Hypno's "bursting with energy" diary.......

doodledo_2

£50 a week sounds doable with some planning for your family.

In reality I could probably do a little less as only me, hubby and a three year old. Am I right in thinking there is 5 of you with your student so £10 each?

I'll join in but say £30

hypno06

Hi YL, missed you sneaking in there! Yes, urgency is the one thing lacking really - my OH is not afraid of long hours, hard work, etc and boy has he worked hard in some really crappy jobs in the past just to top up income/get kids skiing/survive but it is just the feeling that "it'll be ok" which sometimes I want to scream "but what if it isn't......then what!!!!!"

I have brought everyone's attention, (OH and kids) to the petrol consumption and asked everyone to be aware of un-necessary milage or "extras" such as roof bars, weight in the boot, etc to see how much we can reduce it by over the next month - there is also no ski racing in August, so that will automatically have a postive effect.

Oh, and picked up another mystery shop for Monday.....only a diddy one, but still better than nothing!

hypno06

doodledo wrote: »

£50 a week sounds doable with some planning for your family.

In reality I could probably do a little less as only me, hubby and a three year old. Am I right in thinking there is 5 of you with your student so £10 each?

I'll join in but say £30

Yes, 5 of us - so basically £5 per day for us all on food (including tea, coffee, squash etc) making £35 a week on food, and then £15 a week for cat food/litter, washing tabs, shampoo, toothpaste etc (everything else, basically!).

El, If I don't make a list, I end up with all sorts that I think I will use, but that I don't need, and often don't use at all. Making a meal plan really helps - you can deviate from it, of course, but if you know what you are going to cook, you can avoid the extra spending!

Seaxwyn

Thanks Hypno, I can see that meal planning does really help. And yes those lunchbox extras, crisps and jaffa cakes, do add up. Let's go back to making cheese straws and flapjacks.

I went into Morrisons this evening - not where I usually go but I was dropping the DDs and their friends off nearby - and they had lots of good bargains marked down really low. Maybe that's a regular Friday night thing, I must remember that.

On petrol, I presume you know all the petrol-saving tips, eg drive at a steady 42 mph whenever possible, avoid excessive braking and accelerating etc etc. My OH is obsessed with this, and it does feel strange driving with him but it has really cut our consumption noticeably.

Yorkielass

Meal planning is the way to go. For the last year we've gone shopping at the start of the month (either in store or online depending on what suits) and got the non-perishables like pasta, rice, orange juice, squash, washing powder, tomato ketchup, flour etc etc. all that sort of thing that we need/will run out of during the month, using special offers wherever possible. Then each week we do a shop for meat and fruit/veg and any things we've completely forgotten/weren't on offer/are now etc.

I always write a list before shopping (and keep to it very strictly) and meal plan for the weekly 'fresh' shops too and it make such a difference, very little waste, don't need to make decisions when we come home from work and means we get a variety of things.

We need to cut down on what we spend on food and drink though, especially need to get better at taking lunch in every day, especially OH; it's my mission for August so I'll watch your challenge with interest

doodledo_2

Ok I am going for £30 sat to sat for all our food, toilettries and cleaning products I have been meaning to meal plan for ages so this has spurred me on.

Just writing my meal plan in my notebook then Ill sort out a list for the shops tomorrow.

I really must get into the habit of going to our local farm shop as well as its so cheap and lovely fresh produce. Has to be better for all of us.

Keeping_Motivated

I'd like to join in this challenge too if I can... One concern is how do you control your OHs? I mean I am not that bad in keeping the shopping bill down, I do say we spend £50 per week but I don't keep a check on it and if I was really honest with myself I know its more with all the 'extras' I don't keep a track of in the week. So I could make sure I am on target but I know OH would nip tp the shop for little extras and take tonight we have full cupboards and because we are not talking he has just nipped out and bought his tea :mad: He won't see it as a problem coz it was only a couple of pound but he can cook and the food shop only came yesterday!! And its the couple of pounds here and there that tip me over the £50. He isn't too bad usually, he will cook and also he is willing to eat anything and I mean anything but coz we are not speaking I'm 'off' him at the minute and would like to officially blame him for not strcitly sticking to my £50

I will be interesed to read this challenge and I will be working towards the same and keeping to it.

KM x

hypno06

How to keep OH on track with the spending Simple, I don't allow him any money........I rule the purse strings in this house, and generally "give" him money if he needs it - that is the way it has always been, and I am sure some people think it horrific, but tough!!!

I have just done an online shop, for Wednesday evening delivery (payday!) and managed to get everything I need, including delivery, for £51.01 BEFORE the bogofs and discounts have been applied!! I got a code for £6 off from the vouchers board, so this will come in nicely under my budget, and gives me plenty of food for the week, and includes cat food etc.

This has given me a bit of confidence really, I am quite happy with that and am sure with a bit of refining and practice, I can get the bill down a bit more to allow some leeway for the odd "expensive" week.

mizmir

Just catching up hypno - sorry you've been through the mill recently. Am so impressed with the way you manage to bounce back - or at least claw your way back! Just wanted to say I think you are doing amazingly. Am going to pull myself together and get back on track. Good luck with the food budget - a job for tomorrow for me. Take care.

Surfbabe

Morning Hypno - Meal planning sounds a great idea - i try and do it - doesn;t always work though. I do have months though when i refuse to buy anything until all the stuff in cupboards, freezer etc is used up !!! Funnily enough food bill always goes up loads when DS is home from Uni !!!!

Have a good weekend - my sister will be here later with her two children to stay the night before i take them to Heathrow to return to their home in USA. Only seen her for about 24 hours whilst they have been over here, so looking forward to that