Help me cope?

Butterfly_Brain

Here is a link that may help with benefits http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/On_a_low_income/DG_10018923

Well done on what you have achieved so far :T and if I were you I would cherish every moment with your little girl and enjoy doing things with her, such as going to the park, splashing in puddles, baking cakes and biscuits, memories that can't be bought but have to be made, because believe me you blink and they are all grown up.
We have a mortgage and only one wage coming in and survive on less than £15,000 pa.
So it can be done.
We have been so lucky that DH found a job, they are very few and far between here - Ok so it pays half of what he used to earn, but he loves it and we do manage to get by.
We shop in Aldi and get whatever else in Asda or Sainsbury (I price check on items I use once a week) to see which works out cheaper.
We eat veggie once or twice a week and I can stretch a chicken to 3 meals easily.
See if you can get a copy of the Paupers cookbook or some wartime rationing books they are good reads and have great ideas for healthy filling food.

Make a meal plan and shop accordingly and only take cash with you when you go shopping, because it focuses the mind on what you need rather than impulse buys.

I have a spreadsheet to work out the monthly budget so I know whatever is left is for shopping and savings, not a lot, but at least it creates a small buffer for things like birthdays and Christmas ( We do the sistercas fund way of saving for Christmas, just put £1 a day into a pot and you have £360 without noticing too much)
Buy all you cards, wrapping paper, gift tags, crackers and even a few presents in the January sales, it will save you a mint.

We all make as many of our own presents as we can and I can highly recommend the pots of gold https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1283835
I made them last Christmas and they went down a storm
The special occasions board is a great source of inspiration.
BEWARE IT IS ADDICTIVE!
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=101&order=desc&page=18

Tink_04

Wow thanks for all the advice! I never realised I could cut back on everything and may be close to working moneywise - id still like to work but its made me less worried about starving to death/not having gas & elec etc. I've made my meal plan and done my shop (been also for last 3 month and im converted!) so here is hoping to a smooth ride. Dh is still really worried and up through the night worried bout house & money so really want to make it as easy as I can for him.

Tink

Florenceem

Tink_04 wrote: »

Wow thanks for all the advice! I never realised I could cut back on everything and may be close to working moneywise - id still like to work but its made me less worried about starving to death/not having gas & elec etc. I've made my meal plan and done my shop (been also for last 3 month and im converted!) so here is hoping to a smooth ride. Dh is still really worried and up through the night worried bout house & money so really want to make it as easy as I can for him.

Tink

Staying at home gives you more time/opportunity to be thrifty.

LavenderBees

Good luck, Tink. I can well understand your anxiety.

The others know far more about claiming/frugality than I do, I'm stll very much with the L plates, but my advice would be to keep in touch with others via this MSE board. When your hubby is out at work, and you're home with the little one, you'll need help so that you don't feel isolated. Not to mention all the good advice and tips.

I hope all goes well for you

xx

Tink_04

Hi I was wondering if anyone can help me budget my shopping? This month I am going to have £25 per week to cover all shopping for me dh and dd who is 2 and the cat. The food is not too bad as I have some tinned stuff stockpiled and stuff in the freezer, what im worried about is I normally do a full month shop for freezer cupboards toiletries household items etc but having to do it weekly im worried I won't have enough money as usually buy in bulk so cheaper but with buying smaller packs or 1 tin etc am I going to run out of money (I also don't go to the supermarket as often as usually online shop but will be going to the shops this time) any advise would be a great help thanks xx

Penny-Pincher!!

Make a list of everything you have in and note what items are needed to make it to a full meal. Make soups, eat things on toast or baked spuds etc.

PP
xx

FairyPrincessk

Definitely make a list before you shop and then stick to it. I you're used to shopping online, you may find being in the store leads to more temptation! I'd also suggest you make a list of your storecupboard items and the meals you can make with those--then as suggested above only buy what you need to complete those meals. You might want to fill an online trolley with everything you need from the shop you'll be going to as a way to make sure you aren't "going over". Alternatively, if you have an Aldi or Lidle near you, shopping there can drastically reduce spending, not only are most things cheaper, but you'll have fewer options for impulse buys. If you find your freezer is running low on meat, then maybe get creative--Monday is breakfast for dinner night (egg, fruit, etc.) Wednesday is soup and bread night, friday is homemade pizza night. With an adequate storecupboard you can definitely do this!

[Deleted User]

I type a list for each cupboard of the contents and blu-tack it to the inside of the doors When I use something up I run a line through it and unless its something I use often I will put it on one list of

'Things I may need but not urgently'

I have another list
'Stuff I can't do without, and have run out of'

This I use for obviously the reason stated Often if I urgently need something I may adapt something else or set my menu around what I actually have in store.If you think about it the reason we often shop is because we are 'conditioned 'to shop
If you go on the
'seven day fiscal fasting board'

you will see what I mean.I have cut right back on my shopping as now I think why have my cash tied up in stock on the shelves why not keep it in my purse until I really need to buy something .
Its odd at first as you are so used to 'popping to the shops for say a pinta or a loaf and then you end up buying the £5.00 loaf .in other words you buy the bread and then buy several other things as well 'just in case'

I live alone and have £100.00 per month as my food budget I keep it in a separate purse and only use the purse to buy actual food with real cash (no debit or c/cards to buy food with) .It takes me back to when I first got married in 1963, and what cash I had in my purse had to last the week(my OH got paid weekly then )so if by Thursday my purse was thin, then it was a case of streeeetching the food to last for another meal.It certainly concentrates your mind and I think to run a household is no different than running a business.

Stock control in your own kitchen is just as important than if you were running Tesco's
Menu planning is an asset as then you use what you have and don't have to 'buy in' stuff.On my
Things I need but not urgently' list
at the moment I have:

Eggs (down to my last three in the fridge
Celery ( last inner four sticks left in the fridge )
Mushrooms (needed but not yet as I won't need to use some until Wednesday/Thursday of next week)

On my
'Stuff I have run out of' list

at the moment its blank as I have sorted out my menus already for the next five days and have enough in store to not have to shop for several more days.

Last Month I budgeted for £75.00 as I was away on holiday for the first week.I closed my budget last night with £24.00 in my purse which will go into my holiday stash of cash for August.

Today I have a new month starting and a £100.00 to go into my purse .Hopefully with careful management I will have some left over at the end of this month which will also go into my holiday stash.Look at what you have indoors already before you decide to buy anything else.and then if you can shop for the best prices for what you need
Good luck every pound is a prisoner for most folk these days

Butterfly_Brain

Meal planning is a must in your situation and use what you have first before buying anything. Have a look here for ideas on cheap meals http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=8736367#post8736367

I do a meaty macaroni cheese and in it I use fuselli, a diced onion, cheese sauce and top it with pepperoni slices (about £1 a pack and will easily do four meals) to add a bit of meat for the menfolk in the house, they both love it.

HM pizza, HM tortilla wraps, HM bread, pancakes, tuna pasta ( use chunks because they are cheapest 55p a tin in Aldi) jacket potatoes, Buy a pack of porridge oats and add dried fruit and nuts to make a HM muesli or top with apple, banana in a toffee (basically using a toffee apple recipe) or apricots.

Aldi super six this week are.....pack of 6 kiwis, cherry tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, sweetheart cabbage, broccoli and avocado all for 49p I always buy a chicken in there for £2.59 and can easily stretch it to two meals for three of us (DD is a vegetarian and hardly here any more because she stays with her BF a lot) Aldi Mince is £2.49 for 800g and again I can do three meals from one pack, I just stretch it out with lentils and plenty of veggies.

If you post what you have maybe we can give you some more recipe ideas.
Please let us know how you are getting on every week x

BitterAndTwisted

In your stiuation, apart from taking on board the advice about meal-planning and incorporating what you have already in your store-cupboard, fridge and freezer, I'd budget for one cleaning/toiletry item per week in the largest size you can find. For cleaning-materials, apart from furniture polish and washing-up liquid you could clean almost everything with one bottle of Stardrops.

There's nothing wrong with supermarket own-brand cheapo shampoo and hair-conditioner, and if you want to save an absolute bundle on laundry detergent, just make your own. That could take the cost of each wash-load down to a penny or two. See the "laundry gloop" thread about how to make it. So simple. So satisfying. So very cheap.