Live on a tenner a week ???

[Deleted User]

My DD said last night that someone had written an article that was published in the Daily Mirror last week about a lady who lived on a tenner a week. Not Jack Monroe though ?? I don't ever buy a newspaper any more and wondered if anyone on here had read it.

Now I am pretty good at living on buttons when I want to be, and can make a shilling do the work of five quite often. Just wondered what sort of meals she was cooking :):)
Plus of course I have a really full store cupboard and fridge freezer

PasturesNew

There's this from the DM yesterday, still on their front page of their website.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3414417/Is-Britain-s-frugal-pensioner.html

A lot of that's because she's got access to a supermarket that does good reductions, often. Not everybody has access to YS stuff.

candlelight_2013

Jackie the lady in question is Ilona, she writes a blog.

She is vegetarian and usually shops after 7.30 pm and manages to buy masses of YS. I never find very much in our local SM, but there again I don't shop in the evening

Candlelightx

I think her blog is called Life after money

PasturesNew

The DM article is really just a regurgitation of "old stuff". She was covered by most papers back in 2009 for this.

Her blog meanqueen-lifeaftermoney.blogspot.com

[Deleted User]

Indeed, my local supermarket has never been very good for Y/S stuff,so I manage to cut back on shopping trips for things, unless I really can't adapt stuff I already have in stock. This must have been the lady they were on about i have seen her blog a few times and she really does save the pennies:) Helps being a veggie I guess ,although I too am keen on veggie only meals I still enjoy meat a couple of times a week.But I'd rather have perhaps less meat of a better quality.Can't abide the el cheapo sausages, so will buy decent quality and have smaller portions . Plus I always either have soup as a starter and a smaller main course of a pudding instead of a soup so two courses soon fill you up.

I am lucky that I only have to cook between four and five dinners a week as I go to DDs for Sunday dinner and am at the pub quiz night once a week where we all get a meal included with the quiz price.

I don't eat or buy bread so only use butter/marg for baking. My DGS has just come in from school and given me four small rolls that he made at school today I shall take them home and have them either frozen until needed and then used with some HM soup for lunch.

Thanks for the link

chirpycheap

Ilona is a very interesting and frugal lady and her blog is well worth a read. I have seen her posting on these forums too. Her user name on here if I recall correctly is Ilona.
She has a great, no nonsense approach to living on a budget and I find her very inspiring. She has had some nasty trolls attacking her on the Daily mail site but she's a tough lady and she won't be swayed by ignorance I'm sure!

PasturesNew

To be honest, if I found a genuine way to live on just 2p/day that everybody could achieve instantly .... I'd never tell the world, or the press. I am not the sort that wants my mug all over the papers.

Upsidedown_Bear

Yes, Ilona is a member of MSE Blog is here.

carriebradshaw

good on her I say if I could get yellow stickered bargains I would, I do on occasion get lucky and find and odd one but I don't live near supermarkets so can't do it regularly. If you save money on one thing you've got more to put towards other things you need and enjoy haven't you,it's good common sense,more power to her

NewShadow

£10 a week per person would be reasonably manageable though I think.

£80 a month for a couple - tight but possible.

It's just all the extra expenses when you're a single person - Unless you're the type that genuinely doesn't mind eating the same thing day in day out.

It's cheap AND varied that always gets me.

asparagus1968

Ilona is fab! definitely look at her blog. I always remember her tip about underpants....