Second Purse Challenge 2012

cw18

I may have to raid my purse 3 for a loan on Friday !!!

I got my latest vouchers from Mr T yesterday, which included a £10 off a £70 spend - a spend level that's more than I normally reach there over a 2 month period :eek: (I'm going to bin the 2x £7 off £70 spend that each run for a fortnight in March, as there's no way I could find that much to buy without having major storage issues )

But I'm looking at using the 'biggy', as if I spend over £60 I also get 10/litre off fuel at one of the cheapest petrol stations in the area (and the only one I get close to on a regular basis) - so I decided that's just enough of a carrot to dangle in front of me (will save me between £3 and £5 on fuel, depending on how long it's valid for as I have a couple of longer trips coming up that may just be after it expires - ideally I could do with it being valid to use afterwards to maximise the saving).

My on-line shopping list currently stands at £70.35, which includes £11 on Easter Eggs for 7 family members (decided getting these now was a good way to bump the spend without going overboard on items I'd end up storing for months). I still have another Easter Egg to pick up if they have something suitable in store that's not on-line, but if I get this there are non-urgent items on my list I can drop off to keep just over £70.

So I'm looking at a bill of just over £60 (after using my voucher), of which £11 comes out of a 'presents' budget rather than groceries. This still leaves me with £49 to find though, and I only have £81.79 left of this month's grocery budget. I know some of this shop won't be used until at least next month (almost £20 worth), so as I don't have a purse 2 (I'm trying to reduce my stocks rather than build them up, which is why doing this kind of goes against the grain) I'm considering taking that £20 (or whatever it ends up being after finally tweaks of the list) from purse 3 and then buying the items back from it at what they actually cost me when I use them.





While there's a fair bit of chat on here about foods that help with medical problems some of you have, can I ask if anyone folllows a careful diet due to high cholesterol? I was told mine's a 'bit high' a few years back, but not enough for them to worry about (yet! will 'probably' need meds in years to come, as both my parents take them) - so I've just tried to up the exercise and drop the fatty snacks (more success with the first than the second :rotfl: )

But my (still fairly new) chap has more of an issue with his, so I need to be able to figure out if what I'm planning on cooking when he's here is suitable or not. His monitoring of "g of saturated fat per 100g of product" doesn't make a lot of sense to me - and I know it's not reliable as that would mean liver is OK, and he says it's not due to being high in dietary cholesterol (something I'm really struggling to find any info on)

I've followed a load of links on a diet and fitness site I'm a member of, but all they tell me is that saturated and hydrogenated fats are the baddies, it's safer to eat eggs than was thought, oily fish is good, meat should be lean, and nuts are healthy(ish). The only other thing the site staff can suggest is I buy a £12.99 recipe book from them, but I never spend that much on a recipe book - especially not without being able to see it first, which I can't as it's available to order on-line only - and really want to be able to just adapt my standard meal plans / favourite recipes.

G00gle just left me blinded with science and even more confuddled than I was before I started

So I was hoping that there might be someone on here who has similar issues and could point me in the direction of some readable / useable / understandable literature........

Mothership

cw18 wrote: »

While there's a fair bit of chat on here about foods that help with medical problems some of you have, can I ask if anyone folllows a careful diet due to high cholesterol? I was told mine's a 'bit high' a few years back, but not enough for them to worry about (yet! will 'probably' need meds in years to come, as both my parents take them) - so I've just tried to up the exercise and drop the fatty snacks (more success with the first than the second :rotfl: )

But my (still fairly new) chap has more of an issue with his, so I need to be able to figure out if what I'm planning on cooking when he's here is suitable or not. His monitoring of "g of saturated fat per 100g of product" doesn't make a lot of sense to me - and I know it's not reliable as that would mean liver is OK, and he says it's not due to being high in dietary cholesterol (something I'm really struggling to find any info on)

I've followed a load of links on a diet and fitness site I'm a member of, but all they tell me is that saturated and hydrogenated fats are the baddies, it's safer to eat eggs than was thought, oily fish is good, meat should be lean, and nuts are healthy(ish). The only other thing the site staff can suggest is I buy a £12.99 recipe book from them, but I never spend that much on a recipe book - especially not without being able to see it first, which I can't as it's available to order on-line only - and really want to be able to just adapt my standard meal plans / favourite recipes.

G00gle just left me blinded with science and even more confuddled than I was before I started

So I was hoping that there might be someone on here who has similar issues and could point me in the direction of some readable / useable / understandable literature........

Extra virgin olive oil, oatmeal. Are two that spring to mind. I will have a wee look at the Superfoods book there's a section on High Cholesterol. I will post a list here, I used to have high cholesterol its now 4.2 thats really good I believe.

Apples( eating 2 apples per day can reduce cholesterol by 10%) & Strawberries, plums , cherries and blackcurrants are good for high Cholesterol. Oily fish such as herring, sardines, pilchards, mackerel and salmon.

Lemon juice & extra virgin olive oil as salad dressing. Remove all fat from Bolognese & add both of these ( Delicious and good for you).

Garlic also helps reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. Onions too but to a lesser extent.

cw18

From the diet and fitness site



Usually, when you have your blood cholesterol measured, your GP will look at figures for your overall or total cholesterol level, plus figures for your LDL and HDL cholesterol. Healthy limits are as follows:
Total cholesterol – less than 5 mmol/L
LDL cholesterol – less than 3 mmol/L
HDL cholesterol – more than 1 mmol/L




I think my total was about 5.4, but can't remember what the other figures were

helen_jelly

My 2nd purse now has £9.06 in it as I've just bought back bits from the cupboard

Helen x

Coxy11

Went to Co$tco this morning to get tuck for the youth club I run (didn't fancy going during half-term). Whilst there I got juice cartons x 48 and lucozade 500ml x 24 for the childrens pack ups for next term. That lot cost me £20.01 which is what I am allocating for the 2nd purse for March, so effectively I am owed money by my 2nd purse as it's currently got £11.86 in it and I left it at home :mad:.

Have decided that whatever balance is in the 2nd purse at the end of each month will be transferred to my 3rd purse, then my monthly £20 will go in for my next purchases. There's no way I can see me getting £100 in the 2nd purse anytime soon, and I need to see SOMETHING happening re: profit.

SueP19

Hi everyone

Non foody but I just popped into WH Sm$ths at dinner and they have just started a gift voucher offer

Buy a greeting card and get a £15 gift card for £10

They can be used on lots of stuff, so if get a usual monthly mag, its worth it :money:

Mrs_Addicted_to_Spending

Mothership wrote: »

Extra virgin olive oil, oatmeal. Are two that spring to mind. I will have a wee look at the Superfoods book there's a section on High Cholesterol. I will post a list here, I used to have high cholesterol its now 4.2 thats really good I believe.

Apples( eating 2 apples per day can reduce cholesterol by 10%) & Strawberries, plums , cherries and blackcurrants are good for high Cholesterol. Oily fish such as herring, sardines, pilchards, mackerel and salmon.

Lemon juice & extra virgin olive oil as salad dressing. Remove all fat from Bolognese & add both of these ( Delicious and good for you).

Garlic also helps reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. Onions too but to a lesser extent.

Yes I'm sure i've read that oats 'soak up' excess cholesterol

jakes-mum

oh mothership please could you post up a few of the superfoods if you have a few minutes. Im really not sure what I already eat which is a superfood as I cook everything I eat from scratch, but with all my bloomin allergies, intolerances im prob not getting any :eek:

cw18

Thanks Mothership

Had a hunt around, and found what I thought was my library card (must be about 12 months since I last went ) - which was confirmed by a friend I bumped into on the way down to the 'shops'. Called into GP surgery first (wanted to make an appt for me as I've a sneaky I'm starting with a chest infection - and if I am I want to nip it in the bud, as I can't afford to take 4 weeks out of my running schedule which is what happened with one last June, as it's less than 12 weeks to my marathon :eek:), so while I was there I asked about literature. The receptionist went and got me a photocopied list of foods listed by 'fine, moderation and avoid' which is a start.

I nipped into the library on the way home (after a quick visit to A!di) where and I managed to pick up 'The T@keaway Secret' which I've been seeing a few people mention on various MSE threads recently (not been borrowed since Jul of last year), 'The Thrifty C00kbook' (476 ways to eat well with leftovers - should be interesting), 'Slow C00king for Vegetarians' (figured veggie meals should be pretty safe, and when I asked him a couple of weeks ago if he ever eats meat free meals - my late DH wouldn't! - he said yes) and (the big find, given it wasn't actually due back until tomorrow ) 'Low Cholester0l C00kbook for Dummies' (which sounds like it could be just what I need as a starting point :rotfl: )

mumwithamission

Can't believe that my 2nd purse now has £56.56 in it.:j I have owned up in previous posts to having had lots of stock before I began in Jan and that I spent quite a lot last month setting the shop up becasue I wanted to see a quick return and that I'm paying in £10/week rather than a month, so that's why.:o

Am managing to curtail my bargain hunting a bit better this month, partly because I'm running out of room. Desperate for some of my regular toiletries to come up on offer somewhere though so I can stock up on them - but will have to wait. I'll pounce with my savings when I spot them!:rotfl: