Fiscal Fast – 7 days no spending (at all)

[Deleted User]

all my shopping is bought now until at least next week so today is day one again of fiscal fasting .I was talking to my friend yesterday and we worked it out that I now shop around three times a month which is really money saving as I used to shop every other day sometimes, or just have a wander round the shops and end up spending on things I really didn't need.This month admittedly I was away for the first week, but out of the reduced amount in my food purse I have only spent £51.00 in three weeks .I have been really good at digging around the freezer to use up stuff and every scrap of food I have found has been used I can honestly say I have not wasted a bit at all.I think using up left over is a great way to streeetch the cash a bit I have a small bit of roast beef in the fridge at the moment left over from my DDs joint that she didn't need for her sheps pie and I am toying with either mincing it up and freezing it or slicing up and freezing it for salads later this month I have a decent electric slicer that I can use so i may do that as it will give me at least 6-8 slices of beautiful cold roast beef which will do me a couple of salads and maybe a sandwich with some soup.I have got into the mind-set of being a bit more creative with my food as well.
Yesterday I dug out two pieces of cajun spiced chicken from the freezer that I cooked for my friend and I's lunch. I had bought it when on the offer at M&S a few weeks ago (2.49) and it was delicious I think as I have some chicken quarters in the freezer I may have a look at some recipes and see if I can make it myself.

Tomorrow I have to take my car into the garage for a service in Sittingbourne and afterwards I can go onto Faversham and see if the farm shop (Macknades) has some cajun spices Its the best farmshop in north Kent for spices and very inexpensive to buy them there.So I may have to spash out a little tomorrow. I'll see how much they are, or I might cobble together some of my own from the cupboard. I have to see what goes into them If I can make my own then I will from what I've got already .Oh well time to get a wriggle on .That reminds me I have some apples in the bowl that are getting past their best so I will stew them with a little honey and freezer for use later I think
Onwards and upwards chums keep a tight hold of your purses this week
Cheers JackieO xxx

m155piggy

I have lurked for about a week now reading through the old posts when I get chance and think I am now ready to have a bit of a try!
There are 5 of us here - me, DH, DS1, DS2, & DS3 (and the dog) we are all used to just buying whatever food we fancy on a daily basis and doing a huge shop every week too so I think the transition may be hard!

Was going to start yesterday and did really well until DH went out last night and asked if I needed anything - I caved instantly and asked for bread, milk & eggs (£4.70) Day had gone so well as I had made cookies, white choc bread & butter pudding, HM pitta pizza and muffins from over ripe pears!

Today I had best intentions again but got started baking before I realised I had no sugar so off I went without thinking and bought sugar, jam, fruit and veg (£4.46)
OK not broke the bank yet but I am SO disappointed in myself!

I have, however, made jam crumblies and twinks hobnobs so far and there are hundreds of them so that should keep the kids going for a day or 2!

Sausage casserole in SC for their tea and jacket already cooked for mine whilst cookies were baking, will have it with tuna and salad as am doing WW!

Sorry for long first post, just wanted to get it out there!

calicocat

Welcome Piggy (hope you don't mind my abreviation of name....it's a nice word to me as years ago had guinea-pigs and the big mama was just called 'pig')

It is hard to do especially if you don't really plan it ,and I would imagine really hard with a family. I didn't plan my first attempt,I just jumped onto it without much thought.....but to be honest that was what made it fun:). Other weeks I have planned it well,but this week is a bit of a 'half-plan'....kind of on purpose to make me more inventive again and use everything up and maybe make a bit of a dent in the stuff in the freezer.

The guy nxtdoor that I did shopping for when his foot was in plaster is still regularly bringing be strawberry bless him. Now got 3 boxes in fridge as having a bit of 'strawberry-overload' ! I am going to have to make some coulis with them before off......more stuff to squash in freezer:eek:

Well,better get up for work I guess.

Good luck all

Walk away from the purse...........:T

m155piggy

Oh dear catastrophe has struck already - got the whole chicken out of the fridge to cook overnight in the sc and it smelled rather fishy so I had to ditch it, I feel rubbish about it hate the waste - only 1 day past bb .

Also was tidying the cupboards and came across a whole bag of sugar which meant that I need not have gone out this morning and spent any money on more sugar and "stuff"- not a good start but a start at least and now I know what is in my cupboards things can only get better.

On a good not have done loads of baking and frozen lots of treats.

Breakfast - 2 slices toast and choc spread (25p per jar from A*DA but no idea why so cheap so I got 7 jars last week)
Lunch - Philly & vegemite sandwich with SF jelly and tinned fruit
Snacks - banana, twink hobnob
Dinner - sausage casserole & mash for them, jacket potato with tuna, onion, pepper & cucumber for me - followed by jam crumblies for them.

m155piggy

I seem to be the only one here!

Today started well wth no need for any spend today.

Kids lunchboxes were cobs from freezer with HM jam, HM yoghurt with honey in, HM pear muffins & an apple.

My lunch will be HM tomato & basil soup from freezer then dinner tonight will be spaghetti & meatballs followed by jam crumblies.

When the kids come in from school they can have some of Twinks hobnobs to keep them going!

Took DS 1&2 to school and realised I needed to pay for a schhol trip they are going on so that was £12 gone (does that count as a spend as it was a compulsary trip?)

Off to the PO now to post some Ebay stuff - postage covered by buyer! (made about £10 in total)

Tomorrow at school they are having a street party and need to take food in - I was given the task of party biscuits and sandwiches - looked in the AF box in the cupboard last night and pulled out some toffee dodgers and jaffa cakes and have bread and ham so that is sorted with no extra expense!

Need to make some more bread today and maybe some lentil soup in SC.

Things are looking good for NSD today!

Spendless

I really need to get back on track with this. Especially as for the 1st time in donkeys years we've gone over the o/draft limit. :eek: Only by £57 and I spotted it for the following day but still waiting to see if they charge us and by how much. Really annoying because we have subtantial savings following a critical illness payout but I really wanted to tackle the overdraft via budgeting but the prices in shops are sooooo dear compared to what they were a few years back. Anyway me and DH have had a chat and agreed that what we will do is pay the o/draft from savings but regard it as an interest free loan and pay it back maybe even over a couple of years, so we are not skinting ourselves.

Not much in the freezer as we are going away this weekend for 1/2 term. :j We are going somewhere that has a kids club, theme park and water park which we have unlimited use of due to booking early all inclusive in price, so am hoping that keeps kids entertained without having to dip into our pockets all the time. A friend has asked me if I want to buy her euros off her as she has been unable to go on a trip due to illness within family. She paid £250.50 for 305E :think: Unless I can get them at post office I'd also need to take into account time and transport costs of getting some in town. I've read on trip advisor that where we are going if your child is under a certain height they have to wear arm-bands even if they can swim. DD is 9 and can swim but is the height of a 6/7yo and I've been unable to find out what height restrictions are so I bought some armbands in home bargains yesterday for 59p. I'd rather waste for 59p than get stuck and have to fork out several euro!

My 12yo is driving me mad with everything he is losing, a dinner ticket last week, his bus fare the week before and he still hasn't paid teacher back cos he keeps lending the money to someone else who has forgotten their money.:mad: I swear I am going to accompany him to school to hand the money over. The shame of being accompanied into school by Mum might just focus his mind.
Today I discover that he has fetched home a tesco polo shirt from yesterdays PE lesson, instead of his school emblem one, that will have cost around £10. I don't expect to see it again despite it having his name in. The one he fetched home is age 12-13 so not even sure it will fit and I'll have to buy another. Not buying a school one again that is for sure. I only bought one this year as it was his 1st year at Secondary and I wasn't sure what people did. We stopped his pocket money a few months back for bad behaviour, but hadn't got round to re-instating it, though behaviour has improved. Will be sorted that out and make it clear he has to pay out of his own money for things he's not taking care of.

My freezer is almost empty. Am very envious when I see posts about reductions from big supermarkets. Never see them here. I stand and look at the 'reductions' in Mr T and think was £3.79 not £3.59 does not entice me to buy something that I need to use up quickly or find freezer space for. My co-op though has fab bargains at night. :j Practically the only time it's worth shopping there as they operate 2 modes, no-one on the till or a queue. Last night I got a 4 pack of apple puff turn overs for 20p and a pack of mini croissants also 20p. I was going to put 1 of the apple turnovers into son's packed lunch - I told him he had to do packed lunch 1 day this week due to lost dinner ticket but then I discovered he'd eaten all the ham and I had nothing else to go on sandwiches -he doesn't like cheese.

Tonights tea - is lamb samosas 79p reduced from £2.69 again think it must be co-op with that level of reduction with raita made from natural yogurt I have in and mint sauce, followed by chicken curry and rice for me and DH - haven't much rice in. Might do kids chicken with wedges and sweetcorn. Have small amount of chopped toms to use up. Kicking myself for not pouring them into pasta bake last night but didn't spot them. Might be able to use them in curry though.

forever_saving

Well i managed three days without spending. I spent £8.02 today. Needed milk as i knocked ours over, bread had the start of a fur coat even though it was still in date. A lady at work keeps her bread in the fridge as she says it keeps longer. I never have enough room in mine anyway. Tea bags and some baking bits, seem to run out of sugar, flour and sultanas at the same time. Hubby and kids like to take cake for their lunch.
I hopefully won't have to go near the shops until Friday/Saturday.
Kerfuffle, thankyou for not missing me :rotfl:, that did make me smile.
I hope everyone else is doing ok.
Now making a sharp exit as we are having a storm, really don't like them. It was in the distance but it is getting very close now.
FS

taplady

Hi all! just popped in to see how you are all doing - not fasting at the moment but no doubt after my holiday I will be:D

m155piggy

Spent another £6.60 at PO sending ebay stuff but this was paid by the buyers. Then DS1 wanted to go to the gym which cost me another £1 but he is almost 13 and I would MUCH rather he went to the gym than hanging around the park.
So in total today cost me £19.60 including the school trip but all unavoidable and non food spends.

Lunch for me was a sandwich with left over tuna /onion /pepper /cucumber & mayo then SF jelly & fruit
dinner for them was spaghetti & meatball with HM tomato sauce, I had 2 tortillas sandwiched together with pesto and tiny bit of grated cheese then grilled. kids all had jelly for pudding.

m155piggy

On a brighter not T*SCO credit card sent both DH & myself a 650 point voucher for being with them for the year which in total converts to £13 voucher (we both pay our credit cards off in full every month and never pay charges)