£365 a year challenge

PasturesNew · 3 January 2018 at 11:17PM

Food on £1/day's easy .... but make sure you don't run out of loo roll

Be aware of headliners.... read between the lines. Most of those who write books about what they did are hiding something .... like living in large cities and having access to free food sources, or people that do things for free for them. Or they had access to networks where they could "swap" existing goods for other goods, or similar. I looked into a few of them once, to see if there was any "truth" in them - whether what they did could be replicated by "anybody" and they couldn't. One, headlining as a "no spend year" actually set herself a "£30/week budget for bills and food" .. AND had a live in bf for company etc. So her "no spend" was all about "other unnecessary stuff" that many don't spend in the first place!

The one in another city was a lodger in somebody else's house, so her rent included a lot of "extras" probably. In that city there were also free lectures she went to, that gave a free buffet afterwards!! She'd also get free food at art gallery openings, book launches etc - not "normal people's lifestyle" or accessible to the majority. She also volunteered at an organic farm, so probably had access to a "help yourself" bin for volunteers.

I don't have access to YS without having to spend £2/day getting to the shops that "might" have something ... which then doesn't make sense to even try

Good luck trying!

Mrs_Salad_Dodger · 4 January 2018 at 2:35AM

Ma-ri-ella,

Oo, sounds hard. Good luck & sending positive vibes for your success.

Mrs SD&#55357;&#56841;

ma-ri-ella · 4 January 2018 at 2:40PM

Thanks for all the tips. I think the biggest problem is recipes etc are quite frequently for 2 or more people. Once i get into more homemade food i can sense that I'm going to be eating quite a lot of the same food!!
No spend days seem to be going well with only £1.09 spent so far. I might need milk but holding out as a few supermarkets have this reduced quite frequently. I have a list of essentials that i will need to buy soon but will last awhile once bought

asda shop
stock cubes
sp white flour

morrisons
ktc lentils 3.74
canned tom 30p per tin
ktc veg oil - 4.50
red kidney beans
chickpeas

This is a shopping plan for later in the month. If i can get reduced salads, veg - anything healthy that's fine but if not it is to give me a few healthier options than tinned food. I gave up ready meals,most takeaways a few months back and am over a stone lighter for it

PasturesNew · 4 January 2018 at 2:42PM

Don't forget - beans on toast is "healthy" and only costs 12p

Ginmonster · 4 January 2018 at 3:16PM

Dried milk might be worth trying. It's not as nice as fresh but it's loads cheaper, keeps for ages and you can make it up in the quantities you actually use so there's no waste. It might free up some pennies for fruit and veg.

jackel · 4 January 2018 at 4:21PM

Hi. This challenge is just up my street. I have been having difficulties when trying to log on - long time since I posted so fingers crossed I can join in.

jackel · 4 January 2018 at 4:24PM

Hi again I made it looking forward to joining in if that's ok.

166million · 4 January 2018 at 4:49PM

Hmmm.
Sounds like a great idea,I was just thinking I couldn't do it for xyz reasons
Then I thought...maybe!
Will watch with interest...Good Luck

ma-ri-ella · 5 January 2018 at 12:39PM

18p spend yesterday on 2x4 pints milk dated until the 12/1/18. Not a moment to spare as was on the last few cups of teas worth :P so up to £1.27 . I have a few of those dried pasta sauce mixes that need milk so will make a few up on my day off and they will do for work lunches.

Although not including things bought before 2018 in challenge ive been doing the maths on what i did pay for the food etc and my daily totals have all been under the £1mark anyway

breakfast- toast and egg, porridge , value Weetabix

lunch - been lucky with yellow stickers so like 5p sausage rolls, 10p pasta pot

tea- yellow stickers salad bowls ,tinned soup - most expensive thing at 45p

Prices - i would say every day has been under the £1. Need to start doing the rounds of more places though . They are all in reasonable walking distance -- not from each other just individually from where i live .
Also need to take the next step and work out things like teabags,coffee costs

Diet - i don't think its that bad. I'm getting quite a lot of salad and veg in.

Must resist offers leaflets that came through door!! not a bargain if i don't actually need it!! I do need a measuring jug and kitchen scales though. Must have lost them when i moved house

166million · 5 January 2018 at 12:41PM

ma-ri-ella wrote: »

18p spend yesterday on 2x4 pints milk dated until the 12/1/18. Not a moment to spare as was on the last few cups of teas worth :P so up to £1.27 . I have a few of those dried pasta sauce mixes that need milk so will make a few up on my day off and they will do for work lunches.

Although not including things bought before 2018 in challenge ive been doing the maths on what i did pay for the food etc and my daily totals have all been under the £1mark anyway

breakfast- toast and egg, porridge , value Weetabix

lunch - been lucky with yellow stickers so like 5p sausage rolls, 10p pasta pot

tea- yellow stickers salad bowls ,tinned soup - most expensive thing at 45p

Prices - i would say every day has been under the £1. Need to start doing the rounds of more places though . They are all in reasonable walking distance -- not from each other just individually from where i live .
Also need to take the next step and work out things like teabags,coffee costs

Diet - i don't think its that bad. I'm getting quite a lot of salad and veg in.

Must resist offers leaflets that came through door!! not a bargain if i don't actually need it!! I do need a measuring jug and kitchen scales though. Must have lost them when i moved house

Well done.
It might be a long shot but try freecycle or similar maybe for the jug and scales?
I normally allow myself £50 a month for my spending but am thinking of changing that to £1 per day- except I've already gone over that this month. I suppose I paid for some birthday presents which are normally included in a different allowance.

What things do you actually include in the £1. ?

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£365 a year challenge

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