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Tuesday 1 October 2013

Happy Stoptober

Dear reader,

Happy Stoptober. I'm sure we are all partaking in some new challenge as the new month starts.
Maybe you are always frugal and cannot stop anymore than you already do?
Maybe you are stopping a bad habit that you have or starting a new good habit?

I am determined to pay off this debt as fast as possible. It feels like a dark cloud hanging over us.
I love hearing about how other people did the same.

Today is the first day of the Awakening October challenge I am doing on MSE.

It will be tough, especially the cooking and making of packed lunches. We are doing 12 hour days at the moment. No sooner have we got home and eaten than its time for bed. The alarm seems to go off as soon as I have fallen asleep. Will probably be doing 12 days in a row too.

Yes, I want sympathy!

I suppose we are both lucky to have decent jobs at the moment.

My main challenge this month will be to cut our shopping down to £50 per week.

I will be planning and plotting what meals to make and doing a meal plan later.

For now, have a relaxing day.

X

6 comments:

  1. Hi Sarah, well done with your reducing debt. This morning I've started my PAD adventure £3.93 Unfortunately reducing debt is a committed hard slog, having finished my mortgage I'm working on an interest free credit card myself. Juggling credit card payments and reducing food spends are my main focus for the next six months. Based on your idea of freezing chopped onions in muffin pans, I've restocked my freezer with a selection of homemade soups. Cauliflower cheese and carrot and coriander proving most popular. Soup and a sandwich. Defrost in micro or defrosts through the morning. We have cut our portion sizes down slightly in the evening and on a couple of occasions have had soup to start followed by an omelette or quiche and salad. I shall be freezing portions of left over homemade tomato sauces and any gravies or stocks in this way to add to casseroles, soups and pizza topping, thanks for the inspiration with this. Thankfully I'm not working those long days now myself but I do feel for you both. Keep up the batch cooking and if you can invest in a second slow cooker to cook up a storm one weekend a month. I have been doing a main shop once a month for around £155 and have £15 a week for the other three weeks for top up fresh foods, milk etc. I shall be reducing this in October to £160 in total. If I run out of an ingredient I substitute something appropriate or swop the meal plan until I can top up. If we manage not to spend our top up monies we treat ourselves to a two course indian takeaway which comes to £10 per head including a beer or a trip to the cinema. You are doing all the right things, watching your pennies and your pounds. Just watch your food waste and any impulse food buys and you'll make your shopping budget easy. Go girl !!!!

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  2. 12 days of 12 hours sounds like HARD WORK! Sympathy coming your way from Suffolk!

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  3. You have loads of sympathy from me - I've just finished a long hard slog for a break of a week away and you don't realise until you actually stop how tough a stint like that is and it seems to get harder to do the older I get! Take care of yourself xxx

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  4. Loads of sympathy from me. I really hope those 12 hour days are doing a job you love. Be mindful of your health and take care of yourself a little every day.

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  5. 12 hour days are hard work - lots of sympathy and hugs from Cornwall! x

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  6. No ' new' challenges for me. Every day is a challenge when you have £4,500 left to live on after paying the mortgage and council tax, and saving some money each month towards the ' annual' expenses such as road tax, car, buildings and contents insurance, pre-payment prescription certificate, MOT etc.

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