The hardest challenge yet

Siebrie

Alcohol wise, 1 bottle of wine approx £12 and a couple of beers a week, I would also have maybe a bottle of pernod or baileys over the course of the month we share the wine ( husband has two glasses I usually have 1) and husband drinks the beer, he will maybe once a month or so get two bottles of wine in a week instead of 1, he would then have maybe 3 glasses of wine one night but not beer, then he would have the beer and a wee glass of wine another night



This sounds a bit much to me, but maybe that's just the way it's written. You both seem to have 2-3 glasses of alcohol per day? It may help with the weightloss if you cut down or go without.

GreenQueen

elantan wrote: »

I agree totally with the psychology aspect here, as a child I wasnt allowed to leave the table unless my plate was cleared, something I really still struggle with, I will try this approach and see if it helps ... maybe smaller plates as well ?

I remember a conversation a few years ago. Those around the table who tended to have weight problems had all had this drummed into them as children, those who were allowed to leave food were much better at self-regulation. Not a large enough sample to be statistically significant, but it seemed to ring true.

elantan

I think maybe it's the way it's written sorry for the confusion

1 bottle of wine per week between us, I have one glass husband has two
a couple of beers a week husband has
I buy a bottle of pernod or baileys once a month and have 2 to 3 of them a week ( bottle lasts maybe 5 or 6 weeks)
husband maybe once a month buys 2 bottles of wine instead of having a few beers so he would drink more wine and no beer that week, he probably would drink that over the course of 3 nights.

we usually drink one night per week

I would have 1 glass wine plus 2 to 3 halfs

husband 2 glasses of wine plus two beers


on average.

if were going away in the caravan at all throughout the month I wouldnt buy any pernod or baileys and would drink in a pub instead, I also wouldnt buy wine that week,

incidentally I should add, if were going up a hill or kayaking etc then we tend not to drink as were up at silly o'clock to drive to where we need to be

does that help ?

Out,_Vile_Jelly

I love the idea of the FIRE movement and definitely aim to pay off my mortgage and retire as early as possible, but also recognise it's important to enjoy life in the here and now (a friend's uncle who was looking forward to a very good pension dropped dead at work in his early 50s).


I've been with my partner nearly six years and we've never ordered a takeaway. They just don't appeal that much, and I struggle to understand what the fuss is about. If we're feeling too lazy to cook properly, our cheat-treat would be a pizza out the freezer with some extra veg, chillis and cheese on top. That takes 15 mins, which is surely quicker than your average takeaway order. I always have batch-cooked portions of stews/chillis/curries etc in the freezer; re-heating this with some naans (surprisngly long BB dates on these) or tortilla chips is another easy option when you're just too tired for anything else after work/commuting. I suggest having a good think about what it is you enjoy about takeaways.



My partner loves real ale and goes to many beer festivals, but he is very strict about having at least two days a week with no alcohol. I personally don't think it is a good idea to get into the mindset of drinking every day, even if it is just one glass of wine with dinner. ETA- sorry just seen you clarify you just drink one night per week, may as well be half decent stuff if you do.


If you keep all food/drink receipts for a month and enter every purchase onto a spreadsheet you would have in black and white exactly what the £800 has been spent on, and could then decide what's worth it and what isn't. You must be buying super-expensive ingredients or something.

elantan

Hi out vile jelly,

oh enjoys a beer or ale as well, he likes to try different ones to see what ones he prefers, there really seems to be quite a large market opening up for it these days.

were certainly overspending somewhere which is why I've decided to tackle this here, the main reason for us having take away is oh, I think it harks back to a childhood time, I personally prefer home made food, the quality and taste is more appealing to me, but hubby seems to feel he I dont know if the word is deserves but I think it could be, he talks about how hard he works ( and he does) and how he deserves a treat, his treat being a take away and a glass of wine etc, he will say how we do t go out and spend much but that we need to feel as if were working for something, and part of that something is a takeaway and a drink, he has other foibles as well, for instance he doesn't class going away for a holiday unless he gets on a plane, its bizarre for me to think this way but it's the way he is and were a team.

we have a take away once / twice a week as well, we used to be much much worse, if you were to read my other diaries takeaways have always been an issue, but its slowly improving, were just not there yet, hopefully this thread will help get us there

euronorris

Not sure if it's been answered already, but where do you usually shop? That can have a big impact on the cost.


I know Lidl and Aldi don't always have everything you might need, but they do have an ever expanding range and you can often get things like coconut oil in there now.

elantan

Hi Euronorris,

I tend to shop mainly in Asda as the nearest Lidl or Aldo is miles away for is, however this may change next year as I hear our town has to get an Aldi or Lidl ( not sure which) we buy from there things like cleaning products, the odd occasional jars, tins of tomatoes etc, bread, ginger, oatcakes etc


I get my butcher meat from an organic butcher, it's actually the farm itself that sells their own meat online, I also go to Costco maybe 3/4 times a year, was there on Saturday and spent a couple of hundred pounds, i usually buy my oils there but also toilet roll, washing powder, nuts etc, when we go to Costco we also head into Seewoo which is the Asian supermarket where we buy the prawn crackers and various spices and mixes.

I try and buy veg from the local fruit shop but if not its Asda as it's open later so around my work times,

wine we get from a local wine shop where we buy our beer etc from as well.

I try to but as local as I can, to try and support the high street, maybe that needs to change as well.

Sunday is a new month so I'm going to start implementing change then and see how we can adapt and change things to get us to where we are happy with our spending

Suffolksue

Elantan enjoy life whilst you can

having nursed our daughter and then looked after her children ,( they lived with us for 3 yrs) ,then her husband got a new partner and so they went back to him .
We thought now it is our time ,but my DH has got a foul degenerative brain disease and can no longer move etc ( no dementia ,he is completely aware of his situation .i will care for him until the end

My point is we just do not know the future ,we have quite a lot of money ( by our standards many would disagree ) and absolutely no way of enjoying it .we are 72 and70 so young still.

Keep doing what you enjoy ,maybe save a set amount for the hopeful future but enjoy life whilst you can ,but don't have a stringent present saving for what might be a mythical future .

elantan

Suffolk Sue,

Thank you for your wisdom, life can be so cruel, I am sorry to hear your both going through this and wish you both peace and joy in anyway you can

You are right we have to enjoy our present which is why I'm trying to find the right balance, we dont want to become frugal to the point we wont spend money on anything just to save for the future, that's not living, that's surviving, but I do feel we can improve things till we can get to a comfortable sustainable level. atleast that's what I'm aiming for

All the best for your future xxx

Pollycat

elantan wrote: »

I think maybe it's the way it's written sorry for the confusion

1 bottle of wine per week between us, I have one glass husband has two - so that's 3 x 250ml glasses. That's about 3 units per glass (175ml is 2.3 units)
a couple of beers a week husband has
I buy a bottle of pernod or baileys once a month and have 2 to 3 of them a week ( bottle lasts maybe 5 or 6 weeks) Baileys 25ml (single) measure is .4 unit, not sure about Pernod, typically 40% spirit is 1 unit per 25ml
husband maybe once a month buys 2 bottles of wine instead of having a few beers so he would drink more wine and no beer that week, he probably would drink that over the course of 3 nights.

we usually drink one night per week

I would have 1 glass wine plus 2 to 3 halfs - 250ml glass = 3 units. Depends if beer, lager, cider. And strength. Pint of 4% beer is 2.3 units.

husband 2 glasses of wine plus two beers


on average.

if were going away in the caravan at all throughout the month I wouldnt buy any pernod or baileys and would drink in a pub instead, I also wouldnt buy wine that week,

incidentally I should add, if were going up a hill or kayaking etc then we tend not to drink as were up at silly o'clock to drive to where we need to be

does that help ?

See my comments in red.
If my calculations are right - and depending on your measures - you are under the recommended weekly units, so no need to go running to find the nearest AA meetings.

You might find this useful to calculate units and calories:

https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/understand-your-drinking/unit-calculator

Maybe consider buying a jigger so you can keep track of your spirit measures. M&S do one for £4.50.

Re menu planning.
I sit down and plan our meals, we usually have an idea what's on the menu for at least a couple of weeks.
I have a spreadsheet with what is in the freezer, when it went it, weight etc and I aim to use up what's been in longest.
I also have a spreadsheet with meals on. I used to keep a written list but it's much easier to change on Excel - and it's easier to search back if I'm struggling for ideas.

I'll buy a big tray of mushrooms and a big bag of peppers and plan (for example) tuna risotto, maybe pasta, sausage casserole or a chicken dish to make sure they all get used up.
Cheaper than buying a small pack of mushrooms and an odd pepper for a specific dish.

I buy maybe 3lb of mince together and bag it in 3/4lb. If you usually use 1lb for a shepherds pie, you'll get 1 free meal every 4 times. And you'd probably not notice the 2oz deficit each.

I batch cook shepherds pie bases, that also makes the mince go further.
I bulk it out with carrots or mushrooms & canned tomatoes if I'm doing a pork, chicken or turkey base.
I make my own mash and freeze. Some people say that it doesn't taste as good but I mash it quite dry, adding very little Olivio and no milk and have had no problems.
I buy carrots, parsnips, turnips, swede when on offer and mash that too. It makes a tasty addition to potato topping for shepherds pie and ups your 5-a-day.

I make big portions of bolognaise, chilli, corned beef hash, dhal etc and freeze.

Whenever my slow cooker is on (like now), it's for at least 2 meals.

Pollycat wrote: »

Diced beef, finely diced mushrooms, onions & potatoes and of course stock, herbs and a bay leaf.
It will be the base for a shortcrust pastry pie and I'll pop a bit of stilton in before putting the top on.
It will be yummy.
There'll be enough to freeze for another day.

I bought a slab of pastry, cut it in half, re-wrapped it and froze both so there'll be pastry ready when we have the second portion.

Like Out, Vile Jelly we have very few takeaways.
We too pimp up our pizzas.
I buy a pepperoni one from Aldi, remove the pepperoni, add extra cheese, herbs, onion, mushrooms, sliced peppers (from those bought above) and put the pepperoni back.

But we are already both retired and I love faffing in the kitchen.

Good luck.