365 days adrift .... land ahoy!

rising_from_the_ashes

So - spendy day as expected - not too bad but a few essential toiletries

I'd forgotten about them when doing the groceries - so that does also account for a little of that budget ... must change sig!


Didn't come home (went in late & finished early ) and Maisie was fine :T - still tired but def getting there

Wondering if the culprit could be a batch of her food - I'd started a new box and she's had 2 of the trays. Went to open a 3rd today and thought .... mmmmmmm - I have had it a while (as I'm not near the store so bulk buy when I do go) but it is still in date

Went and opened the other box I still have tonight and ... it's a totally different colour - not off / off IYKWIM (it goes a really rank colour when it is def off) but not normal

Anyway, will be taking that back the next time I go up - which will now need to be sooner as I'll need to go quicker than I would've done (if that makes any sense - sorry I'm quite tired tonight!)


Spag Bol with Quorn & Chorizo again tonight - and have just portioned up 6 tubs for the freezer :T. That turned out a very :money: & tasty dinner:T

rising_from_the_ashes

HELP!

I knew trying to budget groceries weekly wouldn't work!:o

The total does break down to £40 / week and I can keep track by week (Mon - Sun) BUT it just doesn't work as some weeks I need to buy stock things and others I don't

I was under last week but am way over this week - mainly down to going to Al*di tonight

I needed cheese (which I refuse to buy anywhere else as it's too expensive!) so stocked up on that (will last around a month) AND also needed chicken breasts (as there was only 1 in the freezer when I did the clear out/inventory last weekend :eek:)

Normally I'd wait and get things like chicken breasts when somewhere like Mr A / Mr T has their 3 for £10 offers .... but I needed them!

Got a huge pack which should last a month .... but that's b00gered this week's budget

*sigh* - might have to go back to doing it monthly (but found that hard as some months obviously have 5 weeks and others 4 weeks) .... *sigh*

Nothing's simple (I really struggle to get a grip on how to budget the grocery budget) ....

Also, it does include everything just now - groceries, toiletries, cleaning stuff .... and I've got bits of stationery in there (as have no idea where else to stick that!)

Might have to create a stationery budget? :eek: (where from!):eek:

rising_from_the_ashes

On a brighter note ...... wanted the chicken breasts to make a chicken casserole and also handy for the odd meal

Going to try to do one bulk cook / weekend until I've got some ready to cook stuff in the freezer again - I really don't have the energy to cook proper meals during the week so if there's nothing I can just stick in a pan and cook ... I don't eat properly (which isn't good)

Have chicken breasts (prob use 1/2 for casserole & freeze the others) - loads of mushrooms / leeks (freezer), carrots & swede ... yum!

WantToBeSE

Rising-Might it be better to wait a month before setting a grocery budget? Just keep tabs on how much you spend, and when, so that you have a starting point.

Also, can you do 1 'big' monthly shop and little top up shops weekly?

Do you meal plan weekly or monthly at the moment?

rising_from_the_ashes

WantToBeSE wrote: »

Rising-Might it be better to wait a month before setting a grocery budget? Just keep tabs on how much you spend, and when, so that you have a starting point.

I have probably been spending way over even my high budget TBH and really do need to rein it in to £40 / week (which is still hard with all the bloomin' extra costs of special foods - none of which I can get on prescription)

WantToBeSE wrote: »

Also, can you do 1 'big' monthly shop and little top up shops weekly?

Going to really have to make an effort to do this more

SM near me are all small BUT it costs around £8 in fuel to go to the nearest big ones which puts me off .....

WantToBeSE wrote: »

Do you meal plan weekly or monthly at the moment?

errrrrr Starting with the age old "in my defense" phrase - it is really, really hard to meal plan with Crohn's as a lot of the time it's more what I can get away with eating that day rather than what I'd really like to eat that day - and usually not known until that day what sort of day it's going to be tummy wise

Another reason why I need to get a few different meals portioned up and in the freezer again as that should hopefully help a bit if I can have ones for "good days" and "bad days"

WantToBeSE

Gosh, that sounds really difficult!

Do you have a few meals that you know you can always get away with eating without any nasty side effects?
If so, then maybe make sure you always have these in your store cupboard.

RosaBernicia

Hi Rising

I'm now using Y0u Need A Bud5et software/ app and finding that really helpful - it focuses on prioritising what you've got, so is flexible month to month. Might be worth a look to see their approach? lots of stuff on the website. 30 day free trial anyway, and I got the full version for just £7.50

Also, would it not be cheaper to order online and get a home delivery than spend the £8 on fuel for big shops? I thought most slots were £3.50 - 4.50... though I guess it may be more difficult if you're out of town.

Rosa xx

rising_from_the_ashes

WantToBeSE wrote: »

Do you have a few meals that you know you can always get away with eating without any nasty side effects?

Yup - chicken / turkey / white fish are a pretty safe bet so I do tend to try to keep good stocks of these (fish looking OK, prob will have 3 chicken breasts to put away & no turkey breasts just now :eek:)

Things like the Spal Bol (with Quorn / Chorizo) / Chicken casserole etc is prob middle of the ground and can only be had on good days ....

I am usually pretty organised with a variety of meals portioned up - but I've just been so bloomin' tired going back to FT that I've let it slip, used up the portioned meals & not replaced them as I've really done no batch cooking since I went back FT:o

rising_from_the_ashes

RosaBernicia wrote: »

I'm now using Y0u Need A Bud5et software/ app and finding that really helpful - it focuses on prioritising what you've got, so is flexible month to month. Might be worth a look to see their approach? lots of stuff on the website. 30 day free trial anyway, and I got the full version for just £7.50

Ohhh thanks Rosa will have a look at that over the weekend - free trials are great (and 1/2 the time you're fed up with it well before the time's up so you do only buy the ones you really need!)

I do have the basic meal*planner one that you can put recipes / build lists in as well but really haven't utilised it properly

RosaBernicia wrote: »

Also, would it not be cheaper to order online and get a home delivery than spend the £8 on fuel for big shops? I thought most slots were £3.50 - 4.50... though I guess it may be more difficult if you're out of town.

Yup .... really should think about this - I did do online deliveries when I wasn't well & couldn't get out & about but stopped when I could drive again

I used to keep 2 shopping lists:

1) items that need replaced next shop
2) items that can wait until offers are on / monthly shop

I took both lists with me, but stuff on list 2 was only bought at relevant times - if stuff on list 2 got urgent, they moved to list 1:) It did work really well and I'd forgotten all about it until now

Must start that again!



Maisie's nagging for her walk ..... back later!

WantToBeSE

If you are looking at online shopping, dont forget that Asda do a 3 month delivery saver for £15.
But your min spend has to be £40 per shop, so not sure if that would work out any good for you?

http://www.asda.com/asda-delivery-pass/?item=bne9