Put away your purse & become debt-averse

scandimore

We did have 3-6 months worth of food in, but that's been used up and we're down to just a few extra bits now. I have squirrel tendencies so it makes me twitchy to not have much in. Will start stocking up slowly on just the basics which we definitely will use - oil (not only the Ukraine war but apparently olive season has been rubbish this year so that will have a knock on effect) tinned toms, beans etc in addition  to flour, oats, lentils and couscous. We're fairly rural and about to get to the annoying bit of the year when the flooding etc starts so will be as well to have some bits in. We've stocked up on wood too and we're OK but I do worry about how people will cope this winter.

scandimore

Also very much enjoyed your conversation with Mr Foxgloves there! You make a good team.

Suffolk_lass

My approach to stocking up is to buy the non-perishables only when they are on offer. I apply it strictly to the five or six brands and less rigidly to things like own brand biscuits (we use a couple of OB ginger nuts instead of a wafer if there is ice cream on offer 45p vs £1.00). I also buy certain things like flour in a bulk sack of 25k and decant into large 3k sweet jars (a legacy purchase from DH teaching). I do usually buy 6 of things on offer when I am down to one or two but somehow got it wrong with toothpaste and ended up with over 2 years supply. Who knew it was end-dated!

2Scratters

We are 1 week and 5 after pay day and still have some money left over. I really am trying to not go out spending/shopping till the last minute. The cash withdrawal from my account has not yet been taken out. I have also managed to stretch the monthly fuel allowance too by it staying in the bank account and accruing an increased balance for the car budget account. I will be putting in fuel when I go shopping as want to keep a tank of fuel available and the excess will remain. 
My shopping list is being added to as items are finished or will within the next month. I have done a toiletries check and nothing needed there for a while. In house shopping being utilised and saving a lot more money than I thought was possible. The apples and pears on the trees need removing and eating, we have done well this year.  As September is a 5 week month we have already bust its back at this point which I am very pleased with. 
2 Scratters xx

foxgloves

@2Scratters - Yes, it's always surprising just how much money can be saved just through sensible 'housekeeping' as our grandmas would have called it. I wasn't too happy to see that September is a '5-week' grocery shopping month either, but I've deliberately budgeted the same as a 4-week month & if we don't end up going a bit giddy, we should be ok with that. I just felt that I budget pretty generously for 2 people & 2 cats, esp as this amount does not include milkman's monthly bill, so I'm going to budget the same in future, regardless of whether it's 4 or 5 weeks.
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foxgloves

@scandimore - I hadn't heard about the problem with olive crops, so that was useful to know. It doesn't hurt us to be reminded now & again that food relies on Nature & she can both give & take away.

@Suffolk_lass - Good idea to get flour in bulk & decant it. During lockdown, when supermarket flour supplies were unreliable, we got ours from a (fairly) local windmill, but it still didn't occur to me to ask if I could buy it in larger bags. I must think about that next time I place an order with the millers.
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Suffolk_lass

I thought you might like my thought for the day.

Always look on the bright side and for the positives in life.

1. Prince Charles' favourite "ghastly little man" had to stand in the rain even longer than scheduled because the MI (that's Maggie Imitator) was ten minutes late for the audience 

2. The protected bully, jumps before she is pushed

3. The politician lacking in culture, wit or taste, who thinks she's a celebrity is getting out of there

foxgloves

@milann - We've really noticed how much cheese is rising in price. Interesting that you grate & freeze yours, as this is something I'm thinking of starting. I think buying a big block at the best possible price (prob from our market butcher) then divvying it up, would save us money as cheese is something we buy each week.

@QueenJess - How satisfying to be finding useful things on local online freecycling pages. I stood a whole lot of potted up houseplants at the foot of our drive yesterday - mine had produced oodles of babies, which I usually compost. This time I potted them.on & wrote a notice saying 'Free plants'. Every single one had gone by dinner time! I've struggled to shift free plants in the past, so I was pleased. Hopefully it put a smile on a few faces, finding a little freebie too.

@Deni_debt-free_dreamer - I think it's always worth getting coffee if it's on offer. Re butternut....have you tried the Hairy Bikers' recipe for lentil & vegetable curry? It uses butternut squash (or sub with similar - for instance, I use Guatemalan blue squash because that's what we grow)..It makes 4 generous portions, is v nice & freezes well.
I haven't watched 'Spiral', but you are the 2nd person to recommend it to me, so I think I definitely need to watch a couple of episodes to see it it's for me. I'm sure it will be. Thanks.

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milann

Foxgloves I just grate cheese into a big box or have even used a zippy bag and shake it during freezing process so it doesn’t stick - just don’t compress it, then I just take out as much as I need. I keep a block before grating in the fridge for slicing and eating. 

foxgloves

@Suffolk_lass - Your post did raise a smile. I had already noted the departure both of the protected bully & 'she with the rather embarrassing crush on her former boss', but was also pleased to hear that the 'ghastly little man' (C Windsor & I don't agree on much, but I'm with him on that one!) had to wait in the rain! So yep, that's 3 positives for me too!
F x