I'm back! Trying to spend less on food!

kayannie

The bonus is that your mincemeat without any suet will be much healthier! Also, any vegetarians you might be feeding will be very grateful KA

mumtoomany

Hi, @kayannie. I think any vegetarians might also complain about the lard in the pastry. DD3 went through a vegetarian phase when she was living here. Bought and cooked all her own food for around six months. Back to bring an omnivore now. 

Did the months big shop on Tuesday. Got everything that was on the list except large tubs of margarine. Morrisons and Tesco both sell two kilo tubs of baking spread at around £3.50. I use this for baking, and decent it into smaller tubs to use on bread/toast. Morrisons didn't have any in stock, so that's back on the list. Got some good deals at the vegetable shop. I spent a total of £26.50 and got the following (pictures), and a sack of potatoes and four kilos of onions. We also called into the cash and carry, bargains again. 60 baguettes, for £2.50, cheap breadsticks, and a whole cheese reduced from almost £20 to £3. I seem to have lost the picture of the cheese!

That's bread for soup sorted for the winter, and garlic bread too.

I also called into Aldi for other bits and Iceland for milk. Total spend across the five shops was, £61.81. That with the milk son in law picked up comes to £63.51. Total left for the rest of the year is £186.41. 

Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

mumtoomany

Have frugallized my parkin recipe. Replaced the soft brown sugar with white. And the oat meal with normal oats that I threw in the liquidiser for a minute. Much cheaper, no noticeable difference in taste or texture.

Tea today was pizza left from when we had visitors, and kept in the freezer. Had with jacket potato, not had these for a while as been using the HG potatoes, and salad.

Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

Elisheba

mumtoomany said:

@peewhyeff, I warm the wrap in the micro for a minute, damp the edges, fill with sweet or savoury, seal, put on a tray, and heat in the oven. I quite like the top to go a bit crusty, hugs, mumtoomany.xx

Could I ask how you seal them? I wouldn't think egg or milk would work...

mumtoomany

Hi, @Elisheba. I just pushed the edges together using water, no milk egg etc. They stuck well. Enjoy, hugs, mumtoomany.xxx

Elisheba

Oh, brilliant. Thanks @mumtoomany Good to know. 😁

mumtoomany

We'll the year is drawing to an end, so i thought i should catch up with you all. All the shopping for this year is complete. 

Summery. I spent a total of £1846.53 on food and household, toilet rolls washing up liquid etc. This has been for seven people for the first three months of the year. Two of us for the other seven months. Also 3 DGC when both parents are working, and lots of visitors. I also still buy stuff for us all. Toilet rolls, dishwasher tablets, etc. And DD uses some other things when she needs them and has none, potatoes and flour spring to mind.

Starting tomorrow the budget will be £145 per month, £1740 for the year. This will be £120 per month from us and £25 per month from DD. I am hoping to come in lower. We are however now going to be buying butter again, rather than cooking spread, for bread and toast. We will have a little more money from January.

I hope this thread has been of use to people. I hope everyone had a good Christmas and wishing you all a Happy New year, hugs too all, mumtoomany.xxx

flamingo747

Wow,  amazing work! I think we would manage about 16 weeks on that and there's only 3 of us

mumtoomany

Thank you, @flamingo747. Living on next to nothing is a skill I've honed over very many years, through necessity. Our total income each month this year has fluctuated between £700 and £1000. In the past we have lived in far less. The trick, I think, is to always live below your means. 
Hugs, mumtoomany.xx

2Scratters

Just had a mini budget re food spends and DH is on board with reducing it from 3k to 2k pa. This will include the 2 daft collies that we have and toiletries, cleaning etc. I did give him the total break down of the figures and he just looked at  me...it works out at 38.46 a week  we still do waste food some how this is an area to work on even harder. 

Happy new year all 

2 Scratters xx