Dilemma's budgeting thread

[dilemma456]

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don't eat eggs for a few days?

Make your own sponge cake - cheaper than buying.

Buy an iceberg lettuce instead of salad mix.

What you've done isn't budget though - you've just listed what you've spent the last week. You need to work out what you've got left, divide it by three (for each week) and then work out where to spend that money.

Have you paid all your bills and done all your grocery shopping yet? How much have you got left?

How do you suppose sponge cakes are made?!

What food do you already have in the freezer/cuboardas and fridge - maybe a list of what you have so we can help with suggestions of what you could make for tea etc.

Yes but if you only use two eggs for sponge cakes, that's rather fewer than if you're having omlettes and boiled eggs etc.

Only trying to make suggestions.

£12 is cheap for a babysitter, my minimum is £30!

The quality of the bread, at 0.67 I feel must be questionable. Do you need to eat lots of bread... would buying potatoes instead be better for budget and health? When buying food, aim for quality and quantity rather than cheapness - potatoes in my view will fill you up more than Chorleywood Industrial Bread. Pasta dishes are also easy and quick plus low cost.

I agree that your list isn't a budget. You are not listing out everything that is a cost. For example, occupying yourself and child/children can be costly... or can be low cost. At this time of year PYO farms can be good as a way of occupying the family, whilst also obtaining lower cost food. However do check prices before you PYO.

Children love making cakes - your DD and her friend may have liked to make cakes... very basic individual sponge cakes (fairy cakes) are easy and quick - Recipe - make half quantity and if you are already using the oven for cooking something else, can be fuel efficient.

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Oh come on! Fairy cakes are ridculously easy! Get practising!

Get an egg, and put it on one side of the scales, and do an egg's weight of sugar, flour and butter. Whisk them together with an electric whisk. Divide into cake cases and bake for 10min at 180 C.

Great, low cost activity and a low cost treat at the end. You could even decorate them with icing made from icing sugar with a tiny bit of water added, and food colouring too if you like.

Honestly - it's really worth learning how to make them. And they're way nicer than shop bought cakes.

To be honest, if I were to a tight budget, I wouldn't bother buying lettuce at all. Would get carrots instead... more uses.

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drycleaning? did you really need to dryclean/do you need to wear whatever it was you had drycleaned.

What other expenses do you normally have? You seem to have everything covered for next week.

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well i would say dont buy clothes which need drycleaning in future!!!

I don't understand - you are talking as if you are having to cut back long term . This is only a short term thing until payday isn't it?

If it were me I'd have held off getting the cleaning done and not had any treats. And for the rest of the month, surely you won't need any clothes or toiletries (unless you are on the dregs of the shampoo of course).

And if you need to use your savings why not do it? If you were underpaid you will get it next month, so you can replace any savings you use.