September's Step-Up!!!

abundant1972

Hey all,

Apologies for my absence!

Congrats to Roxy!!! Great news!!!

LOL Lilian1977 - that's the sort of thing I would do when I go shopping!!!... Ahem... before I joined these threads of course!!!

Today was SFD 4 and have adjusted budgets to date...

This month seems to be flying by for me!!! Am enjoying it much more than August too! Feels really Autumn like though the last few days... Brrrrrrr!

Laters x

CountingSheep

Work has been so busy I've not checked in so in summary:

Friday:
spent £28 on british cycling membership (I need this cos it gives me liability cover as a club coach and I was coaching Friday - and great fun it was too)
Took lunch to work

Saturday:
No personal spends although did the weekly shop but that's out of a different pot
Alcohol free day

Sunday:
£2.00 on coffee as I was on the cycling social ride - did 30 miles :T

Monday:
Took lunch to work
No spends
Alcohol free day

Counting Sheep

jazzyjustlaw

Check in NSD 5!
Lunch to work
46 mins excercise
Made a shepherds pie for scratch for dinner tonight and tomorrow using mainly what we had in bought some carrots to go with it yesterday and used ood soy sauce and onion from the lottie!

Have saved a bomb already!!

brizzledfw

Hi all

Small £4 spend as had no lunch...

That's it not so bad, but clear breach of Kat's rules!!

Glad to see all the good news on here and hugs to those who need them

Brizzle x

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi all, just checking in. Been a busy day juggling my two jobs so I am tired now. Came straight home from work without stopping off at the shops so thats 2 SFDs in a row which is pretty good for me!

Spent some time updating my spreadsheets tonight too which I am pleased about, all looking good so far.

chickadee

Hi there,

I have just watched Save with Jamie. I can't say he is one of my favourite chefs but in that series he is patronising in the extreme. I think many of us could pull together a meal for under two quid a head if we are feeding eight people or more. The joints of meat he starts off with are just ridiculous. They could feed about 20 people then he goes on about leftovers. For some people simply buying a joint of meat is a non-starter in the first place so jazzing up the leftovers with three kinds of Chinese sauce, fresh coriander and fresh chillies really isn't going to happen.

I remember a similar tv show a year or two ago Economy Gastronomy. I think in one episode a family were doing a slow-cooked beef meal. It was about 10pm before they were eating the meal took so long to cook. It just wasn't realistic.

Get someone on TV to tell people how to make a decent meal for two with only four quid without a vast store cupboard of ingredients and a flourishing herb garden and I'll be impressed.

Anyway, rant over. Back to work today. Didn't spend anything, took lunch in and no alcohol again. Tick.

Position is like this:

SFD - 4/18
Groceries - £108.95/£250
Alcohol-Free - 9/26 (2 parties and a holiday)
Exercise - 6/12
Packed Lunch 7/16 (On hols part of month)
Food Bank - 3/3

Finished off the remainder of yesterday's chicken and roasted vegetables this evening which was still a very tasty dish. Definitely one to repeat. Will have to repeat it as well because I took yet another courgette off the plants today. We have had some rain and they swell enormously after the rain. I think I will look like a courgette before long.

cottage_retreatist

ooh chickadee - if you want to read a thread discussing JO and his patronising ways you should visit this thread on the OS Board: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4757275 - i was reading it the other day and I agree with what quite a lot of people are saying - I don't think he's a patch on some of the members on here who have taught me LOADS about saving money and cheap cooking!

Roxy - HUUUGE congratulations! :j:j:dance::j:j

So:
SFD - done
AFD - done
Exercise - done (not ladymay's victoria's secrets workout though!! )
FFD (fag free day!) - done - 1 month anniversary today/tomorrow of no smoking!!!!! :j (i'm a vaper now!)

OH is off this week with acute tonsilitis so made comfort food tonight - onion soup (homemade - first time - without wine!!!!) and mash pots and chicken and pepper and butterbean stew - all from freezer/larder! whoop!!!!! Get me!! :rotfl:

hope everyone is good?
xx

zoominov

*sigh*

Very bad day today, wasn't intending on going for a coffee with my colleagues when it came to paying I just got a coffee and my mates got a cake and crisps, and I had to pay £7.20 from starbucks not happy, and spent a further £10.00 on topping up my oyster card, which will not take me through till friday have to top up on thursday.

So spent £17.20 today ahhhh

Payday on Friday though !

hotmama

Hi all,

Apologies for not checking in- mu body clock is adjusting to working till 10 each night prepping for school.

SFD 2/18
A.F 4/30
Shopping 105/150
Petrol 65/120
Lunches 6/20
Exercise 2/12
Charity 0/3

Slightly spent too much in tesco- I hate the shop went for a free eye check and come out £40 lighter. I set myself a budget of £30 as I had a coupon and some extra points. I spent £37.87 in total and was tempted to put things back but didn't.
I will calculate as I go next time.
Cooking extra dinner to take to work is saving me a small fortune and time not having to drive out for lunch.


Exercise -erm so tired in morning and work til late I need to find a slot in my day.

thriftylass

chickadee wrote: »

I remember a similar tv show a year or two ago Economy Gastronomy. I think in one episode a family were doing a slow-cooked beef meal. It was about 10pm before they were eating the meal took so long to cook. It just wasn't realistic.

I think sometimes they're just not well presented. Fair enough JO is doing this to make money etc and he cant teach a true MSEr anything but all those who waste money on non-nutricious ready meals that think cooking is more expensive than that, i guess. I often buy big joints of cheap cuts of pork or beef on offer (5-8 £/kg) and do them in the slow cooker . If you stick it on before work its easily ready by 6.

For me its the fresh produce that drive the cost up like fruit, milk and cold cuts. I can easily feed 3 with roast chicken legs,green beans, roast veg and cream sauce for under 4 quid. I dont like the books etc that tell you how to feed your family of 4 for 20 quid a week but only cook sheperds pie and not a fresh fruit in sight. Thats easy and equally unhelpfull advise. Just need to mix and match whatever advice suits your personal circumstances