From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

EssexHebridean

We have had to increase our grocery budget upwards twice over the past few years Greying - it went from 3175 a month to £200 not long before covid - covid then sent things all over the place as we went from often being out for meals at the weekend and instead being in for all our meals all the time, so we increased substantially as a short term fix at that stage but I'm disregarding that because....pandemic . Then I increased again in probably mid 2021 I think to the £225 a month we are now set at. It's felt like a steep upwards curve, but allowing that we do buy FR eggs and chicken always, and farmers market for most other meat, it's probably still stretching fairly well on the whole. I definitely find the benefit in making savings in the months where I can to ensure that there is a bit extra sitting there for use at various times - I will make use of various offers at Easter and Christmas for example, and the current plan is to ensure some surplus in the account to bolster our holiday spending money when that time rolls around. I'm fortunate - incredibly so - that we have the money to be able to do it, I'm always slightly hesitant in general conversation with folk to make too much reference to that budget as I know full well it could well come across to others that we're playing some sort of "frugal as trendy" game when there are so many others out there who really do have to watch every penny and it's only the making of savings in an already limited budget that can allow them to say yes to other things. It's really brought it back home to me quite how valuable the skill of budgeting is since we've been back with a mortgage again too - having had a number of years of not having those payments to account for! While I think of it - if you have a C0-0p nearby, then their app is well worth keeping an eye on as they reasonably often dish out £1 off your shop coupons - we always use ours against milk as by the time the "member pricing" comes into account it's no more expensive in there than elsewhere anyway, so the £1 off makes a big impact. 

Good work on DH for rescuing that voucher for the book - honestly, you'd think people who received such things would ask whether anyone else might be able to use them rather than just throwing them away wouldn't you!

As for Halloumi, it's something I buy regularly as we both love it, and yes, the £2.15 price is both the cheapest I've seen it for and also doesn't feel particularly "cheap" to me - although I suppose when you tally it up as the protein component of a meal it's not really bad value... That's it I think - there is a difference between "cheap" and "good value" isn't there. One doesn't necessarily = the other these days. 

I can also confirm that LG is a step ahead of either me OR MrEH with the polenta - neither of us can abide the stuff! 

rtandon27

Greying - tbh - I have absolutely no clue about the meno-fog!

I can attest to being able to concentrate a lot better the day after having a bowl of carby pasta - my degree days were science heavy - I still use that uni trick of carb loading when studying for various tests/certifications for work & also the day before giving presentations that have ad hoc q&a at the end!  Helps me to focus and concentrate!  Several years ago now I read a scientific summary of research that was done into carb fueling the brain & my suddenly it all made sense😊

Greying_Pilgrim

I agree EH - I only discuss grocery budget amounts on here.  I discuss 'budget shopping' or bargains with only one other person, regularly, in RL, and they are disposed to operating like that too, although their household circumstances are vastly different to mine and their children have 'grown &  flown', but they were brought up similarly to me, so understand how I'm trying to operate. 

Interestingly today in MrS, the couple in front of us spent over £200 on their 'weekly' shop.  Now there was much banter between them and the till operative - either they knew one another or the shoppers were regular 'Thursday Morning customers'.  Although they were making much of the total being so high, it seems that they had bought what they wanted, and it was affordable to them.  Every household's circumstances are different as are available budgets.  Their particular bill didn't bother me, although i did laugh (inwardly) that the next customer was LG with their 'free' book 😁but even the till operative commented favourably on LG's choice and their manners in presenting the coupon etc - and the fact that it was free.

Personally I think budgeting is a great skill to have, but like many others on here, it's come about because of necessity - and it certainly (as you said) isn't a game when you are having to budget for what you need and there is still more month left at the end of the money.  I remember moving into a bedsit after getting my first FT job (which was a 100 mile daily commute and was poorly paid) after leaving uni.  the money lasted less and less and less time each month 🙁 Horrible feeling standing in kw1ksave with a few coppers in my hand wondering what I could buy that would last over a week and a half 🙁I am greatly appreciative that I am not currently in that position, but there is only so much money that comes into the house, if we spend on one area, there will be cuts to other things - affordability is a finite matter.  

As we settle into this new pattern of living, and don't have to prioritise rent over everything else, I think that inflationary pressures are such that I will have to revisit the grocery budget.  I was going to try to 'suck it and see', for as long as I could, but realistically, in addition to rising prices generally, I provide LG with a pack up lunch now.  If I opted for them to have school meals, I would be paying out something like £12.50 (I think the price has/is gone/going up) a week in term time anyway.  I haven't factored any of that into an already squeaky grocery budget.  Although in addition, I was trying to wait and see how packed lunches would pan out, as I know there are certain 'rules' about what can/can't be in a packed lunch, and I'll freely admit to erring rather more heavily on 'bought' rather than HM to try to get the lie of the land a bit.  Now I 'sort of' know what peers are bringing in, I could relax a bit more and put more HM into each lunch.

Greying X  

redofromstart

Just wanted to say thank you, again, for prompting me to look at what I buy and why. I've got a pot of pasta sauce gently bubbling on the hob for pasta sauce and pizza over the next week. I'll just casually mention that the co-op do a (tasty) cheese and sun dried tomato one for £6.50.  £10 with a bottle of Prosecco currently. That's a lot of money for what it is but it feels like a convenient bargain.

I must drop into Lidl for veg seeds and pineapple, but only if I am passing. the cost of the fuel outstrips any saving otherwise, but I want to make the fruit and pineapple cake again.

greenbee

I like halloumi but use very little, chop it finely and scatter it over the top of dishes I'm doing in the oven as I like it crispy I currently have no hob, so the oven gets a fair amount of use if I can't use the MW or SC.

Having said that GP, while your meals may be frugal of necessity they sound delicious and adventurous. I'm happy to drop in after work every day and be fed... I love pulses, spices, vegetables, and someone else doing the cooking (and thinking). 

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening MFW'rs

redo - the MrL pineapple (chunks and slices) is a national offer - but whilst it has been on for a while, I have in my mind that it was time limited 🤔 or perhaps until stock runs out - every store seems to have had c.a.s.e.s. of the stuff 😮 but certainly stocks in our nearest (large) store had depleted fastest in the past couple of weeks.  I think convenient bargains are always useful to know about 😁Thank you 😁

So tea was a quick and easy curry plate.  Lentil dhal from scratch (no leftovers tonight), and ramja masala from the freezer, then YS'd wholemeal soft pitas to accompany.  Tinned fruit salad and greek yoghurt for pud.

I forgot to add earlier that I spotted in MrS today that among their bagged pulses in the World Foods section - they did have 1kg bags of green (didn't see any brown), lentils which were available to Nect*r card holders for £2.  Obvs this is 12p cheaper than I paid in MrM - and a saving is a saving, but the brand was Laila - versus 1ndus.  I have certainly been happy with 1ndus brand.

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

LG writing a thank you note - increasingly less supervision required 😉
a nice walk to the post box - we saw the blackbird with the white patches again 😁
for a free book - LG managed to get the one they wanted 😁

Ta for popping by, reading and joining in - even though I have yet to conjure up THE way to save money (reverse mortgage) for these pesky windows 🙁

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

greenbee said:

Having said that GP, while your meals may be frugal of necessity they sound delicious and adventurous. I'm happy to drop in after work every day and be fed... I love pulses, spices, vegetables, and someone else doing the cooking (and thinking). 

Ha ha - greenbee - you know you'd be welcome love. But what's the betting you'd pick the day I'd had an ideas drought and nipped over the fence to the co-op to pick up a cheese & sun-dried pizza and a bottle of prosecco 🤣

Greying X

redofromstart

I'd point out that it is self proclaimed 'irresistible' pizza and Prosecco. The eldest came back to say the pasta sauce was spot on, and there are three more portions left so good result here. 

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

redo - that sounds like a win for HM pasta sauce there!  Bravo 👏

So I've the first wash of the day on, and I hope to get 1 more on and out on the line before 9am.  i'm hopeful to get DH's work clothes washed and (mostly) dried tomorrow too, and then I would have caught up..... 🙄  Until Monday when it all starts over again.....

I'm going to have a bash at a bolognese gnocchi bake for tea.  I'm inspired by the one in this book, but on the accompanying website the recipe is for one with different ingredients (that I'm not using), so I can't link the recipe unfortunately.  However, I'm taking it for inspo, and will make a lentil bolognese with gnocchi in the slow cooker and then finish it off under the grill to melt the mozarella....... I think.  What could possibly go wrong? 🤔  It would pay me to follow redo's lead and make a batch of tommie sauce for pasta/pizza today too.

We've got to go shopping for some items for LG today, as they need some new swimwear 🙄 

Can't think of owt else MSE, so I shall shove 'orf.

Ta for popping in.  Appreciated.  Always.

Greying X

edinburgher

I can't quite wrap my head around people spending £200 or thereabouts on groceries!!! I think to myself "right, so that basically means being a vegetarian" but then canny folk like EH mention free range chicken and eggs 🤔