Everything changes

itsthelittlethings

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81952661#Comment_81952661

I don’t have any pets, I would love a pet but I have no outside space and I also think it’s not a good idea to get a pet when I’m struggling financially due to vet’s bills.

itsthelittlethings

Ok I am not sure about this. I just went back over my bank statements and in the calendar month of March I seem to have spent £160 on food, not including coffee.

Emmia

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81952756#Comment_81952756

It would probably help you to go through your statements in detail, as you need to work out where your money is going. This will help identify where you're overspending and could make savings. The result might be shocking.

You only spent £160 on food in March - is that usual? What about January, February... What about wool or craft items?

J63320

You are already telling us a lot about what you are spending - are you writing it down? Then you wouldn’t have to be checking statements to see what you spent on various things.

I’ve always written everything down as I spent it, and then reconciled it with my statements when they came in. This started back when OH and I didn’t have much, and there were no apps or online banking, so we didn’t know our balance unless we asked at an ATM. No home computers either - we used a notebook.

Now I’m a widow, and more comfortable (that’s not cause and effect, btw!), but I still record spending, using a spreadsheet, which makes it easy to categorise. The direct debits are in a separate list so I can copy them in before they are paid, and then I know how much will be left for other spending. I’d never be happy if I had to wait for a statement to see where my money had gone.

beanielou

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81952755#Comment_81952755

The point I was making that £400 for food is very high.

itsthelittlethings

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81953011#Comment_81953011

I think it’s probably more like £350 including coffee. Which is on the high side yes. I think I can get it down to £300 by cutting the coffee almost completely out.

How do I get it down further? A typical day would be yoghurt with blueberries and granola, seeds, maybe some desiccated coconut for breakfast. Bagel and Hoummus for lunch. Maybe oatcakes for a snack. Maybe a salad like a rice salad with loads of stuff in that I portion over four days. Then say (to pick at random), fresh tagliatelle with puttanesca sauce for dinner.

I just can’t work out what is so expensive. If I’m spending £300 that is £10 a day which sounds right for that actually. But there are some fairly official stats saying that the average person spends £45 a week which is £7 a day on food including takeaways and eating out. I think there is a slight MSE forum myth that you can eat healthily on £45 a week and unless you are a home economist, use community fridges or both I am a little dubious about that one.

Food and drink out could definitely go down. I’m not even going to post my figure but it’s high and as I don’t have many friends I do a lot of it alone.

Need to finish my figures. Can I post them here for accountability. I don’t mind if you have a big go at me. I expect a few people will use the word ridiculous about food and drink out.

PollyWollyDoodle

are you buying prepared salad and vegetables? Making the puttanesca sauce from scratch or buying readymade?
Without a detailed breakdown it’s hard to know, but I spend around £150 a month on groceries and eat very well.
I don’t eat a lot of meat, and I wonder if that’s an area that’s costing you a lot. I’m not vegetarian, but probably only eat meat a couple of times a week. This is mainly because it’s easier as a single person, it’s quite hard to buy meat in small portions. I do eat a lot of fish, mostly frozen.
Are you using your freezer to full effect? Frozen vegetables can be much more economical than fresh and are just as good. Are you buying a lot of branded goods? I rarely buy anything without checking the price per kg on the shelf label, it can make quite a difference and own-brand products are often just as good. (I have some non-negotiables like tea, loo roll and baked beans)

Without knowing more about how you cook and eat, it’s difficult to say, I can only say what I do. I love food and think it should be a joyful experience but that can be done on less than you’re spending. And yes, if it includes coffee out then that’s an area you can cut back on. Get a decent cup or flask and make your own.

Emmia

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81955516#Comment_81955516

Based on those examples:

Fresh blueberries are usually pricier than frozen (provided you have the freezer space) you could use dried tagliatelle rather than fresh... Are you making the sauce from a jar, or yourself? Frozen veg often has more nutrients than fresh, as it's usually frozen very quickly after picking.

What"s the "loads of stuff" that goes into the rice salad? What type of rice do you use? That can push the costs up...