No Magic Money Tree....

greenbee

Great news

Keep that Rayburn earning it's keep!

pipkin71

C_J wrote: »

I buy meat from the local butcher for my dog - I can get a carrier bag full of lamb's hearts and ox liver and various meat scraps for £5. I chop all this up in batches in my food processor and mix it with cooked rice and beaten eggs (including the crushed egg shells) then bake it all as a number of meat loaves. I then slice these into thick chunks and freeze them - it makes enough to last a month and works out cheaper that tinned wet food. The dog loves it, and the happy side effect is that it has cured his windy bottom !!!

It's a bit of a faff to do, but I only have to do it once a month so it's not so bad.

I will give this a try, after our next visit to the butchers. Meat for the dogs is an expense and although I don't intend changing their meat based diet, adding something else that might work out a bit cheaper, is worth considering

Katieowl

pipkin71 wrote: »

I will give this a try, after our next visit to the butchers. Meat for the dogs is an expense and although I don't intend changing their meat based diet, adding something else that might work out a bit cheaper, is worth considering

I haven't had chance t get to the butcher yet but mine are loving having the meat stretched with rice and veg. I've been pouring hm broth over the rice and most of the veg are the cheapest frozen mixed veg. They think it's real treat and that they are getting human food! Also, neither of them have lost or gained weight in the last month!

Katieowl

Well, nearly half way through Jan and I thought I'd update. The spendy spread sheet is a marvel. Made two purchases so far this month, both Rayburn related....a four bar radiator drying rack, which fits on the chrome rail perfectly, meaning I can dry a few things while I'm pottering about in the kitchen, rather than dragging the drier in (£3.00 Wilco) and a replacement thermometer for the oven, because I broke the other one (£3.90 Ebay)

I've had a couple of good hauls at the cash & carry earlier in the month which have really pushed the food bill down. I also discovered that one of them sells almond milk, nearly 50p a carton cheaper than Mr T (can't bear the Aldi one) so bought a case of that. I still can't work out the difference between the ambient one and the chilled one as the dates on them are similar. Project for tomorrow - compare cartons in my hand - it doesnt matter because its so cold where I am storing it, it can pass for fridge.

December's spendy spreadsheet threw up that I was spending a few more pennies than I needed to on GF stuff for me, I'm not supposed to be eating it anyway, so that is well down this month as I am getting back on my low carb diet.

I've done audits of all the stores in the house, just the last freezer to go, and we have tons of food in the house!!! I should easily get through Feb without buying much more than bread/flour for the guys, and milk and fresh veg.

I have a pile of rice and grains to use for the dogs and also found a couple of things deep in the permafrost of the freezer they will enjoy (a salmon head and tail ) I'll need to get Raw food for Bizzy in about a week, but we've also had LOADS of eggs from the chickens, so they've had a couple of eggy breakfasts which were very popular.

This week we both submitted our tax returns, and I've just phoned my actual figures through to tax credits. It's very discouraging when the bloke on the phone says HOW MUCH??? :eek: and you feel like saying to him, mate it nearly blooming killed me, I'm doing my best!!!

Anyway...onwards and upwards. I'm still not in the overdraft and Xmas is behind me, we're all still fed, bills are paid and there's food in the house, so that's something. Better than a lot of folks that's for sure.

Katieowl

Well its the 1st Feb so time to start a new spendy breakdown.

Just printed off the one for Jan so I can compare side by side with December, Jan has improved headings....

Non food spends for the month were: A drying rack in Wilco and two washing up brushes, a replacement oven thermometer from Ebay, Loo rolls from Bookers, 3 bags of coal from CCF (although N has also bought coal) delivery charges for online shops, batteries and ibruprofen £44.79 Total - a very LITTLE over December, but all absolute essentials.

I've only used the tumble drier a few times, very recently to deal with a load of dog related stuff that needed dried quickly. The rack has paid for itself many times I'm sure and I will be interested to compare this months electric with last!!! I'm loving the Rayburn oven very much now, it does so lovely tender moist chicken, and we do eat a lot of chicken!

Shaved over a tenner off 'my' food stuffs, bought no GF bready types stuff am feeling better as a result. Now I'm 100% certain the almond milk in the chiller in bookers is actually the ambient one they just happen to have put in the chiller, I can buy more next time.

Also slashed the masters snacks over a tenner over the month LOL they aren't too deprived though because I've had a few good reduced finds in the bakery section.

So the food spend for the month was £189.84 - I had loads of meat in the Freezer though. We've continued to not waste a scrap of food, even if we've had some rather mix and match dinners.

Dogs however are very expensive

Still not in the overdraft :eek: and we've no council tax this month or next. Just as well as work has been very quiet!

mardatha

Well done Katie Owl!!

purpleivy

DOn't worry about your income looking low if it genuinely is low. It doesn't matter that you aren't paying tax if you don't earn it!

I have a home based business doing garment alterations. I never used to claim a portion of the house/phone use for my business, as I didn't have that much income. I then realised if I didn't start to add stuff in,
it would look strange to the authorities. A few years ago I got a dedicated mobile,
A couple of years I added on use of a room. Now I'm approaching paying tax,
it keeps me out of it. If it's an allowable expense it goes on the tax return!

Katieowl wrote: »

I'm not earning enough to pay tax so no, because it will only make my earnings look worse

I only put things in drier that will all be done at once, forever telling OH not to stuff towels in too. I strung a small line in the 'laundry' read lean to shed round the back that houses washer and drier, and I throw some stuff up there to dry off a bit, or hang DS's hoodies before airing them indoors. There's no heat in there, but it's dryish, and because it has a poly carb roof its sweltering in there in the summer, that's been a boon this year, dodging the showers. I have felt drier balls too. I do think they help.

It's going to be the electric that has to move downwards isn't it? I can't see any other savings to be made really.

mummyjane

Katieowl, we raw feed our two dogs and find it cheaper than processed. I spend approx £25 a month and that feeds two spaniels well. Lots of garden centres/farm shops sell raw now and so maybe shop around. What are you feeding her? Could they both go on raw if its cheaper? x

Katieowl

I can't do raw with bones and stuff, I'm using the little frozen cubes which I know is not the cheapest method, but it's the only way for this particular dog as she couldn't deal with lumps of bone. Also with a food business I'm very wary. This just goes straight in the bowl and is eaten! I spent the same on the dogs food as I did on ours this month :eek:

Katieowl

It genuine is low! I'm very wary because OH was in the building trade and he's been investigated twice because they didn't think he was earning enough (ditto he genuinely wasn't - but IR don't understand being an artisan, they think I all joiners knock out any old wood butchery and charge big bucks) anyway it was uber stressful and the first time it took two years to sort and we ended up on the news as an example of how the IR were harassing small businesses. I've got friends who have recently had to prove their incomes which are low, so they are clearly at it again!