Was Mortgage Free until 52!!!

A_Frayed_Knot

Done a bit of shopping after work today, fruit, bread and some salad items came to another 20.00, got me wondering - how much does one person spend on food for a week/month. Would be interesting to find out - I do think I may be a little fussy when it comes to food. Although I do buy at A1di, I also shop at M&s.

bexster1975

I'm a lid! And waitros3 fan myself!

Spend about £80 - £100 a month for me.

Bexster

A_Frayed_Knot

Emm, I am at £80.00 total and its only the 7th of the month, althought this includes washing tablets, conditioner, cakes, biscuits, juice etc, etc.:o

Food spending diary seems a good idea to me - will start with the receipt I got today.

bexster1975

Mine doesn't routinely include cleaning stuff as I buy in bulk on offer. Old style boards will help you with getting grocery spends down. Shopping at Lidl saved me about £50 a month. Depends what you eat. I don't eat much meat just chicken and fish really. I make my own bread and biscuits and cakes and use the freezer for anything possible

£150 is an expensive month and would cover restocking washing, toiletry and cleaning stuff too.

Bexster

A_Frayed_Knot

Obviously don't buy the cleaning, toilitries etc every week, but I too use Lidl's, and like you, don't eat much meat (except when I get an invite to my brothers:D) but mainly chicken and salmon - love salmon and so quick, I can have my meal ready in 5 mins when I am hungry and can't wait for something that takes ages to cook.

I'm such a lazy so and so, never baked my own bread - you put me to shame:o, have been known to bake the "part baked" rolls you can buy from the supermarkets, but used to be (even if I say so myself) a really good baker - scones, cakes, tarts etc. Just recently took a notion for home made dumpling, so scoured the web and found a recipe for a microwave one - was good for a first attempt and with a few tweeks, will be fab. Next on my list is empire biscuits, yumm.

Will have a look on the old boards you mention.

bexster1975

It depends on your lifestyle where baking, batch cooking etc fit in. My lifestyle has changed a great deal in the past year giving me time to do more baking, growing fruit and veg, shopping around got bargains.
I have a breadmaker so can't take much credit. It was my Christmas present to myself this year as its loads quicker to set up than making by hand. It wasn't too extravagant, £50 on eBay and a Panasonic that everyone raves about ( about £150 new) only used once and collected locally so no postage.

in my previous lifestyle I barely made time to cook a meal. That was part of the problem. Wouldn't swap back. It's different but better.

Point s, don't give yourself a hard time. If you are doing the best you can and it works for you -great. I like those part baked rolls too by the way!

Bexster

A_Frayed_Knot

Well the only trouble with batch baking is ... none would end up in the freezer!!! far too greedy and sweet toothed for that, not to mention generous as if any left would take into work to share out.;)

Had a good think about how much I am spending on food, and if I bought lunch at canteen every day, then I would have spent £60.00 - a month just on lunches on workdays alone. So Bexter, you will have to tell me your secret, I used to think - well that's only £30.00 on food this week but then spend another £15.00 a week on lunches alone.:eek:


Anyway 1st washing is finished, time to re-load and put 1st load out.


Got up nice and early determined to get things into some kind of order; so jobs planned for today(lets see how many I get through)


Curtain rail and new curtains to go up in L/R
Change bed
2 loads of washing (seems dry atm) so will chance putting it out
Ironing
Clean kitchen
Put "stuff" in loft
Hang curtain liners to main bedroom
cut hedge
put weedkiller down
List items on ebay (will try again)


that should do for now, although will probably add to list as I go along

bexster1975

Hi

I don't know if I have a secret. We have a free canteen at work, but I'm not a fan for several reasons so only partake once or twice a week, but otherwise take my own food. I freeze food in portions ( chicken etc) and buy when on offer. I make my own pizza bases etc and can make a pizza that will last a couple of meals for about a pound. can always freeze slices if you don't want the same thing twice in a week. I make my own filled pasta and am a fan of lots of italian foods generally. I probably only eat meat or fish three or four times a week, with other days being meat free. I buy lots of frozen veg as it lasts longer and I don't feel tastes worse than fresh personally. Packet mixes of seasonings ( fajita mix etc.) I get from home bargains for a few pence a packet. I grow some fruit, veg, and salad in the summer and grow most of my own herbs. As I said before I bake my own bread, and can do different types in the machine, or just make the dough like the pizzas. I buy fresh fruit that I can't/ don't grow and try to waste very little. I don't know if that's odd, just how I do it.

Have a good, if busy, day

Bexster

A_Frayed_Knot

Wow you are busy. Trouble is i'm a very fussy eater, no pastas, sauces, spices, herbs and veg to mention just a few. I do buy pizzas (87p) from LiDl then add a tin of pineapple, also from LiDl, buy the pieces (much sweeter) not the slices - delicious, then add grated cheese.

2nd washing on,
1st washing out
hedge cut
weeding (wasn't on the list)
weed killer down
half of shed sanded (wasn't on the list)
1st washing in - started raining

break - cup of tea, slice of cake ... (always on my list)ready for next on list .......

A_Frayed_Knot

Today I have had a LBM I really thought I was well in tune with what I spend and used to read the diaries that states they had NSD (which I used to think was ... wait for it ... no smoking days ) because no spend days was just not possible in my book.

However after the last two weekends I have had nsd. Might have something to do with the fact I am totally exhausted after my working week, that I have no energy to go shopping, but now know it can happen.