It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

elsien

I had given up on Olio because it’s been quite bad of late, but I did try it again tonight and I’ve requested five things that should keep me in food for the next few days.
I hadn’t realised how much the free food with subsidising my budget until it wasn’t there. 

I’ve upped the amount I’ve been spending on food and it’s still not enough. There used to be more money than week in that part of my budget, and there isn’t any more. 

Longwalker

elsien said:

I had given up on Olio because it’s been quite bad of late, but I did try it again tonight and I’ve requested five things that should keep me in food for the next few days.
I hadn’t realised how much the free food with subsidising my budget until it wasn’t there. 

I’ve upped the amount I’ve been spending on food and it’s still not enough. There used to be more money than week in that part of my budget, and there isn’t any more. 

I think that something we are all noticing. I dont have a food budget as such, I pay what bills Im liable for, the rest is groceries. What I dont spend on groceries is my disposable income - of which there is very little off. For the few personal spends I have Ive noticed I take advantage more and more of pay in three ( free PayPal credit ) or clear pay ( also free ) buying just one thing at a time , pay it off, go again

Welcome Back Ming 

Mum went shopping for whatever. bits and pieces she wanted, she likes a dander about Sainsbury's when she has to go for her feet appointment. Says she spent over £100 and doesn't know what on. . As I said to her, thats my norm of late, even a wee pop into Tesco for a few essentials and I dont see change back from £50 and I wouldn't fill a bag !!!!

Got a text from the ( step) Daughter last night. Not heard from her in months , not since August  ( she still owes me £30 ) "dont be buying for me and hubby as we arent buying for anyone other then the kids " First thought - Halleua - shes finally seen the light. Second thought was, here shes goes, laying it on thick so as I will feel bad and send her money. I sincerely hope its the first. Ive been telling her for years not to be buying for us, that she cant afford to be buying pressies and we dont want pressies, and every flipping year she gets us a load of carp of which we have no need of , then whines and cries that shes no money for the oil or petrol for the car. - Shes in her late 30's, hes in his late 40's and they are totally useless when it comes to money. She works 3 nights waitressing, 1 all night sit for an elderly person , claims every penny going and he works off the books ( Its their life, we dont like it but we have no say ) so between them are bringing in more money in a week then we do in a month and yet she runs to us to subsidise her. That £30 quid was for her a night out, for me it was a days pay. I had been on my feet all day for it and she drank it. Mr L doesn't get why Im so annoyed over it still lol

So Christmas shopping has reared its ugly head. I dont have to buy for very many. Now its just the two school aged grandkids, the oldest is now an apprentice so will just get a token pressie. Mum I have to buy for as its also her birthday, Ive already picked up a few things, a book, a jigsaw, a cd. Then I get her the nice biscuits and chocolates she likes, things I dont buy as a norm. Luckily we sell those posh bits in work and we get 35% discount next week 

I got me and Mr L airplane under seat luggage, on sale in work at half price, then 30% discount on top - total bargain. Sounds a tad wacky but because we dont have proper holidays anymore, we find cheap weekend breaks. A return flight to Edinburgh for example is less then £40- then they want £50 to take a bag on board, even more for checked in, but under seat is still free Ive found a great deal for March, 3 nights room only plus flights, less then £300 for the two of us  - thats us sorted And he wants to go back to York later in the year so the bags will be a huge investment going forwards 

And just two friends I buy for. Small and thoughtful/useful.

Coming into silly season at work, rushed off our feet, implementing new procedures at the same time as we start Christmas dinners - all good fun

YorksLass

By golly, it's chilly!  Not much difference between day time highs and night time lows temperature wise but we haven't had any frost or snow - yet.  The new bedding is wonderfully warm and cosy but it's making us not want to get up!  No matter, one of the advantages of being retired - there's no rush.     

Today we've been to the GP surgery for DH to have yet more blood tests and then I think it will be a wait for them to decide if he needs to see a cardiologist or go on blood thinners.  While he was in there I collected his meds from the next door pharmacy.  Had I been on my own, I would have walked there and back but, because of DH's mobility and breathing issues, it had to be a taxi there and back.  Good job I have a cash pot to pay for such things.  

More stuff hoicked from the freezer - a h/m tea loaf, mushroom soup, some sausages and bacon plus a pork casserole.  A small grocery delivery is due tomorrow but I deliberately didn't order anything that needs freezing.  Once again I had to add on odds and ends to meet the minimum order to use my delivery pass: a twin pack of tissues, batteries, Xmas cards - not that I send many nowadays but I didn't have any left - and a pack of ballpoint pens.  I noticed the pens with blue ink were 25p cheaper than the ones with black - guess which I got?  

I'll be making our Xmas cake this weekend and have put the dried fruit to soak in some rum.  If there's enough room in the freezer I think I'll make mince pies as well to fill up the oven.  If not, I can always bung in some baking potatoes.

Toonie

I've done an online shop this week, DPs knee is all sore and swollen. He's not sure why, so rather than aggravate it further with a wander around the shop I managed to make up an order to the minimum required, with adding a couple things in for Christmas (little cans of ginger ale and some cola-I don't buy them often as I get the more expensive stuff without sweeteners). I also noticed they had pork shoulder on offer so getting one of those for a roast dinner. Been a while since I did a full on roast, so that will be nice with some roasties, veg, and gravy.

I've also been making space in my freezer. I've had out pork steaks, chicken thighs, plus bits and pieces of bread (we had a single bagel in there and a wholemeal pitta bread which worked well as we ran out of bread today).

MingVase

Ta for all the tea     -Where do you all get your chicken portions? I prefer skin on and bone in - but sometimes the cheap ones are tough and horrible. Plus you dono where they've come from..

Brambling

Ming having been unimpressed by the Sainsbury's chicken legs cheaper but smaller/ thinner and coming in a larger pack (5 in the pack I brought ) I either buy a pack of 2 from Waitrose or M&S for about £1.50 they are a lot better in size and taste.  I do buy chicken thighs in Sainsbury's unless I see them YS or reduced in Waitrose or M&S.  of course the cheapest way is probably buy a whole chicken and portion it up but I rarely do that these days 

YoungBlueEyes

Depending on what I'm cooking I either buy a whole chicken or skin on + bone in thighs. Aldi majoritively but Lidl's ones are fine if Aldi are out of them.  

Longwalker

Sainsbury's, marks, Waitrose chicken all comes from the same place - we process for them up here near me. We also process for Duchy of Cornwall, Ocado, Jaimie Oliver and Spar. We dont do Asda or Tesco.

Read from that what you will

YoungBlueEyes

And, umm, where do you buy yours Longwalker? 

Not that we’ll read anything into it. 

YorksLass

I spoke too soon about not having had any snow or frost yet.  It snowed late last night, just a light covering that didn't settle on the roads that have thankfully been gritted.  However, it did settle on the pavements, house roofs and cars and, despite having had sun this afternoon, it's still with us.      I hope it's disappeared by tomorrow (not likely since it's forecast to be -3 overnight) as I want to nip out to the Co-op for some fresh cod for tea.  If it hasn't, then I'll stay home and make some fishcakes that will use up some basa fillets and make a bit more room in the freezer.

Grocery delivery arrived today, all P&C with just one acceptable sub.  I'm sure I ordered a box of tea bags but no, I didn't.  I've enough to last until next week so it's not a disaster.

Postie brought DH's hospital appointments letter this morning.  One is at the end of December to have a portable ECG monitor fitted (needs to be returned the next day) and one in early January for an echo-cardiogram.  Not a particularly good start to the New Year but needs must.

Tea tonight is pork casserole with green beans, both from the freezer, and mash.  On the subject of chicken, I prefer to buy whole birds but also get thighs, legs and drumsticks (not boned and skin on), depending on which is the better value at the time.  That said, I sometimes wonder if the portions have really been prepared by a "proper" butcher - there seems to be a lot of skin and shards of bone these days.  Plus DH isn't a fan of chicken so I can only get away with serving it once a week - and that's too often in his opinion!