Prosperous soul embraces creativity & mortgage neutrality

skint_spice · 6 June 2022 at 10:02PM

I am a bit late in the day but just wanted to say I loved your photo of the house through the roses, so pretty!

savingholmes · 6 June 2022 at 11:47PM

Thanks MF - I think SW is easier at the beginning and tends to get harder. Got a nice haul in my SOW basket - including a pepper, an apple, a tangerine, some garlic, some cans of veg, refried beans, fresh tomatoes.

My problem is that I buy too much full stop! DD has taken over my second fridge freezer so I've 'lost' that space although she says the bottom drawer is all my food. Added to that - I had food I bought for Xmas including a huge turkey still taking up at least half a drawer in my main freezer as the oven broke and DD hasn't fixed it yet. Hopefully this week... but I've heard that before. As soon as the oven is working again I plan to cook it and then divide it into portions / make it into other stuff and re-freeze it cooked without the carcass.

This week:

I'm planning lots of salad with things like mackerel (no cooking required for the latter as ready done so quicker to prepare.) Bought a couple of bagged salads. Still had tomato and spring onion and cucumber left from last week.
I am hoping to make a chicken stir fry - will then freeze some portions to use on a day I don't have the energy to prepare food. I bought some noodles and a bagged veg mix to use. Also got some bags of YS tenderstem broccoli and sugarsnap peas for 10p each. The latter will be nice in salad as well as stir fry - I got 2 bags of each.
If I have the energy to batch cook - I may make some veggie pasta with parmesan, leek, mushrooms, onions, sundried tomatoes, peppers but I think that will probably be the weekend now.
I've frozen two separate raw chicken breast pieces for a different week / later in the week so it's not wasted.

I only bought mackerel (less than £3) and £2 ham - the rest was pretty much fruit and veg. The chicken I mentioned was from last week and needed to be cooked today so done that.

This week is very busy:

Working all week.
Garage tomorrow am.
Friend coming in the evening. I've not seen her for a few months so should be good. I'll need to make the place look respectable. Because of my art the kitchen is completely cluttered.
DD coming home early.
Due 2 balance classes later in the week.
Trip to hospital Wednesday - letter says come alone.
Still want to do some prep for P1P call next week.

I've bought a subscription to a site that gives guidance on P1P and only listened to a 7 minute video so far and already learned something that will help me. It's difficult when you have a few different conditions that affect you differently at different times of year and depending on other life triggers. Also rules like if you can't do something half the time or need support a lot of the time it's as if you can't do it are confusing to my ASD brain. This coming payday period I'm due to see my counsellor 3 times which will cost £135 due to the way the weeks fall! I also couldn't manage without my cleaner £120 a month. It's those kind of things I'm hoping for financial support with. For those of you who have been with me for the long haul - I've been doing so much better since I put the new counsellor in place which demonstrates the importance of social support etc... Really hope I get it. It could be life changing and life enhancing.

savingholmes · 7 June 2022 at 12:00AM

beanielou said:

Great loss
With you on the increase on the food budget while doing SW.
It is not sustainable.

Good luck with your journey too. I found the SW thread too fast moving...

savingholmes · 7 June 2022 at 12:01AM

skint_spice said:

I am a bit late in the day but just wanted to say I loved your photo of the house through the roses, so pretty!

Thanks. It's a beautiful NT place

MovingForwards · 7 June 2022 at 7:12AM

Shopping list and a rough meal plan when buying food? I know it's awkward for you with a new diet, adjusting to cooking for one and having a busy life.

You've done well to get your application in and all the readable/ listening info will guide you through the rest of the process.

Fingers crossed for the garage.