How on hells earth are we supposed to manage!

HappyMJ

embob74 wrote: »

Nope....can't find anywhere that a family of four can eat nutritionally well for £10 a week. I spend more than that on packed lunches! Each apple costs around 35p so multiplied by 4 that's £1.40 a day just in fruit.

Where do you get your apples? My apples cost 10p each. When they are on yellow sticker they are 5p each. Sainsburys....

BigAunty

embob74 wrote: »

Mmmm the recipes are so delicious too :rotfl:
I understand budgeting can be done if you have to but I'm sure most people would choose not to have porridge and houmous sandwiches every other day

My partner earns a fortune and has porridge most mornings (or bran flakes or toast) and houmous or cheese salad or sandwiches for most lunches. My diet is not radically different.

Often the bread is home-made. It's very easy to make home made hummous for pennies.

Evening meals are always home made - pasta with home made sauces, veg chill, curry, stir fries, cheese bakes, baked tatties with cheese or beans or homous, toad in the hole, soups and stews, etc. Again, these cost very much less than any processed foods or conventional 'meat and two veg' meals.

It's not to everyone's taste but we don't regard this type of diet as an austere punishment despite a high income. The food is tasty and healthy and just happens to be very cheap.

I do appreciate that lifestyle, housekeeping skills and cultural issues mean that some people find it very much harder to make changes to their shopping and eating habits, and that some people find particular diets unpalatable because of the mindset that they have (including shunning healthy, tasty, cheap foodstuffs because they can't see past how it is labelled as dull and unfashionable).

Fiver29

sarahevie wrote: »

I used single parent rather than couples as I know the amount of entitlement as I work as a voluntary support worker helping single parents claim benefits. I have assisted two single parent families this week with three children so I know EXACTLY how much can be claimed. Which is why I used the three children example.

I think about 30% of single parents work, recent gingerbread article. Posters such as FBaby are amazing. Absolutely inspirational.

I don't blame non working people I understand the logic of not working with such high entitlement, but I am angry at how generous benefits are. Hence why I would like to see tax credits abolished.

I'd say to the OP it can be tough, but it is worth working for your sanity even if 'financially' you are no better off. Frugal living isn't bad either.

From Gingerbread

57.2 per cent of single parents are in work,

sazzybum

Mojisola wrote: »

Don't you have any hobbies?

I read, but to be honest, that's about the only thing I have time to do. Work 11 hours a day usually it's ok- got a dog walker and sitter, got 2 dogs and 5 cats, and a partner.. By the time I get home, feed them all, take the dogs out, tidy up- it's collapse into bed time

At the weekend, I do all the cleaning, laundry etc. We grow our own veg, but everything's done in that department for a few months now.

Plus..this is only a week, but surely hobbies can only fill up some of the time if you're at home all day every day?

Not slating anyone with hobbies by the way!

tillyminto

my partner & i have a good income & we eat very well, on healthy food, like BigAuntie. i think you have been conn'ed if you think you have to spend lots of money on food to eat well.

Mojisola

sazzybum wrote: »

I read, but to be honest, that's about the only thing I have time to do. Work 11 hours a day usually it's ok- got a dog walker and sitter, got 2 dogs and 5 cats, and a partner.. By the time I get home, feed them all, take the dogs out, tidy up- it's collapse into bed time

You certainly don't have time for hobbies with a work-load like that!

At the weekend, I do all the cleaning, laundry etc. We grow our own veg, but everything's done in that department for a few months now.

Plus..this is only a week, but surely hobbies can only fill up some of the time if you're at home all day every day?

Not slating anyone with hobbies by the way!

It depends what you think of as a hobby. If you're into dressing-making, for instance, it would be easy to spend days working at it.

jetplane

jtktb wrote: »

We've tried the evening and part time jobs but every pound I earn just comes off the tax credits. On a NMW job i need to do 60 hours a week to be £200 better off, I might as well do a better paid 35hour fulltime job?!

Sorry I haven't read the whole thread as I can't be doing with all of the tit for tat however I think you may have your sums wrong. Tax credits are not removed £1 for £1 and they base ithem on last years earnings and you are allowed to earn up to £10,000 this year before your award alters.

tori.k

It can be done quite easy, we are a family of 4 on about the same income altho your mortgage is a little less than mine, we do ok you just have to cut your cloth to your needs. i would head over to the DFW forum as post a SOA, also try keeping a spend diary for a month, your be suprised at how much the £ here and there adds up over the month

MissMoneypenny

embob74 wrote: »

A family of 4 eat on £10 a week??
I guess I'm a bit fussy that I would like my children to have something a bit more nutritious than noodles for dinner.

Feed a Family of 4 for £100 a month.
http://www.cheap-family-recipes.org.uk/

It has a nutrition section too.

Edited to say...Ooooops, just read the rest of the thread and seen BigAunty has already posted this.

MissMoneypenny

embob74 wrote: »

Nope....can't find anywhere that a family of four can eat nutritionally well for £10 a week. I spend more than that on packed lunches! Each apple costs around 35p so multiplied by 4 that's £1.40 a day just in fruit.

Have you got a 'Pick your own' near you? I picked half a carrier bag of different types, fresh apples and pears, for £1.20.

They have other fruit and veg too and it's a great walk for all as you wander around the fields looking for the best stuff to pick or pull up.