budgeting

we have decided it is time to get budgeting... serious budgeting... we started a few months ago and it is both painful and intensely satisfying. it gets disheartening when the boiler breaks or the extended family decide to have a family reunion abroad but we are plodding on and determined not to be living in a perpetual state of debt. so here are a few ideas that we are trying to put in to practise.

• buy in bulk
• shop online or use self scan at the supermarket to keep track of how much you are spending - stick to a decided amount
• use cloths instead of wipes or paper towel
• use vegetable oil instead of olive oil
• put less cheese in food
• make bread
• dont eat out so much
• eat less meat
• eat more beans
• packed lunches for all of us
• make coffee at home - do not buy expensive coffees
• buy less alcohol
• say No to things - e.g. expensive days out and cinema trips - ugh!
• use less laundry detergent
• dont use stain remover in every wash (leftover from weaning days but i realised no longer necessary)
• don't go in to Holland & Barrett (i always spend too much on unnecessary pills & health items!)
• buy cheaper hair & body products - don't get so caught up in the all natural uber-organic products
• use less loo roll
• wash clothes less
• wash self less - ha!
• turn the lights off
• turn heating off and put a jumper and scarf on
• go on less holidays or do house swaps for holidays
• use the EEBA app if you have an iphone - i can not recommend this highly enough - it has totally transformed our spending habits and ability to live within our means. it is an envelope system that enables you to create a budget with various envelopes and then record and track your spending really easily on your phone
• buy clothes from charity shops or borrow/swap with friends - this can get depressing after a while and i think some times one needs a little injection of new stuff. this is where EEBA can be great because you can choose how to spend your allocated person al amount each month and if there's a bit leftover then treat yourself without feeling guilty
• get a big fat loan!!??

one problem i have with budgeting - i would love to buy all organic and herbal but it is so much more expensive so i am trying to mix it up a bit

so to start we have cheap and simple Spicy Vegetable Curry

gather:

vegetable oil

5 cloves garlic, crushed

1 small red chilli, chopped

1 medium potato, chopped

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp mild curry powder

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp honey

1 tin coconut milk

1 tin chick peas

10 green beans, chopped in inch long pieces

1/2 courgette, chopped in chunks

1/2 small cauliflower, chopped in chunks

to make:

1. heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok

2. add garlic, chilli & potato and stir for a few minutes

3. add all the spices and stir for a few minutes

4. add the coconut milk and bring to the boil. simmer on low heat for 8 minutes

5. add honey, beans, cauliflower, courgette and chick peas and simmer for 5 mins

6. add salt and pepper to taste and serve on rice