2014 - a cutting back diary

Sequeena

Well done Chanie

We had a no spend day here. We've been putting the tree up most of the day (took forever) and Thomas' Portage worker came to the house and he did great

Roast for dinner and will have enough chicken for a few days meals including a soup with the carcass

chanie

I'm not the most organised person in the world, but I would like to think I have a good handle on managing my children's clothes. Here are my tips:

work out how many clothes you need - for my family, I like them to have at least 1.5 weeks worth of clothes, as this means I can get away with doing most washes at weekends. They have the following amounts:
8-12 short sleeve tops/dresses/tunics
4 long sleeve tops
10 pairs of jeans, jogging bottoms, leggings
4 jumpers/hoodies/cardis
3 pairs of shorts

Mix and match - I like to keep the bottoms fairly neutral e.g. blue/black jeans, beige, white, grey etc. This means they can have colourful tops. I have been caught out in the past, where I buy colourful clothes, but then they only match with 1 or two other items. Now, the majority of their clothes match.

versatility - I like items that can do more than one job e.g. dark jeans and polo shirts can be worn for smarter occasions, some cargo trousers can be rolled up to make shorts and summer dresses can be worn with leggings during the winter.

shoes I like the children to have two pairs: a pair of trainers with either boots or sandals.

flitter

Gillyx wrote: »

If you do make a meal like that can you freeze any that's left and have it another day?

I have an almost 2 year old and a very fussy OH so any meals I make tend to be just for myself and my little boy. I make 2-3 portions and just freeze them. I make one meal in this house (OH does his own) and if it's not eaten its tough. I'll give my LO supper obviously but I don't make anything else. He's not fading away yet they won't starve themselves xx

When our eldest daughter was about 2 year old she went for 2 months only eating frozen vegetable fingers and drinking water. The doctor said the self and same thing, that she wouldn't starve herself if food was available, she's the only person in the family other than me who isn't a fussy eater now.

asparagus1968

pollyanna24 wrote: »

Spaghetti bolegnese - they both seem to love this. could try lasagne or the Bolognese sauce with mixed veg/ mash potato?


Sausages, pasta with a packet sauce that I pick up abroad. Toad in the hole?


Ravioli - but now the younger one is deciding she doesn't like it.Different filling in tortelloni?


Nuggets/Fish fingers with chips and veg. home made chicken/ fish goujons and home made wedges?


Faggots, Rice, Veg.


Chicken Chargrilled Pasta.chargrilled chickem with patatas bravas?


I do cook them other things, I have a meal plan going back to 2012 which has everything I've tried them with, but they generally just pick at stuff.

just some the same but different meals ideas

pollyanna24

asparagus1968 wrote: »

just some the same but different meals ideas

Aw, thank you very much for your ideas. I am going to have to get them to branch out a little bit. Tonight was Chicken Tonight with Rice and they both did very well.

I think I am going to try a new recipe every week or so (nothing to complicated or fancy) and see if they like it, or go back to stuff I used to make. I used to make Chicken Korma as my eldest loved it, but my youngest hated it, but might be worth a go again.

As for my spending today, didn't do too bad.
Peas,
Oven Chips (very important)
Philadelphia (again, very important, more so than butter!)
and a Ribena for the youngest while we were at the shops.

pollyanna24

My new recipe that I am going to try them with is a lump of gammon (hoping I can pick one up for cheaper than the £5 I saw in the CoOp yesterday - Mum said I would be able to) and this is hopefully going to be Friday's meal.

mum2one

pollyanna - love the sound of the new recipie a week, def have to join you on that one, (cheat and do 1 every 2 weeks) x

pollyanna24

mum2one wrote: »

pollyanna - love the sound of the new recipie a week, def have to join you on that one, (cheat and do 1 every 2 weeks) x

You'll have to keep us all updated on your new recipes as well, just so we can all try something new.

Today was a no spend day today, wahey. Helps when I'm at work all day. Work off Oxford Street in London, but hate shopping and nothing could make me go there with all the crowds at this time of year!

Miz_Gayle

I am going to try a 4 week shopping delivery
Then avoid supermarket for 4 weeks
Write down how I manage good and bad daily
See how it works ;-)))

Mags_cat

chanie wrote: »

We had spag bol for dinner yesterday and are going to have the rest of the mince for dinner with potatoes - I can't freeze the mince as it has already been frozen.

As long as the meat has "changed state" since you defrosted it it's fine to re freeze.

So - if you freeze raw mince, then defrost it and cook it you can definately freeze the cooked mince. What you shouldn't do is freeze the cooked mince, then defrost it and re freeze any leftovers.

Of course, if you'd taken your Spag Bol sauce out of your freezer to reheat it you can't refreeze it. (Just in case I misread your post!)