Sunken's attempt to float...

Scott_Weiland_2

Mumoffourkids wrote: »

I have a monthly food budget of £433.33 and that is for a family of 7 so a family of four should be able to go lower than £400 if I can manage on £433 for a family of seven and two of those seven being in nappies still which bumps up the cost.

I think meal planning is key and having a list of what you need to buy so you don't end up with loads of the same thing and not enough to make dinners with.

Totally agree with that my cousin is a single mom has two kids and she manages food eise on 70pw food wise. So unless you feed your oh steak everynight i think 50 can be shaved off that easy.

Next thing i would say is get on top cashback.co.uk then search go compare and look at all your utility providers and insurances see if you can get them cheaper.

Next lol your paying 25quid for pets etc is that for pet insurance?

Storm89

We are 2 adults and 2 children and spend around £60. We'll spend £65 max. I know there are facebook pages about feeding your family for £20 a week but I don't think I could go that low !

Scott_Weiland_2

9p tins of baked beans, stuff going out of date and cheap bland meals noooooooo

Sunkencosts

Hi, the pet thing, yes one cat and that's made up of separate amounts for insurance and to be a member of the vets pet club to get free regular flea treatment, worming, castration and then 10 percent off any bills.

When I used to have smaller animals I didn't bother with that stuff much, but cats and dogs are liable to fall apart expensively!

I will try and budget for food, and planning will be key with this, but for the first few weeks I'm going to aim for under 100 a week and get into the good habits that facilitate this, then see where we can cut back further.

Just spent 47 in Aldi for a half a big shop. Biggest individual purchase? 240 pg tips for 3.99. Genuinely the only branded food (drink) I ever insist on. Everything else I'm value all the way!

My OH gets annoyed because I always buy cheap coffee (I can't tell the difference and hardly ever drink it). You'd think I was trying to poison him.

That's one thing we need to work on. I rarely buy drinks on the go because takeaway tea tastes like drain water whichever vendor sells it, but husband is addicted to Costa etc. Everytime we go out for any reason, trip to Park, wander round town, whatever he gets a coffee.

He has promised to stop but I might get hold of that demotivator tool and show him how quickly 2.85 coffees add up!

In fact I think we're going to need a real lifestyle change with things like that. We'll so often go to a cafe with the kids and spent over 20 for the pleasure of sitting on cold metal pavement chairs eating stale cakes whilst the kids squabble and get high on sugar. It's not even pleasurable but we're just too used to convenience.

No more! By the time I'm through with reorganising our spending habits my kids are going to hate me and Costa will have seen a marked fall in their profits!

Sunkencosts

I do use the topcashback site, we got a pay out of 66 just before Xmas and have another one due in a few months of 65.

Do need to check renewal dates for everything though, pretty sure I'm going to switch energy supplier this year.

Sunkencosts

Also, my car is beginning to clank in an unfriendly manner. As I have neither emergency nor car repair funds yet built up I have decided the best way to approach this is to turn the radio up as loud as it will go.....

(points to head) not just a hat rack my friend! ��

Sunkencosts

Is it February yet?

Mumoffourkids

Nope not even close!

Sunkencosts

Nearly at the end of treadingonplaymobil's diary and trying to learn from her experiences and the advice she is given...... I guess I can expect some pretty brutal (but kindly) advice from the people on here as I walk the same journey!

Have been thinking/talking with my OH about holidays this year. At the end of last year we asked another family we're friends with if they wanted to share a cottage holiday with us at Easter, they are keen and are coming to see us for lunch in a couple of weeks so the plan is to discuss it then. I think we're going to have to explain we're having a low budget year and that we've changed our minds. They will be absolutely fine, they're awesome friends and they have known lean times too.

So the only trip we'd like to plan is a long weekend camping with other branches of the family which we also did last year in April/May time.

Should easily have enough money in the holiday kitty for that by then, then perhaps we can get away for another camp in late summer. We had a LOT of holidays last year, all UK but I'm sure it won't kill the kids not to have so many this year. I'll just have to get organised with the free stuff to near our home!

Will maybe ask friends if they'd like to plan something similar for next spring, and save up accordingly. Sounds obvious, but saving for stuff is never something we've really ever done. Always always buy then pay down. Brilliant strategy!!

Scott_Weiland_2

RE THAT

Hi, the pet thing, yes one cat and that's made up of separate amounts for insurance and to be a member of the vets pet club to get free regular flea treatment, worming, castration and then 10 percent off any bills.


I would look at buying the pet medication re fleas and worming yourself, i did have 6 huskies that me and the ex raced and we found buying the stuff ourselves saved us an utter fortune. We used to bulk buy it via top cashback through either pet supermarket or pet planet. I can understand stuff comes up re pets and treatment etc but to me you would be better having a separate emergency fund for your pet and paying the 25 into there.

Vets are well rip off merchants re meds and worming stuff.