Well, I had never heard of the spider steak until tonight, and then the YFG and I just sat there, watching "Eat Well for Less", slightly agog.....people actually eat that? Sphincter muscle from a cow's rear end......oh my! Now, before you all write and say you've loved it for years, I am not disputing it's flavour or anything, just that I had no concept of eating that particular muscle!!
The family on tonight's programme were spending around £350 a week [a WEEK!] on their food shopping, and there were only the four of them, and one of them a small child. They were buying premium branded everything and seemed to have huge stocks as well. You know I am a fan of stocking up, but spending that much money a week on food is just not sensible in anyone's book. There are plenty of people who can feed an adult on less than £15 a week, and regularly share their recipes and food plans on the MoneySavingExpert forums, and yet this family were spending nearly £100 a week per person, if you say that the adults were spending that and the small child was the £50. Blimey. The presenters managed to find them loads of swaps which would save them about £8000 a year, which was the best result the programme had had so far, but actually, those who spend the most are the ones who can save the most, aren't they? The people who hold the record for losing the most weight are always the ones who had the most to lose in the first place, and it was the same with the spending here tonight. The man of family was so relieved that this was going to take some of the pressure off him as the main earner, and I felt for him.
On telling the YFG that I had resigned from the phone job by text this morning [she had gone to school by the time I did it], her response was charming, "Oh mum, are we going to be poor now?" to which I replied no, because I had done all the sums to ensure that we can manage on what I will earn at the church, and the other incomes we have. Bless her, she did understand that it was better to have a little less but be well and healthy, rather than wearing myself out for only a little more.
Friday again tomorrow - these Fridays keep coming, and I am reliably informed that after tomorrow, there are just 14 Fridays till Christmas....not sure I wanted to know that just yet!
It's life.
4 hours ago
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7 comments:
Rather than being poor now..you will be happy now thanks very much!
Oooh, don't think I'd fancy eating that! Good for you taking more time for you and your family. I'd eat lentils and water if I had to. My mother works at a food bank and was most cross when the lady, after being given loads of food and dog food, asked for bird seed! Bird seed, as if people would donate that. I did laugh. Sorry, gone off track but I had to tell someone and you were the first blog I read tonight. X
That family on EWFL was truly breath-taking! There was no mention of food waste this week but surely they can't have eaten everything they bought. That cheese mountain alone would have burst out of the fridge!
I don't think that we're any worse off for reducing our income as I have much more time and energy to shop for bargains and yellow sticker items, more time to batch cook, mend things etc.
I felt a bit cross yesterday when my son came home, yet again, with another 'request' for him to get involved with an expensive event at school. While we want him to have opportunities, I'm growing weary of the ever increasing costly events at school. It's just a local comprehensive school but some of the activities are so expensive that they exclude a lot of children. We're not poor but really have to watch our pennies and make decisions about where to spend, but I do wonder what kind of income they think we're on. I'm debating whether or not to flag it up to the school. It just puts pressure on many parents. Our son is great and he would never ask us to pay for anything we couldn't afford, in fact sometimes he hasn't told us about the event/trip as he knows we just can't manage it. Rant over!
I will watch the programme on iplayer xx
I am not touching 'spider steak'. That is something that, in my mind, is definitely for the cat food tin.
I'm well aware that I could do with cutting down my grocery bill and I'm enjoying the Eat Well for Less - and so is bear!
I think you are doing the right thing with the job. You have so many demands on you, there is a finite amount of you to go round and you deserve some of that yourself. Hugs WS xxxx
Hello. I haven't seen that programme, maybe I will catch up with it at some point. I can never understand how people spend so much on food, it's not like there is no option, there are plenty of options to cut down.
Work life balance is important. Ten years ago I decided that if I didn't spend any money, I didn't have to earn it. That was the start of a much happier life. We can all chuck money away, but our time on earth is limited so it has to come first.
That programme does make me laugh sometimes. We are a family of seven and I don't spend that much on food a week. I think their bill is just food too, included in mine is cleaning products, soaps and toothpaste and sometimes little presents and clothes. I would love to be able to spend that much on food alone!
I would say enjoy your newfound spare time but I know that something purposeful will soon come along to fill it x
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