Wednesday 13 April 2016

Food shopping and a moan (sorry!)

Food shopping for 2 weeks done for £51.88 today in Lidl which I'm pretty happy with! Had some meat in the freezer so just bought enough for our meals and should have some extra left over too.
I did it on my own which meant no 'treats' were snuck into the trolley so that helped keeping the cost down.

The beef burgers above I got for my husband as he asked for them, but I think I will make my own next time.

Quiet day today, I have been very strict with writing down everything that is coming up to budget for. It's annoyed me that there seems to be quite a bit of things to pay for but I suppose that comes with trying to be more sociable than I have been in the past.

On Monday my sister in law asked if my daughter and I would go to a bridal shop with her to try on wedding dresses. I've been to a few with her before but my understanding was that we were just going to one and not for long. In the end we were out from about 10am - 4pm. I wouldn't have agreed if I knew this (that sounds awful!) but my daughter was tired from our weekend away, although she was really well behaved in the end to be fair. The problem I had was lunch. I hope I don't sound really stingy but I hadn't budgeted for eating out. If I knew we were going to take that long I would have at the very least taken a little picnic lunch for my daughter. In the end her lunch was £3.95 and my mother in law made me feel awful about not buying myself a lunch there (would have been £6 minimum where we were) so I just got the cheapest sandwich in Greggs which was next door. I know that may sound ridiculous to some and not a problem but my money is so tight - which they know - and lunch would usually cost around £1 or less when at home. My mother in law was so cross about it and do you know what? She didn't buy herself any lunch at all?! She was very cross as well that I wouldn't buy a drink and said I will get ill if I don't drink. I said there is no way I am buying a bottle of water for £1.
I think it just upsets me when people don't realise I don't have the free cash - or the inclination - to go out, buy a cup of tea, buy us all lunch, etc. xx

11 comments:

  1. I do hope your mother-in-law was having a bad day because she sounds rude and not very nice. "My lunch would have been £6 minimum where we were" - a lot of money when you were not expecting it. In my opinion your mother-in-law/sister-in-law should have treated you and your little girl to lunch if that is where they wanted to eat or have been quite clear on issuing the invitation this was the plan. That is a long time for your little girl to be looking at someone trying on wedding gowns. You are entitled to a moan.

    Good job on the grocery shopping.

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    1. Thanks, glad it's not just me that thought that! Was so frustrating. Such a long time I agree, it was lovely and my daughter enjoyed looking at the dresses so that part was fine in the end xx

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  2. I completely agree. I would have been very unhappy about lunch too, without prior arrangement at least. That is a long time for your poor daughter. Mine would have been climbing the walls! (Literally :-)) x

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    1. Thanks Jules. Haha, mine would be too usually but she did really well xx

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  3. I agree with you, that's a really long day and if lunch was a plan then it should have been mentioned beforehand, or as pointed out above it should have been their treat as part of the wedding arrangements if it is such a big deal. Our money is pretty much all accounted for every month and I get so sick of people telling me "it's only £x", well £x is too much!

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  4. Thanks, the plan was literally to go to the one shop that she had seen online. I wish she had said 'we'll have lunch after and maybe try and get in another shop' but this was never mentioned til we were there. She had given us a lift there so we couldn't get back. Yes it's when people go out all the time and see no problem with buying lunch they can't understand why someone wouldn't want to xx

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  5. When people know you are on a very tight budget it is not only rude but unkind to make you feel so uncomfortable. I'm glad you stuck to your budget and you are quite right, £1 for a bottle of water would be a lot of money when you are on a very strict budget. If they were kind people, they'd have understood your situation and one of them should've bought lunch for all of you. If they can afford to go to a bridal shop then they can afford to buy you lunch. Not that you'd expect or even want them too, but it would've been the kindest gesture from them.
    Margaret P

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    1. Thanks Margaret. Yes it did make me feel uncomfortable, also just to say there was water in the bridal shop to drink so I didn't die of thirst, haha! I never buy drinks out, I usually take my own (took water for my daughter in her little cup) xx

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    2. When I was much younger (I'm a pensioner but I hope I don't sound like one nor act like one, i.e. a tut-tutter!) and had two small children, there wasn't such thing as plastic bottles of water easily available almost everywhere. To go out in the late 1960s/early 1970s for a meal was left for high days and treats only. When we went out we always took food with us, and of course, no such things as wet wipes in those days, either, it was a damp face cloth in a polythene bag. So stick to your guns, girl, and keep taking your own food with you. At least you know what you're eating, you've prepared it yourself, and it will save much-needed money.
      Margaret P

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    3. Thanks Margaret, I would prefer it for everyone to be like that now I think. But unfortunately it doesn't seem to be the norm! One of my friends goes out 3-4 times a WEEK to eat xx

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    4. If husband and I eat out, and I admit we don't have to be as frugal as once we did with our children were young, we tend just to have what would be termed 'starters' as that is quite sufficient for us, and so a meal out isn't all that expensive (well, compared to our income, I mean; it would be to others with less money left after all the outgoings were taken care of). But we'd certainly not eat out three or four times a week. But you are on the right track, being careful with your money. This will become a habit of a lifetime and it's a good one to have.
      Margaret P

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