Budgeting/food advice please :)

WelshWanderer · 15 October 2016 at 8:10PM

Hello lovely OldStylers,

I'm in a bit of a quandary at the moment. I've recently moved into my own place after escaping a very abusive and controlling relationship. To the point that managing on my own is a complete revelation! I'd had no say in financial matters so even getting my name on the bills has been a huge achievement. I'm enjoying being at peace but I seriously need to learn how to budget! There have been a lot of outgoings this month and I've unexpectedly been left with £40 in my bank account. I get paid in two weeks so I'm hoping it'll be enough to last until then. I still need to be very sensible as it's been too easy to overspend recently!

I did spend quite a bit on staples at Lidl so I have:

Beans
Cheese
Potatoes
Carrots
Peppers
Stock cubes
Spaghetti
Pasta
Tomato pur!e
Tea/coffee
Bread
Wraps
Fajita seasoning mix (25p a pack from Lidl, seems better than buying too many spices at this point. Ok I admit it - I'm a lazy git :rotfl:)
Bananas
Biscuits
Cereal

I'm vegetarian so I won't need to buy meat. I'm also allergic to fish and eggs so there's some more saving there!

oh and I'm teetotal.. that should help, right? If anyone can suggest meal ideas (preferable super easy as I struggle with PTSD, depression and anxiety and every task is horribly difficult) I'd be so very grateful. :A

I'm on a water, leccy and gas meter.

I'm finding it all so confusing. I need the heating on a couple of hours a day or my joints flare up. I don't know where to start saving. I'm trying not to feel too overwhelmed with everything so please lend me your words of support. :A

Thank you in advance.

PasturesNew · 15 October 2016 at 8:56PM

Your shopping list is very similar to the stuff I shuffle in and randomly grab

I also gravitate towards their 15 eggs for £1

Lots of options there.

Beans on toast. Cheese/beans on toast. Cheese on toast.
Baked potato (microwave is quickest/easiest) topped with beans, or cheese, or cheese & beans.
Cheese & potato pie: cook/mash the spuds, mix in a fistful of cheese (cut small/grated) - serve as cheesy mash with beans, or stick it in a dish and shove in the oven/under the grill to brown for 15 minutes or so before serving with beans.

There's not a lot really to say about the rest of what you've got - you can just lob random items into a pot and call it dinner.....

Not much there to stick in the wraps though .... so those and the spaghetti will sit, untouched, in the cupboard as you stare at them and think "that wasn't a good choice really, but they're handy to have in the cupboard".

You probably could do with building up some "wrap filling ideas that keep for ages in the cupboard, are cheap and are tasty". What you stick in them will depend on what you like to eat though, they can be funny things to try to fill at times.

pinkypig · 15 October 2016 at 9:10PM

You could try tortilla pizzas using your wraps. Spread with tomato pur!e and grated cheese ( and any other bits you like as toppings) and grill. Be careful though, they cook quick and are easy to burn:)
Congratulations on your new found independence and the very best of luck for the future.
PP x

Larumbelle · 15 October 2016 at 10:24PM

Hello WelshWanderer

As someone who has been in a similar situation, I just wanted to give you a big virtual hug and well done! :grouphug: I was 17 when my own abusive relationship started, and in my early 30s when I finally got out. The only way I could really describe it was like living one of those movies where the character goes to bed a teenager and wakes up an adult with a job and home and life but a big gap where all of the 'adulting' skills should be. Unless you have been in that situation it is hard to understand how scary it is, or what an achievement it feels like to have all the bills in your own name and control over your finances (even if there is no finances to speak of and everything that comes in goes straight back out again LOL). The good news is that you pick up most of those 'adulting' skills quite quickly!

Are you getting any practical support? I struggled along without any for a long time convincing myself that I didn't need it, but now I have some I realise that I should have sought some out, it has made a huge difference to me.

Congratulations on getting your freedom, I am so pleased for you! It does get easier, remember to be kind to yourself

and please PM me if you ever want to chat xxxx

pollyanna_26 · 15 October 2016 at 11:00PM

Welcome to WW . Well done on escaping a toxic relationship , I escaped a violent and mentally abusive marriage years ago and can tell you the only way is up now !
You might like to consider some pulses and beans in your shopping , lentils are cheap and excellent for veggie diet . You don't have much in the way of protein there and as you don't eat eggs you need to make sure your diet contains balanced ingredients .
I am sure tomorrow you will be given more advice . As you struggle healthwise you may like to also join us over on the os and poor health thread . I still haven't mastered posting links - still shocked I managed to start a thread ! I see Larumbelle has replied to you and she's over there with us and has yummy ideas for food and a lot of positive ways of coping .
polly x

Ladyluck1 · 16 October 2016 at 8:57AM

Id buy some kidney beans and make bean fajitas with the peppers, tom pur!e, beans and some fajita seasoning.
You could make a big batch of the fajita bean mix up and freeze some or have leftovers for lunch.

Cheese and potato bake with beans.

Would buy onions/leeks and broccoli and make a big batch of veggie soup.

newgirly · 16 October 2016 at 9:40AM

Do you have a slow cooker? It saves standing over the hob and you can prepare stuff when is easiest for you and switch it on later or even the next day. I bought one recently in Asda for £7, it might be something to think about for the future, it uses a lot less energy and is time saving. I do bean curries/chillis as I'm veggie too, I love it. Anyway best of luck fo he future

suki1964 · 16 October 2016 at 9:41AM

First off, well done for getting yourself in a safe place.

Take some time to heal, don't be too hard on yourself. Budgeting is a skill that needs to be learned and that takes time and experience

Keeping a roof over your head is priority. Food then heating. Then everything else.

I too get painful joints when I get cold but I live in a huge house which I really can't justify heating all day with just me indoors so I layer up with the clothes and use lap blankets. I've even put on fingerless gloves if I'm sat just reading. I have the heating on for an hour in the morning so the bathrooms and kitchen are warm, then a couple of hours in the evening, going off around 9pm No need to heat during the night when snuggled in bed

Food is fuel and will help you keep warm. I'm hopeless with veggi suggestions, my go to are curries and dhalls - cheap and cheerful and making a big pot in one go, it's easy reheated

I'm also a fan of HM soup.

Going back to your budget. Get a wee notebook, write down your income per month then under that deduct your rent, rates, gas, elec, water. Whatever is left is what you have to play around with, fares, food, phone, tv, entertainment, toiletries, clothes, holidays, gifts, haircuts, insurances and savings.

As long as you don't spend more then what's coming in you are doing ok. Keeping to that is the hard part,,that's where time and experience comes in

So this month you have had a shock at finding you only have £40 to get to the end of the month, we have all been there, but already you have realised you can't spend so much next month, already you are budgeting

Good luck , keep posting, ask for all the help you need xx

t14cy_t · 16 October 2016 at 10:10AM

well done ww!! i had similar relationship, but have come out of the fog, so to speak!!! agree with all the other posters here. you have come to the right help for both practical and emotional support. onward and upward. look forward to your postings. xxx

pollyanna_26 · 16 October 2016 at 11:01AM

WW Lots of good advise already . One thing I noticed is you don't have any tinned tomatoes on that list . They are so useful in veggie soups , stews etc .
It would help if you could describe what cooking and food storage facilities you have . As already mentioned batch cooking is one of the best ways to reduce energy use both financially and physical . Having access to some freezer space helps have something to hand when you are in pain . The slow cooker is the os answer to the world , the universe and everything !!!
I am another who keeps track of the bills the paper and pen way . I use a spiral A4 pad with a page for each month . Once you have done it for a while it becomes second nature . As said already the money you owe is priority and then the rest can be worked with .
Across os there are many threads on eating well on very little money .
There used to be a sticky at the top of the os board - Squeaky's os index and I've just realised it isn't there now . Maybe ZIPPY or someone can point us in the right direction . I was thinking of Ginghams long running vegetarian thread .
Anyway lots online and student recipes can be good as they tend to be very frugal and speedy .
polly

Mohawk_3 · 16 October 2016 at 12:14PM

Well done, Welshwanderer. You've done the hard bit.

If I understand you correctly, there are two parts to your query. One is general budget advice, and the other is a request for tips to help you through the next fortnight on £40 plus what you've already bought from Lidl. When you say you are on the gas, water and leccy meters, does that mean the gas and electricity are pre-paid? If so, you need to put some money aside to make sure you don't run out of that before pay day.

Assuming no other big costs, you've got enough to see you through a fortnight, even if you might have to eat a little bit like a student until pay day.

My tip would be to buy some red lentils and make a big batch of lentil soup. It doesn't take that long to cook, so doesn't use much fuel, and you can store that for a few days in the fridge, and reheat what you need to have with bread, and you've got one substantial, cheap, veggie meal that is perfect for this time of year and also a decent source of protein for a veggie. You'll find recipes for it on here, and you already have most of the ingredients!

As you are starting from scratch, your big challenge might be having the right container to store it in, but maybe a friend, neighbour or colleague can donate an old ice-cream tub?

In the longer-term, you are right that being a veggie will reduce your meat costs, but please make sure you don't stint too much on protein. You can fill yourself up with starchy foods in the short-term, but protein gives longer lasting energy, which may be particularly vital if you have other health problems.

I second the suggestion of investing in a slow cooker once your finances allow. It will allow you to do the cooking at a time that suits you, with meals becoming ready when you need them. They aren't just for stews, but great for lentil and pulses.

If you have a freezer, I suggest getting some frozen spinach, which is a convenient, and economical way to add flavour and nutrition to a tomato sauce or soup. The fresh stuff is nice in salads, but a waste of money and effort the rest of the time.

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Budgeting/food advice please :)

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