My money saving, money making journey

Hadalbm

As I said in my previous post I made bacon and leek risotto tonight for tea. I've just calculated what it cost to make and it came to a grand total of £2.59. This split into 3 big portions, 2 of which we had tonight with the 3rd stored in the fridge for my lunch at work one day this week. At just 86p per portion this was a really tasty, healthy meal for a very reasonable cost. Apart from the bacon it was also made totally from ingredients that I already had in the fridge, cupboards or freezer which helps with another of my aims to reduce my stockpile!!

Happy days

Hadalbm

Was up bright and early this morning for work feeling more positive than I have done in a while. Made a packed lunch with the bread that I bought reduced to 19p yesterday. With two reduced clementines and a peppermint tea bag my lunch is going to have cost less than 30p. That's a huge saving on the average £5 I would have spent buying my lunch.

Here's wishing everyone a great money saving day

killerpeaty

Aren't cheap lunches the best? If you have a microwave at work, you could try soup? I have the waitrose essential soups and they're pretty nice!

Glad to hear that you're so positive at the moment! :T

Hadalbm

killerpeaty wrote: »

Aren't cheap lunches the best? If you have a microwave at work, you could try soup? I have the waitrose essential soups and they're pretty nice!

Glad to hear that you're so positive at the moment! :T

Hi:) Yes I have access to a microwave at work. I often make soup, especially when I've lots of left over vegetables. Made a really nice leek and potato one last week which will have only cost pennies to make. Was so good. Just need to get organised so that I always have some in fridge.

killerpeaty

Oh you are so good, I never remember to make something to bring in. Buying cheap soup and keeping it under my desk is the best I can do. :rotfl:

Sellurgranny

Hi Hadalbm �� just thought I'd stop by to say hello. Im new to the debtfree diaries so am keenly reading everyone else's for inspiration. I should really start doing some batch cooking. Have a terrible habit of making too much for us 3 then shoving a portion in the fridge only to chuck it away 5 days later. Should really be freezing those portions but i reckon I'd just end up chucking them from the freezer 6 months later.

Keep up the good mse-ing.....have subscribed to your diary��
Sellurgranny x

Sellurgranny

Oops had icon errors.. was trying to wave at you! Obviously doesnt work on a tablet.

Hadalbm

The last two days have flown as I've been so busy at work but it's been good for money saving :j

Yesterday I made a ham, mustard and salad sandwich to work for my lunch which cost me just 29p to make (using reduced bread from supermarket shop) I also took 2 of the clementines that I bought that were also reduced which cost a further 15p. Lunch therefore came to a total cost of 44p which is a huge, huge saving on the £5 that I would normally have spent.
When I got home I found that I'd also been credited £10 in my inboxpounds account so it was a really good 'save and make' day.

Today I took the leftover portion of the risotto for my lunch which we had for tea on Sunday. This had cost me 89p to make so with 2 of the clementines it still only cost £1.04 Not such a big saving on lunch as yesterday but still really good.
Not had chance to make any extra money today as yet but will check surveys before bed but I'm still happy with what I've achieved as my 'save or make' daily challenge is still averaging more than £10 per day.

The other brilliant news is that both yesterday and today have been 'no spend days'. :j

Total left in weekly :-
Grocery budget = £7.24
Entertainment budget = £61.06
Petrol = £24.95
Other = £20

Save or make challenge:-
Yesterday saved £4.56 on lunch and made £10 on inboxpounds
Today saved £3.96 on lunch
Grand total saved or made in 4 days = £47.26

Really brings it home how much money I was wasting before!

Hadalbm

Was running late this morning so very nearly went to work without taking lunch. At the last minute I grabbed a pack of oatcakes that had been hanging about in the cupboard for months and some Philadelphia light that desperately needed using from the fridge. Along with two of my reduced priced clementines this made for a tasty satisfying lunch at a total cost of 92p. Once again this made me a significant saving of £4.08 on the usual cost of my lunch.
During the morning I did go to meet a colleague in a local coffee shop and it was my turn to pay. In true money saving mode I dug an old loyalty card out of my bag and asked them to check how many points I had. The good news was that I had enough points to pay for two lattes which meant that I saved £4.90 :j
I've also made 40p this evening on inboxpounds, so all in all it's been yet another good money saving day. It's also been a total no spend day which is the 3rd day on the run. I'm sure this has never happened before!!

Weekly budget no change since yesterday.

Grand total saved or made in 5 days = £56.64

Hadalbm

Sellurgranny wrote: »

Hi Hadalbm �� just thought I'd stop by to say hello. Im new to the debtfree diaries so am keenly reading everyone else's for inspiration. I should really start doing some batch cooking. Have a terrible habit of making too much for us 3 then shoving a portion in the fridge only to chuck it away 5 days later. Should really be freezing those portions but i reckon I'd just end up chucking them from the freezer 6 months later.

Keep up the good mse-ing.....have subscribed to your diary��
Sellurgranny x

Hi Thank you for your lovely reply. I must apologise as somehow I managed to miss it on the day you posted.
I started by reading lots of diaries. They do provide lots of inspiration. I got used to cooking for 4 but now my daughter and son are both away I can't get used to cooking for 2. Always have lots left which I too used to freeze and then throw away. I'm now making a real effort to eat the current contents of my freezer, fridge and cupboards.
Have you started a diary on here? If so I will look out for it
Thank you for subscribing to mine x