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Original poster

100 a month budget!

83 replies

swingsandroundabouts2 · 01/05/2015 14:38

Hello..im trying to save up for my kids future, so this is my budget monthly from now on. Il have all bills etc coming out of my bank, but on the 1st of each month il take 100 cash out and this will be for food, petrol, toddlet groups ect. I have 2 kids, i can do a full shop at aldi for 20..this woukd last us for almost 2 weeks. I rarely use the car so 20 should do me for the month maybe more in petrol. Any other tips or ideas or am i mad??!

OP posts:

chanie44 · 01/05/2015 17:33

Can I ask what you are buying in aldi for £20, to last two weeks.

I don't think you are mad, but £100 seems rather low and your budget should be realistic.

SurlyCue · 01/05/2015 17:37

£20 in aldi to last two weeks? does that include top up shops of milk and bread, fruit and any toiletries/nappies etc?

I agree it is a low budget and i think unrealistic.

WipsGlitter · 01/05/2015 17:39

It's impossible to say. What is your income? What % of that are you saving? Do you have any debt?

Artandco · 01/05/2015 17:39

I don't think £20 to feed a family per week is enough. We spend more than that on fruit and veg alone.

dontlikechocolateorcake · 01/05/2015 17:40

Im amazed you spend that little and would like some tips from you lol

Original poster

swingsandroundabouts2 · 01/05/2015 17:42

Aldi isnt it...cheap! Luckily me and my kids havent got large apetites, they have porridge for breafast, maybe sandwiches for lunch then a good home cooked meal for tea...chicken, mince fish ect. 6 chicken breasts will do us 3 meals each and also 500g mince 3 meals each, i make and freeze batches. They dont snack much but if they do its fruit..bananas are 14p each and i get large ones so they are fine with half each, never eat a full one!

OP posts:

Heels99 · 01/05/2015 17:43

Quality of life in the present should be considered as well as saving for the future.

Fairylea · 01/05/2015 17:46

Wow. We are on a very low budget (mainly reliant on tax credits to survive) but there is no way I could survive on £20 a week for food. I'd only do that if I had literally no other choice whatsoever.

Artandco · 01/05/2015 17:49

How old are the children? Is this a temporary thing? As surely once they grow they will be eating larger portions?

Ie today my 4 and 5 year olds had porridge too. But that was made fully with milk, with 1/2 banana each and handful berries ontop. With glass of milk to drink. So about 1 pint of milk gone just for one breakfast.

Original poster

swingsandroundabouts2 · 01/05/2015 18:07

They are 2 and 4. I make their porridge with half water, half milk and add raisins to it too, they ask for it every morning. Believe me, they eat well. A loaf of bread lasts us a week, maybe longer, as does a 4 pinter of milk. I dont tend to buy fresh veg as it doesnt last, i buy a bag of frozen mixed which is just as healthy and lasts longer. I only by fresh for our sunday roast when the kids are with me, which is two sundays a month. I make home made bolognaise, chilli, curry, caseroles, which all can be halved and put in the freezer. We dont eat meat everyday. We have been eating like this for years and they are two healthy kids. my partner is a dr so im sure if my kids are unhealthy he would know, and if my kids ever complain of feeling hungry i will feed them, they never go without and they wont, whether i have gone over budget or not theyl be fed! This is just a little experiment to see if it can be done for me, it might not work for others, everybodies circumstances are differant.

OP posts:

Methe · 01/05/2015 18:11

I don't believe you can eat well on £25 a week.

Raisins are terrible for teeth.

Original poster

swingsandroundabouts2 · 01/05/2015 18:21

Alot of things are bad for teeth, but in moderation things are fine. Milk is bad for the digestive system when given in large ammounts so ive cut milk down and give them dairy through other foods.

OP posts:

titchy · 01/05/2015 18:26

Your dp's a Dr and you need to budget...? And I cannot believe you all get 5 a day if you only spend £10 a week on food.

Methe · 01/05/2015 18:28

most western humans are well adapted to drinking milk, the amount you would have in porridge does not constitute a large amount anyway. Children ( and every other human on the planet) needs fat to function.

If your husband is a Dr he must be earning reasonable money. Why on earth wouldn't you eat well? What are you saving for that's more important than eating well now?

titchy · 01/05/2015 18:28

Milk is the cheapest form of dairy there is, particular now. So what do you replace it with?

Sorry I don't actually believe you. Post a receipt and a fortnight's menu planning.

Artandco · 01/05/2015 18:28

Oh that 'milk' we use is a mixture of oat milk, coconut milk and regular organic milk. We get through 16 pints a week ( 4 regular, 6 oat, 6 coconut). That's about £20 on milk.

I'm sorry but I cannot see how you can healthy have 7 portions of fruit and veg for 4 people a week on £20, without all the other stuff. Sure frozen is fine, but you will need to be eating frozen fruit and veg at every meal, 2/3 portions at each meal. A few raisens isn't that

Methe · 01/05/2015 18:29

I misread the OP.

There is absolutely no way you can eat properly on £10 a week.

lordsandladies · 01/05/2015 18:31

Your DP is a Dr and you need to live on £100 a month

SurlyCue · 01/05/2015 18:36

Yes i would really love to see a fortnight's meal plan and the receipt for the food. I dont believe it.

LynetteScavo · 01/05/2015 18:38

You feed 3 people on £10 a week? Then, yes you will be on £100 pm. I personally couldn't do it.

Justusemyname · 01/05/2015 18:39

Two and four year old need milk fgs. You are putting money before them having nicer porridge imo. Porridge with water is vile.

Methe · 01/05/2015 18:39

More than 3, she said kids

LynetteScavo · 01/05/2015 18:42

So basically you will have £10 per week after food and petrol.

WipsGlitter · 01/05/2015 18:42

I think she's separated from her husband. So her DP may just be a boyfriend and not contributing to the house.

titchy · 01/05/2015 19:03

So one portion is about 80g for OP and say 50g for each child. Assuming it's just OP and two kids then one portion will be 180g for all of them. A kilo of frozen veg (cheapest I could find was £1 in Aldi for a kilo of mixed veg) will therefore provide just over five portions, so a days worth. So OP needs to spend £7 a week on veg alone just to be healthy. Another pound on milk leaving £2 a week for protein, other dairy and carbohydrate.

Not possible - sorry OP you do NOT eat healthily on £10 a week and if you think you do you're kidding yourself.

Or is this a goady thread?

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