"16 Kids and Counting" - how do they afford it?

pigpen

MerlinMags wrote: »

Good tips - thank you.
Although I will need to consider the extra petrol needed to get to these farm shops in addition to Tesco. Don't tell me I ought to go to a butchers as well?

Nah.. meat from farmers markets.. butchers near me sell mostly crap.. My BIL does nice cuts

You could always cycle or share petrol with a moneysaving friend. Lots you can order by phone and they will deliver.. here it is free if you spend £10 or more.

pigpen

Spendless wrote: »

Yes! It does say on their blog that they shop at a butchers and ask what the best value/cheapest cuts are. I live in a large market town with plenty of butchers stalls and have bought 90% of my meat there for years. It surprises you to see what the supermarkets charge in comparison. In addition the butcher can give you advice on cooking your meat if you are unsure and will be able to trace his meat back to the source. Possibly even work out which field it usd to stand in and the animals name..which won't have been Black Beauty.:p

But might have been Rudolph or Bambi

Dave_liverpool

Just had a quick look at the link to the £60 for the weeks meals as I was 'curious' to how it was done. Theres a massive oversight! Not a drink! no dessert apart from on Sunday! So if you basically double that to include breakfast, lunches, drinks, snacks, fruit I'm not sure £60 would look as good.
I liked the people we saw on the prog, well to be honest, the Radcliffes, not so much the Asian family or more to the point the father. Theres a lot he could learn from the Radcliffes work and home ethic! (IMO)
I liked the Radcliffes chaotic but loveing style, but Mum seems to have rose tinted glasses on with hubs over his £60 meal deal! But hey ho its not my life and not for me, especially all that washing and ironing!

thunderbird

I guess they drink water and don't have dessert?

This has encouraged me to visit some farm shops, the only ones I have ever been to have actually been really expensive - but they are e more 'stylish' types. Need to check out the ones with handwritten signs at the side of the road!

delain

There's a farm shop near here that charges £8 for a pork pie :eek:

We have a weekly market here with a meat man, if you go after lunchtime he does trays for £10, the trays are huge and that's real value for money, even lamb he does on that deal. The veg people opposite also get very generous after lunch.

Also we use makro for cleaning stuff/loo rolls, big sacks of spuds etc.

We have a mincer (part of OHs birthday present believe it or not) and now we do our own mince... I was astounded how much cheaper that worked out than buying mince and i can have it as lean as I like

Also he makes bread (and cakes) and big sausage rolls...

We've been making pizzas from scratch and they are so much nicer than frozen ones.

He's also growing fruit and veg and seed saving.

I'm an OS convert how

Spendless

It did say on the blog that the £60 was an evening meal budget not a weekly meal amount. Don't think it's out of the ordinary to not have a dessert, we never did as a child at home. I'm more likely to have things like yoghurts in, but my mum never did as she doesn't like milk based products, so it was your meal and that's it, nothing to follow, unless it was a special occasion.

I actually don't know what a 'farmers market' is? I live in a large market town that has a market running 3 times per week and has since long before I was born. It has butchers stalls, fishmongers, fruit and veg stalls, delis, cheese stalls, bread stalls and then non-food ones like cards and baby clothes and 2nd hand books. We go and get meat monthly and freeze it, but living 5 miles from the town centre I don't usually pick up fruit and veg there as I don't always get weekly. I should go and see how their prices compare as I know the meat is miles cheaper

raq

Molly41 wrote: »

They would be eligible for Child Tax credits and even Working Tax Credits as he is self employed so can offset a lot of costs!

Also the environment of their house is not very luxurious and very basic in some of the children's room. I saw a previous programme on them and felt very sad as one morning they picked up one of the children off the stairs fast asleep. They cant possibly keep track of their kids. No individuality in preparing lunch - all had ham sandwiches. The Mum is obviously not used to going out with the children alone - she had no control of the youngsters when out walking.

yes I also seen that one sometime last year. Another thing I noticed was a couple of them crying a lot. I just think, they do need there own attention with mum or dad the odd occasion and did feel sorry for them.

I got 3 and find it really difficult. Cwtching, caring, food, socialising and so forth.

Nada666

Molly41 wrote: »

No individuality in preparing lunch - all had ham sandwiches.

And? Parents with fewer children should take note. You're not supposed to be operating a cafeteria.

raq

sassyblue wrote: »

Was going to suggest this, all their bread, cakes, butter, flour, eggs could come from the shop, as 'leftovers'. . The van might double as the company car. Every little helps.

Maybe the buggies are secondhand, clothes handed down. A lot of us do that anyway, they just do it on a larger scale.

The buggies was actually brand new . In last years show it actually showed you the wife looking at them. I shared mine to 3 kiddies and is still in amazing condition after 13 years.

notanewuser

flashnazia wrote: »

I don't believe they are self sufficient. They are getting tax credits without a doubt.

Absolutely 100%. And way more than £30k per year.

Shocking, thoughtless attention seekers.

lazer wrote: »

The couple with the bakery own their own home outright, have their own business and make £577 from this business and are entitled to Child Benefit too (ok maybe there is an arguement that they should only get it for the first 2 or 3 children - but they don't).

Thats £750 a week to support them all plus whatever the 2 older children are earning - I am sure they contribute something too - and with the economies of scale I am sure they can manage

Oh no they don't. "After their mortgage, their food bill is the biggest expense" according to the programme. So we know they're spending £250 per week on food. That's £1083 per month. Say their mortgage is only a whisker more at £1100. That's £26k per year. You think they manage to cover that plus clothes, school trips, birthdays, Christmas, travel, utilities etc on £38k income (from the bakery and child benefit)?

Bullsh1t.

I found it most shocking that as a baker he was making their sandwiches with yucky plastic bread.