A new royal start

QueenJess · 29 April at 8:26AM

Aside from possibly milk, I’m done with the food shopping this month. No Riverford box needed this week as I still have a fair bit from the larger box last week plus DH is not in for two dinners next week (and let’s face it.. he does eat the majority of the food!). So after a week away, trying to eat everything from the freezer and buy as little as possible, I spent £250 on food this month!!!! It is so ridiculously small for us.

Next month will be definitely be much more as I have stocking up to do in a couple of places, will likely need to start refilling the freezer slowly after hopefully a defrost (getting closer to empty!) and we have half term. Still determined to try and get rid of the deficit though.

We do have expensive tastes and I do prioritise organic food which is also expensive. I aim to waste nothing though and make most things from scratch, which definitely helps!

Yesterday I worked from home and didn’t need to make bread yet and actually didn’t need to make anything else either. It was most disconcerting. So I decided to make myself an orange sandwich cake with orange buttercream using some of the orange peel I saved in the freezer and the syrup I cooked the candied peel in (also in the freezer). It definitely cheered me up on a very stressful work day! DS also wolfed it down last night - his little eyes lit up when he realised I baked 😂. I am now down to my last 25g of butter. I don’t think I’ve ever had this little in the house!

Better go as nearly at work (on the train). Hope everyone gets time to enjoy the sunshine today :)

themadvix · 29 April at 10:58AM

It feels like you've been wrangling that deficit for so long Jess - it must feel great to have the end finally in sight!

QueenJess · 29 April at 5:28PM

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81981180#Comment_81981180

It has been absolutely ages - I can’t remember the last time I was in budget. My joint account is currently being held together with sticking tape and my emergency fund!

I just then need to make sure I stick to the budget and don’t think it’s all fine once I am back in the black and end up at a deficit again! It definitely takes a lot longer to clear a deficit than to generate one…

QueenJess · 1 May at 5:13PM

A few spends today buying a couple of tiny suncream bottles to chuck into the kids bags or the occasion when you don't want to take a large one with you (from Lidl) and I bought the Lidl white wine on offer to give that a try. We don't drink loads, but thought it might be a cheaper way of drinking wine than currently and also gives some variety.

Also checked out A*DA after seeing online that they did the organic yogurt we like at less than 75% of the price I pay in W*rose. It's been a very long time since I've been in there (not a fan) and it is even worse than I remembered. They don't even stock the yogurt and despite having various organic items online, it is non existent in the shop. They didn't have any milk of any description except for whole milk. Honestly, I have no idea how they stay in business as I struggle to find anything I want in there. Not sure if it is that store in particular as it's never been particularly well managed or stocked and I find shopping there very stressful.

I reluctantly bought a bit of non-organic fruit as DH is taking the kids out tomorrow for the day at the same time as I am going food shopping. On the plus side, I convinced DH is was easier to take a picnic for the kids than buy something and he will just get them an ice cream instead. Money saved in advance!

Looks like I have the day to myself tomorrow… I'm thinking the scarily big food shop followed by picking up some cheap glass jars in D*elm (I never seem to have enough and want to make more jams, jellys, preserves etc) and then popping to the garden centre for the rest of the compost to fill the last patio raised bed. Then I can potter in the garden :) I might make some sort of dessert or cake, but not sure yet.

Already spent around £17 and my list is going to be long for tomorrow…

Dinner for tonight is different for all of us as we are cleaning up leftovers. There's leftover tomato pasta and garlic bread, leftover pesto pasta and a single portion of chicken casserole in the freezer. Dessert is whatever is around… I found 2 chocolate brownies in the freezer that fell to the bottom, there's two boxes of xmas treats unopened, some orange sandwich cake, yogurt etc. Oh - and I'm penciling in the big chest freezer defrost for the week after next!

I've also found my new favourite mse thread, although all the ones I seem to like are from 2005 - 2010!

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1420503/the-preservers-year

QueenJess · 2 May at 10:36AM

Ok… here goes, massive stock up completed and loads of vouchers used across everything to get approx. 5% off it all. Total spend £203!!!!!!!! sm = £125, zero waste shop £65 and chemist £13. That now leaves me with £97 a week left to spend in order to get back in the black.

I still do have to do an Aldi stock up for porridge oats, weetabix etc this month, but I bought enough this week that I don't need to do a sm or zero waste shop next weekend - small top ups needed only. I also hope the week after that won't be too bad and some will stretch into that week. It's all still doable, but might get quite tight. That's the problem with running everything down as eventually you need to get loads.

I read depressing news about 7% food inflation potentially coming, so I guess we all need to get more inventive. I think me staying out of WR or at least limiting my exposure definitely helps with my expense. There are limits though as they do have the best organic ranges..

QueenJess · 3 May at 11:00AM

Seeing as DS made me get up early to take him to a car boot sale and is now playing with his ill gotten gains, I decided I'd have a bit of a freezer clear out. I have lamb defrosting in the fridge for an easy roast later (part of the massive leg of lamb we cooked a few weeks ago), I defrosted a massive batch of blackberries that I combined with apples, brown sugar and cinnamon to make loads of compote (will go back into the freezer) and I took out the last of the redcurrants and am making jelly with that.

Lunch today will be leek, pea and cheese orzotto (as requested by DD). Getting lowish on desserts, so may make an dried apricot or dundee cake… will see what I fancy later.

Edit: I found some homegrown blueberries right at the bottom of the freezer that I’d forgotten about, so I am currently making a blueberry and lemon loaf cake :)

QueenJess · 7 May at 3:45PM

A quick check in as a migraine yesterday means only short times on darkened screens are on the cards today.

I did a top up at Lidl yesterday, ordered Riverford this week (a bit more for my usual box plus a fruit bag as I really missed my usual box) and did a big stock up of my usual Aldi purchases (oats, weetabix etc). I will probably need to grab some milk, but otherwise no more food spending planned for this week. Total spent was £63. I now have £100 a week left to spend for the rest of this month to get back to budget neutral. Might be a bit tight given my weekly average this year is around £130 a week. Will see how it goes.

Breakfast was porridge with apple and blackberry compote. Lunch today was more of the never ending soup from the freezer. Dinner is pesto pasta with the last of the broad beans and courgettes. Yummy blueberry and lemon cake for pudding.

I may have a few too many apples, so I will make more apple and blackberry compote to freeze for breakfasts when I get a chance. At least I can try and get through most of the blackberries I had frozen before this years ripen 😂

QueenJess · 8 May at 5:30PM

Not much happening today, but glad it is the weekend after a frustrating week at work. Breakfast was porridge with hm oat milk and apple and blackberry compote (1st lot used up). Lunch was more of the never ending soup (although I think there's only 2 portions left now!). Dinner will be ready made pizza for the kids and hm pizza for the adults with whatever I find in the veg drawer (likely cheese, asparagus, onion, red pepper and mushroom).

Just about to put the sourdough in the oven so it's nice and hot for the pizzas. I made a big batch of Twink's hobnobs at lunchtime which the kids have already sampled!

A quiet weekend coming up with family visiting on Sunday and no food shopping chores needed. I have the first load of washing in and only need to do one more later until next week. Since I've not made it into work this week we've used fewer clothes and I've spent less (train fare not needed). I've rounded down the mortgage to £109,200 and as of 1 May we are now paying 3.94% interest so next month will be a lower payment :)

I have been deliberating over buying an expensive ice cream maker, which is partly because I prefer to make it myself, but also it's impossible to get ice cream without junk in it that isn't vanilla and DS can eat (he has a nut allergy and basically everything has generic unhelpful warnings on). I do make no churn, but I really think I could up my game with an ice cream maker. I've been looking at the same one for over a year, but still not decided whether to spend my personal savings on it… I'm still thinking as it's a big investment.

Better go and put the sourdough in! I hope everyone has a good weekend.