Family of 4, paying back £50k in 4 years whilst trying to live eco friendly

PurpleFairy26

You can freeze pretty much anything. Lettuce doesn’t work well! It’ll save loads on wastage if you don’t freeze lots now. 

missymoo81

Morning!
i hope everyone is ok. I got over my dip yesterday. Just drinking a cuppa before I get ready for work. Straight after work we need to go to screw fix, then home to shower then something quick for breakfast and off to have a social distancing cup of tea with my sister, then back at work for 1830.

Feel so much better in my self for not drinking coffee and having a lot more fruit and water. I’m a bit groggy though this morning, I’ve started taking a magnesium tablet at night and I think it might be that, but I get such a lovely sleep that it’s worth it. I need to put some washing on before I go to work, to hang up when I get back.

Foodwise today I think I’ll have porridge with peanut butter, strawberries and syrup. OH will have that and toast. Lunch will be on the go, so probably a protein bar and a banana and some nuts from home. And dinner will probably be either, chilli, or thai green curry. 

Right need to get dressed. Have a great day. Speak to you later.

missymoo81

Thanks Suffolklass and purple fairy, I have a tiny freezer and not quite sure what’s in it but it’s full. Will have a look and see if I can make room and freezer everything. Thank you. 

Just been speaking to a vegan friend about how she managed with her non vegan OH and she says she just cooks the veggie/vegan version of everything and has some cooked chicken in the freezer which she defrosts and puts on the side for him. She also uses soya mince in things which her OH doesn’t mind. This would Make my life easier too. I’m going to look at cost as I know a lot of dairy alternatives are more expensive but if done if my meals are bean filled, then that would save on cost also. 

So morning work is done and washing machine is on. My sister cancelled And OH is busy  so I’ve got a rare day To myself. So I’m going to sort things. I’m so hungry at the moment. OH was supposed to be making some breakfast but it’s taking forever. I’m not ungrateful you understand, but he said he was doing it an hour ago and I’ve worked out and been up since 7 and all I’ve had is a piece of banana bread and a banana! 

missymoo81

Breakfast eaten, well lunch I guess. Washing is in for a second spin so it dries a bit quicker. I have so many loads to wash and to dry! Realistically I can get 2 loads dry, possibly 3. Have come over all sleepy now after eating. Have updated my Tesco order for Friday to include lots more beans and fruit. I’m going to try making chapatis later with whizzed up oats to make flour. Would love to have like a banana and peanut butter Folded pizza type thing. But I’ll see how it goes.

Wondering if I should have a little nap. 

missymoo81

Fell asleep for 20 minutes, it was lovely, but consequently was half an hour or so later putting the washing out than I wanted. But that’s on the line and another load in, I’ve got 2 more to go but they may have to wait until tomorrow as there’s not a lot of wind.

OK well I bit the bullet and bought some hair dye last week...... usually my hair costs anything between £50-£80 to be coloured and cut, I posted about it a few months back when I last had it done, it’s a big expense. I’m more than a bit worried about doing it myself though. At the moment my hair appears to be about 4 different colours, we’ll 5 including the white that’s started to show through! I’m wondering whether a dye will even cover the white. I’m one of the unfortunate people that hasn’t got grey hair coming through. Mine is just bright white, and that’s at age 38!! I may do it tonight, or I may leave it for the weekend, we shall see! 

I’ve sorted the washing and just need to put mine and the children’s away. I say just, it’s about 5 loads worth so may take a while! 

Has anyone tried making pizza/dough with oat or coconut flour? Wondering what the outcome is. I am still eating too much bread and need to cut it down, but don’t want to give up pizza etc. 

So have looked at my first cheap meal plan day.... but am struggling with the amount of protein, so need to look at upping that somehow.

missymoo81

Ok, so got the dreaded message from ex yesterday. That he can’t afford to pay the child maintenance this month or probably next month. So I’m £450 down this month. Im hardly Getting paid from work, I’ve got the government grant but that’s dwindling. Need to have a rethink about how to get some more money in. Trying not to have a melt down about it.
Now I’m questioning everything. I stupidly bought some shorts and some leggings the other week, as I’m going through about 3-4 sets of clothes a day with work. But I don’t NEED them...... I love them but I don’t need them..... I’ll have a look at returning them.

Going to have a look at the shopping again as it’s the only bill I have control over that hasn’t already been cut! 

Ok so work this morning then more washing to do and hang out. Need to unload the DW, and make breakfast. I need to sort all of the washing that’s upstairs too 🙄. Need to sort that invoice I keep meaning to do and program for tonight’s class, and speak to the t-shirt makers to try and get some printed if they’re working.  I’ve got 3 classes tonight so won’t be home til 9.15pm. I made chilli last night and there’s enough for dinner tonight, I bulked it out with 2 tins of beans, courgette and sweetcorn. Or  thinking about it, I could bulk it out with some rice and save some and put a small bit in the freezer for when the children are here and make burritos with it. That sounds like a much more economical plan.

Going back to the shopping budget I’m going to have to strip it back as far as I’m able. Hopefully I can still eat healthily with frozen fruit and veg. Right need to get dressed, will write again later.

Isitdoable

Still impressed by your food budgeting, at the moment, with the pain in getting delivery slots etc I am just not planning enough to make any savings!  I'm just getting the delivery slot when I can and then ordering by memory!

missymoo81

Ok so home from work, I’ve eaten and have unloaded and reloaded the DW, wiped the worktops, swept the floor and tidied the kitchen as well as put a wash on. Just put some sun cream on and going to sit outside until the washing is done. 

Food wise today. I’ve had an egg sandwich and some banana bread, lunch will be fruit and yoghurt and dinner will be chilli. Thinking about it I still need to freeze those bits in the fridge...... Trying to get my head around cheaper eating. Maybe with me being veggie and OH still eating meat. Veggies have surely got to be cheaper than even the cheapest chicken...... So I’m going to do my shopping list properly and meal
plan, I’m picking the shopping up tomorrow at 8pm so I have until midnight tonight to come up with my plan. I have also managed to book a slot for next Friday too.

Food plan time, so Breakfast wise, we have loads of porridge and cereal In the cupboards, along with pancake mix, but we usually have fresh fruit with the porridge and pancakes which would make them more expensive, so trying to think of a cheaper way to make them nice, OH doesn’t like raisins, I don’t know if defrosted frozen fruit would work, any ideas would be greatly appreciated. 

Eggs on toast and bacon sandwiches OH likes a lot but they’re quite expensive to make so I will see how I can overcome that.  

Lunch, OH will have pate on toast and crisps and a chocolate bar, I usually have toast and a banana with peanut butter, I need something else with that but not sure what. I’m trying to get cheap apples, but I can’t get hold of any. Maybe I should make some frozen berry muffins or similar? 

Dinner, I’m going to have to think about this a lot. I need to look in the Freezer and see what I have, I have loads of meat so shouldn’t need to buy any. I have lots of courgettes and broccoli that really need eating, but not sure what to do with them as it’s too hot for soup. I could curry them maybe? And make ready meals out of them.... I don’t want to waste them, or I could blanch and freeze them but the freezer is pretty full but would also be too full for ready meals too I guess. Hmmm thinking caps on! 

Right it’s very hot out here and I need some water. I’ll post more in a bit but what to put this up now so that I don’t lose it! 

Much love 

missymoo81

Ok I’m going to start a new thread, the title and start of this one was really focussed in being as ecofriendly as possible and although it is still V important to me and I’m trying to be as good as I can be, it can’t be my main focus anymore. Being in the middle of this pandemic and no longer getting any money in means that my main focus is just paying the bills and keeping food on the table. I will of course try and choose eco friendly options where I can, but cost is a major thing right now. So I will start a new diary and hopefully you will join me there. I will post a link below when I have started it. ThAnks for following along with me in my journey x

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6149161/missy-s-family-of-4-paying-off-debts-saving-for-a-house-and-just-trying-to-survive/p1?new=1