The hardest challenge yet

lessonlearned

Elantan......

Today's menu

Breakfast. Berries and yoghurt
Lunch. Cheese and tomato omelette
Dinner. Gammon and potato bake, with a lovely cheese sauce (ok cheating on the paleo there a bit) with tenderstem broccoli.
Supper Will be a few nuts, and some fruit.

So pretty good paleo wise.

Now this months budget......

I've just done my final shop for the month. It is a 5 week month and I have spent just under £200 (for one) so averaging at £40 a week.

This includes a top up of cleaning materials, some vitamins and otc meds, toiletries, 4 bottles of wine, some stationery I needed and some bits and bobs for Christmas.

I gave one lunch party this month but have had the builders in and it has been endless cups of tea, bacon butties and biscuits for them.

The freezer and fridge are choc a block and I have two large bags of overspill in the spare bedroom. Partly to ease the purse strings over the festive season because I will be hosting quite a few gatherings and partly because I do like to have supplies for if the weather is bad.

December is always a very busy month so I like to prepare ahead. I have a good supply of both home made and a couple of shop bought ready meals in my freezer for those busy Cba days.

I have no qualms about buying the odd good quality ready meal, it's a lot cheaper than getting takeaways and often much quicker. Is this something you would consider for the days when you are caring for your parents and rushed off your feet.

I think it's all about planning and getting ahead of yourself so you can avoid eating out and getting takeaways.

I do love to eat out of course but only something/somewhere really nice. I can't be bothered with the kind of establishments where you know it's just bought in pre cooked and then reheated.

If I'm going to eat out then I want the full restaurant experience, somewhere nice with top notch food and a nice ambience. Somewhere special. I definitely want to be served, I can't stand serve yourself eateries. So I'd rather rather go out less frequently so I can pay more for a first class dining experience, and not just make a pit stop to refuel.....:rotfl:

Less is more.....:D

Siebrie

I always think of takeaway as a failure, because I forgot to plan properly, and am now stuck eating mediocre, lukewarm food. I have to add that I have not found any decent takeaway restaurants in my area. The takeaway restaurants here still charge as if they have a michelin-star, though!

Slinky

One tiny thing I noticed, a few pages back you mentioned you didn't buy big tins of coconut milk. We have a satay recipe which uses half a tin. The other half gets tipped into a freezer bag and frozen for next time. I also use stock pots instead of cubes (have never found cubes that I like, always way to salty even the supposedly low salt ones). Started off using Knorr but only when I could get them at a discount. Tried the Tesco ones when I couldn't get Knorr on offer, and prefer them. If a recipe only needs half a cube/pot, I freeze the other half pot in a takeaway container.


I'm sure way more stuff is freezeable than the manufacturers would admit.

elantan

Hi all,


Thanks for the comments, just on my way home from worl so will catch up once I've had dinner, breakfast was my two eggs with wilted spinach and coconut oil, hubby was 2 eggs with toast

lunch hubby had two hot dogs with onion, I had home made soup with salad and nuts

dinner is going to be chicken breast with gravy, broccoli, turnip and carrots

elantan

I'm starting to get prepared for Sunday but need some paleo ideas and some vegetarian ideas as I'm thinking I fancy atleast one day a week vegetarian ( will try and work up to 2-3days )

I'm liking this idea of going to lidl for coffee and nuts that would save me getting that from costco, slowly taking away the need to go there, we do have a lidl but it isnt close, but if I knew there was a nut/ coffee deal etc it could be worth travelling for.

will look at the wine club as well as i like the idea of a co-operative and i like the idea of good quality wine at a lower price

i think if i could be here this time next year and we were to spend on average £500 a month i would be delighted

lessonlearned

I think it's a learning curve Elantan, making a few simple changes at a time. There are plenty of recipe books and blogs about paleo.

I think the big trick Is lots of vegetables, salads and fruit. Never mind 5 a day, I try to aim higher. I normally manage around 7 or 8 portions.

I watched a documentary last night about the effects of meat production in the planet. :eek:

Obviously because I have to avoid grains for health reasons and am supposed to go easy on dairy going vegetarian would be impossible but I too am looking at reducing my meat intake and maybe eating vegetarian say twice a week. I have already reduced the amount of red meat.

Do you like fish......although that can be more expensive than meat. :rotfl:

elantan

carolinerunner wrote: »

Elantan I can highly recommend The Wine Society, nothing they sell is less than good quality and they start at about £6 a bottle, free delivery for a case/£75+ worth. They're a co-operative so they're not making big bucks out of you, have no shareholders to answer to, and win lots of awards so might be worth a try?

will give this a wee nosey when i am finished here for tonight thanks

carolinerunner wrote: »

Definitely smaller plates! I'd forgotten I bought them, it was a long time ago, but it really helps reduce portion sizes without it being noticed (after the first week or so)

And I really get it about food and husbands, mine is all there in theory, not in practice (he should have shares in Caffe N***) and sees eating out as 'a little holiday' which he deserves because he works so hard - so it's a challenge!

Hope you're feeling encouraged, I'm sure that's the intention on this thread!:)

I am, still feeling kinda overwhelmed and thats to be expected but i know i have came to the right place, i need to sort this issue before it sorts me and i cant afford to retire

elantan

lessonlearned wrote: »

Elantan......

Today's menu

Breakfast. Berries and yoghurt
Lunch. Cheese and tomato omelette
Dinner. Gammon and potato bake, with a lovely cheese sauce (ok cheating on the paleo there a bit) with tenderstem broccoli.
Supper Will be a few nuts, and some fruit.

So pretty good paleo wise.

Now this months budget......

I've just done my final shop for the month. It is a 5 week month and I have spent just under £200 (for one) so averaging at £40 a week.

This includes a top up of cleaning materials, some vitamins and otc meds, toiletries, 4 bottles of wine, some stationery I needed and some bits and bobs for Christmas.

I gave one lunch party this month but have had the builders in and it has been endless cups of tea, bacon butties and biscuits for them.

The freezer and fridge are choc a block and I have two large bags of overspill in the spare bedroom. Partly to ease the purse strings over the festive season because I will be hosting quite a few gatherings and partly because I do like to have supplies for if the weather is bad.

December is always a very busy month so I like to prepare ahead. I have a good supply of both home made and a couple of shop bought ready meals in my freezer for those busy Cba days.

I have no qualms about buying the odd good quality ready meal, it's a lot cheaper than getting takeaways and often much quicker. Is this something you would consider for the days when you are caring for your parents and rushed off your feet.

I think it's all about planning and getting ahead of yourself so you can avoid eating out and getting takeaways.

I do love to eat out of course but only something/somewhere really nice. I can't be bothered with the kind of establishments where you know it's just bought in pre cooked and then reheated.

If I'm going to eat out then I want the full restaurant experience, somewhere nice with top notch food and a nice ambience. Somewhere special. I definitely want to be served, I can't stand serve yourself eateries. So I'd rather rather go out less frequently so I can pay more for a first class dining experience, and not just make a pit stop to refuel.....:rotfl:

Less is more.....:D

i'm gonna be totally honest and say i dont like eating out or takeaways, well that is not totally true i love it, but like you i want to have it as a treat, i prefer home cooked food, my husband is a great cook, and often i wont have anything and just make something as i dont want another take away, i would rather save up and have a tasty meal out as a treat, this has been an issue for us for years to the extent i even got us chinese cookery lessons to try and save money and we do save money, we used to be so so so much worse( hard to believe i know) ... another example i could happily live without a t.v, hubby wants one in every room and cant fall asleep without it on, i would rather read a book but dont get to read a book in bed because he watches t.v .... the price of marriage eh lol

dont think i could ever get to the dizzying heights of £400 a month but if i could get to £500 that would be great, can i ask what decent ready made meals do you get?

Siebrie wrote: »

I always think of takeaway as a failure, because I forgot to plan properly, and am now stuck eating mediocre, lukewarm food. I have to add that I have not found any decent takeaway restaurants in my area. The takeaway restaurants here still charge as if they have a michelin-star, though!

i agree, it isnt a choice i willingly make.

Slinky wrote: »

One tiny thing I noticed, a few pages back you mentioned you didn't buy big tins of coconut milk. We have a satay recipe which uses half a tin. The other half gets tipped into a freezer bag and frozen for next time. I also use stock pots instead of cubes (have never found cubes that I like, always way to salty even the supposedly low salt ones). Started off using Knorr but only when I could get them at a discount. Tried the Tesco ones when I couldn't get Knorr on offer, and prefer them. If a recipe only needs half a cube/pot, I freeze the other half pot in a takeaway container.


I'm sure way more stuff is freezeable than the manufacturers would admit.

this healps a great deal as the half size cans as not much cheaper than the full sized cans, i tried several times to use the milk in my coffee etc but it just aint nice, now if i could freeze it, then that would be handy,

ive started making bone broth and freezing it to add to stock its cheaper and healthy, not sure if that is something you would like ?

thank you

elantan

lessonlearned wrote: »

I think it's a learning curve Elantan, making a few simple changes at a time. There are plenty of recipe books and blogs about paleo.

I think the big trick Is lots of vegetables, salads and fruit. Never mind 5 a day, I try to aim higher. I normally manage around 7 or 8 portions.

I watched a documentary last night about the effects of meat production in the planet. :eek:

Obviously because I have to avoid grains for health reasons and am supposed to go easy on dairy going vegetarian would be impossible but I too am looking at reducing my meat intake and maybe eating vegetarian say twice a week. I have already reduced the amount of red meat.

Do you like fish......although that can be more expensive than meat. :rotfl:

sadly i am allergic to meat, i wish could eat it for all those omega 3's but i just cant, i love seaweed, my body doesnt, but i try to sneak some seaweed salt type things into salad etc, very very little but a wee bit to keep the iodine levels up.

so i checked the fridge to see what Mr El has looked out for dinner tomorrow, normally i wouldnt think twice about it, but i was actually ashamed when i looked at it, i know i shouldnt feel ashamed, and i know i am learning and i know i have a long way to go and i know i need to be gentle on myself, but i am ashamed.

In my fridge for a midweek meal is organic rump steak, i say this not to boast, it isnt a boast, many many people cant afford organic rump steak, and if/when they can its as a special treat, this is a midweek meal for me, no wonder my food budget is out of order, now dont get me wrong, i know i will love it, it is tasty, but seriously thats for a treat not a midweek meal, i should be eating this instead of a takeaway which is by all intents and purposes cheaper quality ingredients.

This HAS to stop.

I have alot of work to do

lessonlearned

I'm dead lucky with nice ready meals.....we have a farm shop that sell them so as good as home cooked and usually around 3 for £10. Bargain for the quality.

Failing that M&S or Sainsbury's Taste the Difference. I just won't buy the cheap ones. I'd rather have egg and chips. :rotfl:

I'm sitting here without TV too. I can take it or leave it. My late husband treated it like wallpaper, it would be on and he wouldn't even be watching it. Lol.