Life on a budget

[Myfamily46]

Since alot of people are struggling with the cost of living. I was thinking maybe we could share some money saving ideas. Meal ideas ect.

There are often threads about how to cut costs on here.

Generally my top tip would be to be really clear about where every penny is going. Sometimes, until you see it written down in front of you, people don't realise how much it costs over a month or a year, to buy something for lunch out rather than taking a packed lunch from home, or 'just' going for a quick drink after work costs, or how much they are actually paying for membership of a group or team or club, or how much they are spending on make up or take aways or whatever your treat is.

Then you can look at how you can reduce a little bit off each budget.

I'm looking ahead to making it easier to dry washing without tumble dryer and how we'll all keep warm without the heating on so much.

Last year, we managed to eat well while I worked full time by batch cooking on a Sunday and reheating in the week. Going to be looking at alternatives that don't use the oven.

plan meals, buy fruit and veg that are on offer and buy cheaper cuts of meat.
Don't buy junk food. Instead, buy popping corn and baking ingredients. Bake while oven is on for something else or do some batch baking and freeze. Get Dcs to do it so it's an activity for them.

Saving money can be boring so go out a lot doing free stuff. Walking, bike rides if you have bikes, kicking a football around or throwing a frisbee. Tennis, if you have rackets and balls. Meeting friends for picnics and walks.
The national trust has 50 things to do before you're 11 3/4 many of which you can do free in local woods and green spaces.
Visit the library for books and see if there are activities for dc to do. Try your local museums too.
Going swimming can be cheap and fun.

I leach money with top-up buys e.gs small shops mid week in addition to my main shop. Plus coffees, the odd lunch. I try to have 3-4 days per week where I spend nothing at all.

Switch bank accounts and get paid. I do it every few months. £150 from Halifax this time.

As to saving...skank rail at supermarkets, £1.50 fruit and veg boxes at lidl first thing, batch cook what you can, freeze the surplus, make soups and stews and smoothies and desserts. use all the meat and make soup from the carcass of whole chickens. Drain and reuse fats rendered from mince etc. Get sim only mobile deals when your contract ends if you don't need a new phone. Shop around for better deals on insurance and any other utilities you can switch. Turn down the heating, adjust the times, wear extra clothing, use thermal insulation on windows (large foil backed bubble wrap rolls from Wilko etc). Reduce food waste and eat less (diet, stop snacking, serve smaller portions). Walk or cycle if you can, turn unnecessary electricals off, use eco settings, wash laundry at lower temperatures, wear clothing longer, use laundry eggs, own brand stuff (if decent) and look for deals and bargains etc. I tend to do most of that anyway (then blow the savings on crap I don't need 😁)

We plan to:
Bulk cook over the weekend and heat daily
Put a load of washing on daily and allow to dry on clothes dryer instead of using tumble dryer
Consume less meat
Only put heating on when unbearably cold and in the evening

I have cut my wash cycle from 1hr to 30min. Stopped using my drier.

I don't drive so get my food shop delivered. I really wanted to get the yellow pack food from asda. But with home delivery it's restricted. So I would have to go in store and a cab home its 10.00 -15.00 so not sure if there would be any point.

Batch cooking is an idea. But I don't have room in my freezer. It would mean buying a new one for around 150 . There are 6 of us at home so storing is not so easy.

For a freezer join Freecycle. Off er few things first then ask for a freezer or look out for someone posting one. Gumtree has a freebie section too.

Spreadsheet to account for every penny in and out.
Use the Spreadsheet to budget every month for the year ahead, so you input every one-off to come, (MOT, Car insurance etc) project expected fuel bills (pays to over estimate rather than under), see where you can cut back to create wriggle room.

Then you can see if you have shortfall ahead, and you can do something about it.

Top up energy bill in-between payments.

One thing I have discovered is that the short cycles on washing machine and dishwasher are not always the most economic as I'd previously presumed. Found my washing machine manual online and it says the eco programme uses 40% less consumption than the others. Previously I'd been using the short cycles.

One thing I have discovered is that the short cycles on washing machine and dishwasher are not always the most economic as I'd previously presumed. Found my washing machine manual online and it says the eco programme uses 40% less consumption than the others. Previously I'd been using the short cycles.

On the Asda app, all the Essentials range is in one section, from the home page.

Re washing cycles - a 30 min cycle may use more energy than the longer ones, as it aggitates more to speed up the cleaning process. The longer eco cycles rely on soaking rather than agitation. Check the manual for energy consumption info.

I don't drive. And it's not often people will deliver. I could get one of my catalogue. But don't really want to. I'm feeling a bit tight 😅

Definitely a good idea. I can easy do it on line to

With the asda thing it gives over 200 items for the essentials range. But as soon as I sign in it gos to 70.

I will definitely look at the washing machine cycles

Eat vegetarian. Saves money. 17 year old ds has yet to join me though lol.

Give up the car if u can and walk or cycle everywhere. I appreciate this isn't always practical though. Come next April am selling it.

Cancel the gym and ditch Sky. I walk most places everywhere now. Will change the tv to a smart tv once I flog the car and buy a ladies bike too.

Watch minimalism videos on you tube. Very inspiring.

I take money out.for the food shop each week. Any change that's left goes in a jar for the Christmas food shop......it's not loads. Usually only 3 or 4 pounds a.week max but soon adds up.

My sister does the same but uses her bankcard and shifts the remainder of what she would have spent into her plum account.

I batch cook every evening for a week and then freeze the other portions for the following two weeks.

electric throws and turn heating Down 2/3 degrees, also knock 10 minutes of the timer for the heating to go on and come off morning and night

don't use the car for any journey under 5 miles - this one saves a lot. Fuel usage on short journeys can be as low as 5/6 miles per litre on short journeys - so using bikes or walking is better

These are my washing machine energy ratings. The 4 hour eco 40-60 degree cycle uses half the kwh as the 3 hour cotton 60 degree one.

Give up the car if u can and walk or cycle everywhere. I appreciate this isn't always practical though. Come next April am selling it.

electric bike makes it easy to do 6/7 mile trips, within a year you can break even on the cost of the ebike, by not buying fuel. Some great cargo bikes about for carrying shopping etc

laundry
everything has to be worn twice
duvet covers double time between washes
if something isn't dirty just hang it on the line can freshen it up - especially jeans
line dry, then airer then tumble drier if absolutely needed

I see youve mentioned freezer space being an issue so I'm sharing my tip with you with this in mind. Use the slow cooker, prep it on Sunday night filled to the rim. Cook it Monday and you should have enough for a few days. I've made a delicious lentil and veg bolognese this week. The dish will keep in the fridge once cool and last a few days, and you've got an easy and cheap meal. Lentils bulk things out and it's really healthy. Use seasonal veg or whatever you fancy for this dish. Any leftovers of veg I chop and freeze to be used in the next one I mAke, although I realise you don't have much freezer space. But you could plan other meals using any leftover veg. The only downside is you end up having the same a few nights on a row but I don't mind that. I tend to rotate one big batch of something in the slow cooker each week and prep Sunday when I have more time: lentil and veg bolognese, veg and lentil chilli, tomato and pepper pasta sauce )blended with a ton of hidden veg, chicken curry, curried lentils.

This bolognese I just made has lentils, mushroom, courgette, pepper, onions, sweet corn, tomatoes so really healthy too. Just use lots of herbs for lentil and veg based things so they're not bland. I also find this recipe taste better on the 2nd and 3 rs day.

Do not set foot in B&M.

If freezer space low, you can still semi batch cook buy just eating the same meal 2 nights in a row. Means your only cooking once, time saving, and better on food waste and economics.

A second freezer if probably worth it though if there’s 6 of you.

Buy seasonal.