Just say NOvember!!! ( are you brave enough )...

abundant1972

Brilliant!!! Thanks... that'll do it !!!

Yum

NinjaSavingKat

Abundant1972....This is a brilliant post! Welcome back online!!! We have missed 1 of our only men on here... I'd be interested if the other one is still alive or hasn't been scared to death by the GIRLIES!!!

When on a day out you pitch your budget... you can go wherever you want to but choose somewhere cheap. Pret a Manger is not cheap... Subway is cheap...:rotfl:.. it depends on if its a "date" kinda date - you know what I mean.. or a "friend" date... the former leave for a month you can spend more than a fiver..( a month where I ALLOW YOU )... otherwise eat a lot of home stuff before you go out so you don't buy something you shouldn't cause your starving.. carry a bottle of water with you that kind of thing..

Soup.. how about a stew... carrots, celery, onions, stock cube and red lentils. Yummy for days, freezable, cheap and lovely with a pitta on the side... I add chilli flakes for a kick and pepper.. once unfrozen add a little water...YUM!!

Or just follow Heffi1's recipe and add red lentils ( minimal cooking needed for them unlike the green ones )...:T

I can you see you donning a sheet and scaring small children.. stay inside and eat the sweets.. best place to be cause you'll freeze in just a sheet...:D

Support is here in abundance especially cause you all are not allowed to go out....Mwah ah ah ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaaaa.........ahem!

NinjaSavingKat

Heffi1 wrote: »

Only one more day of living it up people ha ha then austerity really does begin, I am hoping if I make it through the month, I will learn some very handy tips that will not be too hard to continue, I will try to stay as positive as I can because no-one likes a negative nelly do they, oh no we like positive polly's

I finished all my Tesco Cheese Puffs. I go through them too fast so will not replace them. This is probably a good thing....although I am a little sad.

tomandjerry

abundant1972 wrote: »

This challenge is just so awesome!!! Thanks NSK and Siouxsie32 for the inspiation, action and motivation!!!

Food Budget updated - check! £80

Really good idea Kat re NSDs. I have spaced my spend days (5 of them) throughout the month and also contacted friends and booked them in on the same days. That way i can get in 'allowed' essentials as they run out and have the dinner date on the same day.

Can I clarify Kat - if you have a dinner date planned - can that be in a cafe for example - or does it have to be something from the cupboards also...? What would you class as a 'basic amount' - £5-10? Will differ between incomes - but do we set a ceiling?

Good news - I got a replacement graphics card for £14!!! (my computer is quite old) to see me through until I can buy a new one... and it worked!!! I am back online... am *REALLY* glad because the support on here is going to be much needed and invaluable!!!

One day left to go!!! Whoop Whoop!!! Planning on pretending I'm out on Halloween and keeping all the treats for myself. JOKE!!! Ha ha ha! Am gonna dress as a Ghost and go collect MASSES of candy instead!!! JOKE!!!... although... not a bad idea!

Good luck everyone!

Anyone got a good recipe for a hearty but cheap soup??? That would be just the job during the cold weather... Pref something without meat in for me... Thank you!!!

:T

Hello Abundant1972 :wave:,

This lentil soup is my absolute favourite for any day any time. You need green lentils 250gr, water (depends on you how thick your soup you want), 1 medium onion + 2 cloves of garlic+ 2 carrots+ 1 stick of celery = all sliced, 1 can of chopped tomatoes, olive oil, (dried oregano if you wish - I don't use it), salt and pepper, I use vegetable or chicken stock cube. Boil the lentils for about 3 mins and strain, discarding the water. Add all the ingredients + fresh water and cook for about 30-40 mins until the lentils are soft. Fresh bread goes with it beautifully. Bon appetite.
t&j

NinjaSavingKat

I think I'll be trying that soup!!!!

searching_me

NinjaSavingKat wrote: »

Abundant1972....This is a brilliant post! Welcome back online!!! We have missed 1 of our only men on here... I'd be interested if the other one is still alive or hasn't been scared to death by the GIRLIES!!!

When on a day out you pitch your budget... you can go wherever you want to but choose somewhere cheap. Pret a Manger is not cheap... Subway is cheap...:rotfl:.. it depends on if its a "date" kinda date - you know what I mean.. or a "friend" date... the former leave for a month you can spend more than a fiver..( a month where I ALLOW YOU )... otherwise eat a lot of home stuff before you go out so you don't buy something you shouldn't cause your starving.. carry a bottle of water with you that kind of thing..

i have a friend who on all her dates has had a lite snack before, carrys a snack with her and a bottle of water .... because in her words you never know :rotfl:

got £5 in my purse ... that is for work tomorrow as ive gotta get the bus (working at a different store and parking is a nightmare so walking it down and bus it back) plus i need spuds and pasta and the last bits and whatevers left will last if it does oh well to me x

skintsue

[QUOTE=abundant1972;56888507


Anyone got a good recipe for a hearty but cheap soup??? That would be just the job during the cold weather... Pref something without meat in for me... Thank you!!!

:T
[/QUOTE]

I leave orange or yellow split lentils soaking in cold water overnight, usually until midday or later. Rinse with cold water until it runs clear.
Cover with cold water about 1 inch above lentil level and bring to the boil for 10 mins. DON'T ADD SALT OR THEY GO LIKE BULLETS.
Simmer for 20-30 minutes adding a stock cube of your choice (meat, or in your case veg) for added flavour. If you can get hold of them OXO did a Curry flavour one for a while, but it seems to have sold out.
I tend to mash or blend them at the end of the cooking time.
For a bit of a change - thinly slice some onion, fry with a bit of turmeric until they are crispy and sprinkle on top of the lentils.

I usually make enough for about 2 days in one go and leave the second in the fridge to thicken up. Leave it for 3 days and it can almost be sliced:)
Very cheap, filling and great fibre provider;)

abundant1972

Brilliant!!! The soup kitchen is open!!!

I may just do a quick basic shop tomorrow and then am ready...

I live in a house share so have 1 cupboard!!! I have an overspill of cider and twiglets under my desk in my room ha ha!!! The 3 cats and 2 dogs have been warned there will be no treats this month though hugs will be freely given. My flat mate decided we are to eat everything out the freezer in the next 2 weeks so we can defrost - so that works well as will make me use stuff... <looks at 4 tubs of ice cream... am SURE they were mine >

LOL Kat. Thank You for the allowances!!! Ok - setting myself £5 for non dates (!) and £15 for a date-date!!! (so thats £15 saved that month ha ha!!!).

wishing_my_life_away

Count me in as well please...

I've given careful thought to the no spend days. Therefore the allocated spend days are linked to nights out that I have already planned. So 25 NSD for me - will pledge this in a min on the NSD thread. I already have two nights out and a cinema trip planned (hurrah) and pledge not to spend more than £60. Often my down fall is planning a certain spend for the month and then going over this and spending my surplus cash. During NOvember I will stick to £60 spends and put the extra £200 on to debt repayments. I will I will I will!!

The other area I will struggle with is food: I have budgeted carefully over the past year and made a real effort to bring our monthly spend down to £220. However I think I can do better than this as recently goodies have started to appear in the shopping and batch cooking and baking seem to have disappeared completely. I am also guilty of going to the supermarkets most days and picking up whoopsies (this is an addiction in itself)- anyway the freezer is full and I do not need any more for at least 2-3 weeks- its time to use the frozen goods including the 35p octopus I'll have to let you know how that one goes.

Anyway have already spent some budgeted shopping money yesterday and paid in to the tea kitty at work today etc ... therefore I pledge to spend no more that £105 during NOvember on further food (this is for 2 adults and 2 cats)- if I manage this I will save £60 of the food budget which is a 25% reduction. I hope this will make me really think about what I am buying and whether I really need it...Lets see how I go- fingers crossed.

I have actually already filled up the car with this month's budgeted petrol money- so I have given this some thought today and in the sprit of NOvember have decided to leave the car at home once a week- can't really do any more than this as the other days I have to use the car while at work. But I will leave the car at home once a week and walk in to work on that day and also take lunch with me. I normally come home for lunch as I think the spend on petrol is cheaper than the money I would spend buying lunch and yummy cakes in the local shops ... but not during NOvember. Car use will be reduced and all lunches WILL be from my cupboard.

Right thats enough about me - time to end my post and await my number.

Good luck everyone- my plan is to just say NO

xx

Everhopeful09

I'm sure I won't join I've got a few nights out, my mum visiting & xmas shopping but will do my best to do some of the challenges. One plus I looked at my debts and know what exactly what I owe .

And have cut up my 2 credit cards, felt like my security blanket is gone.

Eh xx