Help needed,but don't shootme down!

esmf73

Hi everyone, I need your help.

Husband is about to leave his nice well paid job due to ill health. We have an 8 yr old son who has severe behavioural and emotional problems and a 6 yr old son who is ok. In the last year we have paid as much off the mortgage as we can, and we have no other debts. Unfortunatly we only have a small garden, but I grow what I can in pots and in the ground. I am my sons full time carer and have recently started painting furniture in an attempt to destress, earn a bit of cash and chill!!

I am doing what I can think of to save money, but I just know that you lovely peeps will have better ideas. Anything you can suggest would be wonderful,. Thanks

fuddle

Aw, we wouldn't shoot you down don't worry. A good question well asked.

Well, my money saving is coming from a monthly meal plan of basic slow cooked mainly foods such as broth, mince and dumplings, stewed steak in gravy, chicken dinners and left overs in a curry the next day etc. I have 30 different set meals. I have a store of dry ingredient I need to make those meals and only buy in those items plus flour, cereals, sugar etc etc. I buy my meat monthly and freeze and my fruit, veg and dairy as I need it.

It's a very structured way to live and I have to be disciplined but as far as the family go because there's 30 different meals they don't get bored.

HTH

esmf73

Fiddle, could you let me know what meals you make? Sounds yummy x

fuddle

i'll hunt out my meal plan, it''s on here somewhere. Give me a minute. No problem

Take_it_like_a_man,_sonny

Going through much the same here, so Jenny, my pacemaker gives yous a :heartpuls

fuddle

Here it is, my version has slightly changed but this is what I started with. It should take some of the legwork out of it for you. Also I add lentils to my mince based dishes as they disintergrate, bulk up the meal and means you don't need as much meat

1) mince & dumplings
2) gammon, fried egg & chips - pudding
3) pizza, garlic bread, coleslaw
4) chilli & wedges
5) chicken dinner
6) chicken curry, rice & naan bread
7) pasta bake, garlic bread

8) leek, bacon & potato soup
9) mince cobbler & peas - pudding
10) burger in bun, salad, coleslaw
11) mince, onion, gravy, carrots, broccoli & yorkshires
12) fish pie, peas - pudding
13) sausage, onion gravy, mashed potatoes, carrots
14) chicken casserole - pudding

15) stewing steak, gravy, carrots & mashed potato
16) spag bol, garlic bread - pudding
17) cottage pie, steamed veg, yorkshire pudding
18) mince & onion pie, peas, mashed potato, gravy
19) sausage casserole, mashed potato
20) pasta bake, steamed veg
21) hotdogs, onions, rolls - pudding

22) chilli, wedges
23) toad in the hole, steamed veg, gravy
24) mince cobbler, steamed veg
25) chicken dinner
26) chicken curry, chips
27) broth, crusty bread - pudding
28) quiche, chips, coleslaw

Butterfly_Brain

esmf...... Why would we shoot you down in flames ? No worries on that front, Sadly none of us know what is around the corner and at least you have been able and have tried to prepare. x
I would say go to Wilkinsons or Asda in the next few weeks when their sales start (Asda has already started) and get as many packets of seeds as you can, this will save a lot of money next year because of the weather this year, not just in this country but all over the world. I think that we will see rising prices on staples such as flour, pasta, rice, veg and meat or even on some products shortages. Seeds will rise in price as well, because there are less of them this year. Get yourself a good book on foraging, because that can eke out your store cupboard. Make your own bread and Flour Tortillas - we actually prefer tortillas instead of bread now and I only bake a loaf of bread once or twice a week.
Buy a few extra bits every week to build up on food and sundries such as washing powder, toilet rolls etc.
Have you been to CAB to check that you are getting all of the benefits that you are entitled too? If you are not, they will help you to fill in the forms etc.
I think that the hardest thing to keep on top of is fuel and water prices ask your suppliers if they have any help for people on low income.
I wish you well x

valk_scot

Allotment? It won't make you self sufficient in fruit and veg but if you like gardening and will have some extra spare time availible now your OH will be at home, you might find it a very useful addition to your budget. Most sites have long waiting lists though, it's worth putting your name down now. You can make your mind up for definate once you get offered a plot.

Is your OH going to be well enough to take over the care of your elder son, at least partially? I was wondering about the possibility of you becoming the main wage earner, or getting a part time job. Or your OH working part time, or both of you? Pardon me if you've already thought of this blindingly obvious point but I know sometimes folk sometimes take time to become aware of new opprtunities. And of course there will be several factors of which I'm unaware, like the actual health restrictions (I'm not trying to pry, honestly) and any benefits your son and OH are getting. Speaking of which, I trust you've checked and are claiming everything you're entitled to re benefits? There's no shame in this, goodness knows the rules are strict enough and the money meagre in the vast majority of cases. but even things like free school meals, discounted council leisure passes and such can be welcome bonuses.

Good household budgeting is essential, of course. Your OHs work related expenses (clothes, transport, meals) will go down but others will go up, heating and lunches at home during the day for example. It's worth sitting down and working this all out together. Hopefully with two adults at home you can share the load timewise re childcare and housework, thus freeing more time for bargain hunting and cooking from scratch, both of which can save a fair bit of money.

Good luck, and I hope you become a regular here. There's not just practical tips, there's moral support and a cheerful attitude to making the most of a little too.

Cheapskate

esmf - I don't post much here, but I do read, and have always been impressed by the friendship/blitz spirit/community or whatever you want to call it that exists here; everyone's so supportive and helpful and we're all the last people to shoot down brothers in arms!

fuddle - thank you for your meal plan; this is something I need to revamp, so might pinch a couple of your ideas!

I was also going to suggest buying seeds for next year for the same reason as butterflybrain, I've been trawling through seed mags for ideas all weekend, then will buy in the sales.

Our income's not too bad right now, but we want to pay off some of the mortgage in the new year, and I'm always worried that TC will drop or even end, so I put away as much cash as I can each week/month. Now the hols are here we're going to eat through the freezer and then I'll restock early September - homemade meals ready-to-cook, YS things, foraged foods (raw or cooked), etc - so we're ready for the early autumn.

A xo

fuddle

esmf hope to see you on the tougher thread It's full of really cool people giving ideas on how to live to eeek out what we have. It's a good laugh in funnier times and a really lovely support network in tougher times. Hope to see you over there make do and mend for tougher times

LameWolf

Hi esmf;

How about nipping to the local library and see if they have any books on recipes from wild foods?

I have a really good one on my shelf, "Nature's Wild Harvest" by Eric Soothill & Michael J Thomas, but I fear it may be out of print now. But there must be other similar things available, and just maybe the library might have a copy - you never know!

Good luck with everything - it won't be easy adjusting, I guess, but try to look on it as life's next adventure.:o