Just Say NOvember 2013!!!

mon1o

FMess- definitley not harsh in the slightest! Absolutely agree its best to find out now, thankyou for your help its my first proper challenge so hopefully the questions will reduce as the month continues and I get into it more. Its hard to go from being a bit strict but a bit relaxed (i realise that contradicts itself!) to super strict so if I keep it as - £0 spent on anything = SFD then it keeps it easy for me. Maybe december I can include yellow stickers etc but for now simple is best haha!

you will achieve a NSD soon I'm sure. Keep at it theres still 28 days of NOvember left x

mon1o

NinjaSavingKat wrote: »

Mon1o... I haven't read all the posts as yet and I will apologise to the other newbies as I'm mostly off the grid on Saturdays. But yes.. An SFD is where no money is used or spent! I will add more shortly to explain the SFD more clearly...

Hi NSK - thanks so much for this x

thriftylass

stewby wrote: »

Anyways, I have a question for the batch cookers. When you batch cook, how many portions do you generally make?? I have just completed four individual lasagnes. Is this proper batch cooking or should I be making like 10 or something?? It is just so I don't sound daft or anything.

I call it batch cooking if it saves me a few days of cooking from fresh. Just sat down from a batch cooking session and I made (each serving two people) two batches of mince tomato sauce, two batches of chicken chasseur, and a beef stew is in the slow cooker that might be enough for three meals as well as chicken stock from a carcass that I butchered earlier. I rather have variety than make 10 of the same, plus there is limited space in our small freezer.

Re the SFD question. I count an SFD when I didn't spend anything in general. However, I have money saved for Christmas and the MOT, so when I have to pay for that I don't count it. Same counts for other people re petrol as travel expenses are unavoidable as you have to get to work I guess. If I go over the Christmas budget it's a spend as the aim is to reduce the variable spending especially to bring down and plan better for food and reduce/avoid spending on unnecessary things like coffees and snacks etc. Or if you have to pay for your kid's club or play group on a weekly basis but it doesn't coincide with your grocery shop than that is not a spend either as long it was planned and the money was put aside at the start. Also if you have to buy essential medication that is a SFD too as you can't risk you health by trying to avoid spending that day. Not sure if that explained it or made it sound really complicated

NinjaSavingKat

Ah hang on now I can see where confusion is happening. I think I let someone away with buying baby milk using last months budget because that stuff is expensive and neccessary. Otherwise if anyone has money left over from last month from any budget this has to be added as part of this month... OR put straight to the debt fund...

You cannot have £100 lying around and tell me that it was planned from last month for something you didn't need so you can use it. The whole idea is that there SHOULD be money left over hence we are being so hard with ourselves for the month.. this bit left over has to be either added in to the food or petrol or something budget or used to pay towards a CC or something - not used a way of spending but still having and SFD...

Soes that clarify things a bit better.

clippy_girl

Hello all

Sfd for me again today have been out for a meal but family paid 'bought' 6 new free books for my new kindle, can't wait for it to arrive! Have started added a few CDs to my wishlist for Xmas as well as adding some presents for family to my basket so can keep track on the prices.

Fmess can you just do the app do you know or do you have to go through swagbugs? Not signed up to them but would be interested in doing the survey as I wear lenses

Tomorrow will be a spendy day got three items on eBay but they are not cheap ones and don't think they will sell will just keep delisting until
Xmas

thriftylass

Rachel021967 wrote: »

Can you put me down for 5 NSD.

Hi Rachel, if you want to do a NSD challenge (like the naught but nice November NSD challenge) where you set your own target there is a separate on on a different thread. Sorry don't want to kick you out or anything but we're slightly extreme as we all aim for 25! NSDs :eek:. Have a look at the first post to see how crazy we are here

cottage_retreatist

stewby wrote: »

Anyways, I have a question for the batch cookers. When you batch cook, how many portions do you generally make?? I have just completed four individual lasagnes. Is this proper batch cooking or should I be making like 10 or something?? It is just so I don't sound daft or anything.

I wouldn't ever buy excess ingredients to make 20 portions of something if it wasn't economical - if that makes sense?

So my bolognese is now always the same size because I've learnt to make it with 750g-1kg of meat in it! :eek::eek:

so I know how much veg to buy and make it work but if the batch only makes 4 portions or makes 10 slightly smaller ones, that is still good and if you haven't got a chest freezer its the best way! You don't want to do what i've done in the past and cooked so much you have to eat spag bol 4 days in a row because there isn't enough space in the freezer for any more! that isn't good batch cooking!!!

if it's more than 1 portion left over I'd call it batch cooking - now Once a month cooking is a whole other story . . . . :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

hope that helps and makes sense?!

x

thriftylass

cottage_retreatist wrote: »

I wouldn't ever buy excess ingredients to make 20 portions of something if it wasn't economical - if that makes sense?

So my bolognese is now always the same size because I've learnt to make it with 750g-1kg of meat in it! :eek::eek:

so I know how much veg to buy and make it work but if the batch only makes 4 portions or makes 10 slightly smaller ones, that is still good and if you haven't got a chest freezer its the best way! You don't want to do what i've done in the past and cooked so much you have to eat spag bol 4 days in a row because there isn't enough space in the freezer for any more! that isn't good batch cooking!!!

if it's more than 1 portion left over I'd call it batch cooking - now Once a month cooking is a whole other story . . . . :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

hope that helps and makes sense?!

x

Agree, I don't buy extra ingredients either. But a packet of mince is too big for one meal so I freeze the rest. The cooking I did today I would have done anyway this week, so it's my normal weekly ingredients list but not cooked on the day I need it but rather in advance to save me cooking on a couple of days.

NinjaSavingKat

Determined Diva and Lovely_Cup_of_Tea I have finally added you and given you numbers.. sorry it took so long.

I am at my friends house watching a movie but their little one won't settle as he is coming down with something so our movie is being stopped every ten minutes to see to him. I am also on an Apple which I hate so trying to read everything between movie pausing to see to hub, wait for Apple to decide it's working and the page to load is getting frustrating..(not baby though just the computer..)

But I am off back to page 7 to read all the posts... SFD for me. My one outing for the month was supposed to be today but I was easily persuaded to stay in...

More overtime booked for tomorrow as well but I actually manage to get a lie in first although I am thinking there will be some baking involved in the morning!

Right.. more later...

cowboymum

Another good day today for me. Not a sfd as we went to a friends wedding, and I went over my budget for her present by 95p. I had budgeted £20 for afternoon out in the town where wedding was happening but we didn't spend any of it, not even on parking!:j

Slight downer this evening as my sister got ill so I'm currently settling down on her sofa bed to look after her, my nephew and her brand new puppy.:(

Got a dilemma tomorrow though - wanted it to be another nsd but have to buy childminding food (fruit, milk etc). I've got to get the food (fresh stuff really got everything else) but perhaps if I don't buy anything other than childminding food, this can be counted as job related expenses (and perhaps count as a nsd after all?!).

Did make a donation to Trussell trust today as churches food bank is now not opening till December.

Night night and see you all tomorrow!