Missy’s Surviving the storm so we can dance in the rain.

missymoo81

Ah thank you @Four_Seasons

missymoo81

Ok…. So just looked into everything and added up things and I’m £50 short to pay everything this month. That doesn’t include food, so there’s going to be a bit of scrimping as far as that’s concerned!! Me and OH have set it up so we pay for the groceries every other week, so I’ll try and make my week a super scrimpy week and try not to spend any money on anything in between…. 

joedenise

Can you try using up things you already have in the cupboards/fridge/freezer to try and keep costs down?

Might be worth looking at the recipes at the start of the Grocery Challenge on the Old Style Board.  There are lots of recipes on the first few pages.  I'm sure some of them will be cheap to make.

badmemory

Are you sure it is "that" kind of hormonal thing?  There are other hormone issues which can cause similar problems.  One is the thyroid but there are others.  Have you had a blood test?

missymoo81

badmemory said:

Are you sure it is "that" kind of hormonal thing?  There are other hormone issues which can cause similar problems.  One is the thyroid but there are others.  Have you had a blood test?

Thanks, No I haven’t but I know my body well, it’s hormonal and also to do with low iron, I haven’t been taking my multi vitamins or my iron tablets. I think I also get SAD. Feeling a little better since looking i nto everything, feeling slightly more in control. Think I’m actually going to have a really early night tonight. 

@joedenise. I might save the meat until OH Is back as me and the children really don’t mind eating veggie. Which would save money on the next shop. What could I do to pad out fajitas. I have peppers and carrots, sweetcorn. Hmmm….

Bluegreen143

Last time I did fajitas I did some seasoned black beans to go in then to pad out the chicken - fried v finely chopped onion and garlic, add cumin, black beans & splash of water. Plenty salt. Simmer away and then add chopped coriander and a squeeze of lime. You can do with pinto beans instead but I like black beans. Was eaten by one out of two children here 😂

You could do fajita chicken rice instead of wraps which is cheaper. 

Fry lots of onions and peppers, chicken breast, garlic, add fajita type spices. Add rice and chicken or veg stock and cook like a risotto. Add a tin of black beans and sweetcorn near the end. Again a squeeze of lime and coriander helps. You could do a lot of rice, beans and veg and not much chicken and cut it up small. Or skip the chicken entirely.

missymoo81

Hey @Bluegreen143 thanks so much for posting. I think you’re right. I think some sort of bean may be the answer. I like the chicken rice idea too. Going to have a play around with stuff.I have a lot of food in from being not at all conservative last time I did a shopping order. Think I may have to start going back to lidl too. 

Going to do a stocktake of the fridge and cupboards, see what I can freeze for next week too.

Thanks everyone for commenting, it’s made me feel so much better.

missymoo81

Having a real battle with myself not to spend money on clothes. Feeling rubbish and buying new workout clothes always makes me feel better….. I haven’t been to the gym as I’ve hurt my back which means I’m not where I want to be. I should be able to start again on Monday though. 

Also when I’m going to the gym a lot I think I need a lot of ‘special’ food to up my protein, which is expensive. So I’m going to sit on MFP now and have a look and see what I can do for cheaper ingredients that I already have in. Still in this groggy, grumpy mindset, I know the weather isn’t helping! 

Bluegreen143

I think the thing to remember is that buying new clothes (or new anything) doesn’t *actually* and lastingly make you feel better. It gives you a short spike of dopamine. 

What comes up must come down. It’s the nature of a dopamine hit that you feel worse after it. 

Then you’ll feel even worse and guilty when you realise you’ve busted your budget. 

So don’t have the mindset that you’re depriving yourself by not buying new clothes. Rather, you’re being kind to yourself by avoiding the lows which will inevitably come next! Be strong and imagine how great you will feel at the end of the month if you’ve stuck to your budget. 

I’ve started using a 30 day list, noting down impulse buys and only buying them once 30 days have elapsed - you often don’t want it anymore by then so that could be a tactic to try. 

If you want to give yourself a genuine boost, have a lovely bath and shave your legs, have a nap, sit and read, do a creative project, phone a friend, eat a lovely salad or bowl of soup - all things which won’t bring you down after!

Makingabobor2

I used to love buying things, but my weakness was handbags. I would get all excited when they arrived and then most of them ended up in the wardrobe and hardly ever used. I mean realistically....how many bags does one person need??  So now I have the grand total of 4 in my wardrobe and I feel so much better. When I think of all the money I spent on them, it is ridiculous. As @Bluegreen143 says, it only makes you feel better for a while.   The things that make me feel better now, are going for a walk, doing a jigsaw puzzle or buying a 2nd hand book from the charity shop to read. x