A Thread for After Debt?

JulieGeorgiana

Yes, I include all that stuff. Only I don't need litter as I have a cat flap. It includes all cat/rabbit food (i have two of each) and toilettries, beauty products, food... were not planning on upping the budget when Eliza starts eating unless we really struggle, so will re-evaluate the budget in a year.

The best thing to do is join the challange and stick to budget for a month, then shave a little off here and there. When i joined I was spend £300 a month. Then I learned to bulk food with veg and pulses, stretch a chicken, bulk buy, bulk cook, cook better, cheaper cuts of meat, frozen veg. I tried the downshift challenge, and i split shop (i have a small ASDA, a MrT and MrS.. and I can go to lidl and farmfoods if needed) so do a monthly split shop, and buy fresh fruit and veg each week (i will shop in one store only on a fresh shop... depending on who's best that week). I use mysupermarket for that. I also don't shop mid-week, and stick to my shopping list religiously (i also write my lists in order, which means shopping is faster, and you look around less).

Took me 6 months, but I'm getting there

You have to set your own budget according to your requirements. Mine does include specialist foods for health reasons, but that only costs about £10 a month more... unlike Rising and her food requirements. It's all about spending as little as possible on what you need.

I wish you lots of luck x

QueenB.

JulieGeorgiana wrote: »

Yes, I include all that stuff. Only I don't need litter as I have a cat flap. It includes all cat/rabbit food (i have two of each) and toilettries, beauty products, food... were not planning on upping the budget when Eliza starts eating unless we really struggle, so will re-evaluate the budget in a year.

The best thing to do is join the challange and stick to budget for a month, then shave a little off here and there. When i joined I was spend £300 a month. Then I learned to bulk food with veg and pulses, stretch a chicken, bulk buy, bulk cook, cook better, cheaper cuts of meat, frozen veg. I tried the downshift challenge, and i split shop (i have a small ASDA, a MrT and MrS.. and I can go to lidl and farmfoods if needed) so do a monthly split shop, and buy fresh fruit and veg each week (i will shop in one store only on a fresh shop... depending on who's best that week). I use mysupermarket for that. I also don't shop mid-week, and stick to my shopping list religiously (i also write my lists in order, which means shopping is faster, and you look around less).

Took me 6 months, but I'm getting there

You have to set your own budget according to your requirements. Mine does include specialist foods for health reasons, but that only costs about £10 a month more... unlike Rising and her food requirements. It's all about spending as little as possible on what you need.

I wish you lots of luck x

I hope it works because i just hate spending £80-90 a week on a shop:( But i do everything you do including always making a list and NEVER shop more than once a week unless an emergency crops up which is rare. My cats only use a litter tray, two are out all the time and come in just to use it:mad: and the two older ones find it difficult to get around now so now rarely leave the house. So roll on Feb and the challenge.

Well looks like i may have yet another unexpected bill:( turned the TV on today to see there is a large green/pink circle of colour on the screen. Its making watching very interesting when a persons hair goes from orange to blue to green back to normal:rotfl: but looks like I will need to buy a new TV. We have been talking about it as we have had ours about 7 years and its one of those huge bulky ones and OH really wants a flatscreen. But it was never at the top of my list and i was trying to think of a way to save for one later in the year.

Hope everyone is having a better Monday than me.

JulieGeorgiana

Have you tried downshifting the litter? We found a nice one at MrT which was simular to [EMAIL="c@tsan"]c@tsan[/EMAIL] and it worked well and saved us a fortune

Also bulkbuying pet food online can help (depends on what brand you use). I do think joining the challange just helps you see what you are buying... try reviewing your recipts at the end of the month too... see where you are spending that maybe you could save on (kind of like a grocery spending diary)!

QueenB.

I buy Mr Ts litter, not the cheapest as that was just not working but the next one up which is just under £2 a bag, but with 4 cats we change the litter at least twice a day so need at least 3 bags a week.......i wish i could afford the named brands:D. I will def be keeping a shopping diary in Feb to help with the challenge as i think thats a good idea. Hopefully when my veg starts to grow in the summer that will help reduce it a bit.

So thats 5 challenges I will be taking part in on here in Feb to help me tighten and save. I was talking to Oh about them and what I had been reading yesterday and he turned round and told me how proud he is of me that i am so focused and working so hard to make things better for us, it was quite unexpected and made me feel really appreciated:D

Off to have lunch and then continue cleaning........what an exciting life i lead:D

samtoby

Making baby food in the slow cookers! I love it. I am so busy at the moment anddo not have much time so write a big e-mail! I am loving reading everything; all going in the memory bank.

Spread sheet completed and up to date. I am so please with myself I have actually spent £212 on myself and Toby this month that includes fuel; clearing credit card and the odd packet of sweets for DS. That is such an achievement for me so this month I have saved over my normal amount this month.

JulieGeorgiana

Well the money I saved on the breaklights is about to be spend on Christening invitations! It's in 2.5 months so the invites need to go out ASAP! Oh well, it's worth it

QueenB I wish you luck

Sam My DH was the one which found a link to this website all about how to make babyfood in the SC. I thought it was a great idea... bung it in, leave it, blend/mash it (depending on age) and bag and freeze! So much less hassel and you end up saving a fortune from not buying little jars!

Well done on the extra savings!

QueenB.

I remember making all my own baby food for the kiddies, didn't have a slow cooker though so just cooked it all up in a normal pan a slow cooker will def save you some time:) I remember someone telling me when I had DD to freeze the baby food in ice-cube trays. We also used the old fashioned muslin nappies that we had to wash all the time, rather than the ones you buy though had to buy shop nappies for DS1 due to him being in and out of hospital.

A christening...........exciting, had you prebudgeted for it?

My hands feel awful after all that housework (very sensitive skin) went to put on some hand cream and thought it had run out but in true MSE style i cut the tube open and scrapped out the inside, it was just enough.

DS1 a lot more perkier today so I will attempt to send him back to school tomorrow then pop down to the local A*di and £shop to see what bargains i can find.

dumpy

QueenB. wrote: »

. My cats only use a litter tray, two are out all the time and come in just to use it:mad: and the two older ones find it difficult to get around now so now rarely leave the house..

As someone who has flower and vegetable beds full of neighbours cat droppings. Can I say I love your cats.

JulieGeorgiana

I'm planning on using ice cube trays to... then you can mix and match meals

I am proud to say we have money set aside for the cake and a donation for the church for flowers (as its easter day service). As we want it to be more about faith then a party, we are only inviting very close friends and family... and the whole church (who were so supportive when I was poorly). Afterwards they normally have tea and coffee in the church hall so we have decided that we will donate towards that, have a christening cake (for 30) a lemon drizzel and orange drizzel cakes (20) my mum is making a marbel cake (15) and a friend is making a red velvet cake (15-20). And thats us, just small and simple community type christening.

The cake is an M&S sponge wedding cake (like what i had for my wedding) and mum will have Eliza's name on a ribbon, and buy an ornament for the top which I can keep.

Eliza will wear DS Christening gown. Mum bought it in a sale (lovely silk gown) and DS and his 3 cousins have all been christened in it. She will have a lovely crochet blanket which DH used on his christening day. And under it a lovely dress her god mother got her last week

I went on a bit...

JulieGeorgiana

dumpy wrote: »

As someone who has flower and vegetable beds full of neighbours cat droppings. Can I say I love your cats.

You won't like mine then :cool: