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Frugal February!

188 replies

Psychoticbreak · 31/01/2024 17:30

I failed in January but definitely need to reign in Feb or my mortgage will not be paid. Best of luck to us all!

OP posts:
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5
pistachiosanscream · 01/02/2024 11:38

@Wannabegreenfingers While everything has gone up in price for groceries. I'm really shocked at how expensive treats and snacks now are. An own brand pack of jaffacakes is now €2. they used to half that. We had definitely gotten into the habit of buying quite a bit of these and i'm going to try hard to remove them from the grocery shopping. Its not good for the waistline or the pocket.

It may mean that we buy more treats whilst out and about or use our personal cash for treats but thats ok to me. I realise now that having plenty in stock means we eat more and at the price they are its no longer feasible.

So i'm going to make chocolate biscuit cake, brownies and rice crispie buns using up what ive on hand for treats. I've also got lots of homemade jam on hand so jam tarts will make an appearance. Any other uses for lots of jam?

Ive hada revelation over the last month that my fridge is not nearly empty. it just empty of things that are easy to eat/make. Its made me plan more but i'm actually eating better because of this. however that is dependent on having a DH who eats anything and may be harder with teenagers.

caringcarer · 01/02/2024 11:49

2024Hackathon · 01/02/2024 11:27

I had >25 NSDs for January. My spends were stuff to clean the fridge drain, a special supplement to make fermented dairy for someone who has had problems with intensive antibiotics and antifungals, and a heated wrap for a poorly family member etc.

I refrained from spending £500 on kitchen stuff despite amazing discounts on items I've coveted for years. (Grief I was wavering last night, there was 50% discount on NordicWare that I've wanted for >10 years. But I'd have had to tell you all if I bought it and I know this is a want and not a need.)

Well done for not giving in to those January offers. I know they can be so tempting. But as you say not necessarily.

Akire · 01/02/2024 11:56

@Wannabegreenfingers sounds like you are doing well with shopping. Have you been through and worked out how much is on the cat, household and toiletries? By Time have kitchen roll, toilet roll, persil, dish washer tablets, bin bags, deodorant it can add up to a lot. You can save by buying these things in bulk or on offer but it can feel hard to pay out the initial cost.

2024Hackathon · 01/02/2024 12:07

I've also got lots of homemade jam on hand so jam tarts will make an appearance. Any other uses for lots of jam?

We serve jam with yoghurt (we make yoghurt) and we've used jam or curd with Greek yoghurt (extra drained yoghurt in our case) and then frozen it. We use jam to dress poached fruit (thinning it with poaching liquid) and some salads. Pancakes, drop scones, waffles.

Sandwich plain biscuits with it (if you've got Rich Tea or similar).

I'm from the North so this might explain something that might horrify you. There are some jams we have with cheese (substitute for fruit cheese - stuff like damson cheese or quince paste).

HowDidThisHappenDinesh · 01/02/2024 12:19

Checking in for Feb! I just did the budget, topped up pots, and made a credit card payment. I’m hoping to stick to £175 per person for food this month, it’s a short month and we’re away for a week so it should be doable. We have some cash put aside for our week away but anything we can cut back on will also help us out there.

It should be a no spend day today. Tomorrow we’re taking someone out for dinner as a thank you for doing us a massive favour, might be pricey but their favour has saved us £300+ so I’m more than happy to pay for a nice evening. A small food shop is needed before Monday(milk, eggs, tinned tomatoes + diet coke for DH’s addiction!) and we might go to Ikea for some shoe storage + then the cinema on Sunday. If we don’t go I’ll still need to order shoe storage as we absolutely cannot put it off any longer!

So today and Saturday = NSDs. Friday and Sunday = PSDs (planned spend days). I did promise myself a payday treat if I did well in Jan, and have my eye on a print for our bathroom which is only £15 and will hopefully tide me over to resist treats throughout the month…

Yeahrightyouarethen · 01/02/2024 12:41

Can anyone join? I did a bit of financial recovery in January and have cleared some debts, and shifted others to an interest free card. I'm hoping if I'm savvy this month I'll be debt free by April. What didn't help this month was my food shop coming in at £120!! I get the same things every shop and the increase is astronomical. I didn't even pay this much when I had a child in nappies and on formula!

2024Hackathon · 01/02/2024 12:44

Yeahrightyouarethen · 01/02/2024 12:41

Can anyone join? I did a bit of financial recovery in January and have cleared some debts, and shifted others to an interest free card. I'm hoping if I'm savvy this month I'll be debt free by April. What didn't help this month was my food shop coming in at £120!! I get the same things every shop and the increase is astronomical. I didn't even pay this much when I had a child in nappies and on formula!

£120 for the month's food sounds impressive if that covered all your meals (not your stores, freezers etc.). How many was that for?

Wannabegreenfingers · 01/02/2024 12:46

@pistachiosanscream @Akire some good tips there. I think once I break it down, it's not unreasonable at all. I just get perplexed when people say their shopping budget is for £200 for a month. They must mean just food and not a shop including all their cleaning/toiletries.

Yeahrightyouarethen · 01/02/2024 12:49

2024Hackathon · 01/02/2024 12:44

£120 for the month's food sounds impressive if that covered all your meals (not your stores, freezers etc.). How many was that for?

Sorry that was for a week's shopping. Previously it was £60

HowDidThisHappenDinesh · 01/02/2024 13:31

Wannabegreenfingers · 01/02/2024 12:46

@pistachiosanscream @Akire some good tips there. I think once I break it down, it's not unreasonable at all. I just get perplexed when people say their shopping budget is for £200 for a month. They must mean just food and not a shop including all their cleaning/toiletries.

I usually spend £200 per person but that doesn’t include cleaning supplies etc, I have a separate budget for that. £500 for everything sounds amazing. Everything has gone up so much in price also. I’m not sure how you might be able to reduce it further. Sorry that’s not helpful 😂

@Yeahrightyouarethen Welcome!!

Rainbow1901 · 01/02/2024 14:24

Well, I was hoping for a NSD for the first day of February but DH finished the bread and we're not sure if two GSs will be here for breakfast in the morning. So £1.55 spent at the Spar shop but we did walk to the shop with youngest GS in the pram so the exercise will have done us some good.
Any bills for today have come out of the joint account but I don't count those as they are budgeted for.
I did a budget check and I am shocked at how much prices have gone up - it's annoying that we had to buy bread as when we shop tomorrow it would have probably only have cost around £1.15 or so.
The cat still needs her neutering operation in 10 days or so - but we are trying to spend it within our all allocated pot - savings have been moved out so if push comes to shove we can pull some of that back but I'd rather not.
Made a list of tins in the cupboard and need to do the same for the freezer and then count roughly how many meals we have with that lot for February. I thought January was bad - looks like February will be hard work too!

2024Hackathon · 01/02/2024 14:45

annoying that we had to buy bread as when we shop tomorrow it would have probably only have cost around £1.15 or so

You had a walk, it cost 40p more and even if you'd made bread yourself, it would probably be a tie with the cost of heating the oven etc.

Akire · 01/02/2024 16:14

Food prices are still shocking, have to wonder who is buying some of the things. I feel like my Gran in every shop How much?!

Started looking at prices online before shop at Sainsbury’s so if there is a good deal or brand I can see it. Sometimes in the aisle it’s hard to compare prices over weights. If you know X brand is £2 cheaper it’s easier to find on the shelf somehow.

Day 1 NSD completed

Nellieinthebarn · 01/02/2024 17:54

OolongTeaDrinker · 01/02/2024 10:35

£222 for the month is great - do you have any tips for keeping food budget low, do you meal plan etc? Thanks!

There is only 2 of us, but yes I do meal plan, sort of. I don't think I do anything special, and as I said Christmas leftovers were incredibly helpful in January. I think the main thing is that I mostly shop at Aldi, and I cook 90% from scratch. Its not anything very complex or difficult though. The only thing I cannot do is bread, its consistently bloody horrible.

My main meals per week more or less consists of 1 meat, 2 chicken, 2 fish and 2 veggie main meals. I do a stock take of what I've got in the freezer and pantry. I do a rough meal plan using what I've already got and the meals formula as a framework. Then I make a shopping list which will feed us for a week, but if there are any special offers that we will eat, I ditch the list and buy those instead. I sometimes buy a huge thing of mince or chicken and batch cook so there is usually something in the freezer for can't be arsed days.

I usually do at least 3 really simple cheap main meals per week, like baked potatoes with beans and cheese, broccoli or mushrooms in cheese sauce with pasta, egg and chips with tomatoes and peas, homemade pizza and salad. These are not on the meal plans, so the weeks food usually lasts at least 10 days. I can do this because I keep the larder topped up with basics.

Breakfasts are usually eggs, avocados or mushrooms on toast, eggy bread or h/m pancakes, tattie scones and bacon. DH also has porridge with jam. Lunches are usually leftovers, sandwiches or h/m soup with bread or ryvitas.

I make plain cakey type things as hole fillers, like scones, raisin muffins, and flapjacks. We also have a few puddings, not everyday, maybe a crumble or microwaved 'steamed' pudding. They may not be good for you, but are very cheering when dinner is a bit basic or sparse.

As I say, its not rocket science, but the thing I do have is time. I cannot work due to ill health, but that means I do have time to cook from scratch even if its a baked spud.

Imnotthemonalisa · 01/02/2024 18:08

Rainbow1901 · 01/02/2024 14:24

Well, I was hoping for a NSD for the first day of February but DH finished the bread and we're not sure if two GSs will be here for breakfast in the morning. So £1.55 spent at the Spar shop but we did walk to the shop with youngest GS in the pram so the exercise will have done us some good.
Any bills for today have come out of the joint account but I don't count those as they are budgeted for.
I did a budget check and I am shocked at how much prices have gone up - it's annoying that we had to buy bread as when we shop tomorrow it would have probably only have cost around £1.15 or so.
The cat still needs her neutering operation in 10 days or so - but we are trying to spend it within our all allocated pot - savings have been moved out so if push comes to shove we can pull some of that back but I'd rather not.
Made a list of tins in the cupboard and need to do the same for the freezer and then count roughly how many meals we have with that lot for February. I thought January was bad - looks like February will be hard work too!

Have you checked to see if you're eligible for help with the cost of neutering?
https://www.cats.org.uk/what-we-do/neutering/financial-assistance

Financial assistance | Neutering assistance | Cats Protection

Are you looking for cat neutering near you? We support thousands each year with our financial assistance schemes and regional campaigns.

https://www.cats.org.uk/what-we-do/neutering/financial-assistance

MrsShortbread · 01/02/2024 18:15

I’d say my January was respectable - hoping for better in February. I have £1800 going out mid month to the decorators for a week and a half’s job, so definitely need to focus.
Today was an essential-spends only day: firelighters, polish, bread & cheese - bought on school run so no extra diesel used to get to shop. Dinner was cheese on toast with salad, milk for the children.

PaperRhino · 01/02/2024 18:16

Can I join? Happy I saw this post as I had MASSIVE car repair and insurance bills in January and it's wiped me out, especially post-Christmas. Apart from one social event I've had in the calendar for a LONG time I am not allowing myself to go to any social event that involves eating out/drinking or otherwise costs money so any suggestions for things to do after work besides going to the gym or watching Netflix would be welcome! (please don't say walking, I don't do walking in the dark or the rain, that's strictly a summer daytime activity!)

Aiming for at least 4 days of each week to be No Spend Days - I work from home Tuesday to Friday so keeping away from Vinted and Amazon on these days and eating what is in the fridge rather than deciding to nip out and buy 'something nice for dinner'. I will mostly be making a lot of soups and curries and things with lentils...

2024Hackathon · 01/02/2024 18:21

any suggestions for things to do after work besides going to the gym or watching Netflix would be welcome!

Are you a member of your library? You can 'borrow' lots of online magazines and other subscription items from there.

Do you enjoy any types of exercise or other activity for which you can find good videos on YT?

Rainbow1901 · 01/02/2024 18:35

Imnotthemonalisa · 01/02/2024 18:08

Have you checked to see if you're eligible for help with the cost of neutering?
https://www.cats.org.uk/what-we-do/neutering/financial-assistance

Thank you - have had a look but we don't meet the criteria for help!! Story of my life!! 🙄

Disneyland2022 · 01/02/2024 18:46

@PaperRhino read a book? Do a jigsaw? Board game?

Mossstitch · 01/02/2024 19:12

Nellieinthebarn · 01/02/2024 17:54

There is only 2 of us, but yes I do meal plan, sort of. I don't think I do anything special, and as I said Christmas leftovers were incredibly helpful in January. I think the main thing is that I mostly shop at Aldi, and I cook 90% from scratch. Its not anything very complex or difficult though. The only thing I cannot do is bread, its consistently bloody horrible.

My main meals per week more or less consists of 1 meat, 2 chicken, 2 fish and 2 veggie main meals. I do a stock take of what I've got in the freezer and pantry. I do a rough meal plan using what I've already got and the meals formula as a framework. Then I make a shopping list which will feed us for a week, but if there are any special offers that we will eat, I ditch the list and buy those instead. I sometimes buy a huge thing of mince or chicken and batch cook so there is usually something in the freezer for can't be arsed days.

I usually do at least 3 really simple cheap main meals per week, like baked potatoes with beans and cheese, broccoli or mushrooms in cheese sauce with pasta, egg and chips with tomatoes and peas, homemade pizza and salad. These are not on the meal plans, so the weeks food usually lasts at least 10 days. I can do this because I keep the larder topped up with basics.

Breakfasts are usually eggs, avocados or mushrooms on toast, eggy bread or h/m pancakes, tattie scones and bacon. DH also has porridge with jam. Lunches are usually leftovers, sandwiches or h/m soup with bread or ryvitas.

I make plain cakey type things as hole fillers, like scones, raisin muffins, and flapjacks. We also have a few puddings, not everyday, maybe a crumble or microwaved 'steamed' pudding. They may not be good for you, but are very cheering when dinner is a bit basic or sparse.

As I say, its not rocket science, but the thing I do have is time. I cannot work due to ill health, but that means I do have time to cook from scratch even if its a baked spud.

I make bread all the time and always works even though I don't weigh anything but one thing I've learnt is the wetter the dough the lighter the bread ( just in case yours is turning out heavy which is the usual problem). Literally flour, tsp salt, tsp easy yeast, drop of olive oiland tepid water to mix. I do allow a second prove despite the easy yeast saying just one but don't really do much kneading as its exhausting😂 If that's still a problem try Hugh fearnly whittingstalls flatbread recipe, quick and easy wraps or dip in soup ect and can make quick pizzas with them (make a batch and freeze and pull out as required)🍞🥖🫓

Nellieinthebarn · 01/02/2024 19:16

@Mossstitch Thanks for the tips, but I have been trying for 40 years since I was first married. I have just come to accept that I can't be brilliant at everything!!

2024Hackathon · 01/02/2024 20:00

Nellieinthebarn · 01/02/2024 19:16

@Mossstitch Thanks for the tips, but I have been trying for 40 years since I was first married. I have just come to accept that I can't be brilliant at everything!!

My confession is that it's taken me more years than I care to think to actually be able to make yoghurt reliably.

I've been using the High Low method for the last 10 and now it works and well every time. It's even survived my family failing to refresh it regularly while I'm on business travel.

https://brodandtaylor.com/blogs/recipes/the-science-of-great-yogurt

It might seem like a lot of faff but I sometime think we have to find something that works for us and stick with it.

The Science of Great Yogurt

Learn science of yogurt! We teach you how to control temperature to make thick, creamy yogurt quickly and safely in your Brod & Taylor Folding Proofer.

https://brodandtaylor.com/blogs/recipes/the-science-of-great-yogurt

OolongTeaDrinker · 01/02/2024 20:54

Nellieinthebarn · 01/02/2024 17:54

There is only 2 of us, but yes I do meal plan, sort of. I don't think I do anything special, and as I said Christmas leftovers were incredibly helpful in January. I think the main thing is that I mostly shop at Aldi, and I cook 90% from scratch. Its not anything very complex or difficult though. The only thing I cannot do is bread, its consistently bloody horrible.

My main meals per week more or less consists of 1 meat, 2 chicken, 2 fish and 2 veggie main meals. I do a stock take of what I've got in the freezer and pantry. I do a rough meal plan using what I've already got and the meals formula as a framework. Then I make a shopping list which will feed us for a week, but if there are any special offers that we will eat, I ditch the list and buy those instead. I sometimes buy a huge thing of mince or chicken and batch cook so there is usually something in the freezer for can't be arsed days.

I usually do at least 3 really simple cheap main meals per week, like baked potatoes with beans and cheese, broccoli or mushrooms in cheese sauce with pasta, egg and chips with tomatoes and peas, homemade pizza and salad. These are not on the meal plans, so the weeks food usually lasts at least 10 days. I can do this because I keep the larder topped up with basics.

Breakfasts are usually eggs, avocados or mushrooms on toast, eggy bread or h/m pancakes, tattie scones and bacon. DH also has porridge with jam. Lunches are usually leftovers, sandwiches or h/m soup with bread or ryvitas.

I make plain cakey type things as hole fillers, like scones, raisin muffins, and flapjacks. We also have a few puddings, not everyday, maybe a crumble or microwaved 'steamed' pudding. They may not be good for you, but are very cheering when dinner is a bit basic or sparse.

As I say, its not rocket science, but the thing I do have is time. I cannot work due to ill health, but that means I do have time to cook from scratch even if its a baked spud.

Thank you, some great tips there - I've never really meal planned before so some good ideas to get started 🙏🏼

MrsShortbread · 01/02/2024 22:07

Came very close to spending unnecessarily tonight - discovered a perfume I wore decades ago with frequent compliments is still around (recognised the bottle) and was so wanting to buy it. Had 10% off code and thought about buying it through topcashback too, I wanted it that much. However, I sat looking at the total and just couldn’t justify…finally pressed cancel. Will wait till my birthday in October.