This Time I'm Really Going To Do It

Karmacat

Great news on the saddle, Watty, thats a lot of money.

Fascinating about horses and dirt :rotfl:

Watty1

Looks like I could make today last day at work if I get my skates on. Have started working on 2016 simple life. First is meal planning. Am so grateful for Tilly's advice and am planning on taking it (see it wasn't wasted Tilly) The month's outline plan is done, I just have to do the shopping lists and then put aside a day.
I've decided to go for cooking a months worth of food as well!
Started today as I had a couple of unused chicken wings and these are being made into gravy to freeze. Currently chicken wings in oven. Would be more cost effective to be cooking more in that oven but baby steps

Slinky

I don't know how I've ended up stumbling across your thread Watty as I'm not a MFW reader, but have read all of it across the past 3 days! (I too run my own business from home and am in wind-down mode).

You lead a very interesting life. Well done on paying off your mortgage, I hope things go well with Handsome and Doggy into 2016.

Goldiegirl

Great result with the saddle.

Well done on starting with the meal planning

Things like meal planning and batch cooking really do work.

I've found that I save about £150 per month at the supermarket, over the historic high figure in 2012, when I realised that 'something' had to be done, if I wanted to retire early.

If I tried a bit harder, I probably could reduce it more.... But at the moment I'm comfortable with my spending.

All figures to be revealed in my year end report!!

SueP19

I need to research this a little more too. My food bills are way too high, any advice

Watty1

Slinky wrote: »

I don't know how I've ended up stumbling across your thread Watty as I'm not a MFW reader, but have read all of it across the past 3 days! (I too run my own business from home and am in wind-down mode).

You lead a very interesting life. Well done on paying off your mortgage, I hope things go well with Handsome and Doggy into 2016.

Thank you Slinky. I sometimes find a thread here or on MFW and read the lot. Amazed anyone would do that on mine, thanks

SueP19 wrote: »

I need to research this a little more too. My food bills are way too high, any advice

No advice but something a lovely MSE person said to me really struck a chord. She said my food bill was way to high and if I cut it by £100 a month that would be £1200 towards retirement - or - and it was up to me - I could continue throwing that at the supermarket. That really got my attention. So since then I have been doing a plan of sorts. But for January I am really going for it. I'm time poor to I've factored that in.


I've done a month food plan. I've thought of 4 dishes I would be prepared to eat once a week. These will be the cornerstone of the plan. And I will make them and freeze them. Then I came up with another few dishes that I will have once or twice a week.


In the past I always thought freezing meals meant I had to cook complete things like a stew - but - reading on line I got the idea I could just prep things and freeze prepped. That had never occurred to me before :rotfl:


So for example one of my 'Specials' is roast pork fillet baked in herbs so I will just prep the pork ready to go in the oven. Then with it I will freeze the apple and ginger sauce and maybe even the juice to stew the carrots in. I will serve it with rice (also frozen) and just need to prep the veggies. Prep time will be really shortened. And having a proper plan should save money.


I'll report back as the experiment goes along.

hiddenshadow

Good luck with the cooking! That's (still) on our to-do list to try.

Watty1

Happiness! Just ordered horses bedding - they have about the most expensive one there is as it is so quick to muck out. I've managed to run out at what should be a busy time of year. I have it delivered free as I bulk buy and from a lovely place as nearest seller really upset me a few years ago. Discovered the nice feed barn does loyalty points and I had £55 of loyalty vouchers :j How nice was that!

hiddenshadow

Very nice. I love loyalty points for things I buy frequently anyway.

Watty1

Lovely Christmas. Began with the village church service on Christmas eve which I adore. A 14th century simple church lit with just candles. How many generations have worshiped on Christmas Eve there I wonder? Very moving service.
Then simple day of much joy as we went off to the Ashdown Forest for walks in the mud and found Pooh Bridge. Doggy and humans mud covered and happy and home Turkey dinner this evening.
Simple and happy