Money and Me - A Love/Hate Story

skintygerlinky

Hahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! Thanks for lovely comments, RR and girlatplay! xx

skintygerlinky

Hi All xx

I've been strictly shopping in cheaper food shops since January as I simply can't afford anything else at the moment.

But!! Once again, my attitude has done a 180 degree turn. I honestly don't think I could stomach shopping in an expensive supermarket again. The food I've bought over the last few weeks has been absolutely fab and as I'm focussing further on meal planning, cooking from scratch etc I am taking more pride then ever in cooking absolutely gorgeous meals that I am really enjoying eating.

Sat here right now, I'm thinking 'well those mushrooms need to be used up and I've got a tub of cream. Hmm, what about that cheap broccoli I bought? And some Kworn chunks...there's onions and garlic in...some walnuts...' and there you go, there's a kinda stroganoff, kinda carbonara thang going on, to be served with pasta..or rice?

But there's the last sweet potato too. Could bake that, maybe open a tin of chickpeas and make a mash type thing, have it with a Paul MacCartney's Wife tartlet? You know - from the box I bought for only £1?

Or a nice homemade mushroom soup?

Or roast the sweet potato, chop up the last tired old pepper and add that with an onion?? Some tomato too?

Nigella/Jamie/Heston/Gordon* - sod off with your juniper berries, ostrich burgers, smoked unicorn horn. I'm hanging out at the 'Super 6' section at the local Aldini and squealing in delight at the mahussive butternut squash for 49p!! **

* But not you Nigel - love you, Nigel. Loving your new beard too xx

** Hmmmmm. That could be taken in a different way. Apologies.

in_need_of_direction

I keep wondering when your shop of choice will come to NI?

skintygerlinky

As soon as poss hopefully hun! Hadn't realised there weren't any branches over in NI. Is there any way we could start a campaign on the MSE forum? Apologies if this approach has been tried before.

Are there any other cheaper supermarkets in NI? The ones that spring to my mind here are Aldini, Leedl, FarmlyFoods, Hero(n) and the usual Pound Universe variations. I really like Homes filled with Bargains too, for stocking up on tinned bits and bobs, cereal and toiletries too. Others swear by CostyCo etc.

Are they available in NI? Forgive my ignorance here xx

in_need_of_direction

We have all the pound variations and Ledl. On the mainstream supermarkets, we also lack mr m and mr w though I'm not so sure how MSE the second one is. On the plus side, we have a good weekly market for fruit and veg.

skintygerlinky

Hi All,

Well. I knew it was going to happen. Today I got The Fear.

The Fear is horrible isn't it? It wraps around you like the only available damp towel after a tepid bath. So what form did The Fear take today?

Siiiiiiigh. Well, it kicked off this morning, when I flicked through my cash book which I've used since the beginning of Feb to write down all spends. I checked it against my monthly incomings and outgoings and it was pretty clear - I've overspent this month already.

Or, I decided to let The Fear get to me.

Later on, I decided I was in the mood to cook. And was aghast at how few fresh veggies were staring at me from the fridge.

The Fear roared at me and then it REALLY began.

What am I doing? How did it get to this? How could I let it? What will happen to me? I can't even provide myself with basic nutrition. I will DIE. I will have crap skin and terrible hair (which will fall out anyway) due to crap diet. I will also get scurvy. And rickets.

In short, I will clearly live the life of a 13th century serf, living on clay and the odd turnip (special occasions only).

Then I got a grip. I made soup out of the spring onions, garlic and mushrooms in the fridge - that's today's and tomorrow's lunch sorted, then.
Whilst I was in the mood, I stopped ignoring the frozen broad beans and made another veggie soup - that's cooling down, ready to go in the freezer.
Updated my meal plans - there's loads in to eat. The food is there, calmly in the fridge, freezer and cupboards. All lovely and nutritious. Still got enough cash to top up on fresh goodies when I need to.

Stupid, poisonous, pointless Fear. Don't listen to it. Don't act on it. Breathe and do something positive instead.

Bloody Fear. Bet it's got no mates xxxxxxxxxx

Buffythedebtslayer

Fantastic post and thanks for song on the Frugal thread


very true re this point in the month, thought I was ok till I remembered the dogs and I are both getting our hair cut and it is going to be sodding expensive.


Beans on toast for dinner! well maybe.....XXX

skintygerlinky

Oh Buffster, my hair currently looks like a raging lion's doing an impression of the blonde one in Heart:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41P8UxneDJE&list=RD1Cw1ng75KP0

I need a bonce cut desperately. I got a voucher for my lovely hairdressers for £30 at Xmas which I want to use towards getting blondie-fied. I don't want to use any of it for a boring dry cut even though I really really really need one as I can't impose this exploding frizz on the innocent public much longer.

Saying that....my roots are a bit horrific too. I just happily pretend they're not, that my colour is exactly the way I want it. Hahahaaaa!! GOD!!!!!!!!!! Wonder if I can hang on til March??!!

Oooh and your dogs are getting in on the act too! Aw bless them, are they having anything radical done? Sweepy fringe? Purple streak? Or just a nice trim ?

PS any excuse for a bit of '80's power ballad-ry. In fact, what do you ladies reckon? Frugal '14 thread for inspirational songs...this diary for pure '80's cheese??

All tunes welcome, feel free to post yours :T xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

skintygerlinky

PS did you go for the beans on toast? Or invent something?!!

in_need_of_direction

Thanks for your fear post. I thought that was a type of thinking that only I indulged in. The worst thing is that because it's so irrational, it can prompt a downward spiral. Well done for dealing with reality rather than the scary imaginary world and thank you for sharing. I'll hopefully feel less isolated now