Fiscal Fast

TM6

Fiscal Fast Day 64

A had a real tug of war going on inside my head as to whether Day 64 should be a NSD or a LSD

My heart was saying NSD but my head was saying LSD - my head won!:o

Why, you may ask yourself? I had a spend £30 at Morrison's and receive 3000 points.
I fought off the desire to use it for a couple of days but in the end it made financial sense. We needed fresh veg along with bakery items. I also looked up what special promotions Morrison's had on and a box of 10 packs of Huggies wet wipes for a fiver was too good to miss especially as we are running low. We got a fabulous gammon joint for Easter for just under £7.50

Our bill came to £30.73 on essentials so I hope this will have a positive on our finances and NSD in the future

TM6

Fiscal Fast Day 65

A super NSD :j

[Deleted User]

Food shopping cost me £19.11 which I was pleased about and no more shopping for awhile now.

I have some Christmas cash in the back of my handbag that I haven't spent yet and this week I am going to suss out the King Pro pressure cookers at MrT's as a three litre one is on sale at £49.00 and I rather think its just what I want, My eldest DD's husband bought the 6 litre one and I was at their house for dinner last night, and I thought after seeing it cook what a great cooker it seemed to be.

A smaller one will do me quite well I think. Can't think of anything else I need or want at the moment.

I had several gifts at Christmas and my birthday of cash from family folk who coulnd't think what to give me, plus a cheque from my late OH's lodge and have not spent hardly any of it so far. So a treat looks like its on the way this week at some point (if the blessed snow stops falling that is )

Onwars and upwards chums

JackieO xx

TM6

Fiscal Fast Day 65

Another LSD - the princely sum of £2.50 on baguettes, lettuce and muffins.

Living in such a beautiful part of the world as we do and VERY unaccustomed to snow, deliveries down here have been extremely erratic so bread etc has featured quite highly in our purchases in the past 2 weeks as we have had to buy them when we see them. It's been a killer for the NSD :rotfl:

This was our local Sainsbury's at the beginning of March at 9am on a Saturday - their prime selling day :eek:

TM6

Fiscal Fast Day 66

AWESOME - another NSD :j

I must tot up how many I have had now and what percentage they are compared to spending days

[Deleted User]

Managed to get the King Pro processor at Tesco's click 'n'collect for £45.68 and it should be in store late this afternoon so I am pleased as it was cheaper than advertised online plus I get some points with it .My treat to myself with some of my Christmas unspent cash and I still have a bit left over which I will spend when I go into London in April with my eldest DD for our annual shopping trip to the west end :):)

Mrs SD glad you enjoyd the Melting moments ,they really are easy peasy to make and are cheap as chips


JackieO xxx

TM6

Fiscal Fast Day 67

I've still not added up my NSDs but I have another one for add.:j

So for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday my total spend is £2.50 - awesome!

I am picking up tips from on here and JackieO, I am waiting until I have quite a few items before I even consider going shopping.

Fresh fruit, veg and bread always seems to be at the top of our list Do you have any hints or tips for buying the fresh produce?

[Deleted User]

TM6 wrote: »

Fiscal Fast Day 67
I am picking up tips from on here and JackieO, I am waiting until I have quite a few items before I even consider going shopping.

Fresh fruit, veg and bread always seems to be at the top of our list Do you have any hints or tips for buying the fresh produce?

Well done ,its surprising how much you spend on those odd 'must nip out and get one item' trips as you ALWAYS spend more I think on short top ups than on regulated twice a month ones.
My late OH used to call it the £5.00 loaf .
I rarely eat bread as I prefer crackers ,but when I did then I would wrapin cling film four slices at a time and freeze,I live alone so it would take me ages to get through a loaf at two slices a day

When it comes to fruit and veg as I try now to shop twice a month I will buy stuff like celery,lettuce, green veg as fresh as I can get it preferably with a long date.

Celery and cabbage I wrap in tin foil and keep at the bottom of my fridge. I have a lettuce keeper which is really brilliant, but if you don't then that too can be wrapped in foil (tear bits off the lettuce or cut off with a plastic knife, as using metal ones turn the edges brown)

Carrots: I take out of the plastic bags (if I can't buy loose)and keep them as well in the salad drawer

Onions: I peel dice and freeze

Potatoes: I have a cotton spud bag which I decant them into, and hang up in the cupboard under the stairs as keeping them dark keeps the from sprouting too quickly.
I also have an onion bag as well if my freezer is to full for anything else

You can buy them in the pound shop or make one yourself (bit like the old drawsting gym shoes bag from school) as long as it fairly thick cotton with a drawstring top, you could even use an old cut off jeans leg and run a long shoe lace through the turned over neck to make your own if you really want to save some cash

I have one of these that I store rolls of Christmas wrap in after Christmas and it is hanging on the back of my spare bedroom door out of the way.

Cucumber and tomato's store quite well in the fridge although I always cover the top of a cut cucumber with a bit of foil as well to keep the end fresh. Broccoli keeps well in foil and cut the thick stalk bit off and freeze for to be chopped up in soup,stews etc

I have a cool conservatory that I keep apples,oranges and bananas in as the cooler the place the longer they will last.

I prep 'n'peel spuds once a week for use, and keep in cold water in the fridge and change the water every two days. If they look as though they are sprouting too much I will peel cook and mash and when cold freeze on round portions to be m'waved when needed.
You can do this with brussels or carrots as well and it makes them quick and easy to grab in a hurry to cook.

Mushrooms I take the plastic wrap off if I have bought a box ,wipe clean and lay some kitchen roll or loo roll in the box and return to the fridge stops them getting slimy.but if they are looking a bit wizened then they are turned into soup, or peeled and frozen to be chucked into a stew or casserole. If bought loose keep them in a paper bag at the bottom of the fridge .The stalks can be cut off and used in an omelette, or frozen for soups, casseroles etc.

Nothing is wasted if I can help it I spend about a third of my food budget on fresh fruit and veg, I enjoy piling it up ,especially green veg as its not only good for you it bulks out a meal.I can't imaging not having lots of veg. I even if it getting past its best will make a veggie curry or lasagne using up the veg instead of meat. I am a meat eater but like the occasional meat free meal

Apples are delicious in cooking and apple and cinnamon muffins or diced fruit in yogurt is lovely I buy a big pot of low fat greek yogurt and use it a generous dollop at a time with chopped up apple or grapes for a pudding. a small pudding after your meal will also extend the meal to a feast. Clapped out veg can be turned into soup for lunches or as a starter before dinner (but no pud afterwards :):))

hope this helps a little

JackieO xx

suki1964

Well done on realising that the more you shop the more you spend

I don't mean that to be rude, but it's true that if you do a midweek shop, you spend more then you need to

What I tend to do with veg, is plan my meals with the fresh veg heavy meals at the start of the week, working towards Friday night is chip night

So Sunday will have a full compliment of fresh veg with the Sunday roast, Monday is invariably the same. Tuesday, different fresh veg, Wednesday it might just be root veg or salad , Thursday will be roots or using up little bits and bobs in a stir fry. I always have frozen peas and corn to hand

Fresh veg lasts a long while tbh. I buy on a Saturday and I might not use it all that week, it's fine the following. I bought a butternut squash that sat in the fridge for 3 months before I got round to using it , and even then it was just the stalk gone a bit mouldy

Fruit ( which I personally don't eat) also lasts well. Buy in season and you will have less waste as its not been in cold store for months before sitting in your nice warm house. Those severely fluctuating temps tend to make fruit rot quicker. Apples, pears, bananas, oranges all last a good week. Canned fruit is just as good for you as long as it's in natural unsweetened juice, not syrup

Bread, we do use a lot off and I need a mid week loaf as I don't have freezer space to spare. So I buy it at the local petrol station. Costs me 30p more but saves me £10 as nothing else is bought lol

So tonight's dinner is roast chicken. We will have roast parsnips and carrots ( a bit bendy but will be fine roasted) and some Brussels bought last week and not used. Might have to trim a little more but they are still firm and peas. Maybe not 5 a day for me, but the rest eat fruit so I'm not worrying

TM6

JackieO wrote: »

Well done ,its surprising how much you spend on those odd 'must nip out and get one item' trips as you ALWAYS spend more I think on short top ups than on regulated twice a month ones.
My late OH used to call it the £5.00 loaf .
I rarely eat bread as I prefer crackers ,but when I did then I would wrapin cling film four slices at a time and freeze,I live alone so it would take me ages to get through a loaf at two slices a day

When it comes to fruit and veg as I try now to shop twice a month I will buy stuff like celery,lettuce, green veg as fresh as I can get it preferably with a long date.

Celery and cabbage I wrap in tin foil and keep at the bottom of my fridge. I have a lettuce keeper which is really brilliant, but if you don't then that too can be wrapped in foil (tear bits off the lettuce or cut off with a plastic knife, as using metal ones turn the edges brown)

Carrots: I take out of the plastic bags (if I can't buy loose)and keep them as well in the salad drawer

Onions: I peel dice and freeze

Potatoes: I have a cotton spud bag which I decant them into, and hang up in the cupboard under the stairs as keeping them dark keeps the from sprouting too quickly.
I also have an onion bag as well if my freezer is to full for anything else

You can buy them in the pound shop or make one yourself (bit like the old drawsting gym shoes bag from school) as long as it fairly thick cotton with a drawstring top, you could even use an old cut off jeans leg and run a long shoe lace through the turned over neck to make your own if you really want to save some cash

I have one of these that I store rolls of Christmas wrap in after Christmas and it is hanging on the back of my spare bedroom door out of the way.

Cucumber and tomato's store quite well in the fridge although I always cover the top of a cut cucumber with a bit of foil as well to keep the end fresh. Broccoli keeps well in foil and cut the thick stalk bit off and freeze for to be chopped up in soup,stews etc

I have a cool conservatory that I keep apples,oranges and bananas in as the cooler the place the longer they will last.

I prep 'n'peel spuds once a week for use, and keep in cold water in the fridge and change the water every two days. If they look as though they are sprouting too much I will peel cook and mash and when cold freeze on round portions to be m'waved when needed.
You can do this with brussels or carrots as well and it makes them quick and easy to grab in a hurry to cook.

Mushrooms I take the plastic wrap off if I have bought a box ,wipe clean and lay some kitchen roll or loo roll in the box and return to the fridge stops them getting slimy.but if they are looking a bit wizened then they are turned into soup, or peeled and frozen to be chucked into a stew or casserole. If bought loose keep them in a paper bag at the bottom of the fridge .The stalks can be cut off and used in an omelette, or frozen for soups, casseroles etc.

Nothing is wasted if I can help it I spend about a third of my food budget on fresh fruit and veg, I enjoy piling it up ,especially green veg as its not only good for you it bulks out a meal.I can't imaging not having lots of veg. I even if it getting past its best will make a veggie curry or lasagne using up the veg instead of meat. I am a meat eater but like the occasional meat free meal

Apples are delicious in cooking and apple and cinnamon muffins or diced fruit in yogurt is lovely I buy a big pot of low fat greek yogurt and use it a generous dollop at a time with chopped up apple or grapes for a pudding. a small pudding after your meal will also extend the meal to a feast. Clapped out veg can be turned into soup for lunches or as a starter before dinner (but no pud afterwards :):))

hope this helps a little

JackieO xx

Thanks JackieO - that is super advice which I will definitely use :T