To think it’s actually hard to live off this for the rest of the month?!

[munnyya]

I have 350 to last me and dd (2) until 29th of august. This is for food and household essentials like washing tablets, dishwater tablets, shampoo etc only. I think this is incredibly difficult to do? Am I going wrong somewhere? I can’t understand how this is meant to last us until then.

Get Delia Smiths book "How to Cook"

She starts with boiling an egg and takes you through the real basics.

You will save a fortune, gain a real life skill, eat much much more healthily and you may really enjoy cooking!

When your child is older teach them too so they are not disadvantaged as you are.

Well since we have never been able to afford the luxury of a dishwasher or been in a rental house with space/plumbing to put one in our life they kind of are... the whole point of a dishwasher itself is its a unnecessary luxury item.

Most us poor folk living on tight budgets in cramped space just use the sink.

In fact we have actually been looking at buying a house for the last year and viewed dozens. I don't think any we have seen had plumbing for a dishwasher (and yes we have checked as its a luxury item we would like to add into our lives when we get our own place). So while not vanishingly rare or unusual (my IL have one etc...) I still don't think its wildly 'standard' or a 'necessity' to have a dishwasher. Its not like a fridge/freezer where nearly every house in the country has one.

Cook more from scratch it’s wayyyy cheaper! Prepped potatoes would cost way more than just a bag of new potatoes & you can do loads with them for next to nothing!

Apparently 49% of households in the UK had a dishwasher in 2018. So, yes, I would think it's pretty normal. It's actually more efficient to wash dishes etc with one.

Precisely.

OP thinks "well I wasn't taught" is any kind of justification to not be able to use the internet like everyone else who's learned. And gets shitty with anyone pointing it out.

That's interesting, I've never had one and always think posh people have dishwashers lol

I'm not posh. I've had 1 for ages. I got fed up with the inadequacy of the person who washed the dishes!

If you fill your dishwasher before running it they are supposedly more efficient than washing up as they use less hot water.

There's so much dishwasher judgement on this thread.

49% of households in the UK have dishwashers, and they are more cost efficient than washing up by hand due to the amount of hot water used. They're not an unusual item to own and buying dishwasher tablets is a normal thing to do if you own a dishwasher.

Whatever you think about whether they are a luxury, OP has one, and is using it - which is actually the cheaper method of washing dishes!

If OP washed up by hand it would cost her MORE.

And I imagine it’s a fair bit higher than 49% now.
I’ve had a dishwasher in every house I’ve lived in since moving out of home, and I’ve lived in some dives!

Honestly I love my dishwasher with all my heart and soul! I've HATED it whenever I've lived in properties without one

And not being taught to cook is a bummer, but it really doesnt have to define you moving forward

Ignore the nastiness, we havent all had the same lives, I mean I HAD to learn to cook because I grew up in a very abusive household, didn't learn - didn't eat - simple

Learn just one thing, I could cook a roast dinner aged 14, but ask for scrambled eggs and it was something I had to learn

Actually learning how to make an omelette will be a great start. Learn how to make an omelette, you then learn how to make quiche and pancakes and frittata and scrambled eggs - cheap and nutritious are eggs, and they take flavour from everything so an egg can actually be a beautiful meal . Even an egg mashed in a cup with a few fingers of toast can be pure ambrosia when compared to a ready meal.

Stop beating yourself up, get through this month, start looking at different cooks online, think about what it is you like to eat, find that one recipe that has what you already have in, and give it a go

If you need a hand hold, my inbox is open. Its not easy, life is never easy. Saving on the supermarket shop will make things just a tad easier

I live on a tiny pension and a 16 hrs NMW job so Im used to cutting costs from the food shop so I can afford a 3 monthly hair cut and save so we get a few days away. Its getting harder for sure but I do what I have to do. I still need to live so learning and cooking differently allows us to still eat well ( and healthy ) and I can still put a wee bit aside

If DD is not still creating pooey clothes, you can get an Eco ball (and if she is, powder is much better and can be a lot cheaper). I think it's the clothes washing tablets people are wondering about.

Aldi dishwasher tablets are the best we've found.
I'm not sure if you have a car but if you don't, a shopping trolley will help you to get to the supermarket (though maybe walking with the buggy and shopping under the buggy will be easier).

You definitely do need to learn to cook from scratch, though. Some things are cheaper ready made (breaded fish, or chicken) or frozen (veg are way cheaper frozen) but so many things are cheaper made from scratch. Simple things though like baked potatoes, potato wedges if the oven is on for fish fingers, pasta sauce from tinned tomatoes and an onion not from a jar.

PS we had a dishwasher in the 1970s.

I've lived in so many houses and I've never had a dishwasher and only known a couple of people who have how strange! I'm clearly missing out!

I genuinely don't know anyone who doesn't have a dishwasher....I know a lot who have 2 (and I do myself!).

I don't but merely because the set up of my kitchen and doesnt allow for one. Id either gave to remove washing machine, block up back door or move cooker and gas pipe

The dishwasher needs to be full for it to work out cheaper.

You can get a 45cm slimline one if space is tight, unfortunately they are still about the same price as a 60cm.

It's not space it's the fact the wall where the washing machine and sink are goes from the back door to the wall. on. The corner there is then a 30cm cupboard with 60 cm cooker next to it then drawers. Then the entrance door.

Also on instagram there are loads of money saving people that show you how to feed a family for a fiver etc… maybe take a look at that

How is it nasty to point out that you don't need to use the dishwasher? You have come on here saying you find it hard to manage on what is actually a very reasonable amount of money, and we have given you some pointers as to why.

i know you don't see a dishwasher as a luxury! That is the issue, isn't it. You are taking luxuries for granted.

And learn to cook, it isn't difficult of expensive to do, your daughter will benefit from fresh home cooked food instead of UHP ready meals, which are likely to lead to obesity, and all its complications.

Dd can eat the same meals as you, doesn't need their own separate special toddler food!

Jacket potatoes and pasta are cheap, easy meals that aren't really cooking.

The only other alternative is a table or counter top one, they generally take 6 place settings. Failing this a bottle of fairy and a pair of marigolds.

Has to be the fairy. The counter top would have to go above washing machine blocking half the window lol