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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask for your tips on a very lean month?!

115 replies

Wombatbum · 26/01/2023 18:40

😩 v. cheap meals needed, any other tips to get through the month? I’ve got paid today but due to changing jobs and one thing and another I’ve got a shortfall of about £500 this month. Bonus points if you can make it fun 😂😩

OP posts:
Original poster
Wombatbum · 27/01/2023 20:22

For everyone bleating on about savings, am I supposed to never have a holiday? We usually have a cheap and cheerful caravan break once a year. Haven’t been abroad for 8/9 years.

OP posts:
Lcb123 · 27/01/2023 20:23

Empty out your entire kitchen - cupboards, fridge, freezer - I’m sure you’d be surprised how much there is! See if there’s just a few bits you can supplement with to make full meals

LindorDoubleChoc · 27/01/2023 20:23

My tip is to use the advanced search facility on Mumsnet for budget food ideas. There must be literally hundreds of threads already.

Original poster
Wombatbum · 27/01/2023 20:24

LindorDoubleChoc · 27/01/2023 20:23

My tip is to use the advanced search facility on Mumsnet for budget food ideas. There must be literally hundreds of threads already.

👌🙄

OP posts:
Hawdyerwheesht · 27/01/2023 20:26

Qmee app. You get to cash out even 1p to PayPal. Loads of surveys.

WednesdaysNameIsFullOfWoe · 27/01/2023 20:31

For this month, is there anything that you can sell to bring in a few pounds?
A smartphone, laptop, any furniture?

WednesdaysNameIsFullOfWoe · 27/01/2023 20:33

Wombatbum · 27/01/2023 20:22

For everyone bleating on about savings, am I supposed to never have a holiday? We usually have a cheap and cheerful caravan break once a year. Haven’t been abroad for 8/9 years.

Well yes, until you have a fund to ensure that your children won’t be cold and hungry, of course you shouldn’t.

You’ve chosen to put a trip away ahead of putting food on the table. Are you honestly trying to argue that that was the right decision?

Retirementvisions · 27/01/2023 20:36

Since the cost of living crisis I've developed a few good habits

  • meal planning
  • only buying what is needed
  • bulk cooking - freezing meals
  • buying seasonal
  • no take aways and eating out (feel terrible about this tbf - I want these businesses to survive)
  • make coffee at home. No more £3.40 bring thrown around like confetti
  • take a water bottle with me when I go out. Saves plastic as well

Do you know what? I think I'm actually healthier for it. I'm also getting the 30 plants a week in and it has really cut down on meat costs.

I'm starting off cooking most meals with onion, carrot, celery and taking it from there. It's such a good base for home cooked nutritious meals. It must cost 50p tops.

Good luck.

WednesdaysNameIsFullOfWoe · 27/01/2023 20:36

Wombatbum · 27/01/2023 20:18

I explained in the OP, or I thought I had, that due to me changing my job things are difficult this month. We normally manage fine. For context we are having 2 nights at Disneyland paris at the cheapest time of year, driving to do it as cheaply as possible. All booked before I changed my job, if we don’t go we will lose what we have paid, the spending money I have saved isn’t a massive amount as we are doing it on a shoestring. I changed my job because I was unhappy there and it was affecting my mental health, plus the commute was costing me. My new job is initially fewer hours, but there will be more hours for me in a couple of months. So it really is a temporary situation.

Show quote history

I missed this.

Use the spending money to feed your children. I cannot believe that you have money available and are not going to use it.

Once you are able to afford to feed your children again you can start saving up for another holiday.

Putting Disneyland ahead of your children’s health is not right.

User98866 · 27/01/2023 20:40

Other than lentils, which I’m a big fan of, if you want to feel super fancy try some Spanish recipes. I’ve been making croquettes ( with leftover jamon from Xmas)but you can can put basically anything in them chopped up small. It’s literally a bit of butter, milk and flour, then an egg and breadcrumbs (made with any stale bread). Serve with a tin of chickpeas fried with onion and garlic and some spinach (tinned, fresh or frozen). Also Italian recipe pasta puttanesca. Can’t beat it for tastiness!

Grapewrath · 27/01/2023 20:42

Hi op we are veggie- some good options I have is quesadillas with cheese and veg or whatever you have in. Pasta pesto a winner, lentil soup and Dahl, mushrooms snd black beans on toast, roasted veg with cous cous. Good luck!

Original poster
Wombatbum · 27/01/2023 20:43

WednesdaysNameIsFullOfWoe · 27/01/2023 20:33

Well yes, until you have a fund to ensure that your children won’t be cold and hungry, of course you shouldn’t.

You’ve chosen to put a trip away ahead of putting food on the table. Are you honestly trying to argue that that was the right decision?

Show quote history

They of course won’t go cold or hungry, we’ve got a credit card in case of emergencies so that would never happen! Also my mum would help us in a situation like that. As I’ve mentioned a few times now, the trip was booked before I knew I would be in this situation, and AGAIN, it is a temporary situation!!! I was trying to get ideas of things to help us not need the credit card or like people have shared, apps with surveys to earn a bit of cash.

OP posts:
Original poster
Wombatbum · 27/01/2023 20:45

WednesdaysNameIsFullOfWoe · 27/01/2023 20:36

I missed this.

Use the spending money to feed your children. I cannot believe that you have money available and are not going to use it.

Once you are able to afford to feed your children again you can start saving up for another holiday.

Putting Disneyland ahead of your children’s health is not right.

Show quote history

You really aren’t reading my posts properly! As if I would not feed my children!!!

Thank you to everyone else who can see the thread for what it is, and given me some great food ideas and other little money saving/making tips.

OP posts:
Original poster
Wombatbum · 27/01/2023 20:49

Retirementvisions · 27/01/2023 20:36

Since the cost of living crisis I've developed a few good habits

  • meal planning
  • only buying what is needed
  • bulk cooking - freezing meals
  • buying seasonal
  • no take aways and eating out (feel terrible about this tbf - I want these businesses to survive)
  • make coffee at home. No more £3.40 bring thrown around like confetti
  • take a water bottle with me when I go out. Saves plastic as well

Do you know what? I think I'm actually healthier for it. I'm also getting the 30 plants a week in and it has really cut down on meat costs.

I'm starting off cooking most meals with onion, carrot, celery and taking it from there. It's such a good base for home cooked nutritious meals. It must cost 50p tops.

Good luck.

Thank you this is exactly the sort of advice I needed in my little panic.

Not to be made out to be a woman who would see her kids starve 🙄

OP posts:
Justanothercatlady · 27/01/2023 20:52

Tinned coconut milk is 49p a tin in Farmfoods - great base for curries. Use curry paste not jars as it’s cheaper per portion. We love multi bean chilli - any small leftover portions are good jacket pot filling. Roast a whole cauliflower as a ‘Sunday roast’ with usual trimmings is filling and delicious. Garlic chilli linguini (literally fry garlic and chilli in couple spoons oil, cook linguine & drain and them combine - add courgette/ aubergine/ mushrooms if any in fridge/on offer)

holierthanthou73 · 27/01/2023 20:55

Do you have a Food Rescue near you ?

Try Olio and To Good to Go

Original poster
Wombatbum · 27/01/2023 20:59

Thank you will be looking at those, I’m also going to look at online food shop offers for first time users as I’ve never shopped online before.

I’m upset that people would think I’d genuinely let my kids go hungry and then go to Disneyland, of course if things were that dire we wouldn’t go! it was payday yesterday, I panicked because of the shortfall, having read the helpful tips and realising the things we spend that are not necessary, I’m confident that I can make up a big chunk of what we are short.

OP posts:
Justanothercatlady · 27/01/2023 21:01

Bean tacos / burritos are cheap. We use the slow cooker to cook dried and soaked beans (soak before 24hrs, drain water, put in slow cooker with new water to cover, cook until done to your liking, drain bean water, add seasoning and cook a little longer - stick in taco shells / wraps with whatever bits of salad veg shredded. Also beans mixed with rice / cheese put in wraps fold like a burrito! These freeze really well and can we warmed up in microwave or on tray in oven.

Retirementvisions · 27/01/2023 21:05

@Wombatbum ignore the people on MN who always find the negative worst case interpretation of your words. It's on them not you.

Enjoy making loads of healthy food for your family with all the tips.

This might land like a fart in a lift, but we've given up alcohol (because like you we booked holidays before the mortgage rate hikes). It is saving us £50 per week easily. I appreciate it's not for everyone, but it is an option...

holierthanthou73 · 27/01/2023 21:06

Wombatbum · 27/01/2023 20:59

Thank you will be looking at those, I’m also going to look at online food shop offers for first time users as I’ve never shopped online before.

I’m upset that people would think I’d genuinely let my kids go hungry and then go to Disneyland, of course if things were that dire we wouldn’t go! it was payday yesterday, I panicked because of the shortfall, having read the helpful tips and realising the things we spend that are not necessary, I’m confident that I can make up a big chunk of what we are short.

I highly recommend online grocery shopping, I stick to a firm budget and no temptation to buy things I don’t need when in the supermarket like clothes or candles I don’t need.

Retirementvisions · 27/01/2023 21:12

Also.... if you're up for it....

I learnt the art of chapatti making. Its a bit fiddly at first, but once you've got it you can make fresh chapatti in minutes with just flour, water and a little oil.

It really adds a quality to your meals and costs pence. You can use them as wraps etc and it's far superior to anything shop bought.

The satisfaction from watching them fluff up can be the fun you asked for in your OP.

Original poster
Wombatbum · 27/01/2023 21:13

Retirementvisions · 27/01/2023 21:05

@Wombatbum ignore the people on MN who always find the negative worst case interpretation of your words. It's on them not you.

Enjoy making loads of healthy food for your family with all the tips.

This might land like a fart in a lift, but we've given up alcohol (because like you we booked holidays before the mortgage rate hikes). It is saving us £50 per week easily. I appreciate it's not for everyone, but it is an option...

Thank you! We actually don’t drink, but are chocoholics so are giving that up. Also been guilty of too many processed foods, especially at my old job because I was too burnt out to cook properly some nights. Like you say the meals suggested sound lovely and healthy and actually probably will do us more good! I’m going to put my slow cooker to good use ☺️

OP posts:
Original poster
Wombatbum · 27/01/2023 21:14

Retirementvisions · 27/01/2023 21:12

Also.... if you're up for it....

I learnt the art of chapatti making. Its a bit fiddly at first, but once you've got it you can make fresh chapatti in minutes with just flour, water and a little oil.

It really adds a quality to your meals and costs pence. You can use them as wraps etc and it's far superior to anything shop bought.

The satisfaction from watching them fluff up can be the fun you asked for in your OP.

I’m definitely up for that….watch this space!

OP posts:
FourTeaFallOut · 27/01/2023 21:15

Have you ever used Topcashback, or the like? Have a check and see if any earnings have come through - they often take so long to be approved I've often forgot it's coming. Raid any clubcard points that you've amassed. Kill any tv subscriptions.

Cakeandcardio · 27/01/2023 21:20

Carrot and parsnip soup on Olive magazine website and vegetable soup on Delicious magazine website. Both cheap to make and quite filling. The veg is cheap too.