Wednesday 30 October 2013

And on a Completely Unrelated Topic, I Finished a Room..... Sort Of......

Evening all

I have not stopped today.  When I got up a fixed the kids breakfast then took them to football training, then painted, then picked them up, lunch, cleaning, setting up the pumpkins for them to carve, more cleaning/sorting/moving stuff, finding fancy dress stuff, took ds1 to rugby, face painting the other 2 for the Halloween party, took them to party, back to watch last 1/2 hour of ds1 rugby then took him to party, home to ironing, pick kids up, food even though they ate at party and collapse.

But I did finish my dinning room.  The sort of is that we need carpet, skirting boards painted when carpet pulled up and door and frame painted when skirts done.  We need money for carpet so all that will have to wait.  We also need blinds.  And here it is, can you tell I am really chuffed with myself for doing this lol

We have the gaming area, mainly for hubby but I have set up the wii for the kids on it as well, sort of set it up, not sure where all the wires go lol

 
And the eating area.  The patio doors open outwards so if the chairs are pushed in we can still get past no problem.  Might change it round again in the summer, will see how it goes.  I would like red blinds that match the wall.  Will start looking around. :D


Food wise, lots of bacon, eggs, salad, ham, cheese today ;-)

Sal x

Tuesday 29 October 2013

More 1p Stuff

Evening all

Another £15 added to my budget which takes me to £135/£150 and we are in the final week.  I did get lucky and got packs of stir fry reduced to 1p.  So I got 10 :D

B - bacon, egg and tinned toms
L - leftover sausage casserole
T - pork with salad

I have spent the evening sewing my Halloween outfit.  Cant wait, I am just a bit kid really lol

Have a great evening.

Sal x

Monday 28 October 2013

Agony.....

Evening all

I am in so much pain.  My fingers are aching.  I know its because I have been painting all day (and yesterday), but I still need to moan about it ;-)  The dinning room ceiling and walls except the feature wall are done.  We will buy the paint next weekend for the feature wall.  The skirting will have to wait until we can afford carpet and rip it up. 

B - yogurt
L - cheese salad
T - sausage casserole

Tomorrow will be another busy day although I should probably go shopping as we are out of sugar, bread and nearly out of milk.  I cant be doing without my milky cuppa in the morning.

Sal x

Saturday 26 October 2013

How Much for Paint.....

Evening all

After running out of paint yesterday we decided to buy more, always a good move when out of paint and lots of painting to do ;-).  B&Q are giving cardholders £10 voucher next week if you spend £50 this weekend.  So off we went thinking we might reach it and what else we could buy to bump it up.  Well, OMG, £30 for a pot of paint!!! :o  We got 2 cream coloured ones and 1 huge ceiling one for £60 as they were on offer 3 for 2.  We will go back when we have the voucher for the 'feature' wall paint. So that's my job for next week, painting as well as entertaining kids for half term. 

Brunch - bacon, sausages, tinned toms and omelette.
T - piri piri chicken with huge salad

We took my little greenhouse down today.  Was worried about the storm and hurricanes that are forecast so it is packed up for the winter ready to come out next year when I have lots of plants to put in it.

Sal x

Friday 25 October 2013

Spent More Money :o

Hiya

Well, my budget WAS going well.  Popped out and got more beans and a few other bits today so another £10.  Its now £120/£150.  Just over a week to go.  I know I can do it, its just hard to stick to a budget when there is so much I could buy.  I think I may have gone overboard though £20 this week on baked beans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :o

B - yogurt
L - mince & onion with a bit of tomato puree with coleslaw
T - omelette pizza

I will be taking down my little green house tomorrow.  There is going to be storms this weekend.  But rest assured it will go back up next year so grow lots of goodies for me.

Sal x

Thursday 24 October 2013

So Much Walking.....

Evening all

I have walked on school run, to work and back and then on second school run.  Thankfully my car was fixed for the asda run.  I got lots of beans (on offer), bread, salad, tomatoes, iron bru (treating the kids) and a few sweets (again treating the kids).  Spent £14 so my current budget is £110/£150.  Think we can manage on what we have in until next week now but may get more beans as they are my eldest favourite so need to stock up.

B - yogurt
L - leftover sausage casserole
T - pork chop with huge salad

And on a different note, what a lovely day today.  I am really hoping for another day like this tomorrow so I can get the sheets washed and dried.  Not holding my breathe though! lol

Sal x

Wednesday 23 October 2013

Having a Beer! Sod the Carbs lol

Evening all

I feel like collapsing!  Busy day today.  Ironing and then painting.  The dinning room and living room are ready for the 'real' paint now :D  I am ready for bed but I am having a beer as I do feel like I deserve one especially as I got covered in paint (too much paint on roller when I did the ceiling) then got a phone call so the paint dried on me (face/hair/clothes) and then I had to shoot up the school to pick my daughter up, I was and still am covered in paint!

B - yogurt and raspberries, very nice
L - rack of ribs with cheese and coleslaw
T - sausage casserole - sausages with carrots, parsnips, cabbage, peas and green beans.  Lovely.  The kids wolfed it down.  I have a portion left for my lunch tomorrow.

My asthma is really bad tonight but I think that's because I was dusting before painting and the paint.  Just taken my inhaler so will be ok soon.

Sal x

Tuesday 22 October 2013

5p :o

Evening all

OMG I got lucky earlier.  I went to Asda and they were reducing the veg stuff.  All these were 5p each - raspberries (my breakfast for tomorrow), 2 bags of stir fry (frozen in half bag portions as I don't think anyone else will eat it) and 2 bags of carrots (1kg I think each).  I got bread 17p and 2 pots of coleslaw.  :D  so another £1 added to my budget £96/£150.  Wont need any more shopping until Thursday/Friday.

And its day 2 of walking.  I walked the kids to school, then walked to work (luckily I got there on time) and then walked half way home before meeting hubby.  Also walked ds2 to youth club.  Was meant to walk more but rain stopped play!

B - yogurt
L - mince and veg
T - cheese and coleslaw (not very hungry and really couldn't be bothered)

We are having sausage casserole tomorrow, half price sausages and loads of veg especially carrots ;-) and I am hoping for more walking and painting.  Need to get house sorted as its now really depressing me :(

Sal x

Monday 21 October 2013

Lots of Walking - Day 1

Evening all

Day 1 of my car being broken and I have walked on school run and walked to Asda with my old lady shopping trolley.  I didn't get much food, went for other stuff.  but I do need to add £3 to my budget for ham, veg and marg.  Budget now £95/£150.  I am all out of salad so tomorrow will be meat and veg.  Not sure I what meat yet though.

B - Yogurt
L - mince and veg
T - gammon with salad

Tomorrow I have to walk on school run and walk to work.  Not sure how long that is going to take me, not too long I hope as I don't want to be late.

Sal x

Sunday 20 October 2013

Pork with No Crackling :o

Evening all

So my walking is now going to increase quite considerably.  My car has issues.  Cannot be driven until hubby fixes it which thankfully he should be able to do (fingers and toes crossed) So school runs/work/shopping will be walking.  Might actually lose this week then! lol

B/L - bacon, eggs and tomatoes
T - pork joint, it was whoopsied to £2.24 but I wont get it again.  Cook in the bag it was in and there was no crackling.  How can you have port joint with no crackling.  Everyone moaned!  Anyway, pork with cabbage, broccoli, carrot, cauli and gravy.

I took the kids to rugby today.  They loved it, I, however, did not love the clothes (and kids) covered head to toe in mud!  Clothes wash and kids in bath as soon as we got home. lol

Will be hoping for a dry day tomorrow (and the rest of the week).

Sal x

Saturday 19 October 2013

8am on a Saturday! :o

Evening all

As I said yesterday Lidl have mince for £1 for 500g.  So I went at 8am, I was the only one up.  Got my 6 packs of mince. :D Shopping budget now £92/£150.  That's going up fast!!! :o

I gave the kids the choice of anything for tea and they chose red pasta so I had omelette pizza as it was easy to do.  Didn't have as much toppings as yesterday though but still nice.

B - yogurt
L - sausage, bacon, egg and tinned toms
T - omelette pizza with ham, peppers and sundried tomatoes

Taking the kids to rugby tomorrow morning.  Thankfully its not on early lol

Have a great Saturday night.

Sal x

Friday 18 October 2013

Almost Worked.......

Evening all

Busy day today, work then shopping (as I was working near Farm Foods) then home to do paperwork.  I got 4 milk, 2 bread and a pack of grapes for £5.80 in Farm Foods.  So another £6 added to my budget.  Tomorrow will be more as Lidl have mince for £1.  You can get 6, I have got 12 when my daughter has been in front of me in the queue.  But as I am only aiming to spend £150 I will stick to 6.  If they have any left when I get there ;-)

B - yogurt
L - pate and cheese salad
T - omelette pizza, and it almost worked, only broke the once.  Here is a little piccy of it :D


As you can see only one break in it.  I think that is because usually after I make the omelette I transfer it into another dish and then add the pizza toppings and put in oven.  This time I added it all and put under the grill so only transferred the omelette pizza once, from frying pan to plate.  Will have to continue to do this.  Maybe I will get it perfect one day lol

Budget £86/£150

Have a great evening

Sal x

Thursday 17 October 2013

Onsie Time!

Evening all
 
 
Busy day today.  Some lovely kids in crèche, bit older than usual due to the teacher strikes so schools shut.  Was great fun!  :D
 
Then this afternoon I have gone round the charity shops for my Halloween outfit.  For £7.50 I now have the outfit, although it does need 'Halloweening'.  But I have everything here.  Yay!  One job done!
 
Food for today
 
B - yogurt
L - leftover pumpkin soup
T - I made pork loin with brie on and a huge salad which consisted of lettuce, dragon egg cucumber, tomatoes, sun dried tomato, half a green pepper, beetroot and some packet cheese thing with 0 carbs sprinkled on top.  With mayo of course.  I did have a rather large blob of tomato sauce but didn't have it all.  And here it is :D
 

Really need to get on with stuff tonight but am so tired, got work again tomorrow morning.

I nearly forgot.  Update to shopping.  I bought a 25kg bag of spuds for £8 delivered.  Should keep the troops going for 4-6 weeks.

Shopping budget £80/£150

I will need to get salad, bread and milk tomorrow but I am working near farm foods so will pop in there as its cheap, might get some more grapes as well for the kiddies.

As the title says 'Onsie Time' so am going to change into the onsie I bought from Lidl this morning (£6.99) and veg in front of rubbish on tv.

Sal x

Wednesday 16 October 2013

Think I have Issues

Evening or is it still Afternoon lol

I have been shopping again, don't need anything but..........   there was a glitch at Tesco so I had to stock up on special K cereal for the troops.  Spent £10 and got 15 boxes.  Should last a bit.

So my budget £72/£150.  Darn them glitches ;-)

I made my pumpkin soup today.  I put one of the defrosted pumpkin puree in the slow cooker first thing, added the 1/2 tin toms that was in fridge, 2 carrots, handful of green beans and the last of the onion from the freezer, added my mates homemade hot sauce and left it for a few hours.  Was lovely and got enough for tomorrow.

B - yogurt
L - pumpkin soup
T - kids are having their spaghetti with meatballs (I don't think they know how much veg goes into my homemade meatball sauce lol) and we will be eating later when hubby gets in so probably omelette pizza again.

Best clear up after kids then.

Sal x

Tuesday 15 October 2013

Whoo Hoo, found another courgette lol

Evening all

I haven't been shopping today, I was at work this morning and got covered in gloop and baby food, all is a days work for me.  Then I had to get some cleaning done and the recycling out.  But I did find another courgette.  So had a one pot meal again for lunch, onion, peppers, courgette, 2 chopped up burgers, tinned toms and hot pepper sauce.  With cheese on top.  Got the pumpkin puree defrosting to make my soup tomorrow.

B - yogurt
L - as above
T - as kids were at football/youthy they ate at 4pm and had spag bol.  So we had pizza (mmmm omelette pizza) for tea.  Obviously hubby had normal lol

So budget still stands at £62/£150 with nearly 3 weeks left :o

I need to scour the charity shops for a Halloween costume.  I have set my budget at £5 and don't mind making it myself but as I have somehow volunteered my services at the kids youth club Halloween party I apparently have to dress up.  So will see what I can get and what I can make!  Will try to steer clear of the usual witch outfit but could well end up going with that lol.

Sal x

Monday 14 October 2013

Oh My........................

Good Evening

I have had the best tea ever! And it was a huge hit with the kids.  Chicken fajitas (lettuce not wraps for me) with a huge salad and one the salad I put my sun dried tomatoes.  In the salad I used dragon egg cucumber.  Very nice.  And I took piccy's..........

Here is the inside of my wrap.  Chicken, onion, peppers with cheese and mayo.



And here is my finished tea, huge salad, the second wrap went a bit wrong, but very tasty nonetheless.











 


So, I also went shopping today.  Spent £12 and got huge pack of ham, bread, eggs, milk, sugar, lettuce, yogurts, apples and some other things.  I don't need any shopping for a few days, hoping to go until Thursday or maybe even Friday.
 
Budget £62/£150
 
B - yogurt
L - another throw in the pan meal, I fried up onion, peppers and courgette with 2 cut up burgers, then added tinned toms that I had left from weekend and the hot sauce I was given off my mate today :D, bit of cheese on top, lovely lovely lovely
T - as above and the chicken, I used 3 breasts from the pack of 6 from farmfoods and there was loads of it.  I probably could have just used 2 but we are pigs (well, I am ;-) so used 3)
 
 
Back to my crochet.
 
Sal x

Sunday 13 October 2013

Just Shove it all in lol

Hiya

Had a great day yesterday.  Very frugal.  Took the kids to the museum in the morning and had a fab time.  Then in the afternoon took them to my mates allotment to see her chickens.  And whilst I was there she gave me a bag of tomatoes which are currently being turned into sun roasted tomatoes which is so unbelievably easy, I can believe I haven't done it before.  I also got a bag containing sprouts, dragon egg cucumbers and courgettes.

So far I have used all but 1 of the courgettes by making cheese and courgette biscuits for the kids (a huge hit I might add and they don't know there is courgette in them ha ha), I also used 1 in my lunch today.  I cooked some tomatoes last night and doing the rest today so they are all gone.  Sprouts with tea and the dragon egg cucumber we will be having with our salads next week.  RESULT!

Sun roasted tomatoes - cut tomato in half, put on baking tray, sprinkle on salt, pepper, herbs and olive oil (the only olive oil I have is mixed with balsamic vinegar so that went on as well), roast on low, I put it in whilst I was cooking then let the oven cool down with them in and kept in when I cooked more so they were in for a few hours in a warm/hot oven.

So onto my title.  Just shove it all in the pan was my plan for lunch.  Was meant to be bacon, egg and tomatoes but we only have 3 eggs left and they are small so need all of them for the troops Yorkshire pudding later.  Instead I cut up 1 courgette, 1/2 onion, 1/2 green pepper, 2 tomatoes and shoved it all in a frying pan, cooked it up then chucked in bacon pieces and when cooked put cheese on top.  It was really nice. 

Food for today

B - yogurt
L - as above
T - pepper and brandy topside of beef with sprouts, carrot, cauli and broccoli and maybe a bit of parsnip.

Just to be clear about my low budget for food for 5 of us, I am NOT spending it on healthy stuff for me and giving my family rubbish.  We all eat the same except they have potato or pasta or bread with theirs,  I don't, that is the only difference.  Except when I make stuff like I did for lunch today.  They wont eat that but I do try! lol

Hope you have had a great weekend.

Sal x

Friday 11 October 2013

Pizza - Low Carb Obviously!

Evening all

I have spent money today but that is not out of my food budget.  Not sure I can stretch it to toiletries as well!! So its not counted.   Still £50/£150.

B - yogurt
L - leftover stew
T - omelette pizza with peppers, onion, ham, pepperoni and a bit of sweetcorn on top. 

I really need to get motivated to paint downstairs so then I can set up the wii and start doing the dancing with the kids again.  Maybe this weekend...........

Have a good one peeps

Sal x

Thursday 10 October 2013

I Love Lidl

Evening

So, as Lidl had cereal on offer and I have 3 monkeys who eat cereal, I popped in before work.  I love it there.  Here is my shop:

6 pack Tomatoes                       £0.69
Pack 3 Mixed Peppers               £0.89
2 x Cucumber (huge ones)        £0.90
Cherry Toms                             £0.65
Honey & nut cornflakes            £1.15
Frosted Flakes                           £1.15
Oats (500g)                               £0.39
2ltr 100% apple juice                £1.39
Toothbrushes                             £1.25

Then off to Asda.  I spent £12ish.  I am not going to list everything but I got 4 x cheese, 2 x mayo, 2 x tom sauce, 2 x mars funsize (for the kids), carrots, red onions, 2 x squash and some sweets for the kiddies, OK so I did list everything lol. 

So that's £20 today.  I do have to pop to Tesco for toothpaste tomorrow but that comes out of a different budget. 

And today I have eaten:

B - yogurt
L - leftover stew
T - Gammon (we had whoopsie and kids had farmfoods and am quite impressed with how big the farmfoods ones are) with huge salad.

We are all stocked up on everything, got loads of fruit/veg/salad/milk/meat/cheese and store cupboard stuff.  Certainly enough to last until Monday lol.

Updated money £50/£150

Sal x

Wednesday 9 October 2013

Stew in Red Wine Sauce - Yummy

Evening all

Not spent any money today :D  Except for £1.50 parking to see the Banksy Exhibition at the Art Gallery - was not worth it!  Only 2 pictures by Banksy! :o

B - yogurt
L - ham and cheese salad
T - Stew in Red Wine Sauce

Stew in Red Wine Sauce - Recipe/Costing

Beef chunks - whoopsied to 79p
Mince (didn't look like much beef for the amount of veg I put in) - half a lidl half price offer 50p
Carrots - in freezer another lidl half price off of big bag 10p
Parsnips - bought the other day 20p
Kohlrabi - given it FREE
Onion - found at bottom of freezer 10p
peas - 3 bags for £2 in Farmfoods 10p
Green beans - same as peas 10p
Garlic - found in fridge when I cleaned drawer 10p
Red Wine Sauce - RTC 25p
Tinned toms - used coupon a while ago FREE

I then made soda bread to go with it for the kids (hubby wont eat anything in a sauce) that apparently cost 31p but was made with all store cupboard stuff I had in.

So cost of tea today is £2.24 to feed 4 of us with 2 portions set aside for my lunch tomorrow and Friday.  Cant beat that.  It was really nice and filling and my eldest ate twice as much as me! :o

Here is a picture of it after I put it all in the slow cooker:



I was also having a little think earlier about all my free stuff.  I mean the eggs and veg that I have been given.  These aren't totally free as I do give my friend stuff for it.  For instance in the last few weeks she has had 2 crocheted hats with another one on order.  So I suppose we are swapping rather than getting it for free.  Wonder if the butcher wants a woolly hat in exchange for a leg of lamb! lol

Sal x

Tuesday 8 October 2013

The Challenge..............................

Evening all

So a healthy low carb diet on a budget.  Have to include potatoes for the rest of the mob and bread for them. 

The challenge is to do 4 weeks on a budget of ................................. wait for it ..........................................  £150.  Of course my cupboards and freezer already has stuff in.  But this is the plan so will give it a go.   Forgot to mention, this is to feed 5 of us :o

Todays spending:

Farmfoods

3 x packs of meat (chicken, gammon and pork)  £10
1 x pack berries                                                      £1
3 x onion rings (my treat)                                      £2
3 x pack veg                                                           £2
3 x 18 pack bacon :D                                             £6
2 x milk                                                                 £1.60
2 x salad leaves                                                     £1.20
3 x 2 chicken things                                              £2
potato waffles (not for me obviously)                  £2
3 x pastry (again not for me lol)                           £2
marg                                                                      £1
pork scratchings                                                    £0.89
grapes                                                                    £1
tub strong spreadable cheese                                £0.79

total                                                                      £33.48

Got a 10% discount so spent £30.   :D

I have £10 in my purse and about £10 in asda apg's (and some change but that will be used for kids clubs/parking etc)

So £10 to last rest of week.   I need to get cereal for the troops on Thursday so may pick up some more veg/salad in Lidl.

Today I was also given 12 fresh eggs, a huge cabbage, bag of sprouts and a veg that I don't have a clue what it is similar to swede I think.  And a bottle of marrow and courgette wine to go with the marrow wine I am already storing for a few months.

Food for today

B - yogurt
L - cheese/relish (I know, bad but I was busy)
T - pork joint that I bought whoopsied a few days ago with the free cabbage and sprouts and carrot. 

I found a pack of beef in the freezer so tomorrow that will be turned into a casserole.  I don't have any onion so am debating if I should pop to shop or just put in a few peppers.  I think putting in a few peppers will be the cheapest option.  So my stew will have beef, peppers, the veg that I don't know what is, carrot, parsnips and green beans and maybe a few peas as the kids do like them.  They will have theirs with mash, I will probably just have double portion lol

So week 1, day 1 £30/£150 but as you can see I have got a fair bit of meat/veg/salad.

Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Sal x

Wednesday 2 October 2013

A Change is in Order

Evening all

So, I keep reading about people not being able to do low carb due to money.  "Its too expensive to eat that much meat"  "I have to fill up on bread, pasta, potatoes as I can't afford much meat"  Well, we have quite a strict budget and I still low carb so I thought I might add a few budgeting recipes or costing's to show you can low carb on a budget.

Take today for instance.  I had to pop to Asda and they had red peppers for 10p each.  So I bought the last 3.  I had one today for lunch stuffed with a chopped up fried burger (half price in lidl a few months ago that I found in the freezer the other day) with half an onion and topped with cheese.  Very nice it was too.   And whilst picking up a Tesco order for hubby I bought a huge pork joint reduced to £6 which I cut in 2 and froze.  Most people spend more than £6 on the meat for a sunday roast, I have pork for 2 Sunday roasts for £6.  Even hubby (ex butcher) was impressed with that one! lol

As I have quite a lot of food in I will try to do costing's of what I buy and what I know things cost me.  I do get given stuff free, the other week I was given a pumpkin and made a pumpkin soup which was lovely and cheap as the pumpkin was free, the coriander and peppers were in my greenhouse, the onion and carrots were looking a bit manky in the fridge and the stock I bought cheap and is probably out of date (oopppsss).  But the soup was really nice.  Not the lowest of carb but still low carb.

So low carbing on a budget begins......................  Watch this space .........................

Sal x