2013 Frugal Living Challenge

money_maker_mummy

Hi everyone. I'm new to this site and been having a browse through the forums :-) I love the idea of this challange...would love to have a go. Any ideas on how I could cut down my food bill? That would make the mkst difference tko our spending :-) only problem is my fella is a really picky eater and only likes certain foodsnso i cant batch cook for him. Plus i'm kinda scared of batch cooking (reheating and things). Wouldn't batch cooking actually cost more in the long run anyway? Lets say it was stew... it would use more gas to cook a bigger pot, then I'd have to freeze it, then have to reheat again so using gas again??

Anyway back to my fella... he basically only likes:

Chocolate and most things sweet and chocolate flavour
Beef (not cold - especially steak)
Chicken (not cold)
Lamb
Potato (but not mash/hash browns)
Pastry
Sausages, bacon + pork (but not bothered about gammon

Yorkshire pudding
Gravy
Fish (cod/haddock)
Cheese
Bread
Garlic
Herbs
Milk
Eggs (but not bothered about boiled)
Custard
Pasta (but not any sauces

He will not eat any veg, fruit or fruit flavoured,

So as you can see I'm kinda stuck with meal plans and have to cook mine and my sons dinners seperate.... any ideas? Thanks :-)

Eliza_2

money_maker_mummy wrote: »

Wouldn't batch cooking actually cost more in the long run anyway? Lets say it was stew... it would use more gas to cook a bigger pot, then I'd have to freeze it, then have to reheat again so using gas again??

Not at all. You cook a large quantity then freeze it in small portions, say individual or family sized. So when you want a quick meal after work you only have to reheat a smaller quantity. Most things you don't have to reheat in an oven either, stews etc can be reheated on the hob. The oven takes forever, I only every use it for bread these days

money_maker_mummy wrote: »

So as you can see I'm kinda stuck with meal plans and have to cook mine and my sons dinners separate.... any ideas? Thanks :-)

No you don't, never heard anything like it!!! The frugal way to deal with this is to find another partner - or none at all. If you really want to go frugal, you really need to have him on side, otherwise you'll find you and you son will be eating beans while he's eating best steak. Of course he will eat veg, you put it on a plate, stick a fork in it and put it in your mouth. Then you chew it, and swallow. Not hard. End of tutorial. Veg is the very best way to eat frugal and get loads of great nutrients. You can't be healthy without veg.

If you need or want to be frugal, you need to find cheaper ways of eating steak etc so have a read through this thread, there are so many great ideas. But he needs to be with you if you truly want to cut down.

debbiedeejay

Money maker Mummy - you are going to have to get tough with your fella on this one if you want to save money on shopping.

Tell him you have to cut the bill in half or how ever much you need to and that you need his support on this - if he doesn't normally go with you take him shopping to show him how expensive his tastes are,And if he does and he tends to fling all his fave's in the basket, either leave him at home or try shopping online?

If he is not willing to give up his steak,pastries and chocolate tell him he buys it out of his own pocket and cooks his own tea!
If that is all he eats it is not a very balanced diet - he probably knows this too, but his health would improve too if he cut back on most of what is on your list and introduce veggies and fruit .

I know what it is like having a fussy eater - my three daughters are all vegetarians by choice but the youngest(now 16) does not like the texture of veggies in their "normal" cooked state so I disguise them in stews,pies,curries etc. She has always struggled to eat them even as a child but it can be done and she knows they are there but masking the taste and texture with other things helps her to eat them.

She also does not like many fruit either in its normal state, so again I chop it up for us all and mix it to make fruit salads or she makes smoothies for herself.
I cook tea usually vegetarian and take out my portion to add meat if I fancy it later in cooking - if they don't like whats for tea they make their own,simple as that.

Good Luck,you can do it:)

[Deleted User]

Hi folks, nice to see the thread getting busier again. I have fallen off the frugal bandwagon big time and went a bit mad after being offered a permanent job - I think it is just the relief to have that security again. Anyhow, I do want to get back to frugaling as I want to maximise my savings and the frugal lifestyle really does help.

Getting back into food planning this week and want to plan a frugal weekend with OH as I have not seen him much due to the shifts he is working. depending on the weather we will either go into Edinburgh to the National Museum or go for a picnic (or maybe do both).

Kerry_Woman

allie - Congratulations on your permanent job.

Miss_Frugal_Wannabe

allie23- I'm sure you're so relieved to have a permanent job!! Congratulations!!!!

I'm in the same capsized frugalling boat.....at the start of this challenge i was so focused but when i run into a blip its as if i think the world has ended and there's no point but I'm ready (for another time) to get back on the path to frugaldom.

first i need to tackle my very disorganised and messy house, plan my food and look in my calander for upcoming events so i don't get caught out like i have been recently!!! Easy in writing!!! Lol

I've also just started seeing someone and any ideas for frugal dates would be much appreciated. I haven't told him about this challenge yet as recently there's been no point, so waiting to c what i can acheive first.

natnat13

Hi all

All change here. New job this week working from home doing telesales, hard but going ok.
Also moving house, the house was going to feel through but I need to move from here, to near ex husband, on a main road and its cold! I think I have found something else, a lovely barn conversion, quite isolated and the rent is more but bills should be cheaper and its very much got the "good life" feeling, free wood off the wood pile, allotment, fields all around and my only neighbour is my landlord who is away a lot. Fingers crossed it comes off.
Moving will also give me a kick up the a@@ to sort my stuff out, do that car boot and generally organise myself a bit more. Hopefully if my job comes off things will calm down a bit and I can enjoy life a bit more, might even find myself a nice man (maybe not!)
I feel like I've been in limbo since I left my ex but I now want to settle down again, sort myself out and move forward and the ultimate aim is to buy a house, but I need to save, save, save, can't borrow enough on my own to buy anything big enough atm and buy to let won't touch me.
Anyway, hope everyone's ok, I do read all the posts when they come through even if I don't reply.
Nat x

Frugaldom

Just popping in to see how everyone is doing s we approach the halfway mark?

[Deleted User]

Afternoon all. My re-focus on frugalling begins this week.
Plans for today:
1. Inventory cupboards and freezer to plan meals for this week. I have totally lost track of what I have in the house food-wise.
2. Housework - strip the beds. Washing in ready for tomorrow morning (when I am hoping for sun so I can get the sheets out on the washing line!!).
3. Buy vinegar and soap nuts. Going to start using these again.

Savvy_sewing

I have been walking on the edge for a long time. Too busy dealing with the twins and their problems.
Yesterday I did a big order from Approved Foods, £85 worth with delivery, and spent £44 in Aldi today.
But I am hoping that I will be well stocked for sometime, and can then concentrate on sorting out the twins menus/
Due to problems twin2 has been given a Food Bank Parcel today. (which is a relief as I was subsidising her and my budget was been way way stretched). While we were there I mentioned that I was going to go home and make up a menu plan for her from the good given, and the Principal happened to come in while I was saying that and he asked me if I could do some Menu Plans for them to give out with the packs????? So guess I will be trawling all of the information that I have access to on here.
I will also put a link on to the paperwork to this site, so that hopefully those who have access to the Computer could also have help and inspiration when times are tough for them.
What exactly I can do, is debateable, but its a start, and nothing ventured nothing gained is it.
I will be checking in with Elaine Collier and her site, as well as Frugaldoms menus that everyone worked on so hard.
I am sure that if I can only help one family back to health and happiness it would be a good thing.