Stopping and frugal take away

The first day of a new year and I'm feeling all positive and cheery.
Happy New Year to you.

Today is the day I will become a non smoker and I feel excited about it.

I feel a bit of a fraud writing about being frugal and all the time sneaking to the shops to get my fix.
£7 a day to kill myself!
I don't know if any of you have been smokers and believe me I really dislike being a smoker but I find it extremely difficult to quit. I have tried the patches, the fake ones, hypnosis, cold turkey and the longest I lasted was 3 months. I think if I really want to stop, I will.

Big man is also a puffer and we both have stopped today. I actually want to curl up with embarrassment that we were spening £400 plus a month on cigarettes!
That's more then double the amount I have set myself to spend on food. How weird that I was prepared to spend twice as much on the things that will kill me than the things I need to stay alive.
I will be using this blog to chart my progress and I would find it really helpful if anyone had any motivational tips etc.

However, I digress. Today I cooked some more. You can tell I'm a girl who likes food!
I cut up a pack of braising beef and put it in the slow cooker with onions and carrots with a packet mix from approved foods for beef bourguignon. The beef was £6 for the pack and I reckon this will make two meals for the 2 of us.  We were going to have it today but the carrots were still hard so I resorted to rummaging in the freezer.

Whenever I have any left over curry, of which I make quite a lot, I always freeze the extra. I decided that I could clear out the freezer and make a kind of  Indian take away. There were three, chicken curry Chinese style, lamb Thai curry and chicken and vegetable Thai. I just defrosted, heated in the microwave and put them in those proper little silver bowls with the handles like you get in a curry house. A couple of naans, drizzled with garlic oil and grilled and some plain boiled rice. It was lovely! I definately think the flavours develop if kept and frozen.
I reckon a three dish takeaway would have cost us £30 plus so quids in.

Money saved on that which must not be mentioned £14.

Have a great evening.

Sarah. Xxx