Jacket Potato July: our frugal year is flying by!

[CremeEggThief]

Hi All,
I couldn't see a new thread yet, so thought I'd start one for July. The jacket potato is a marker for starting summer off on a frugal note. :).

NSD so far.

Weekend spends still haven't processed through bank statement but I think about 50 in total.

Paid in two cheques yesterday - 115.

Sold an old buggy and some DIY stuff - 63.

I'm worrying already about this month being expensive (holiday etc.) But hopefully if I can sell a fair amount of stuff it should cover the basics.

Will I ever have a cheap month again?!

pads the cake ohhelp? With loo roll perhaps?

Lol...won't be forced to eat the loo roll (yet!)

new kitchen is being fitted in a couple of months so I am attempting (and failing) to slim down the stores. V difficult though as if I run out of beans I can't just buy one tin when they are cheaper in bulk...etc etc and so it continues!

Dd's school cardigan is £13.50

Can I join you please

Really need to budget much better!

Moved house at the start of the school year and gave up my job with the move- not managing to budget well on OH's income, so use to have my own money.

Spotty that is expensive for one cardigan!

EnglishRose welcome

Spent £28 yesterday on 2 pairs of jeans for DD, and am hoping for a LSD today, although I need some vegetables. We are making an effort to eat a bit more healthily but to keep to my frugal plan, I don't want to waste food, so am buying veg every few days, that way it gets eaten and then replaced.

£3.25 on small gift for dsis who is having a tough time right now. £2.75 on card to go with it and £3.20 to post it all! Unnecessary but necessary spending iyswim.

Welcome rose. I gave up work when we moved too. We now both get some pocket money from the joint account and that's ours to spend how we want. It's important to view dh's earnings as household income not 'his'. I may not earn money but I contribute to the household in other ways, like providing childcare for 3dc. I dread to think how much that would cost if I went back to paid employment!

nsd yesterday as left my purse at work. nsd today as off work with day 2 of migraine and purse still at work. I also am still in bed feeling rough

I spent £46 before I even stepped out of the house this morning!! £36 on cleaner, £10 on end of year gifts for the teachers. There are 3 so £3 each is fine.

I look at the amount I have each month and in theory it seems like enough to live off but it never quite lasts and I always end up having to ask OH for a little bit more- have asked enough times now that he has finally grumbled something about getting a joint account!

Thinking of doing a super duper cheap as possible (so prob not the healthiest) food shop next week. Any ideas appreciated. Meals I have:

Spaghetti on toast
Tuna and jackets
Bacon risotto
Spag bol
Chorizo spaghetti

All of that I can do just buying the potatoes and spaghetti, any other ideas? I have store cupboard bits but nothing in the freezer. Also need packed lunch for dp and lunches for us. Oh, and snacks.

You could do Jackets two nights in a week but to make them a bit different do stuffed Jackets one night- take them out just before they are done and mixed some fillings with the potato and stick them back in- sometimes I do this at the end of the week with all the left over fillings- tuna/bacon/cheese/chorizo anything left over really.

Pasta bake- Lidl have a really cheap pasta bake sauce atm- I just use that and their pasta and then I add Quorn (not a veggie but is a cheap/quick thing to keep in the freezer)

Omelettes/Savoury Pancakes

Sorry can't think this evening, in fact have no clue what to cook for dinner this evening! It's a case of whatever is in the cupboards tonight.

Sausage mash n beans and jambalaya are cheap ones for us

Nsd apart from travel and parking. Resisted the 4 pack of dime bars in pound land. ...for today!

Ladies...am in a quandary. ...dd starts school in sept so I bought her 5 tshirts for £5 (tescos). I've washed them (excema) and when hanging next to ds's hers and are glowing blue/white ifykwim and his are more yellowy with a few suntan lotion marks round the neck. He had new ones in about January and they all fit fine. ..

Should I splurge or wait? The eco warrior (and tightwad) in me says wait. ...but they look so obvious against his sisters. ..!

Thanks, prefer not to do sausages as I only like the expensive ones

Same here SpottyTeacakes- we save sausage and mash for a treat because as my son says we only eat 'proper' ones.

Passthecake- I'm having the same dilemma- DS1's uniform looks tatty now and I think it will look even worse next to DS2's new uniform, I think the jumpers and trousers will be okay but I think I am going to have to splash out on shirts- One is still completely stained with hair dye from the last school fundraiser!

I'd treat the suntan cream stains with concentrated washing up liquid overnight and then hot wash.

Or just leave them because its nearly the end of term and its only going to happen again.

£4.60 hair conditioner.
£4.60 dishwasher powder.

Spotty bbq sausage casserole pk cheap 8 sausages will feed 4-8 depends how much u have chop sausages into 4 marinate in any bbq sauce we use whichever squirty one is on offer fry off n add lots veg can use frozen mix veg if cheaper we use onions mushroom carrots peas n sweet corn add 1/2 pint stock n few squirts of bbq sauce n few squirts ketchup (sometimes if end of bottle we add bit water shake n pour all in). Something I add teaspoon gravy granules if needs thickening. Simmer for 45mins.

We serve with mash first time left overs get frozen n defrosted bunged in casserole dish with some par boiled New potatoes or tinned if no time and bunged in oven for 30mins n served with garlic bread.

We actually use aldi 99p cheapo sausages you get 12 we use 10 (keep 2 for sausage stuffing for Sunday dinner) n we get 6 adult portions n 2-3 toddler portions only works if chop sausages n I think works better with cheapo ones.

Spotty we only eat high meat content sausages for anything else but they go rubbery in casserole needs cheap ones.

Couple cheap meals we do is part baked baguettes we have half each n filling can be as cheap as u like a small piece frying steak with onions goes a long way in a baguette n we do hmmm wedges or oven chips.

Egg n chips with peas n mushrooms

Pasta bake just use cheap jar sauce pasta to sauteed veg mixed in with pasta grated cheese on top n bake n have with garlic bread.

Roast chicken is such cheap meal for us aldi free range£5 or satirize normal ones 3 for£10. Dinner one is roast eat nearly half. Dinner 2 marinate other half in bbq sauce or nando sauce n leave overnight or until day after that we use a roasting bag reheat in oven 20-30mins n serve with rice or wedges n veg. Meat left on bone gets pulled off n made into a pie with other bits or gets used for baguettes or lunches. When can be bothered which is rare stock is made out of bones.

I feed 2 adults and a 3yr old.

Hello ladies - can i join in? Feel sick sans fail at thought of looking in bank account by the 2nd week of every month - salary just not going far enough. Even though I'm on a good salary. And only spending on food & travel. Oh. And wine. Sigh.

So can I join in?

£2.40 on lunch today but will need to do grocery shop tonight...trying to remember to do an online as seen some money off vouchers.

NSD. I'll read through later.

englishrose glad not just me then! I'll see how bad they are in a couple of weeks and see if I need to replace. Ds grows in big spurts and I begrudge replacing for the same size. ...am sure dds will turn from white to yellow in no time so they match!

East you're right, why are nice sausages yuck in casserole?! Thanks for the ideas!

Welcome oddsocks

I've been on hold to tax credits for 25 minutes and they close in 2 minutes, I'm going to get cut off aren't i?!