Spend Nowt, Buy Nowt, Owe Nowt

Suffolk_lass

I really sympathise regarding grocery shopping.

Maybe you could try some reverse meal planning to reduce your shopping list - you look first at what you have in the store cupboard, fridge and freezer, and plan meals round that, and add only the bits that are missing. If you are not doing your main shop, and you are missing something, you first consider a substitute from within your stores - for example I used cabbage to top up sad broccoli for "cauliflower" cheese one night and it is actually delicious! We have a thread for it (on Old Style Moneysaving) where there have been some lovely recipes - I made onion tart from a Waitflower recipe someone shared  because I was looking for different onion recipes.

I also write "meat" on my list and then check out the offers and YS counter in the SM, buying three (for £9) chickens sometimes (one for us, one for DS and one for the freezer). When I check out the YS I often buy more than I need and freeze them. With minced beef I buy a big pack and bag it in smaller portions (200g) for bolognaise, chilli or stuffed vegetables, and freeze it, and then pad it out with red lentils and more chopped veg (always the wonky or cheap seasonal stuff). 

It is a neat way of reducing what you buy. We grow some premium things too, to keep our costs down - asparagus is just finishing.

I think you might know I also divide my annual budget into 15 with 12 months at £200 (two of us plus a cat, and some food parcels for DS who is on zero hours contract), two months worth (£400) for stores and brands and the extra £200 for Christmas, so December becomes £400 - £3000 does it for us. Our stores are the non-perishables and brands that are only bought when they are on offer (or in small quantities if not on offer) - laundry detergent and shower gel are brands, bleach is the cheapest or on offer and I use loads of white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda instead of expensive cleaning products. This part does take a while to set up but it is reassuring to remove these things from your receipt and put them in their own category. 

We also have a small entertaining budget on top that I am using for bar snacks, chocolate (that I should not be eating!) and the extra alcohol we are consuming in lockdown - none of which would be here if we were not prevented from going out. Although DH is shopping for us (and has gone rogue with some of the things he buys off-list) we are within our annual budget. 

XSpender

Productive day yesterday but shattered this morning after another poor sleep.  I’m really struggling to get off to sleep.  I stayed up a bit later last night to read my book but it didn’t help.  I am suffering a bit with hay fever which could be contributing to the lack of sleep I suppose.

DH, DS and I went for another hour long walk after dinner last night.  DS and I will take the dog out for half an hour this morning as it will be too hot for him to go out later.  DH has set himself a target of 15,000 steps a day which is helping us all get some exercise.  He is aiming for 20,000 at the weekend and we may take a short drive to the beach on Sunday.

We haven’t spent any money since the weekend, it’s taking me seconds to check the bank account and update YNAB.  Yesterday we crossed the £3000 debt paid off barrier.  

I need to tweak the meal plan today as it is too hot today for the planned meal, I think we will have omelette instead.  

Today’s other exciting plans include vacuuming and dusting the stairs and hall, moping the downstairs floors and bathroom, washing the towels, more homework with DS and baking some GF treats.  I fancy some chocolate dipped flapjack.  No order I have put on a couple of pounds during lockdown!

f0xh0les

Sounds gorgeous, I'll take 3 pieces please.

Congrats on wiping  £3k off the debt! You are doing so well.

brizzlegirl

Brilliant stuff XS, you’re doing great 

XSpender

Who’s nicked the thanks button??

Thanks f0x0les and brizzle.  

Had a much better sleep last night helped by the 4 mile walk we did after dinner and I avoided my usual evening cup of decaf tea.  I have passed it on to DH though who had a night disturbed by vivid dreams!

DS was in a grump yesterday but has returned to hid usual cheery self today.  It’s the dogs turn now! Maybe he is in a huff because we didn’t take him out with us last night because of the heat. He was sweltering when we took him out at 10am yesterday.

No flapjack was made yesterday but will do it today as I will have the oven on to make another few days worth of baked oats for my breakfast.  I also have a gap on he meal plan so will have a rummage in the freezer for dinner.  I am holding out until Saturday morning to go to the supermarket.  DH will bring in fish and chips on his way home on Friday so only tonight to cover.

I made some lovely pinch of nom scalloped potatoes last night using up more of the sack of potatoes we bought a little while ago.  They are getting a little soft and sprouty so potatoes will be featuring on the meal plans more frequently.  DH had taken jacket potatoes to work this week but the microwave (along with the kettle and fridge!) are now taped off and out of bounds due to covoid restrictions.  He has taken sandwiches today (and has probably eaten them already!) but I need to think of some other meals for next week.  I have a food flask so may give him cold cooked rice with a hot topping some days as it will be more filling.

I have been working out a new food budget from next month based on what I would be comfortable spending and allowing for a bit extra for stocking up on offers and larger meat purchases that last a couple of months.  DH and I have agreed to really focus on this area and shop only once a week.

DH is definitely thinking more about what he spends.  He needs to refuel his car today but instead of going to the one nearest work he is going to Mr M (close to work) as it is much cheaper and he can collect M0re points. He is also not drinking any beer during the week now he is back at work which will save us not only on the beer purchases but on the extras we would get when we went to the shop. 

We have had confirmation that our concert tickets have been refunded.  It will take 10 days for the refund to hit the account and then I will transfer it to the savings account.  I still really want to pay off our smallest debt next month (under £200) but need to top the savings back up too so will see if I can cash flow it from next month’s budget.  It will depend on how much furlough pay I get but it doesn’t look much from my calculations 

apple_muncher

I was wondering who nicked the Thanks button too! I assumed it was just me...

Would Dh eat cold jacket pots? I do and love them!

Suffolk_lass

I messaged elsiepac as she is a board's guide and just like that, it's back!

apple_muncher

Yay! Thank you sl!

XSpender

Thanks SL for sorting the thanks button 

apple - this was DH face when I suggested cold jacket potato with a hot topping —> 🤢

£20.95 spent in Mr M tonight on pizza (couldn’t get my head together to sort the gap in the meal plan so had what I had planned for Saturday), cheese (ran out), beer, antihistamines, some ys sausage rolls for DH to treat the team at work and some gluten free liquorice sweets I spotted.  God, they are nice.  A proper tingle-your-tongue liquorice flavour that I haven’t had in years. 

DH also spent £25 on fuel at Mr M and hopes this should last him for a week. 

The flapjack and baked oats have been made and as DS finished his work today school is out for half term week!  Woo Hoo!!  

XSpender

I think I’m going mad! Either that or been off work so long is impacting my mental powers.

I have miscalculated the amount we can save over the lockdown which means we will pay off 37% rather than 41% by the end of the year.  I had it right originally then calculated it including the EF.  Also I had checked that the hotel refund would go on the CC and the concert tickets refund would go back into our account to top up the savings but have got it wrong. Both have come off the credit card!  It doesn’t matter as the savings above our EF will go to clear the card in July anyway but it does look like I am losing the plot!

DH has seen some crazy behaviour from customers at work this week.  Lots of random, mostly elderly, people coming in because they are bored with no appointment.  One woman asked him why he was wearing a mask and when he explained told him what he needed was fresh air!  People leaning over the desk and refusing to adhere to social distancing when told repeatedly to do so. I have suggested that he sticks a note on the door saying pre booked appointments only.  

Beautiful day today but very windy. I have forgotten it is a friends birthday today so will pop to the other side of the village to give her a card at an appropriate distance of course.

It’s half term next week and I need to keep some kind of structure to the day for me and DS.  His coach has sent through some skills to practice and we will keep up with the online reading for school as well as finish his big lego set, do a jigsaw, exercise and play some games.  I may attempt to paint two furniture pieces and the porch interior.