boodles frugal 2014

[mrs boodles]

Writing this is going to be an incentive to me to be frugal or at least wiser with money. Our circumstances changed in May 2013 and hubby had to give up work due to ill health. The company he worked for paid him his wages for a couple of months which was pretty good of them and then he had SSP until before Christmas. Basically now we have my state pension and his disability benefit. He has an army pension and that pays our rent and the council tax. We do have savings and we will use some of it to make sure hubby has everything he wants. We have down sized the car (at long last) and this one is going to be a lot more economical so we still have the freedom to go out if we want.

My aims for the next few months are to cook 100% or as near as from scratch. I am going back to baking my own bread and cakes. I want to cook more vegetarian meals as the price of meat is very silly so that is one area where I can cut back. I aim to get back to walking instead of jumping in car. I want to get into the habit of menu planning and sticking to a food budget. I would also like to have about 3/4 no spend days a week.

I would like my little garden more productive if circumstances allow, considering events of 2013 I was pleased with what I grew but as they say in school reports `could do better'

Things will be changing yet again at some stage this year and I will have to have another rethink on being frugal and tighten the belt a lot more but for the time being the above is what I am going to try and achieve.

[lancashire lass]

Things will be changing yet again at some stage this year and I will have to have another rethink on being frugal and tighten the belt a lot more but for the time being the above is what I am going to try and achieve

When my circumstances changed and my income was much reduced, I found it difficult to make drastic changes in one fell swoop but had to cut back gradually. Some of that was learning to switch products (not that I ever bought the most expensive) and finding out which ones are equivalent to what I used to have, and whether it was essential to buy the stuff anyway (it's still very much a grey area in my case )

Good luck with your frugal 2014

[Meanqueen]

Hi Mrs B, your plans all look good to me. Baking your own bread will be a good idea if you have two or more people in the house. I don't bake because there is only me, and I can buy bread cheap enough, and I don't eat much of it. There is definitely savings to be made by cooking from scratch, and meals needn't be too complicated.

You have reminded me to use my bus pass more.
Ilona

[mrs boodles]

Hi one and all, well first bit of frugalality last night. Hubbys boss mentioned when he came round last night to collect sick note that he and his partner had had a curry and suddenly we had the urge for a take away. Thought on though at how much it would cost even if I cooked the rice myself so said NO to myself and we went back to original meal of egg and bacon. We will be having the curry tonight but I will be making it from scratch. Its all too easy to fall into the take away scenario if you fancy one where I live, our town is full of them.

Ilona, I will be using my bus pass again if I go into the big town, which doesn`t happen very often, parking fees in there are ridiculous.

[Meanqueen]

we went back to original meal of egg and bacon. We will be having the curry tonight but I will be making it from scratch. Its all too easy to fall into the take away scenario if you fancy one where I live, our town is full of them.

Hi. I sometimes have scrambled eggs and half a tin of baked beans for my evening meal, it's cheap and I like it. If you make a big curry you can freeze extra portions in margarine tubs and you have your own takeaways to microwave. I often do this. Haven't bought a takeaway from a shop in years.

It's the little things that make a difference. Good planning Mrs B.
Ilona

[Mo]

We only have take-aways on holiday - then we are usually trying to fit a lot in (dancing, concerts, music sessions).
But at home I prefer to know what I'm cooking. Take-aways can be disappointing, even though they smell tempting when you're walking past.
I quite often have an omelette - a cheap 'meatless day'.

[Mo]

Just found this about recreating 'convenience food', by cooking from scratch. Better and/or cheaper, usually both.

[mrs boodles]

Thanks Mo, had a look at definitely going to try them all meals we like.

[mrs boodles]

Well, haven`t done too badly for the first week. I have had four no spend days and used food from store cupboard and freezer to make meals. We did a basic shop during last week to stock up with loo rolls, washing powder (basic stuff) coffee and toiletries. Hubby wanted to go to Mr.Liddly today and we got some meat and veg . All meals have been made from scratch and nothing wasted, either used up next day or put in freezer for future date. Haven`t used the big oven all week, tend to use the mini oven or slow cooker. Do use the top but want to get into habit of using steamer. Bread hand made and lasted us all week.
Have got to sort out gas and electric as hubby has it on line on his computer and he can`t manage stuff on computer. Would like to get the water usage down although we use less than an average two person household according to our water supplier but monthly direct debit is still higher than I want.

So my aim this week is no spend days again and to get on top of this menu planning. Need to be more organised as well

[mrs boodles]

Not doing very well with no spend days this week, but you can`t win them all every week. Found a book that I knew I had that uses mainly storecupboard items for meals, have tried a few before and pretty good so that is going to be used a bit more in the coming weeks.

[mrs boodles]

Got my act together this morning and checked what I had in the freezer. Pleasantly surprised with the amount in there, so can now sort out what I am going to make meal wise and also found some portions of things I had made a few weeks ago. Hopefully that will cut the housekeeping a bit. Definitely going to have some no spend days this week, we certainly won`t starve.

[Mo]

I have a plan dangling on a clip above the freezer in the garage. It should tell me what's in and where. I have the baskets from the old freezer stacked in the bottom, so this years fruit goes in the lower basket, any older fruit will get used up first.
I only rewrite the plan every few months so things might get moved around in between and the things that go in and out regularly might not get mapped.
The symbols on the list might tell me that the icecream boxes in the 2nd stack on the left at the back contain cherries. I put fish in blue carrier bags & bits of cold meat for sandwiches or casseroles in orange carriers.
For other thing I have to fish, freeze my fingers and curse.

[mrs boodles]

Have sat and written out menu plan for next week and a shopping list to go with it so hope to go to shops later and get that sorted out if I can.

Made a veggie cottage pie last night for dinner, not pleased with it, quite tasteless, so what remains of the mix minus mashed potato has been frozen to be made into veggie crispbakes , or bubble and squeak, for a couple of meals with egg and maybe bit of bacon.

[jackian]

. Would like to get the water usage down although we use less than an average two person household according to our water supplier but monthly direct debit is still higher than I want.

So my aim this week is no spend days again and to get on top of this menu planning. Need to be more organised as well

You don't mention if your water is on a meter or not.We changed our water to a meter as there is only 2 of us now and we have saved at least half .
It took a few months to sort out but worth it.I believe we had 12 months to change back if we needed to ,but if we move the new owners have to have the water meter .

The other thing for me was to do banking on line.I used to be rubbish at managing money but since being on line with the bank you can see exactly where you are going wrong (or right)
All our direct debits come out of one account and they all come out on the 1st of the month . So |I just make sure there is enough in there to cover it .(some months harder than others.) I know then exactly what is left to squander on things like food !
Good luck . I think Lancashire lass is right gently does it. You can't do it all at once.

[jackian]

Made a veggie cottage pie last night for dinner, not pleased with it, quite tasteless, so what remains of the mix minus mashed potato has been frozen to be made into veggie crispbakes , or bubble and squeak, for a couple of meals with egg and maybe bit of bacon.

Use more spices .. cheap and make all the difference.