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Austerity in October - *blows the budgeteering bugle*

480 replies

claretandamberforever · 01/10/2013 08:19

In here please.....

Pinch punch, first of the month.

OP posts:
confusedofengland · 06/10/2013 21:03

Just seen that Dulux Magnolia Silk is £57 for 10l in B&Q's trade section Shock so think I might even ask £20 for what we have Smile

AdoraBell · 06/10/2013 21:24

I didn't actually see it Fluffy, the trainer was here yesterday and spotted it. This one is the long haired GS. He pulled it out with a clump of fur and showed me the tiny male nestled below the female. Also said they spread infections so we had to clean his skin with alcohol.

Re soup, when I do it I add things like rice, used to use pasta and whole grain wheat but not now, quinoa, potatoe etc. My DDs have tried the waiting for the main course trick but as I have no sense of guilt I am imperviousGrin

Yep, we have poppadoms too. OH prefers naan though. As I said, he's working on some shiny new habits, proving you can teach an old dog new tricksWink

Oh, and I don't call it soup if I've made it, it's a stew or casserole, soup comes out of a canWink

AdoraBell · 07/10/2013 04:24

Fluffy I have removed tics before though, other dogs. It's not easy, you really have to pull hard, and twist at the same time, and it will leave an open wound. Far better to Frontline them and avoid it. Also I read something in Doghouse about a spray that kills them and they then drop off. Can't remember what it's called, sorry.

roguepixie · 07/10/2013 08:04

Morning all. Just catching up with the thread - wow it moves fast.

Re breadmakers - I have had a Panasonic for 13 years. It is wonderful. It is getting slightly temperamental now (in its' old age Smile) but still churns out loaves. If it broke I would be out buying another one immediately. Definitely think about getting one.

Re soup - my lot love soup. And I find it excellent in using up the slightly old veggies and meat that's been in the freezer for a while.

Anyway, food delivery coming today. Seem to be getting through an alarming amount at the moment but with a 13 yo DS I daren't not have stuff in - he's eat his own shoes at the mo Grin.

Have a good week all.

MinimalistMommi · 07/10/2013 09:24

Good morning everyone!

Busy today, dough in the breadmaker now for making rolls later to make up any freeze for DC's lunch boxes. Need to take washing out of machine and dry outside as much as possible to save a few pennies. I'm sure it will need finishing off in the dryer later.

Had courgette,garlic and vine tomatoes with pasta, grated cheese and basil last night planning on having jacket potatoes with coleslaw and baked beans this evening.

Got plenty of housework to keep me busy!
Have a good day....

jonbonjovismissus · 07/10/2013 09:37

Morning All, happy Monday!

Bit of a spendy weekend, £27 for DD new winter boots and £26 to collect my wedding dress on Saturday, and £36 supermarket shop yesterday, although I shouldn't need to buy anything other than bread, milk & fruit again at the weekend.
NSD yesterday and planning for today as well, new tyres will be £135 tomorrow - eek!
Am going to sort out DD's old toys this evening and see if anything is in a fit state to be sold, a lot of them are practically new but not in boxes so not sure if I would get much for them on Gumtree/ebay.........

MinimalistMommi · 07/10/2013 11:17

Just had a bit of a spend in town:
£1.00 baby wipes
£1.00. Moam sweets
£1.20 baking parchment paper.

confusedofengland · 07/10/2013 11:33

My week has started off expensively Sad £85 on a new tyre as the old one got a nail in & it was in the part they couldn't fix - although they did throw in a 1-year warranty for free. Then £15.15 at Farm Foods for milk, bread, butter, cheese, ham, cheese spread & potatoes. Then £5.75 at Tesco on boys' dinner for tonight (ready meal as no time to cook Blush) & a reduced pork joint. Will also need £4 tonight for DS1's football.

jonbon exciting about wedding dress, when is the big day? Grin

We quite like soup, but I could never serve it as a meal Shock It always makes me laugh a little when people give their frugal meal plans & one evening meal is soup & another evening meal is jacket potatoes. I would never get away with that! For lunch is good, but even then DH has at least 4 slices of bread with soup Shock I can & do make soup out of anything though - wilting veg, tinned toms, chicken carcass etc

MinimalistMommi · 07/10/2013 11:48

confused I feel bad for you that you 'can't get away' with soup or jacket potatoes as a main meal, if I felt those vibes coming from my family I'd tell them to get on and cook themselves a couple of nights a week to give me a break LOL Grin

MinimalistMommi · 07/10/2013 11:48

confused your DH sounds like he has a HUGE appetite...

confusedofengland · 07/10/2013 12:20

minimalist it's not just then, it's me too Wink. We all have pretty good appetites & don't tend to snack in the day, just fill up at mealtimes (although dses have morning & afternoon snacks)

MinimalistMommi · 07/10/2013 12:48

Oh, OK LOL. Grin
I'm not a huge snacker I guess I'm accustomed to the types of meals we choose to eat.

MrTumblesBavarianFanbase · 07/10/2013 12:59

Same here confused - I thought soup (a thick harty one with potatoes in it, as well as chicken and veg) would be fine as 2nd meal of the day, given I had done cooked meals (meat and roasted veg one day, sausage and mash and peas the other) for lunch, but only my 2 year old was appreciative (he loves thick home made soup, but unfortunately its never just him to feed, as my older 2 are home for lunch too).

I think my 6 year old boy must actually be a teenager in disguise, the amount he eats - he's constantly hungry - in fact I have my head in the sand about how much he'll put away when he actually is a teen... He is tall and broad shouldered like his dad and very active - he can play in a full day football tournament, then hop out of the car once we get home and get his bike - or football - out for a couple of hours racing about... but I think he is also attempting to be as tall as his 6 ft 4 father by the time he's 11 or something :o

daisychicken · 07/10/2013 13:18

Adora - look at low carb way of eating for your DH.. my DM has coeliacs and eats rice crackers, gluten free bread etc and tons of fruit, I don't have coeliacs but do react to wheat and low carb and find that I don't get hungry like I did when eating the same way as DM.. You may find that by upping fat & protein content slightly and reducing sugars (from fruits, carbs etc) that DH is less hungry - I'm assuming he's not trying to loose weight so he doesn't need a strict limited amount of carbs, just increase fat and protein slightly to help him feel full. My DH eats low carb main meals with me and I add potato, rice etc as required and he hasn't put weight on if that's a concern.

Confused - if we have soup for a main meal, I serve with crusty bread or rolls and butter plus always make a pudding such as crumble or I have a store cupboard cheap chocolate fudge pudding as soup isn't filling enough for my DH. If we have jacket potatoes then DH has 2 large potatoes plus beans and cheese and that he finds is ok.

peachactiviaminge · 07/10/2013 13:18

Think I need to join in here as have completely failed this fortnight. Just put emergency on the electric and DH is off to pick up £10 from MIL for formula. I'll be glad when this sanction is over.

Checked fridge we have chicken and cheese for sandwiches but DD won't eat cheese so boiling my last 6 eggs for egg mayo then it's pannini and chips with salad for dinner as have 2 bake at home ciabatta in the cupboard (97p for four in Morrison's fab for easy lunches) DD can have beans on toast as she'll have school dinner. Roll on Thursday.

Morrison's are doing two of the tins of chocolate for £7 this week for anyone with the willpower who might be interested.

Waiting on a DR's note saying I need DH around me 24-7 to stay out of hospital then we will be looking at switching benefits again so that's going to need to be planned for too!

AdoraBell · 07/10/2013 15:55

Thanks Daisy I will have a look. Mostly what he needs to do is change his way of thinking around food. Talking to him about it We've realised he's probably always had this problem and blamed it things like eating pork, onions, certain veg. I'm the first woman he's lived with who doesn't make a cake, fruit pie, crumble etc for desért almost daily, or put bread on the table at every meal, so úntil about a year or Two ago he was having much less wheat and therefore much less in the way of symptoms.

Then he was diagnosed prediabetic and a nutrutionist (he refused to do what the Dr. wanted him to) told him to eat every Two hours, something like eggs on toast, cheese and ham crossaint, fruit, veg, nuts, seeds, and he heard 'eat bread at 2 hourly intervals because it is the cheaper option'

Today I need to Get some yoghurt, fruit juice and eggs.

Disclaimer, I do make crumbles etc, just not very frquently and not for OH anymore.

Fluffycloudland77 · 07/10/2013 16:36

You can make cakes using ground almonds instead of flour, they are incredibly rich though. If you have more than a thin piece you feel quite sick afterwards.

Unfortunately they are also delicious so it doesn't stop you.

My dh hears what he wants to hear too.

£34 on paint and a brush in homebase to revamp an old shoe cabinet. It's solid wood so I'm not chucking it out to buy a cheap one from argos.

AdoraBell · 07/10/2013 16:46

Thanks Fluffy hope the cabinet comes up well, I wouldn't chuck a wooden piece for chipboard crapula either.

Helenagrace · 07/10/2013 16:51

Spendy weekend here - two new hockey sticks and hockey kit for DS and DD. I'm really proud of them both though - DS is 7 and playing for the U10s and DD is 12 and playing for the U16s.

DD also needs a new cello but the GPs have given us some money in the past which should cover that.

I picked up a bargain Christmas present for MIL in Sainsburys - 4 lovely china Royal Botanic Gardens mugs reduced from £20 to £6. Look really lovely.

NSD today and might get away with one tomorrow too which would make 4 so far if I do get them in.

I made a friend cry today. I sent her £50 to buy herself something new for her new life (she recently left her violent ex and is now on her own with 3 kids). I do wish I could have sent her more because she's been so brave and strong but she's so thrilled with my gift. It puts all my problems in perspective. We may have an uncertain future and some financial pressure but at least we have each other and we're on the same page.

looseleaf · 07/10/2013 17:25

Helenagrace that was so lovely your friend so moved and I hope she's much happier without her ex and she must be so glad of a good friend like you. And well done your DC, i'd be very proud and some things are just worth celebrating!

I'm not doing as well as thought keeping to my budget despite cutting down drastically on gluten free goodies. Still, am sitting the children down to pasta bake (Doves brown rice pasta £1 in Tesco at moment) and feeling quite pleased as put tomatoes, a blended courgette and 2 leftover sausages in it and it's rather good!

Fluffycloudland77 · 07/10/2013 17:25

Oh and I've got a free graze box coming with £1.50 cashback from quidco. I'll be cancelling the day it arrives though.

claretandamberforever · 07/10/2013 19:14

Helenagrace - that was such a thoughtful thing to do

The menfolk in my house have huge appetites and due to having just a packed lunch / cold dinner for school & work, they expect big, hearty meals to tuck into at night. DS2 isn't so bad yet, Jacket spud & beans with cheese is his absolute favourite meal.

NSD for me today. Also remembered I had paid £52 to the wrong credit card last month (I noticed after I had done the transfer, so also paid the correct credit card) so i got round to ringing them today to ask them to credit it back to me. That's nearly half of my road tax due at the end of November.

My bet didn't win yesterday, that sad apology for a football team Spurs let me down by losing miserably and embarrassingly to West Ham.

OP posts:
Thatsinteresting · 07/10/2013 19:32

My dh and dc are all very active but a bowl of soup with some homemade bread with lots of different seeds in it, some cheese and a pudding goes down well. Our favourites are lentil and cumin and a tomato one with other stuff thrown in.

I really thought we were going to make it through this month with some money to spare but I've had to pay out £150 for yet another small fault with the car. I'm still hoping not to go too much over budget as payday is in sight-Friday.

Fluffy as you cancel they'll offer you another box half price and be forever sending you emails trying to tempt you back. I like the concept but it's massively overpriced.

Fluffycloudland77 · 07/10/2013 20:09

I just want the box really, I can do my own snacks.

No intention at all of having a subscription. Dh may have one too, I might even tell him about it Grin.

£5 on wine and £6 on fish and chips for us both.

Still watching my eBay item. No one else has bid since I stopped watching it so I think it's being bid up.

jonbonjovismissus · 07/10/2013 20:31

confused it's 27th of this month so v close now!

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