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

New_in_the_fens

I’ve been quietly following your diary mumtoomany - you are such a whirlwind - I am awed by the amount you do, the number of mouths you feed and the small amount you spend! Good luck for the summer and all the visitors 😳

mumtoomany

Thank you, @New_in_the_fens. It helps that I don't have a "proper" job. It means I can do what I want when I want. The low spend is also helped by some bartering. Yesterday, as we had a bag of dried sheep milk we no longer needed, (it won't keep till next year), I swapped it and a jar of lime marmalade, for some lamb. Bag of ribs, offal, (liver, heart), and some lamb breast. The neighbour we swapped with won't use them, but still has 30 bottle feeders. 

Feeding the DGC tonight along with the two little ones, they are having fishfingers, HM chips, baked beans, (still have some of the cheap ones from last year left). We, OH and I, are having some spicy chicken, HG cauliflower, left over carrots and potatoes. 

I'm hoping to inventory the freezers in the next week or two. See what we've got in, and plan what to make with it all.

Hugs, mumtoomany.xxx

mumtoomany

Hi all. 

Another busy day here. Out watering in the tunnel, first thing. Then sorting the spare bedroom, with DD1. DVS1 will sleep there tomorrow, then friends of DD1, for a week from Saturday. Their children will sleep in DGDs room. DGDs will move in with DGS. Then I dug a bag of pastry bits, the ends left from when I've made pastry. Nine small pieces, between golf ball and tennis ball size. I made four pasties, with the last of the spicy chicken, and 23 assorted jam tarts. Grape jam, (gifted to me), damson jam, from home grown damsons, orange and lime marmalades, both HM, with reduced fruit. All these were made while the littlies were playing with playdoh. Cleared away playdoh! Made chilli for OH and I from leftover Bolognese, and made sausages, potatoes and beans for five children.

Now they are all in bed. Going back to some more watering. Then hope to knit some more of a baby cardigan.

Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

Soontobeoap

@mumtomany where do you get your energy from? 

mumtoomany

Hi, @Soontobeoap. I get my energy from Aldi, but only when it's reduced to clear! Ha ha. I'm lucky that OH, (dadtoomany) is very hands on. Often seen kicking a ball around or playing cars. He's pretty good at loading the dish washer, or bringing the washing in, without being asked too. So it doesn't all fall on me.

Spent the morning at the beach with M and N. They loved it, slept all the way home in the car.

Had the pasties for lunch. Had gravy with them. The gravy started life as the juices leftover when DD1 made hunters chicken the other day. I then used this in the slow cooker to cook breast of lamb. Then thickened it to make gravy. Nothing is wasted here.

Tonight, OH and I will have the last of the chilli. M and N can have some tiny fishes, fish cakes, as they don't like spicy things. 

Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

mumtoomany

Well that was a busy weekend. 15 people here from Friday through to Sunday. Only13 here now! 

Been to town twice. We needed a jockey wheel, so picked up a few bits on Monday, including nappies, these I will be reimbursed for, so shan't include them here. Today we went to get fruit mostly. The veg shop doesn't open bank holidays. Also just remembered, DD1 picked up milk for us, £3.10.

Total spent over these two shopping days is £39.99. Total spent to date is £1006.36/£1860. This leaves £853.64 for the rest of the year. Seven months, so just under £120 per month. Around £4 per day. Wish me luck! Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

Flossymuldoo

Wow. Good luck!!  It’s incredible how much you manage to get out of so little. I take my hat off to you. 

mumtoomany

Thank you, @Flossymuldoo. It helps a lot that we have space to grow fruit and vegetables, and room to keep chickens, sheep and pigs. Also, being retired, we have some time to be able to shop around. (When we don't have two or more littlies in tow.)

We bought and fitted a blackout blind in M and N's bedroom yesterday. They stayed asleep till six o clock this morning. The previous two days it's been just after five! I've just been out to the polytunnel. So many jobs in there and on the veg beds need doing. I'm going to be busy from the eleventh, when these two have gone home. 

Tea yesterday, I cooked some shop bought steak and kidney puddings. A rare treat. Even after staff discount, these cost nearly 70p each! Served with HG cauliflower and broccoli in cheese sauce, frozen peas and HM chips. Easy tea! Cauliflower will be featuring a lot for the next few weeks, it's growing like crazy.

Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

mumtoomany

How is it June already? This year is flying past.

Sauage YS, beans and mash HM, for tea on the first, followed by HM cherry crumble. Last night chicken burgers for OH and I, nuggets for M and N, with roast vegetables, beetroot, and HM potato croquettes, from left over mash. OH and I finished the crumble, littlies had ice lollies. The cherries were from the veg shop on tuesday. In my four boxes of fruit, all £1 each, I got 9 pink grapefruit, 8 big oranges, 23 granny Smith's apples, a punnets of grapes, a punnets of cherries, 20 apricots and a melon. A few of the cherries had gone, only half the melon is edible, one of the apples had a big bruise and the dog managed to squash most of the apricots. She lay on them, when the box rolled over in the back of the car! Still good value though. (The apricots still taste fine squashed!) 

Undecided about today yet. M and N are picky eaters! Breakfasts have mostly been yogurt, bought a huge bucket full, for £1.50, which is lasting forever. Lunches have featured a lot of cottage cheese, £1 for a 2kilo tub, also lasting a while.

Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

mumtoomany

Went for pasta bolognese in the end. M would not touch it, N picked out all the pasta and left the bolognese! Made double quantity, will have chilli or lasagne at a later date. Cooked extra mince, (250gms in total) will make cottage pie with the rest.

Have chased chickens back into their run several times today. Need to find out tomorrow where they are escaping. OH blocked up one hole this morning, but they are still getting out. Also spent a "fun" hour, once the littlies where asleep, (left the monitor with DD), worming the sheep and spraying for flies. Luckily none have fly strike. They won't be sheered for a couple more weeks, as they were late lambing, so need to keep an eye on them. 

Off now to sit and watch the box while I finish the baby cardigan I'm knitting. Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx