Escape to the country & living off savings

doingitanyway

Skint_yet_Again said:

Thanks thriftylynny 😊 Enjoy your grandparent duties. 

Budget for July 

Phone sim-only £10

Tv licence 15.00    

Water 13

Council tax £102

Union £2.24

Gas & Electric £100.25

(Bill £60.25      pot £40   )

Annual bills £100

Birthdays / Xmas £50

Car pot £50

Petrol £40

Entertainment £100

Food £160

Aquafit £32.50

Income £833

Outgoing £774.99

Remaining £833-775 = £58

Just noticing, you do so well on food, as you eat lovely meals 
Well done with the budget.

Skint_yet_Again

Thanks dia it’s usually £40 a week & if it’s a 5 week month I have a bit extra left in my budget to cover any extras. I get most of my shopping in aldee including fruit & veg & salad, meat cheese milk cream & butter, peach squash (no added sugar) cans of cola (sugar free) decaf tea bags, hot chocolate, occasional sauce eg curry & jars of dried herbs / spices, tins of kidney beans, tomatoes, chickpeas, tins of fish (tuna/ mackerel), tins of fruit (peaches or pineapple in juice which I wash off) mini wheat cereal, low carb no added sugar bread. Also includes cleaning products, clothes liquid, loo rolls, shower gel, shampoo. 

I mostly buy chicken and bulk meals out with beans, chickpeas, veg (broccoli and cauli) and butternut squash. 

(2 weeks until next hba1c test due)

The sun finally made an appearance at 7.30pm tonight so I have been for a 30 minute walk. The wind is building up & it’s meant to be quite blowy tomorrow. 

doingitanyway

I actually prefer that way of eating as I enjoy pulses, veggies and beans 
The discount supermarkets make such a difference budget wise.

Hope you enjoyed your walk

SuzeQStan

Hey SYA - thanks for posting your budget and your food shop.  I got some wonderful frozen pineapple and strawberries from aldee this weekend - not sure if it works out cheaper than tinned tho but just thought to mention as you wash the juice off the tinned fruit xx

Skint_yet_Again

Thanks dia & SQS 😊

Have been to vote then onwards to aldee. This week shopping £39.07. Just bought strawberries and pears this week and I still have 2 apples in the fridge. Will look at frozen fruit next time thanks for the recommendation SQS. 

Then called at the post office to buy and send a card for nieces partner. He is 40 on Monday. Paid with cash left in my purse £2.70 including 1st class stamp 

Meals will be 
chicken stew x 3
chilli belly pork & watercress salad 
chilli belly pork & stir fry 
Cajun chicken & roasted veg
Chicken, butternut squash, broccoli cauli cheese & gravy

lunches 
tuna & cheese salad x2
butternut squash soup x 3
chicken soup (tin) - today 
cheese omelette 

Did a bit of weeding this morning. Bin day tomorrow & washing hung out. It’s very blowy out there so I put extra pegs on 😆

SuzeQStan

defo windy today SYA! Keep expecting to see the gazebo flying past the window 🤣.  Don’t get blown away working in the garden you!!

Meals sound lovely! I need to take a leaf out your book and start meal planning. Then there’s no need to do any top up shops - my downfall ever since going back to shopping in person.  

Tomorrow our work CDs are taking us to town for a meal- hoping the weather calms a bit or I’m gonna have to wear one of those rain bonnets ☔️💧🌧️🌂😳😓

Skint_yet_Again

Enjoy your lunch out SQS 😊 Lol to picture in my mind of what you may look like in a rain bonnet 😂

The wind has dropped today and the sun is shining ☀️ I’m out to lunch with my friend today after aquafit this morning. Should be a nice day. 

Tomorrow I am going to weed & sweep my drive-on parking at the front of the house. There is space for 2 cars and it’s herringbone brick. There is a long handled scraper tool thingy in my shed that the previous owners left behind which I think will do the job between the bricks. DF sprayed the few weeds a couple of weeks ago and they are now dead. I will also sweep down the side of my house which is a bit of a wind tunnel & if I have the energy I will wash the side window & door which are very dusty. 

Then next week I am going to price up some fence panels for the front. It’s only 3 panels between me & the extension building neighbours. They are now putting in their kitchen so lots of drilling going on but hopefully finished soon! 

Skint_yet_Again

Had a lovely lunch. Have just been looking at my Interest for june

Various pots £2.48 (1.74%)

Regular saver £19.48 (6%) £4401.95
Savings builder £16.85 (2.67%) £7346.26
Plus interest payable on maturity on 
2 year bond matures feb 25 (4.75%)
1 year bond matures feb 25 (5.11%)

Remaining equity not including the rest of this years money (to March 2025) £70k. I will not be charged tax on my interest as I have no income/ all my tax free personal allowance 🤞 unless the new govt changes taxes before March 😳

Time2count

Hi SYA quick question about the cheap sugar free coke. Does it taste like diet coke or pepsi max? I'm a sucker for pepsi max but don't like diet coke. Am going to that shop in the morning so I might purchase. Thanks

Skint_yet_Again

It takes v similar to p max. It’s aldee vive zx cola, blue box with red writing. 6 cans in a box £1.65. Hope you like it.