£67,031.92 is a frightening number indeed....

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  • Have just done the menu plan and my supermarket price comparison, and this week's food shop (only up to and including Friday's dinner, as we'll be doing shared food thereafter, but including a bit of booze and some food for the holiday) will cost around £60. I think inevitably the last week of the month while we're on holiday won't be the cheapest in the world, as the benefits of sharing the cooking will be offset by more booze/meat, but hopefully it won't be too shameful a month this month.

    The menu plan for this week is as follows:

    breakfasts
    porridge
    french toast
    yoghurt and fruit

    lunches
    leftovers
    veg and houmous
    green vegetable quiche

    evening meals
    sweet potato soup with brown rice and lentils
    dal and rice
    mackerel puttanesca
    omelettes (and peach cobbler for pudding)
    batch cooked macaroni cheese once we arrive at holiday destination

    snacks
    homemade flapjacks (already made, in freezer)
    homemade ginger cake
    fruit (picked from my parents')

    household
    toilet roll
    vitamins/food supplements (these help manage minor health issues of mine and one DC, will get them from the health food shop tomorrow, but this has reminded me to look online for cheaper options)

    Rough category breakdown:

    Total stands at c.£61 (hard to be sure as mysupermaket isn't great at lidl/aldi baskets)
    £12 on lunch and dinner (so many leftovers!)
    £8 on snacks/treats/puddings (including fruit)
    £10 on breakfast (includes some milk and yoghurt to take on holiday)
    £8 on baking ingredients (some of the butter counted here gets used for toast etc as well)
    £10 on booze (wine and beer to take on holiday)
    £13 on household stuff (including vitamins/food supplements)

    Doing this every week this month has been a complete education, even though I felt I was managing our food budget as well as I could. Basically our weekly food shop isn't the culprit, it's DH's top ups/lunches at work (very rare, but pricey when he gets them), food supplements/vitamins and my propensity for buying nice juice/herbal tea from the nice health shop in town (also rare but expensive). Easy to limit (if not eliminate) DH's top up and work lunches, and my herbal tea addiction (Aldi's lemon and ginger probably won't kill me :rotfl: ), which means that as long as we budget in the food supplements we should be a lot closer to a sensible budget in September.
    Trying to figure out a whole new life. Trying to figure out a whole new budget.
    Divorcing, unclear on final debt total right now, but focusing on building a financial buffer zone.
  • It's an interesting exercise, and I'm going to do the same thing in September - you've inspired me! So do you think that if you eliminate the work lunches/fancy juices, but continue to buy the supplements and things, you can get it down to £300? Because every time you've posted a week's worth it's been £75 or less. But that's a big drop from your £500-on-a-good-month, are you really spending £200/month on lunches and juice, or is there something else you haven't ferreted out yet?
    MFW diary here. 1 Feb 2017 $229,371 - MFD Feb 2043 :eek: aiming for May 2028
    14 August 2017 - Refinanced: $220,000
    January 2019 $211,580 Current MFD 31 June 2036
  • Thanks for posting your menu plan, it's helping me out tonight. Need to get it all sorted to go out first thing in the morning.
    Outstanding mortgage: £23,181 (December 19)
    MFW 2020 Challenge Member #10 0/£2318
  • Food shopping done, comments in red...

    Total stands at c.£61 (hard to be sure as mysupermaket isn't great at lidl/aldi baskets)
    Came in at £55.61 but haven't got the supplements yet, so it will be over budget by about £10. BUT they had bread flour, spelt flour and rye flour, which my Aldi doesn't usually have so I normally get in sainsburys at a higher price, so I stocked up on six bags! And I'd failed to plan a meal.

    £12 on lunch and dinner (so many leftovers!)
    £15 spent. I realised I hadn't planned for lunch on Friday while we're driving so bought leeks and potatoes to make pasties, plus some cheese and chorizo slices.

    £8 on snacks/treats/puddings (including fruit)
    £9.84. Gave into the lure of blueberries :o

    £10 on breakfast (includes some milk and yoghurt to take on holiday)
    £9.51

    £8 on baking ingredients (some of the butter counted here gets used for toast etc as well)
    £9.72 (would have come in a couple of quid under if it weren't for all the flour)

    £10 on booze (wine and beer to take on holiday)
    £8.57

    £13 on household stuff (including vitamins/food supplements)
    £2.99 - need to buy supplements tomorrow

    I'm hoping that next month I'll see the benefit of that slight overspend on baking ingredients, as I won't need to buy the more expensive flours. Only a couple of quid difference, but every little helps.
    Trying to figure out a whole new life. Trying to figure out a whole new budget.
    Divorcing, unclear on final debt total right now, but focusing on building a financial buffer zone.
  • It's an interesting exercise, and I'm going to do the same thing in September - you've inspired me! So do you think that if you eliminate the work lunches/fancy juices, but continue to buy the supplements and things, you can get it down to £300? Because every time you've posted a week's worth it's been £75 or less. But that's a big drop from your £500-on-a-good-month, are you really spending £200/month on lunches and juice, or is there something else you haven't ferreted out yet?
    Maybe not £300 immediately, but I really think we can come in well under £400. Some of the savings this month have been things like visiting family (which has probably saved us almost a week's shopping over the month). We are certainly spending £125 a month on my luxuries and DH's bad planning alone.
    Trying to figure out a whole new life. Trying to figure out a whole new budget.
    Divorcing, unclear on final debt total right now, but focusing on building a financial buffer zone.
  • Gosh, what an unproductive day. Compared to the dashing around of recent weeks it feels ridiculous how little I have done.

    to do today
    1. 30 hours funding application. Done.
    2. clear work emails. Done. Another enquiry in today, fingers crossed for some actual bookings!
    3. start tax return if necessary. Done a little of this.
    4. menu plan and mysupermarket. Done.
    5. tidy camping gear. Done.
    6. laundry. Done, lots.
    7. remove my rather chipped manicure. done.
    8. start a packing list for holiday. not done.
    9. add my CC to YNAB and balance the budgets (I have used a CC that I never use and had a zero balance, so it's not even on YNAB). not done.

    to do this week
    1. plan DS1's birthday with him (this fell by the wayside last week).
    2. tax return - I have a feeling this needs to be done to apply for the 30 hours funding for DC3. No idea how I'm going to fit it in!
    3. dry out the tent if DH brings it home wet (although the weather is looking positive at the moment!). Yay, it came home dry!
    4. uniform and shoe shopping for the DC (weep).
    5. check any other supplies needed for walking holiday (I think we have everything we need though).
    6. Start a list of camping supplies that need replacing/repairing for next year - will he much better to do that in stages over the winter than in one big spend next May.

    to do this month
    1. Pay some extra off the MBNA card - I'd like this card gone asap. More than the £15 I managed in July would be nice. Well that's not going to happen.
    2. Find ourselves with more than £228 in the savings account on 31st August. Ha. Ha. Ha.
    3. Keep that overall spend figure down below £3,900 (baby steps!)
    4. business planning and scheduling, so that I am ready to start making some immediate profit in September when DC3 starts preschool. Ongoing.
    5. think outside the box with the food budget and keep a close eye on anywhere it might be going wrong.
    6. Try not to need the child benefit money to balance August’s money, so it can go towards Septmber’s (it is paid four weekly, which is currently falling towards the back end of the month, so I have balanced the budget to work without it, and will aim to put it towards September’s income rather than August’s. We’ll see). Again; Ha. Ha. Ha.
    Trying to figure out a whole new life. Trying to figure out a whole new budget.
    Divorcing, unclear on final debt total right now, but focusing on building a financial buffer zone.
  • Maybe not £300 immediately, but I really think we can come in well under £400. Some of the savings this month have been things like visiting family (which has probably saved us almost a week's shopping over the month). We are certainly spending £125 a month on my luxuries and DH's bad planning alone.

    That's an eye opener, isn't it! I don't know if it would help, but I have separate pots for groceries, eating out and personal spends. In our house, food bought in the shops and brought home = groceries, eating out is anything that we do as a family (or part of a family!) and individual bought lunches/take away coffees comes out of personal spends. It's maybe a bit complicated but it makes sense in my head because it's to do with who the expenditure benefits: if I want a bought coffee I don't see why that should impact the household by making them eat cheaper dinners, but if I'm taking Big Girl out for a milkshake to celebrate a school report I count that as family expenditure. I find that I spend a lot less on a sneaky latte if it's coming out of my personal allowance (i.e., my book buying budget)!
    MFW diary here. 1 Feb 2017 $229,371 - MFD Feb 2043 :eek: aiming for May 2028
    14 August 2017 - Refinanced: $220,000
    January 2019 $211,580 Current MFD 31 June 2036
  • That's an eye opener, isn't it! I don't know if it would help, but I have separate pots for groceries, eating out and personal spends. In our house, food bought in the shops and brought home = groceries, eating out is anything that we do as a family (or part of a family!) and individual bought lunches/take away coffees comes out of personal spends. It's maybe a bit complicated but it makes sense in my head because it's to do with who the expenditure benefits: if I want a bought coffee I don't see why that should impact the household by making them eat cheaper dinners, but if I'm taking Big Girl out for a milkshake to celebrate a school report I count that as family expenditure. I find that I spend a lot less on a sneaky latte if it's coming out of my personal allowance (i.e., my book buying budget)!
    We used to do this, but our budget has been so tight the past few months that there haven't actually been any personal spends pots, so it has to come out of another category. We have family spends, but as you say, I don't want DH's lunches to mean less money for the family entertainment kitty! Hopefully from next month things will be a little less grim on that front.
    Trying to figure out a whole new life. Trying to figure out a whole new budget.
    Divorcing, unclear on final debt total right now, but focusing on building a financial buffer zone.
  • Treadingonplaymobil
    Treadingonplaymobil Posts: 1,895
    First Anniversary First Post
    Forumite
    edited 23 August 2017 at 5:00AM
    Week 28: day 3

    Right, hoping for slightly more productivity today than yesterday. Going to head into town with the DC to pick up vitamins/supplements, then maybe to the park, and I have promised we will make popcorn and rent Boss Baby to watch this afternoon - not free, but a lot cheaper than a 'proper' day out. I have also promised pebble painting, we brought some back from the beach a couple of weeks ago specifically to paint. And some baking.

    Got paid for one work enquiry last night, which means the business account shortfall (after paying for some website stuff last week) has been eliminated. Hurrah! This means I have my 'paying the accountant' fund back in place, which is good as I am intending to get my tax return done asap even if I don't need it for the childcare funding. The other work enquiries that are coming in are ones that won't be paid for until after the work is done, because they are hourly billed ones, but fingers crossed a couple of those happen too. Oh, I really hope this is the start of things picking up again. I want to put my newfound 'actually sort of sticking to the budget' skills to the test, but have the reward of overpaying the debt and saving for the architect too, rather than just frantic paddling to stay still.

    to do today
    1. batch cook macaroni cheese
    2. make quiche.
    3. make sourdough.
    4. send a card to rich relative who sent a whole load of virtually unworn Boden hand-me-downs for the DC.
    5. gather paperwork for tax return.
    6. defeat the ironing mountain.
    5. continue to tidy the sitting room, which is just depressing at the moment (full of ironing, last dregs of camping gear, toys).
    6. packing list for holiday
    7. town - for DC1 toothbrush, supplements and vitamins. NOTHING ELSE.
    8. add my CC to YNAB and balance the budgets (I have used a CC that I never use and had a zero balance, so it's not even on YNAB).
    9. check school uniform and order anything needed (including shoes) for collection on Thursday.
    10. talk to DC1 about birthday party.

    to do this week
    1. plan DS1's birthday with him (this fell by the wayside last week).
    2. tax return - I have a feeling this needs to be done to apply for the 30 hours funding for DC3. No idea how I'm going to fit it in!
    3. dry out the tent if DH brings it home wet (although the weather is looking positive at the moment!). Yay, it came home dry!
    4. uniform and shoe shopping for the DC (weep).
    5. check any other supplies needed for walking holiday (I think we have everything we need though).
    6. Start a list of camping supplies that need replacing/repairing for next year - will he much better to do that in stages over the winter than in one big spend next May.

    to do this month
    1. Pay some extra off the MBNA card - I'd like this card gone asap. More than the £15 I managed in July would be nice. Well that's not going to happen.
    2. Find ourselves with more than £228 in the savings account on 31st August. Ha. Ha. Ha.
    3. Keep that overall spend figure down below £3,900 (baby steps!)
    4. business planning and scheduling, so that I am ready to start making some immediate profit in September when DC3 starts preschool. Ongoing.
    5. think outside the box with the food budget and keep a close eye on anywhere it might be going wrong.
    6. Try not to need the child benefit money to balance August’s money, so it can go towards Septmber’s (it is paid four weekly, which is currently falling towards the back end of the month, so I have balanced the budget to work without it, and will aim to put it towards September’s income rather than August’s. We’ll see). Again; Ha. Ha. Ha.
    Trying to figure out a whole new life. Trying to figure out a whole new budget.
    Divorcing, unclear on final debt total right now, but focusing on building a financial buffer zone.
  • Hi TOPM, just dropping in to shout a big hello and say how much i enjoyed reading your diary from start to finish this week. You've inspired me to sign up for YNAB and bake my own bread - I've now got DF on the case and just this afternoon he went of his own volition to source some sourdough starter from a bakery over the hill!! Also, my MIL has an apple 'pick and preserve' crisis every year and I can't keep count of the amount of damson jam we get sent annually! I feel the 'pick and preserve' pain! Subscribed and look forward to your next instalment :j
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