Moving to zone 1 in London, is this enough money?

McCloud1

thriftylass wrote: »

You don't need to spend £600 a month on food for yourself to get a proper nutrition. As I mentioned we eat healthy and nutritiously including fresh meat, veg, fruit. I think you should be able to cut that in half considering you'd like to keep some luxury groceries or brands. Maybe give us some examples of a typical shop and what you eat a day as I would struggle to spend that much money on home cooking. Do you buy brands, organic etc.

You'll get there if you keep an open mind

Yes I always buy organic (or at least grass-fed) and branded ingredients.

Breakfast:

Two large handfuls of blueberries
About 1/4 of a container of grapes
Greek yoghurt
A smoothie (store bought, one of the large 'innocent' smoothies)

On workout days I also eat porridge with almonds and raisins mixed in.

Lunch:

Varies depending if I'm working at home or at the office, but for example today I made a hot-smoked salmon frittata, total cost of ingredients was about £8.

Dinner:

Tonight I am having an Italian-seared steak salad, which is rocket, pine nuts, parmesan, green pesto, and fillet steak, total cost around £15 with the steak being the bulk at £10.50.

I eat steak 2-3 times per week, on the nights I don't my meal tends to be cheaper, usually something like paella, but still not cheap because of king-prawns and other sea food, probably £10ish.

I eat very little snack food, I do have a glass or two of wine most nights, but I don't buy expensive bottles. Often it's just leftovers from wine I have cooked with.

quantumlobster

You're not eating out every night, but you might as well be.

McCloud1

quantumlobster wrote: »

You're not eating out every night, but you might as well be.

As I said, I'm horrific with money.

It's also partly because I find the easiest way to eat healthily is to eat well, otherwise it's too tempting to eat processed crap. Especially since I quit smoking 15 months ago, my appetite and cravings for bad food went through the roof, and this has been a way of controlling it.

Adereterial

camptownraces wrote: »

I don't think you can reliably get from Moorgate to Birkbeck in 30 minutes using the Underground. The trains will be crowded and it will take a few minutes to get to the surface using the lifts at Goodge street (no escalator as I recall), plus crossing the main road and walking at speed to the college.

Nonsense.

Assuming it’s the Birkbeck Malet Street building next to Senate House, get the Central/Hammersmith/Metropolitan line from Moorgate to Euston Square and walk from there. Definitely do-able in 30 minutes, even with the 5-10 minute walk. Goodge Street isn’t any closer and requires changes from Moorgate.

Candyapple

Where do you usually shop? Would you be happy swapping fillet steak for say sirloin or t-bone?

Have you tried not buying the branded versions and supermarket own versions?

As for the smoothies, what about making your own?

Do you buy takeaway coffees? Where is your money going?

You really need to track everything for at least 1 month and write down what you spend every penny on to see where the money is going missing.

Red-Squirrel_2

McCloud1 wrote: »

As I said, I'm horrific with money.

It's also partly because I find the easiest way to eat healthily is to eat well, otherwise it's too tempting to eat processed crap. Especially since I quit smoking 15 months ago, my appetite and cravings for bad food went through the roof, and this has been a way of controlling it.

Sorry to break this to you, but eating a substantial amount of red meat 3 times a week is not healthy!

quantumlobster

McCloud1 wrote: »

As I said, I'm horrific with money.

It's also partly because I find the easiest way to eat healthily is to eat well, otherwise it's too tempting to eat processed crap. Especially since I quit smoking 15 months ago, my appetite and cravings for bad food went through the roof, and this has been a way of controlling it.

It's a simple matter of being organised and being practical. Organised means planning a menu for the week, then doing the shopping for it on a Saturday morning.

Being practical means dropping the preciousness about organic/branded products (both of which are largely marketing exercises anyway) and understanding that a £10 piece of steak is not twice as good as a £5 piece, for example. You can eat very well and healthily on a fraction of the current amount you're spending.

And then there's being honest with yourself. Make a food diary and write down everything you buy including wine, and get a real handle on your actual spend. I bet your idea of an inexpensive bottle of wine is not "the cheapest Chardonnay that doesn't actually say "battery acid" on the label".

Stop saying "I'm horrific with money". That just sounds like an excuse.

McCloud1

Adereterial wrote: »

Nonsense.

Assuming it’s the Birkbeck Malet Street building next to Senate House, get the Central/Hammersmith/Metropolitan line from Moorgate to Euston Square and walk from there. Definitely do-able in 30 minutes, even with the 5-10 minute walk. Goodge Street isn’t any closer and requires changes from Moorgate.

Yes it's Malet street.

Moorgate is literally out the back of my office building (we are based in Finsbury Circus), I think you're right providing I'm able to squeeze on one of the first few trains that come through.

Zandimos

I may just be being naïve, but you're spending far too much money on food that isn't required in my own opinion.


I'm saving for a deposit and so that means I literally have no luxuries for the next year until I get the house for my partner and daughter since we are long distance.


For breakfast I have porridge oats (Tesco value, 1kg bag for 70p). Lasts me at least 2 weeks eating it everyday of the week. Easily keeps me going until lunch time when I have it at 7am.


Lunch I have 1 wholemeal sandwich with a meat of some sort (whatever is the cheapest or on offer). A typical pack of meat lasts all week at £1. Bread is 55p, asdas own brand wholemeal loaf. I also have a 35p shredded lettuce bag that I put in the sandwiches.


Mid afternoon snack I have 1/5 of a punnet of grapes. (1/5 so it lasts Mon-Fri at work).


For dinner I have cheap meals such as pasta. I have been known to cook one large batch of pasta on a Monday and eat it until the Friday. Making the total weeks dinner for about £4-£5.


I know it's living like a peasant but when needs must you don't need 2-3 steaks a week. I never eat steak because of the price, and if I did it would be a luxury.


I'm only 21 and used to spend money on near enough everything. It's not hard with a little bit of will power to stop spending stupid money.


And if you're a brand snob.... Trust me, get a friend to purchase a brand and supermarket own brand and not tell you which is which. You will never guess. I tried this on Pepsi Max. Only as a test, I always drink water and only tap water throughout the day. I purchased Asda smart price diet cola, Asda diet cola and Pepsi Max. Got my partner to mix them up and I couldn't tell a difference. So now I would buy the 17p smart price bottle rather than the £1.29 Pepsi Max.

McCloud1

quantumlobster wrote: »

It's a simple matter of being organised and being practical. Organised means planning a menu for the week, then doing the shopping for it on a Saturday morning.

Being practical means dropping the preciousness about organic/branded products (both of which are largely marketing exercises anyway) and understanding that a £10 piece of steak is not twice as good as a £5 piece, for example. You can eat very well and healthily on a fraction of the current amount you're spending.

And then there's being honest with yourself. Make a food diary and write down everything you buy including wine, and get a real handle on your actual spend. I bet your idea of an inexpensive bottle of wine is not "the cheapest Chardonnay that doesn't actually say "battery acid" on the label".

Stop saying "I'm horrific with money". That just sounds like an excuse.

It's not an excuse, it's an honest assessment of how I behave with money. I have to say it otherwise my question is pointless, because my salary is twice the national average so clearly it's 'enough' money for a sensible person.

The rest of your points are well-received. I don't exactly drink the battery-acid mixed with vinegar bottles, but generally under £10. Like I say it's mostly just wine I've cooked with.