sammy_kaye's £100 a month food budgetting

EssexHebridean

Maybe make an inventory of the stuff in your cupboards (not just kitchen - bathroom cabinets can be an astonishing treasure trove in my view!) and then work yourself out meal plans based on stuff you have, not stuff you need to go out and buy? Make a strict shoppoing list before you hit Mr T's and don't buy anything that's not on it. If you know you won't be able to stick with the list then considering ordering online - if you go for an unpopular delivery time slot you can get delivery quite cheaply and it might prove to be more cost effective than going to the store and buying stuff you don;t need!

nannaC

Set yourself a realistic target, then when achieved at the end of the month treat yourself to a small reward, MSE style perhaps an afternoon in the garden/park wirh an icecream/tea biscuits, or a leisurely bubble bath [Smart Price bubble bath of course]

sammy_kaye18

thanks tap lady - will be gettign onto that spedning diary soon.

Hopign to start properly again next month after i have boyfriends birthday and fathers day out of the way so will be keeping a strict eye on it then - am really not happy wiht myself :mad: but next month if i have £235 left over after teh bills are all gone I will be trying to keep £200 of it aside and have the £35 for any otehr bits that are needed. Then hopefully that £200 will go towards debts and once the smaller debt is gone it will go towards keepign my son entertaineed in the summer holidays

Magentasue

The quickest way to cut my food spending is to use cash only. At the moment money isn't too tight so I use my card and am ashamed to say that sometimes I tap in my PIN without even registering the amount asked for. I snap up bargains like 10p loaves for the freezer but if I buy things 'less reduced', I knock something off the list.

I suppose this is contradictory but I find having cash in my purse (rather than taking it out for food shopping) is fatal. My kids have given up asking if they can have a pound for this or two quid for that because they know I never have cash (they haven't found my parking and emergency money in the car). My two eldest are working now and the younger ones know they're a soft touch so, even better now!

mineallmine

On the TV programme 'Spendaholics' they usually ask said person to go on cold turkey for a week. So if you think you are spending say £50 a week on just 'stuff', then set yourself a target of only spending £15 (taped up in a bag like you say).

Clearly you still have your money allocated for food but this say £15 is 'your' spending money.

I've done this a couple of times when I seem to be spending out of control.

The stock-take of what you have in the cupboards/freezer etc is a great idea too. If you have weird combinations of products left, put a thread on here asking for help. For instance if you have say a tin of custard and a packet of jelly, you're on your way to a home made trifle. Perhaps you have some frozen veg leftover - if you buy either some bacon or a cheap cut of lamb (eg neck) and you could do a soup/stew type thing.

Also start researching cheap/free activities you can do with your son in the holidays. Maybe start a thread on that one (if there isn't already).

Finally, best of luck and keep focused.

HariboJunkie

Hi Sammy. I'm sorry you're feeling like you've slipped off the wagon but surely you could find no better inspiration than your own thread where you inspired many others to get by on so little.

Good luck

Haribo

rosieben

HariboJunkie wrote: »

Hi Sammy. I'm sorry you're feeling like you've slipped off the wagon but surely you could find no better inspiration than your own thread where you inspired many others to get by on so little.

Good luck

Haribo

What she said!

You'll do it Sammy, start planning some nice treats for the summer holiday!

dorry_2

ahhh sammy--- its just a matter of getting organised again, you know what to do hun :money: :money:

Pink.

Hi sammy,

I've added your post to your recent thread because as others have said you inspired them so it may be worth reading back over your old posts.

For tips on how others managed to get back on the wagon this thread may help:

Oops! I've fallen off the OS wagon.....

Also if feel you are spending beyond your means it might be worth having a look at Martin's Budget Planner to see exactly where your money is going.

Good luck with getting back on track.

Pink

zarazara

Thankyou so much OP for this thread. its truely great.