New here, advice needed please!!!

Queen81

Hi all

Firstly thank you for taking the time to read this.

I live with my OH and two kids (12 + 8). Until the past few months I've never really had trouble with money. Well I have but it's just recently that it's really started to affect us. I don't have a lot of money for my food and household items budget and was wondering if you had any tips to make it go further. My kids are really fussy and I often find myself making 2-3 different things for tea. I make 3 packed lunches a day (kids and OH) also. Recently the kids have started to eat adult size portions too and my weekly shopping bill is soaring!!!

I've looked on websites for recipes and I use some of them but I need a plan to stick to to help me utilize my money better so we aren't always skint lol. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you xx

[Deleted User]

Hello QUEEN 81, put yourself a search in on google for Frugal Queens postings, she has just been running cookery workshops for cash strapped folks and has menu plans and recipes for lovely food at a very reasonable price. Her philosophy on life is to save as much outlay as you can and still live a very good life. I hope it will give you the help you want, Lyn x.

Queen81

Oh I will have a look thank you x

VJsmum

I think meal plan, meal plan, meal plan is the way to go.

Look at the things you all like to eat.

Plan some days for things you will all eat - say a roast. Now my DD won't eat roast meat but she will eat cauliflower cheese or salmon so I make a cauli cheese that she has with the other trimmings while we have chicken (or whatever), but we might have a small portion of cauli cheese as a veg. I usually make a huge portion of cauli cheese and stick a portion or two in the freezer for another day. Or she might have salmon with the trimmings.

My OH and DS like a gammon steak occasionally, DD and I aren't bothered so we have salmon. THe rest of the meal is the same. It isn't harder to cook two salmon portions than an extra slice or two of gammon.

We all like prawn stir fry - I only put stuff in that all will eat.

My DS likes bolognaise but not lasagne - so I save a portion of sauce for him and turn the rest into lasagne. Again, make a huge portion and some goes into the freezer.

The kids like burgers that I buy from the butcher, (they don't like the ones I make strangely), so they might have that while we had a lamb steak - again, the rest of the meal would be the same.

Sometimes we have "freezer surprise" where all the bits get eaten. Good if time is an issue.

Pizza with different toppings to suit.

Shop in Aldi or Lidl for the bulk of your stuff, I visit the big supermarket only for a few bits.

HTH

Queen81

Yeah I think I'll try freezing stuff, I go mad with the OH as any leftovers (on the pan not the plate) he gives to the dog lol.

I usually go to asda but occasionally to aldi, I find that I spend more in asda though obviously as it has a bigger choice. I need to be more structured and make meal plans like you said

newthrift

Biggest thing is meal planning. I am getting better at this but still learning. Other thing is making a list and sticking to the list when you shop! It's suprising how much that can save!!

AnnieO1234

How old are your kids and how fussy? There's fussiness and then over fussiness which you may need extra help with.

If you post a weekly budget and your requirements (so three meals for you a day if you're a SAHM maybe two for kids if they have school meals etc) then people will be along to help you with suggested meal plans and ideas, I promise! Xxx

Queen81

They're 8 and 12. It's silly fussiness like whinging cos they don't wanna yet new stuff and I'm too soft. I just give in which I need to work on.

So there's 2 adults and 2 kids in my house. What kind of amounts do you all spend when you do your shopping? Like including toiletries and washing powder, things like that.

BitterAndTwisted

You definitely need to work on those fussy kids although by the ages of 8 and 12 I suspect the damage has already been done. But then I'm not a parent and don't believe in pandering to kids either. You're the one doing the budgeting and you're the one doing all the cooking. "Eat what's on your plate or have some bread and butter. There are no other choices" is the maxim I favour

Honestly, it doesn't really matter what other people spend on their housekeeping. The only thing which does matter is what you spend and whether you can afford that. If you can't, changes need to be made or economies found elsewhere. Like the kids' pocket-money or treats, for instance.

SazzleDazzle1

Hi, I'm new to this too and trying to cut back abit on my spending. The grocery challenge threads are really great for information and help with budgeting - maybe pop along and have a look

[Deleted User]

Queen81 wrote: »

They're 8 and 12. It's silly fussiness like whinging cos they don't wanna yet new stuff and I'm too soft. I just give in which I need to work on.

So there's 2 adults and 2 kids in my house. What kind of amounts do you all spend when you do your shopping? Like including toiletries and washing powder, things like that.

You can make a big saving on laundry products

Stop using fabric softeners, they actually make towels and tea towels less absorbent.

You could try using a spoon of bog standard soda crystals in the wash alongside 'value' brand laundry powder. The soda crystals soften the water and allow you to use the lowest dose of washing powder. I have noticed no difference in the cleaning effect compared to mid-range brands.

My monthly spend on laundry products works out as £2 for 2 adults - who like to wear clean clothes I hasten to add! Also includes towel changes every 4-5 days, daily tea-towel change and a weekly sheets wash.

For more delicate things I use an own brand laundry liquid but use half the amount. I also use a dab of this liquid on stains on anything before washing as above.

Use less laundry detergent in each wash - or for things that don't get very dirty at all, none. The clothes will become softer as they aren't full of soap and fabric conditioner residues.

Clothes that have a 'scent' when dried aren't really fresh they actually still have soap and perfume in them from the wash!

Things that require a hand wash can be washed in normal plain bar soap - the basic ingredient is the same as soap flakes.

For shampoo I can recommend Boots 'essentials' basic brand, they also do a 2-in-1. Many basic brand shampoos etc are not so good but the Boots one is very nice. Use your Boots points to buy it if you've got some saved up!