Errr..bye bye budget

I think I may have blown the budget...even without the sugar mountain! I spent £35.62 in Aldi! So I'm at £107.99 OOps! 
I think its because I finally got round to clearing out the freezer which left it looking empty. I do hate an empty freezer, its inefficient. 
And I think another part of it was I was starting to feel deprived. I know I'm not deprived..no one with this much sugar in the house could possibly feel deprived:) 
And food shopping cheers me up too. I dislike shopping for clothes...but good basic foodstuffs and I'm a merry fairy!And I'me even more merry when I've made chocolate fudge brownies..

Still too hot to cut sadly, breakfast you think?
Tea was Delias bolognaise bake using my penultimate bolognaise sauce from the freezer..

Top with a simple white sauce..

Yum...nerver managed to take a picture after cooking...I was hungry!

My little pumpkins are growing...they might be squash, I may have forgotten to label them!

Some of the older seed hasn't germinated very well:( But hey ho and on we go. 
Little fairy is feeling a little down. (and yes, I know whats getting me down, and I know I have to talk to him, and I think I know what to say now)
I need to find something that will make me happy. 
DS was offered an aprenticeship in musicy things tonight. He is overjoyed. :) 
And this weekend is DS's time with his dad :D so if I go missing you know where you can find me...wink wink ;-)
BBS x

Late start may budget

I reckon the sun's setting on my sanity!!

So...I'm glad the short part of LBTL is over! I felt deprived and miserable..and I put others before myself...isn't that what being a mum is about? Must be a love thing:)
Anyway...29 days left in May
£3 a day = £87
Add 3 days with Jones the steam eating here £3
Add DD and her OH visiting £2
Yay..£92 for the rest of the month!!
And DS's G/F for 5 days another £5
£97!!
I may ignore some things that are small and on the shelf. And if I've grown it I refuse to count it. Thats just my love I'm adding to food :-P
I'm sticking with the mealplan I wrote before...hopefully. So todays shopping list is...
Meat -
Mince x 2                5.38
Chicken (medium)  3.99

Sausages x2          1.98

Ham                       1.79

Stuff -

tea bags                1.99
milk x2                  1.90
sugar                       .75

rolls                         .79although this may become a fight with OH who has decided he doesn't like the cheaper rolls. i have pointed out he only used to have rolls once a week as a treat, but to no avail!

Margarine!!            1.69
Cooking marg          .98
lard                          .39
bread x2                 1.10
eggies                     1.35
Heavens it soon adds up thats £24.08 already! But that is meat for the entire month!
Then theres asda things!
Stuffing x2 30p
mayo 40p
lasagne sheets 32p
£25.10
choccy x4 1.20
flour x2 90p
£27.20

Ok, brain is slowing down!!

Anything left in the fridge is fair game for using up. We shall see how we get on!

Anyway, I'll put it on here as I spend it anyway..I likes to share :)

And did I have chocolate fudge brownie for breakfast???

   Nope! But I did have a piece after lunch :D And boy was chocolate good!

Today we took one of dads tractors to a rally:) first one of the season for us. makes me a little sad, had a little tear in my eye when I explained who I was to a very nice steward.

So...polish..

Then load her up...

Drive to the rally and off it comes again!

All ready for the rally to start tomorrow!

Stradsett park, sunday and monday:)

Today I spent £19.43/£97 in aldi.

Chicken. milk, bread, tea, marg, veg, sausages. Alot of rolls as we're having a picanic on monday :) (the food at rallies tends to be high priced and this way they just think I'm being cute wanting a picnic)

If OH decided to buy nice things for a saturday night I shall let him!! :D And if I find things at the bottom of the freezer they are bonus items! Today I went deep and found 4 burgers..so I just had to buy an extra pack of rolls for tea! I'm not gonna be too hard on myself!!

BBS x

Live below the line - May

LBTL14 Sponsor me? Help me help others!I've been thinking, a dangerous thing I know!
This time next year we'll be lucky if we are earning the £1 a day per person. So I'm going to have to learn to put money by for the lean times.
I've managed to save £1000. If I can add a bit to that it'll give me around £20 a week for food for a year. Which is actually less than the LBTL challenge!
What if I take the live below the line challenge further? What if we do it for all of May?
Three adults gives me £3 a day for 31 days. £93. My mate will be here 4 tuesdays, so thats an extra £4. £97. Sounds alot more now, but still around half my normal budget.
So, lets start with breakfasts. We use 30g of oats a day. I hadn't realised it was so little. Wow, a bag of oats gives us 33 portions! Easily enough to cover a month. OH has milk with his, I don't. So, £1 of milk a week for breakfast. And a pot of 29p strawberry jam! And a bag of sugar :) for OH!
Breakfast - Oats - 75p
Milk - 4.00
Jam - 29p
Sugar - 79p
£5.83
Drinks - T bags - 1.99
sugar - 79p
squash x2 1.80
milk 8.00
£12.58
Now it gets complicated. We need 31 x 3 lunches = 93 plus 4 for mate is 97. And the same number of evening meals.
OH likes ham rolls. 13 slices to a pack. £1.79 x4 = £7.16 And 2 packs of rolls a week @ 52p a pack = £4.16 Plus marg x2 at £1.69 = £3.38
But if I make scones or rolls once a week I can use some of the ham for an evening meal :)
My goodness, I've already 'spent' £33.11.
So, baking marg 89p
plain flour x2 @45p 90p
baking powder 65p
eggs 1.35
bread flour x2@ 80p 1.60
cheese 3.99
lard 39p
£9.77But it gives me enough to make rolls 4 times, scones 4 times, and pastry.
Ok, evening meals.
Mince is 2.69 but will eke out with veg to 9 portions.
So 2 packs of mince (£5.38) will make -
spaghetti bolognaise - 3 portions
lasagne - 4 portions
Delias bolognaise bake - 3 portions
Shepherds pie - 3 portions
Mince and tatties - 3 portions
leftover pasties - 8 portions (DS always question if they actually have meat in them!) but to make the meals we'll need -
carrots - 69p
peas - 89p
lasagne sheets - 32p
pasta - 29p
spaghetti - 20p
p flour - 45p
2 pints milk - 50p
Tomato puree 35p
tinned tomatoes x2 62p
tinned mushrooms 41p
£4.72
Giving me 24 portions for £10.10
Up to £52.98 now, and still got to find another 73 evening meals!
4 packs of sausages @99p gives me 48 sausages-
Sausage and chips - 8 portions (24 sausages)
Scotch eggs - 12 portions (18 sausages, 14 eggs)
also needed -
eggs(15) 1.35
oil - 1.09
So thats 20 portions for £4.42
53 evening meals to find!
Omelette - 6 portions (12 eggs)
Eggy bread - 3 portions (3 eggs) from
eggs(15) - 1.35
bread - 55p
and some of the ham.
Thats another 9 portions for £1.90. 44 to find.
Creamy pasta - 3 portions
pasta - 29p
soft cheese - 49p
use the rest of the pasta to make pasta bake - 3 portions, with
soft cheese 49p
and passata 32p
Another 6 portions for £1.59
38 to go with £60.89 gone.
Lets see if we can have some veg shall we?
2 lettuces - 90p
2 tomatoes, whatevers cheapest - 98p
2 cucumbers - 90p
1 cabbage - 49p
carrots - 69p
Add some mayo - 40p
Use some of the flour and lard to make tortillas.
And maybe a whole (rubber) chicken@3.99
with stuffing made using asda 15p x2 mix and the leftover 6 sausages. Then we get:
Chicken dinner - 4 portions
Chicken tortillas - 3 portions
Add rice 40p
Chicken fried rice - 6 portions
Salad tortillas - 3 portions
Add SFC chicken 1.50
SFC chicken tortillas - 3 portions
Thats another 19 portions for £10.55
£71.44 with another 19 to get.
Beans!!
Bread x 2 1.10
Beans x 4 1.24
Thats a sneaky 6 portions for £2.34
beansprouts 85p
noodles x3 54p
sauce 45p
tinned mushrooms - 41p
chow mein treat for £2.25 for 3 portions
10 to find.
With the scone ingredients, a tomato and a mozarella ball, scone pizza and chips.
mozarella - 44p - 3 portions.
Do that again but we might need more flour
45p and mozarella 44p
89p for 3 portions 4 more..
Easy, baked potatoes, 4 portions,
cheese 1.49
butter 1.69
beans 32p
coleslaw made form the veg earlier.
£3.50 for 3 portions (mainly as I know we'll need the cheese and butter in other things too) £80.86
That allows for treats of -
4 packs rich tea 92p
4 packs fig rolls 1.80
2 packs pink wafers 98p
cocoa chocolate drink (tesco) 58p
sugar 79p
4 bar chocolate 1.20
cooking marg 89p
condensed milk 1.78
sultanas 84p = £9.78
to make brownies, a pie from our rhubarb, jam buns and rock cakes.
£90.64 leaving £6.36 in case I run out of anything like bread, eggs or flour.
I could add french fries @ 69p and some sfc chicken nuggets @ £1.50 for a takeout feel (3 portions) £2.19 or 2 asda pizzas for £4 but that wouldn't leave me with much! Or add a pack of streaky bacon for £1.25. Maybe OH will treat me! And theres always gratin, which is potatoes, white sauce and ham/bacon and onions!
We will still have our own potatoes and onions. Which helps alot. And there are salad leaves I've grown which are ready and radishes too.
Now all I need to do is make it all into a menu plan!
Breakfasts - porridge with sugar or jamLunches - week one
- thurs - rolls/sarnies
fri - rolls/sarnies
sat - rolls/sarnies
sun - rolls/sarnies
monday - rolls/sarnies
tuesday - cheese scones, leftover stuffing
weds - rolls/sarnies
thurs - rolls/sarnies
fri - HM rolls
sat - HM rolls
sun - rolls/sarnies
week two - mon - rolls/sarnies
tue - HM rolls
wed - HM rolls
thur - rolls/sarnies
fri - scotch eggs (3)
sat - rolls/sarnies, leftover lasagne portion
sun - rolls/sarnies
week three - mon - rolls/sarnies
tue - cheese scones
wed - pasties (2)
thur - pasties (2)
fri - rolls/sarnies
sat - HM rolls
sun - HM rolls
week four - mon - rolls/sarnies
tue - HM rolls
wed - HM rolls
thur - scotch eggs (3)
fri - rolls/sarnies
sat - rolls/sarnies
teas - week one
- thurs: Scone pizza and crinkles
fri: Ham, potato and onion Omelette and salad
sat: Fries!
sun: Eggy bread
mon: Roast Chicken, mash and veg
tue: Sausage and chips
wed: Spaghetti bolognaise
thur: Tortillas with leftover chicken and salad
fri: Chicken fried rice
sat: SFC chicken and fries
sun: Beans on toast
week two - mon: Baked pots, with cheese beans and coleslaw(2)
tue: Shepherds pie and veg
wed: Creamy Pasta with salad
thur: Scotch eggs and wedges (3)
fri: Lasagne
sat: Pizza maybe
sun: Eggy bread
week three - mon:Chicken fried rice
tue: Pasties, mash and veg (4)
wed: Ham, potato and onion Omelette and salad
thur: Delias bolognaise bake
fri: Chow mein
sat: Fries
sun: Beans on toast
week four - mon: Mince with veg and tatties
tue: Sausage and chips
wed: Scotch eggs and wedges (3)
thur: Pasta bake
fri: Baked potatoes with cheese, beans and coleslaw (2)
sat: Pizza maybe
snacks - week one - biccies, brownies, carrot ish cake
week two -biccies, buns
week three - biccies, brownies, pie
week four -biccies, buns
And I found out yesterday after working this all out that I can get 12 rolls for79p not the usual £1.56 when OH gets the rolls. I hadn't even noticed the 12 packs!
Some things I already have in aka enough for the first few day (the proper LBTL week), but taking things off the shelves will be classed as shopping and the apropriate money will be deducted from the budget.
　Wish me luck!
BBS x

Fairy share of the pennies

Well, I don't have alot but I wanna help others too so Live Below the Line has some pennies from me...yes I know, sad to sponsor myself...but I think of the good the sally Army does for the old folks round here. And one of these days I'm gonna be an old folk!
I've decided, in my infinite wisdom, that the boys are doing it too! And I'm NOT going to tell them :D

We WILL be eating some of the things we've grown and allowing for seed costs. Last year, end of season I got alot of seeds for 29p a packet. growing food doesn't have to be expensive!

I've been playing with the mysupermarket shopping basket to see what I can afford...not alot...but they do like eggs anyway! nearer the time I'll post my shopping list :)

Anyway...DS chopped even more wood for me today...I nearly have 3 rows now! And we put a roof on the pile as it was spitting with rain!

OOOOoo wood!!!

canelloni for tea....

Hmmm and how long have they been on the shelves????

OMG!!!! Hey its best before not use by!! And what the eye ignores the heart won't grieve over!
And from the freezer some meaty bolognaise sauce..

Nom nom. Pint of white sauce...topped with 'parmesan'!

Thats us lot fed from the freezer and shelves...i fancied garlic bread but no one else did so I was overruled!!! No one likes garlic kisses!!
Had to restart Herman today, someone had forgot to stir and feed him...ooops...

Poor little thing!

Ah bubbles, thats better!  there may be fresh rolls to go with the cress...

on monday!! You never know!
(And its my birthday too :D)
Today, earnt - zero, spent - zero!!

Nope, never looks pretty, but it tasted great!!

BBS x 

I'm fairy sure its wednesday

Now the thing about school holidays is, I forget what day it is regularly. And to make matters worse my mate, Jones the Steam is here. But he normally comes on a tuesday. I'm easily confused.
So money earnt - zero. Money spent £24.06!!!!
And would you care to know why I spent so much? It was this...

Do you see it??? A space!!! I told you I was starting to panic as I used things from the shelves...and so £24! So now there is NO room on the shelves...wanna see?

Ah joy, tinned tomatoes and beans filled up!

And to my left...then to my right...

I LOVE my shelves!!!! I know they've got untidy again. I need another sort out but hey ho the suns been shining! So..DS has learnt to chop wood with the big axe..he is now officially an adult after all...would you look at my pile now!!

Its now two rows deep :D I am a most happy fairy and DS tired himself out! He has even said he'll do more tomorrow, helpful lad!
Tea was pizza and wedges...and how do you make one 10inch pizza feed 4 adults>

With an awful lot of potato wedges!!!!

And that is my biggest bowl!! We love starchy staples!!!
So, today Jones the steam has been helping...wanna see what he did?

Beautiful, ploughed, black land :)

Lovely!

There he is..in the tractor! can you spot him?

:D and his furrows are fairly straight...but as dad used to say, God don't grow things in straight lines and he do alright.

I'm happy now, this means we can nearly start some planting! Finally. Late as usual.
I am a happy fairy. i have wood (giggle) and ploughed land :) BBS x

Wed 2nd..shopping already!

We always shop on a wednesday, mainly because we deliver at the same time! Even when theres nothing left to sell, force of habit I guess. And as we didn't get any orders this week, well, definitely just habit!
Mince and tatties last night was great :) And I fed my below the line friend, at least I know he's had one proper meal a week! OH thinks I'm daft taking pictures of food! Maybe I am!!

So, went shopping and I spent...

£9.44 :) And thats with doggy treats and biccies for OH which I had forgotten!Yay under a tenner! Though we will need more rolls and milk on saturday. But that should only be 3.56:)
Today I spent chopping wood! I love doing it...its good if you have unresolved tensions!! And I have filled my first bin!

And there is also another 2 wheelbarrows full waiting to be stacked to season!
On a money saving note..my wellies decided to leak this morrning when I walked the dog through the long grass:( I have a brand new pair still in the box, but I don't wanna wear them yet! So....

Yes..I used a carrier bag to stop my socks getting wet!! I'll leave them by the fire tonight and hopefully they'll be dry by the morning! And my new wellies are still new:)
Tea tonight was kebabs(freezer), with pittas (freezer) And salad, our red cabbage and onions and some aldi bit!

Before and after...

Salady joy...

And yes, we pretended we were at the kebab shop! Which I haven't been to in about 8 years!

YUM!!!!! Chilli sauce and I'm a happy bunny!
Thats enough for a wednesday! I'm offski for a bath (yes I know, but we can't have a shower!)
And remember poorly kitty...i sat him on my lap, gave him a cuddle....and he wee'd on me!!! Just sat there :-O I NEED a bath!!
BBS x I like this not spending too much!

The Wheelbarrow Fairies April Challenge

The April Challenge:

I work on a smallholding. Which means my hours round to 16 a week.
But this time of year its nearer 4 hours a week. Or 2.
Self employed, just under minimum wage.
This time next year DS will have left college. So no tax credits.
I can't be a magician and conjour up more work hours.
I can't make the land more productive.
I can't charge more for what I grow. I tried that before. I put the prices up 10p a thing. No one bought them. So things are now 50p. And thats what they'll have to stay. Even though everything I have to buy goes up.
We already eat ALOT of what we grow, we are semi subsistence farmers.
But April, May and some of June are the 'hungry gap'. Things aren't quite ready and old things have finished.
Not alot if anything left to sell. Not alot of money to be made.
Through the year I preserve alot of things, dehydrate, can, freeze and coldstore.
And when I have money I stock up.
This challenge is for me to figure, while I still have a little back up, what is the most useful things for me to really stock up on.
And I want the menfolk to realise what money I actually have, that I'm not a never ending source of can I have's.
　
So, those are the reasons for the challenge.
And this is the challenge:
For April, we will live on whats in the freezers, the shelves, the sheds. Anything else can be bought only with the money I have earnt.
(If I earn nothing there is a 'below the line' slush fund of £15 a week as there are 3 of us)
So, it may be £30, or it may be nothing. It depends.
I already have a month mealplan on the planning board!
And for evening meals and breakfasts all we need is milk.
There's alot of flour and baking ingredients on the shelves.
Lets see what I learn!!
If I earn anything I'll say, and if I spend anything ditto.
So far in March 1 wholesaler has finished, and 2 market stalls.
And it gets worse...watch this space!! It starts Monday, as April is tuesday!!
BBS x

Semi Subsistence Fairies Challenge

This is the first trailer load of wood we were given, for free :) Just thought I'd share!
What do you think of when you hear the term subsistence farming? Do you, like me, think of Africa? Well this is its definition:

subsistence farming

(noun)
1. farming whose products are intended to provide for the basic needs of the farmer, with little surplus for marketing. 2. farming that brings little or no profit to the farmer, allowing only for a marginal livelihood.

Well theres a thing.

After a little reading I figured out that WE are a semi-subsistance farm. We earn just enough by selling our surplus to pay the bills and as you may have noticed we eat alot of what we grow. Alot.

In the UK. In 2014.

Not Africa.

This in turn led me to thinking of 'the hungry gap'.
That time of year when there isn't alot in the fields.
Aka the next three months. April, May and most of June.
Aka the time of year when I earn next to NOTHING. Zero. Ziltch.
(I make up the money the busy time of year but it makes it no less of a problem, knowing that I should have put money by for the gap)
So, I'm gonna challenge myself and my menfolk.

Just in April.

Live on the money we earn and the things we have stored.
I have a fortnight to prepare!! Maybe I'll buy some extra marg. And sugar. And still keep in this weeks budget? Hmm maybe not.
This month I put the budget for food on our kitchen noticeboard...eventually both men asked 'Whats that?'
Thats our food budget.
'Why is it on there?'
Because I normally do it online, but I wanted it where I could keep an eye on it easier.
What I didn't say was where you pair can see just how much your 'can I haves' and 'I'll just put this in's cost.
Thing is it hasn't worked out that way. After the initial asking I don't think they've paid it any attention. Well, it was worth a try!
BBS x I have food to show you!