Breadline Families - Make Stuff Go Further Tips

alyth

can I also just point out those single people who are working hard, to continue with their employment, running a home, receiving no benefits, and no one to share the daily costs with? many many single people are not entitled to any benefits, for sure we get a discount on council tax, but myself and many of my friends earn too much for any kind of tax credit (I should say I'm a mature student so haven't looked into this, I just know from talking to some of my friends that they aren't entitled to anything) and whilst we can be frugal, only having lights on in the room we are in, etc, there is only one of us to pay bills - that's not to mention that a couple have the support of each other, many of us have no one to talk to or rely on.

This isn't a rant by any means, just a quiet gentle pointing out that if you have a family there is financial support out there but if you are single then the support is limited.

ska_lover

alyth wrote: »

can I also just point out those single people who are working hard, to continue with their employment, running a home, receiving no benefits, and no one to share the daily costs with? many many single people are not entitled to any benefits, for sure we get a discount on council tax, but myself and many of my friends earn too much for any kind of tax credit (I should say I'm a mature student so haven't looked into this, I just know from talking to some of my friends that they aren't entitled to anything) and whilst we can be frugal, only having lights on in the room we are in, etc, there is only one of us to pay bills - that's not to mention that a couple have the support of each other, many of us have no one to talk to or rely on.

This isn't a rant by any means, just a quiet gentle pointing out that if you have a family there is financial support out there but if you are single then the support is limited.

Oh aye absolutely it certainly is even more difficult running a home on your own. Before my OH moved in around 6 years ago I was a single parent,but wasn't entitled to anything benefit wise at that point as was earning over the threashold and I totally know what you mean.

Keep your chin up though, because as your studying, seems you are well on the way to a better paid job:)

lostinrates

NewCustomerOnly wrote: »

'Rising Fuel Prices' - they are desperately struggling to warm the kids,house,cook etc - it means the electric,gas etc as well - going up all the time - its actually quite scary. Hard to keep under £15 per wk for elec meter - we dont have a freezer cos we worked out the 'cheap' food was costing us a fortune to store! (Meter man told us freezer,kettle,shower can be most expensive in house!)

Libraries lend and some electricity companies provide free, electricity usuage monitors, which are excellent to show where usuage is going, as you turn things on.

Mine was a revelation to me. We have no shower, but its true the kettle uses a lot of power...the messages about boiling just the amount of water you need are truthful. Things that surprised me are how little my freezers cost to run (i have two, one is huge) and how much my super efficient washing machine does cost to run.

Tina20

This thread is so funny :rotfl:

I hope there are more good suggestions though, this is pretty helpful

(except for buying expensive branded soup and adding tomatoes to it, when you could easily make the soup with the tomatoes in the first place....)

Jam is not fruit!
Bread is NOT good for digestive system!!
You could feed a whole family PROPER food for the price of a burger and chips from BK.

Houmous is nice, but you can put better things in sandwiches, egg, tomato, ham, soft cheese, salad, etc etc.

OR you could make a quick and easy pasta pot for lunch box!

Tesco own brand penne 500g (made us a MASSIVE pasta bake with 7 portions) 30p!
Tesco own brand pasta sauce 440g: 39p!

100g of pasta (average ADULT portion, so plenty for a child) 6p
Quarter of a jar of sauce: 9p
15p a portion, a LOT cheaper than a jam sandwich!! Stick it in an old chinese takeaway container, or plastic storage box.
Add dried herbs if they want more flavour, or a sprinkle of cheese.

OR EVEN CHEAPER

A creamy sauce, you just need a knob of butter and a tablespoon of flour, melt butter, add flour and mix to a paste, add milk slowly and mix until it's a thick sauce, add cheese for a cheesey sauce or chopped ham for a carbonara sauce. Mix with pasta, done!

'ooooh no my child won't eat that' TOUGH! If they don't eat it, they go hungry! And no giving them biscuit and raisins if they don't eat their tea!

Taadaa

I completely agree. Practically everyone has less money in their pocket, thanks to rising fuel and food costs. Not to mention public transport costs for those that commute to work. I haven't had a pay rise for two years (like all public sector workers) and although we aren't anywhere near the breadline, I get the coach rather than the train, have stopped buying certain food products. Just trying to make the same amount of money go a bit further. And it doesn't look like a cost of living rise will be coming any time soon.

I have no more disposable income now than I did when I first started working 15 years ago..only now my take home pay is three times as much.

FatVonD

*max* wrote: »

Claiming that jam sandwiches and crisps are perfectly acceptable and nutritious lunches for kids (or anyone for that matters) is wildly mistaken and shows a poor understanding of very basic nutrition facts.

Tssk, next you'll be telling us my can of cider doesn't count as one of my 5 a day :cool:

*max* wrote: »

Once in a while is fine, but making it part of a "meal plan" is wrong and unhealthy.

Ditto houmous, it's hugely fattening. I love houmous

RAS

NewCustomerOnly wrote: »

(Meter man told us freezer,kettle,shower can be most expensive in house!)

That very much depends....

I recall one programme where the punter discovered that his fridge cost £30 per month to run and he saved a lot by getting a new one for £120 which used less than £3 per month. Freezers are equally variable and a full one is cheaper to run

Kettle use loads but are only on for a few minutes.

Power showers, washing machines and dryers use masses and the latter are on a long time. The iron is not cheap either.

Add toasters, 3 KW ovens cooking a few oven chips, and all those things on stand by and bills mount up.

Wear clothes a few times if they are clean, dry on a line, take quick basic showers, plan oven use and maximise the value and turn off all the stuff you are not using and your bills will drop.

And get the fridge that covers your real needs, as not everything needs to go in there. Just turn the heating down and wear a few jumpers.

Memory_Girl

NewCustomerOnly wrote: »

OMG - lol lol lol, Like I said I don't believe this!! Deliver????? Did you think these mums have £6.99 left over? Delivery charges are for people who don't have to worry about tomorrow's dinner. These families can't make soup cos to do that they's have to put extra money in the meter which they have come Thursday! 'often' is no good when little ones are relying on you to provide. Lots of hardworking families who were getting school dinners now don't qualify and these things are pushing them over the edge - til May 2015.

Actually I do - I pay the delivery for Approved Food and buy food at 60 - 70% discount because I have to..... there is no other way to feed my family well. In the beginning I clubbed together with Mums in the same position and shared the delivery charge.

And before someone chips in about "its all packet crap" - that's not what I buy - my store cupboard is legendary and filled with food to create decent nutritious meals for my family. Mostly veggie, its true but that is OK.

And for the last three years EVERYTHING else has been bought by walking and stashing under the buggy.

The problem actually is that once you get stuck in the poverty cycle it is hard to break out, I know, I was there. But in two years one on benefits, I paid off 10K of debt - even now my monthly income is £800 and I pay a mortgage out of that.

But to do that you need to be able to get ahead a little every week - even as I did in the beginning by saving 20p's and stashing an extra tin of tomato's.

But I know I can cook a pot of soup in 5 minutes that could last all week ( pressure cooker £1.50 from Charity shop) which enables me to slowly build a little reserve for the important things like bus fares.

BTW - my son is off to school today with a packed lunch of:

Butternut and feta tartlet with green bean and haricot bean salad and a slice of sourdough.

Yesterday he had:

Risotto with broad beans, mixed salad and an apple muffin.

Monday was:

Thai red veggie curry with rice, a HM flapjack and an apple.

Tomorrow he will be having

Red pepper hummus, pitta bread, carrot and turnip sticks. Grilled vegetables in balsamic dressing.


............. yet our food bills are still less than a pound per person per day, but goodness it takes a lot of planning and a lot of commitment to keep our bills low in the face of rising prices.

It can be done, but you have to have the willingness to make significant changes in order to do it. Many I fear are not willing.

Even one of my "Playgroup Mums" moans that she can't make her money stretch - but dare suggest that perhaps she could cut down on smoking and its all "I'm entitled"

Well my boys are entitled to good nutritious food and for me to manage our money as best we can - but it is all just a work in progress.

MG

Memory_Girl

lostinrates wrote: »

Its a shame your child doesn't like houmous, My nieces loved it when they were little, as does my friend's toddler. Its so cheap to make with dried chickpeas, and doesn't have to me made daily, i.e. you can make enough for a couple of days at a time. I am not sure but i think it freezes.

Yup it does - although I trim costs further by cooking up whole bags of dried pulses and freezing in portions. The if we fancy hummus we can - if we fancy soup we can - or if we fancy curry we can.

BTW, secretly I think it tastes nicer made fresh - the lemon always feels a little dull to me after freezing.

MG

Chakani

Memory Girl, your food sounds inspiring and delicious I was reading your post thinking that I would love to eat those things, not thinking "her poor son, what a cheap diet". Amazing the difference attitude can make.