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

Duchess2

So glad everything ok MTM. Sounds as though you have been really busy. Great results from the turkey crown. Definitely got your money’s worth there😂 We’ve got him veg soup and whoopsied crumpets for lunch today. Such a gloomy day.  Need something to warm us up! Onwards and upwards. Take care all

thriftwizard

Lovely to hear from you, MTM! You do sound busy. But I do know what you mean about the dwindling shopping lists! We are currently down to 3 inhabitants, though going back up to 4 shortly, and if the price of food hadn't shot up we'd be quids in now. But my shopping trolley is usually a whole lot less full than it used to be, when there were 8 of us living here, and I've been able to "retire" some of my bigger casserole dishes & baking tins to the porch, to be taken on by any of the offspring who might feel the need.

Still envying your polytunnel! All I have now at the allotment are celery, leeks, kale, tree cabbages and a few last tomatos & chillis in the greenhouse. It's a tiny plot, quarter-sized by national standards, so they will only eke out what I can buy. But still grateful for that; I also have some perennial kale "hiding" in the garden as an ornamental (with lovely deep green leaves with pinky-purple veins) plus one Cavallo Nero in a bucket that didn't flower & has grown back, and some perennial leeks coming up; it'll be interesting to see how they turn out.

mumtoomany

Still around, still busy! Since we are not having to drive back and forth to England for a few weeks, we've  been catching up with appointments. Both been to opticians, don't need new glasses, but both have the start of a cataract coming in one eye. Both had two hearing tests, have some hearing loss, but not too bad. I've had a filling replaced at the dentist. Each time we have an appointment, this takes around half a day, with travelling. Usually we combine this with a shopping trip. 

Today was no less busy. The snow started after breakfast, but not early enough for the gritters to have been sent out. By 11.30am we had pushed two cars up the road, there is a dip just past ours and if it's slippy, cars get stuck. Then OH and DS-i-L1 cleared enough snow and ice for traffic to get through. At lunch time, the snow plough and gritter came through. Tonight snow is due again! The joys of living in the middle of nowhere.

Will catch up tomorrow on what we've been eating, hugs, mumtoomany.xx

thriftwizard

We had the snow & ice yesterday, whilst I was attempting to move DS3 & the contents of his 2-bed flat 30 miles across the New Forest back to ours for an unspecified time of financial recouping; late salary, rent, bills, council tax & student loan repayments having got the better of him. So I ended up driving a rented electric van - first time I've driven electric - through fairly heavy snow, which we're just not used to down here! (The van did very well; no problems, although the range was reduced by the cold, but we were well within it. And it was really cheap to hire!) I had to go across twice in the end, the second (unanticipated) time in our own car, but the snow had stopped by then.

mumtoomany

Hi, @thriftwizard,  sorry to hear your son is struggling, hopefully he'll get himself straight now he's  back with you. I think there are so many people now with money worries. I was watching an article about food banks on our local news, around one I six families had needed to use them in that area. Frightening really.

Didn't get back on on Thursday, school closures due to snow meant grandchildren were home. We finished the stew I'd made on Wednesday for lunch, then had tuna mayo on jacket potatoes for tea. Yesterday was cheese on toast for lunch. I had planned liver and bacon for tea. Couldn't find the liver, or the bacon in the freezer! But did find three steak and kidney puddings, only one on the inventory, so we had two of those with mash and veg. Mash left will become potato cakes for lunch. I'm planning on curry for tea, I've got a squash I brought in from the tunnel. I can cook and hide it in curry, OH claims to not like it. Also need to do some baking  today. The tin is empty.

Keep warm all, hugs, mumtoomany.xxx

Duchess2

Good afternoon all. Just popping by to wish you seasons joy, however you celebrate. ☃️🎄🥂 Many thanks @mumtoomany for setting up the thread. Hopefully there’ll be more next year. All the best for 2025 and beyond. Enjoy!!!!!

mumtoomany

Thank you, @Duchess2. Hope you also had a good Christmas and happy new year.

This year I am determined to be more accountable, and hopefully not lose track. I have set a budget of £1300 for the year for the two of us, plus any visitors, grandchildren, etc. 

The barn roof repairs, brick barn, that I was saving for are on hold, as storm darragh brought down part of the Dutch barn! Two thirds of the roof had been replaced by OH a few years ago. The other third is now missing. We are going to get a man to fix it this time. OH fell through the roof last time, broke his collar bone and a couple of teeth! Darragh also striped the side off the same barn. We've managed to fix that between us. The house roof needs a bit of tlc. Lost some slates and a tv aerial. 

We were away for Christmas at OH's sisters. Came back with lots of goodies, sweets, cakes, biscuits. Also left over turkey and ham. We've been eating our way through those. Last of the ham will be on pizza tonight. 

We went shopping yesterday, spent around £28. So don't need to go much lower to achieve £25 per week.

Hugs to all, happy new year, mumtoomany.xxx

Elisheba

maddiemay said:

De-lurking - my G Aunt Nell was baptised Ellen, born circa 1900 and was the station master at her nearby little local train station, formidable lady, but great fun.

My great Gran, born about 1909 in N. Ireland was Ellen, but known as Nellie ☺️. I've always been fond of the name Nell.

Duchess2

@mumtoomany sorry to hear about the damage from the storms. Definitely get a man in to the roof. Sounds too risky for your OH. Am in awe of your budget for food. I cater for myself and DH and I feed my DS and his girlfriend a couple of times a week, as they are so busy working. I’m afraid I don’t envisage being able to get anywhere near your figure, but I will do my best to reduce ours to a reasonable level. Hope to do a lot of learning this year!! 

mumtoomany

Thanks, @Duchess2. We will be ringing "roof man" again today. Not the most reliable of people, but reasonably priced and does the work, when he gets here. We also have another tin roof on a barn that needs fixing. That one is only around eight feet from the ground. OH will fix that one, with the help of our neighbour, in a few weeks time. Both these men are past retirement age! 

Tea last night, I made ham and pineapple pizza. Frozen pizza base, 18 for £8, from the cash and carry. They are around 14" across. Used pizza topping from there too, 40p for 2kg tin. Ham from sister in law. Mozzarella also from cash and carry, 20p per ball. We had half of it for tea with potato cakes, made from left over mash. The other half will be lunch. Breakfast today, porridge. 

Speak later, hugs, mumtoomany.xx