Fiscal Fast – 7 days no spending (at all)

peony40

Good Evening all,

Well my fiscal fast came to an end today. We were running out of so many essentials that I decided to have my first November grocery delivery come today. Spent £106.42 out of November's budget of £180, so I will be trying to do a fiscal fast for as long as possible in November to get us through.

We have enough food to see us through for a couple of weeks, although hubby will have to use his own money if he wants more cider, crisps and coca cola.;)

How is everyone else managing?

craigywv

hi all been having quite a few nsd here too, peony your doing very well! Erica how much is the ground beef over where you are if you don't mind me askin? last time I was over it was a fantastic price. tomorrow I am baking so plan on using up a lot of bits in freezers ,have small bag of salmon,ham,pork which will make into salmon quiche,ham and potatoe pie and pork and stuffing parcels,will also make this bloomin Halloween dumpling for my dad who is pestering me for it lol its really just a cakey version of Christmas pud. need milk so will have to get that and maybe some oranges as I quite fancy some recently. back into making my own bread again so will do some soda bread as I have loads of buttermilk, come to think of it will prob do some scones and pancakes too. so much for emptying the freezers they will be filled again tomorrow, have a lovely night all xxx

peony40

Hello,

Craigy, how do you make your soda bread? Hubby loves soda bread, and I have lost the recipe i used to use.

On day 2 of my fiscal fast and all is going well. I have menu planned for about 9 days and we should be fine.

Have the bread maker on as ran out of bread, so decided to use up the flour I have in store and make my own.

Also, ran out of cake so I will be trying a sponge mix for the very first time, rather than baking from scratch. Hopefully, it will turn out alright. I will sandwich it with chocolate spread as I detest jam:eek:

Off to cook stew for tonight's dinner. Will serve with mashed potatoes and a couple of dumplings. I love autumnal/winter type food.

Hope you are all doing ok?

craigywv

hi peony I use my mums recipe which is no meaurements so I will try and work it out ROUGHLY!!!!!!!!!! ok in a bowl put 3 mugfulls of plain flour add 2 heaped tea spoons of bicarbonate of soda, shake a carton of buttermilk and pour in enough to make a STICKY dough,tip it out onto a very well floured surface and with both hands flip it in the flour till you can shape it without your hands sticking to it. personally i make the traditional round shape and press down and flatten it slightly thenput a big cross from edge to edge like you are quartering it don't cut right through, then i put it on a griddle and cook until both sides are nearly dark brown, my sister puts hers in the oven so i guess its the same length of time as a small loaf, forget to say add a bit of salt approx. half a teaspoon when making the dough, if you want a fruit soda also add in half a cup of sultanas to the dough and cook just the same way, sorry its not a perfect recipe but its the only way i know, you can check online but i have notice the soda bread looks a yellow colour inside which is not the way it is over here, we have it and its white inside, think maybe an egg is being used or something, hth my friend, once cooked eat slathered in butter and jam and a cup of tea.......yummy!

craigywv

meant to say nsd here for a while and deffo wont be going shopping today, trying to use up some homegrown potatoes still in garden so will be doing quite a few spud based meals this week,also will be baking and freezing for the Halloween party in ours next week so going to get inventive with the stuff in fridge/freezers and cupboard have a great weekend everyone xxx

[Deleted User]

My late Dad used to make a soda scone round this way and the smell of them cooking in the 'girdle' over the kitchen range was gorgeous.They were floury and delicious with butter on still warm and even nicer next day toasted.Used slightly off milk though as buttermilk was unobtainable in the late 1940s.I think you can use milk with a splash of lemon in it as well if you can't get hold of buttermilk

peony40

Many thanks craigy for the recipe, I will definitely give it a go. It is making my mouth water just thinking of it.

Thanks Jackie about the tip with lemon juice in milk, I should still have some lemon juice in the fridge.

Still on my fiscal fast. Still have lots in the house and I must prepare the bags of vegetables for the freezer before they spoil. This will be my job to achieve today and I will report back when it is done!

Good Luck all with your fiscal fasting.

[Deleted User]

Not had many shopping days of late as I am eating from my freezer still,I cannot carry anything atm either, so shopping has been put on the back burner. Its suprising once you get into the mind-set how when you can't physically go shopping you eventually lose the inclination. I live five minutes from a small shopping centre and could shop daily if I wanted to,but as I have been a bit housebound its not really bothered me.The first week or so I got a bit 'stir-crazy' but overcame this, and now only go out when I need a breath of fresh air.This morning I walked to my small local library to return a book round trip took about 15 minutes and the sun is shining so it was really nice to stroll and actually look around.
Not something I normally do when driving everywhere (can't do that for another 3-4 weeks yet anyway ) It was very pleasant and cost me nothing. Lunch today will be a cheese salad sandwich and some HM mushroom soup.Tonights dinner is chicken curry from the freezer with rice and a small jacket spud.I have fruit and rice pud for dessert.

Tomorrows dinner will be as usual at DDs with the family.No doubt once I'm back driving I will be notching up the NSDs again ,but at the moment I am just eating more or less from stocks indoors.Didn't realise just how much stuff I had accumulated :)

Hope everyone is enjoying the late autumn sunshine as I am, the tree are looking gorgeous ,maybe it does us all good to sometime just stop and stare at what's around us for awhile
Cheers JackieO xx

craigywv

Its lovely when the sun is shining jackie not like today its depressing over here,i been making the most of the frre insertions on ebay this weekend i sold 51 things yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy which i now have to wrap and post not yayyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My post office is going to love me! I dont care i made near 200 quid after fees on stuff from a cupboard upstairs i havent opened in over a year! Boots ,jeans shirts i had in 3 bags for the dump and forgot! This money is my christmas money i feel all mellow inside hahaha sorry drowning in self happiness today.still have 47 items to sell on ebay so fingers crossed. I could ebay for months the stuff i have her in attic/cupboards etc... I find i get bored quicly though so when i feel the mood i seize it lol. Today i made mealplan for the week and posted it on the mealplan thread this will keep me in line so i not just grabbing something from freezer and looking at it for 20 mins trying to work out what to cook with it. Freezers still groaning with grub i really have to stay away from the reductions section. I have had 3 nsd so going for a week as i only need to go post office today and thats from ebay money postage etc. In my slow cooker is arrabattia chicken,19p ys , i added strong grated chhese and sliced peppers to it will make hm chips with it. Opened a large tin of pineapple and a tin of peaches and mixed them up in container in fridge this will do the boys for pudding for a few days with ice cream. Well i cant stay on here too long going to post office have a good day all xxx

craigywv

morning all from a wet and dark part of town,son still in bed , I love school breaks he will prob surface very soon needing fed! oh on nights this week so will see him about lunchtime, dog in his bed looking with one eye incase I drop a chop or sirloin on way to slow cooker...................sirloin hahahahah whats that! they mythical like the unicorn!nsd deffo here today as its pouring, I was doing pork fried rice but will swop it for tomorrows dinner of sausages fried then add onions and gravy and mashed potatoes and some turnip more comfort food than anything.gq was reading what you wrote on shtf thread about the U.S.A seizing money etc so am going into higher prepping mode, I don't have much money but what I have is mine mine mine I tell ya........................wanders off cackling into her cauldron.! its 3 for 2 on baking stuff in tescos this week so shall be heading there on wed to seize all the strong flour I can find, now have near a chest freezer of it in various types. I freeze as weevils scare me lol so do mice and their bigger relatives!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can tell you freezing does not in any way affect the flour I also freeze the yeast ,I have a good few years of our daily bread sorted out. I use it so don't mind hoarding it. pity I didn't have a cow as the milk these peeps consume in this house is wild! well have a good frugal day all I think a session of baking is in front of me today xxx