Less Spending, More Home Cooking

Hello. I feel I need to say hello as I've posted lots of weekend links recently and not updated you on A Year of Less Spending for at least a month. I feel the need for a bloggy chat too. From me to you. Not an essay. Just a chat. A thank you for your comments and reading behind the scenes. An autumn catch up before Christmas blog posts arrive here at Just a little less but rest assured they'll be no panicking about that around here. 

Three months into A Year of Less Spending and I'm still recording my spending every day (or every few days if I'm honest). I've relaxed a little with my weekly grocery budget of £92 but I rarely go over £100 a week and if I do it's just a smidgen over. Careful menu planning, eating from the freezer and cupboards and frugal meal choices are keeping me on the straight and narrow.

Since September our food cupboard, fridge and freezer are emptier than ever but our diet is healthier and our tummies never happier. 'No more chocolate biscuits' is my current mantra as I try to keep my weight steady and avoid the temptations of home cooked food and leftovers. No Nigella snacking from the fridge for me, for now.

I've been spending more time cooking (and less time cleaning) as providing good food on a budget is a domestic priority right now. I've tried cooking pasties for the first time and have made a sourdough loaf every week since being given a sourdough starter and recipe in Cornwall last month. It's great for keeping a hungry teenager happy at meals (and between meals) and went down a storm at book club on Monday night this week. I love it toasted for breakfast and daubed with butter and marmalade. Majestic peasant food. 

Red cabbage is cheap and colourful and we've braised it with apples and stashed it away in the freezer for Christmas feasts. There was enough to make a pretty and hearty coleslaw too. We've had roasts, gravy and soup, of course, to use up every last bit of veg. 

My teaching schedule has been typically two or three days a week so when I have the time and energy I've been batch cooking simple meals like chilli for the freezer. Some eating from the freezer days will be a treat over the Christmas holidays. We're pencilling in some easy days.

My motivation for A Year of Less Spending remains high. I haven't bought a single piece of clothing since starting this challenge. This wasn't a rule of my challenge but it'll be interesting to see if I buy any new clothes over the year.

Instead of shopping trips with mum we've been going to the cinema and treating ourselves to a chippy tea afterwards. We loved Suffragette and The Lady in the Van is booked too. Daily walks are a simple pleasure. Followed by the odd hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows feeds any extravagant urges.

My appetite for books is renewed and I'm enjoying reading in the evenings and early morning. The library service is wonderful and a weekly trip to the library to pick up reserved books is now part of my routine. I'm thinking of keeping some kind of reading log here on the blog next year as it's so easy to forget what you've read and enjoyed. I'm currently reading A Place Called Winter by Patrick Gale. It's gentle and interesting.

So there you have it. Spending under reasonable control, minimalist wardrobe intact, trying new recipes and reading and walking in between. Less spending is a good place to be. It hasn't been an easy journey getting here but it's amazing how quickly you adapt to spending less. Like downsizing, living on a tighter budget is possible and can have advantages. 

So, how's your spending going? Please tell.

Is My Resolve to Spend Less Weakening?

This week's grocery spend came in at £76.10. I'm pleased with this and the consistency I've achieved over the last few weeks but I still think I could do better. Several meals were from the freezer; meals cooked from scratch were lasagne, sausages and lentils and a yummy pasta dish. We also had cider baked apples which were wonderful. The leftovers topped our porridge the next day. How versatile is porridge. 

For the first time since I started A Year of Less Spending there have been a few temptations this week. 

Magazines have been beaming their glossy smiles at me from the supermarket shelves. One day I felt really tempted to buy a magazine and I would quite happily have bought any magazine, on any subject (well maybe not fishing). Just to buy something new and to add something to my day. But I didn't, and it's an achievement that I can walk away from a temptation that in the past I would have given in to. 

Anyway, I have far too much reading on the go at the moment and magazine reading often leaves me feeling empty. This week I've borrowed A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler from the library. I'm finding it captivating, real and a gentle form of escapism too. A good book is sustaining. The Leopard (my book club read) has been returned to the library after its Prince failed to captivate any of our group. I'm so glad I didn't buy it. Our next book is The Children Act by Ian McEwan and I've reserved it at the library already. I'm looking forward to reading it.

On Monday I went to town to buy acrylic paint for my son's self-portrait work (he's taking A Level Art and Design). Two shop window displays caught my eye – both charity shops. The small city I live in has a very high standard of charity shops which means I try and keep away from them unless I'm donating (always at the back entrance of course). 

One shop had a pair of tan brogues in its window, another had a Jack Monroe cookery book. Somehow, my blinkers were off and I veered towards each shop. Despite owning a lovely pair of black brogues and having the book out on loan from the library I was still tempted for a few minutes. Just a few minutes, mind you. Stoically, I walked away without entering either shop and continued to the little art shop to buy a tube of paint, slightly annoyed with my teetering feet. My size 6 feet. Would the brogues have been in my size? I'll never know. 

Treats this week were a family cinema visit to see Macbeth (Mum, Marcus and us two) and we dropped in on our local folk festival. Both Macbeth and the folk music were great experiences which, if I keep out of the charity shops, we can enjoy more of.

So, my motivation to spend less continues but my resolve is weakening. I knew A Year of Less Spending wasn't going to be easy.

How's your spending been this week?

Spending Report Week 6

I'm into week 7 of A Year of Less Spending. I'm very happy to give you a report of week 6 as it was a good week :)

Grocery shopping: £73.95 (budget £92 per week/£400 per month for three/four of us which includes food, household items and toiletries). This is my lowest spend to date. £75 is where my grocery spending is hovering when it's just the three of us (our eldest is away at uni) but I'm sure I can reduce this further. 

Spending diary: There were two no spend days (day 6 and 7). I was determined to not go over £75 on groceries and having two no spending days definitely helped. My spending diary makes dull reading this week as all I spent money on (other than regular outgoings) was food and petrol. Other spending included a Saturday paper, church collection money and a donation for a gift for a colleague going on maternity leave at school. We had a buffet this lunchtime to send her on her way – pizza and cupcakes. 

Motivation: I'm still very motivated and trying to get each week's spending a little lower than the last. I feel motivated to get more organised and disciplined with my menu planning and grocery shopping as I know spending less on this will leave more room for manoeuvre in our budget in future months.

Clothes shopping: My spick and span wardrobe is quite happy as it is thank you. I'm still getting pesky clothes brochures through the post though which I recycle immediately. 

Treats: The weekend was spent quietly tidying the garden, decluttering our tiny shed and walking in the woods. This was enough to give us a break from the working week. There were no cafe visits just homemade fruit cake to come home to which was too dry if I'm honest but was still eaten with glee.

Temptations: Staying away from virtual and actual shops is keeping my spending urges at bay. I've never browsed clothes online very much but now I know there's no point or joy in it for me right now.

Menu: The week started with scrambled eggs for tea for two as our youngest was out. This was good for both weight control and budget control. Friday tea was from the freezer as I'd worked that day and it was supplemented by curry side dishes from the reduced section of our nearest (deluxe) supermarket. We had curry whilst Marcus had shepherd's pie. Other meals included homemade pizza, chicken tray bake (with loads of veg) and jacket potatoes with fillings from the freezer. As well as chilli I also found a tub of veg tagine lurking in the freezer which went well with the jacket potatoes. I think I made it early in the summer (it was unlabelled, tut, tut) and I wish I could remember where the recipe was from as it was delicious. Tonight we ate Jamie's broccoli and pesto tagliatelle (Jamie's Ministry of Food) for the second time. A squeeze of lemon improved it for us but Marcus said he thought it needed chicken. He would eat meat at every meal whereas we prefer most meals without it. Saying that, he had two very large helpings!

I'll leave you with some glimpses into week 6. Week 7 is busier for us and it could potentially be more of a challenge to stay on track with the budget. I'll let you know!

Spending Report Week 5

This week has felt easier. It's beginning to feel more normal to be spending quite a long time planning my menu and shopping. I'm falling into the habit of planning next week's menu and shopping list well in advance. I'm also giving myself plenty of time to check the fridge, freezer and cupboards. I think I'm getting a bit quicker at the whole process. I hope so, I've got many more weeks to go during A Year of Less Spending. Here's what happened in week 5.

Grocery shopping: £75.41 (budget £92 per week/£400 per month for three to four of us which includes food, household items and toiletries). My lowest week so far probably because some of the meals were from the freezer.

Spending diary: There's only been one no spend day but the other days were very low. My only extraordinary spend was £10 spent on plants and bulbs for a tub (picture below). It's very purple and very cheery at the front of our house.

Motivation: I'm finding I'm enjoying searching for new recipes. Spending less on groceries is motivating me to be more adventurous with our meals. I've borrowed Jack Monroe's A Year in 120 Recipes from the library and I'm looking forward to testing some of her dishes.

Clothes shopping: I've tidied my wardrobe and edited out a few pieces. I wished I'd done it weeks ago as having space around my clothes looks good and makes me feel better. No new clothes needed * breathes deeply*

Treats: The autumn planter was a treat but I kept the cost as low as I could. As you can see from the menu last night we were treated to a meal out with family. However, Tuesday is the start of my spending week so that's technically week 6's spending. My menu runs Thursday to Wednesday just to add to the confusion. I should, I suppose, try to synchronise my spending week with my menu.

Temptations: I was tempted to visit a hairdressers but I decided to have a go myself and just trimmed my fringe. My last salon visit was in August so I can hopefully last longer without a professional cut. In 2015 I've spent £88 so far on my hair (three visits in February, May and August). This is much lower than in other years due to the fact that I'm cutting my own hair in between salon visits and no longer colouring my hair.

Menu: We've eaten well this week but maybe having roast beef and then steak wasn't the healthiest option. I tried Rachel Khoo's harissa minestrone soup for the first time which was as warming as I'd imagined. It made six generous portions (two are in the freezer). I also varied our usual shepherd's pie recipe by substituting half of the lamb with red lentils (as seen on BBC One's Eat Well For Less). This also tasted good. The beef was a brisket cut and cost just under £7. It gave us enough for second helpings (youngest son) and we also had it as leftovers on Monday instead of our staple feel good Monday meal (egg 'n' chips). I also made Eton mess trifles with frozen berries, cream, meringues, strawberry jam and custard. I've got a mess of meringue nests in my cupboard and I'm trying to whittle them down. Four gone this week, six to go. 

I'll leave you with my week 5 photos. How's your spending and motivation going?

Spending Report Week 4

Just a quick spending report tonight as I have other blog posts planned for the week. As you may know I'm tracking my spending for a year starting from 1st September 2015. My aims are to spend less on groceries and clothes and to save money for medium term plans. I hope to be a more mindful consumer by the end of the year. Keeping a daily spending diary is crucial to staying on track.

Grocery shopping: £85.15 (budget £92 per week/£400 per month for three to four of us which includes food, household items and toiletries). I'm pleased it was under budget but as there's only been three of us to feed it could have been less. However, there's been more batch cooking this week with plenty of portions going into the freezer which should make future weeks cheaper. My total for this month is £359.24 including a bottle of wine bought tonight for a celebratory glass. I'm quite pleased.

Spending diary: There's been one no spend day which is better than last week. The only unexpected cost this week was a new printer ink cartridge (bought at 10pm due to art homework panic, bless him). 

Motivation: Recording every spend is becoming a habit, I think.

Clothes shopping: The wardrobe edit is looming. I don't need or want any new clothes just tidier rails. It won't take me long to get my small wardrobe sorted so what's stopping me?

Treats: Our menu was a treat this week and we enjoyed trying some new recipes. Mum bought me some flowers too.

Temptations: I'm planning to plant some bulbs in layers in a tub I've just emptied so spring flowers are this week's obsession. With such lovely autumn weather I'm looking forward to doing some planting in the sunshine.

Menu: After last week's dreary menu I endeavoured to put some effort in. The sausages with green lentils from Delia's Frugal Food were delicious. I was surprised that you had to put the drained lentil water back into the pan but it tasted good. I picked this cookbook up in Shrewsbury for £1 from a charity shop. I think it's going to be useful during this challenge and might warrant a blog post of its own at some stage.The coconut chicken curry was a paleo recipe found online. It wasn't spicy enough for us but it was still enjoyable. We also tried Jack Monroe's veggie burgers which were very easy to make and tasty. I need more burger recipes as this is a favourite choice on Saturday nights. Tomorrow we're eating a huge pizza I found heavily reduced from £4.99 (lux supermarket) to just over £1. 

I'll leave you with some random week 4 photos. How's your spending been? 

Spending Report Week 3

Thank you dear readers for reminding me that books can be borrowed from the local library. My copy of The Leopard is reserved and I'm looking forward to reading it in paper form for free. 

So onto my third week's report of A Year of Less Spending. My week runs Tuesday – Monday as I started this challenge on September 1st which was a Tuesday.

My aims are to be more mindful of our general spending, to spend less on groceries and clothes (my weak areas) and to go back to basics with menu planning, using a spending diary and cooking more from scratch and in bulk. I hope that by the end of the year I'll have wasted less money on stuff and allocated more of our money for experiences and savings for future goals.

Here's a roundup of week 3.

Grocery shopping: £83.38 (budget £92 per week/£400 per month for four of us which includes food, household items and toiletries). This is my lowest spend to date. It includes £10.50 for a chippy tea  as it was a busy weekend and we felt we deserved a break from cooking. I did buy some food for Sam to take back to uni (he went back on Sunday) which I haven't included in this figure. However, I'm very pleased with the total and week 4 should be low as there are now only three of us to feed. My stock take was more careful this week and the only item I bought which I didn't use was cheese.

Spending diary: This week I had zero 'no spend' days which is disappointing. I spent £51.10 on my big shop and tiny amounts on four other days. I need to be more organised. On Monday I had a dental check up but it was only the basic charge as there were no problems. Phew.

Motivation: My motivation remains high. I'm getting used to buying needs not wants. Keeping a spending diary certainly makes you a more mindful consumer.

Clothes shopping: My intention this month is to edit my clothes and not add to them. I promise to show you the results soon!

Treats: As well as chippy tea another treat was to visit Yorkshire Sculpture Park which involved costs of petrol, parking and coffee (we took our own lunch). Mum very kindly paid for most of this. I think the £8 parking fee for a full day at YSP is excellent value (there's no other entrance fee) and I feel sad when I hear people complaining about it. A woman at the ticket machine told me I'd need more than coins as it was so expensive – I kept my opinions to myself.

Temptations: No real temptations this week. 

Menu: The menu this week was put together quickly and was a little dull. A gold star though for batch cooking enough spaghetti bolognese on Thursday for Sunday's evening meal and extra for the freezer. 

As the menu was fairly dull I'll spare you any food photos and leave you with some ceramic poppies instead which we saw at the sculpture park.

Have you had a good spending week?

Spending Report Week 2

This week I've kept up with menu planning, recording every spend in my spending diary but have gone over budget with my grocery spending. But only slightly... here's the lowdown.

Grocery shopping: £96.80 (budget £92 per week/£400 per month for four of us which includes food, household items and toiletries). I think I need to be more thorough in my stock taking as I didn't check every item and bought several items I didn't need. However, I'm still happy as it's under £100 and again I've only used cash for groceries.

Spending diary: I had three no spend days this week compared to only one in week 1 which is something to celebrate. I'm enjoying using my spending diary - I've even copied a few quotes to motivate me into the first page.

Clothes shopping: I haven't given in to any temptation yet but I'm very aware of clothing catalogues coming through the door. They go straight in the recycling unopened. I need to get my address off some mailing lists and look up how to stop this unwanted advertising coming into my house.

Treats: We were treated to tea out at my parents-in-law on Friday. Other favourite treats were the beautiful sedum plant I bought Mum this week (it would have been their 53rd wedding anniversary) and the 30p doughnut which I bought my youngest for completing the first week of his paper round. 

Motivation: It's only week 2 so I'm feeling positive and excited about this challenge. Posting weekly updates hopefully will keep me going for the next 50!

Temptations: It was book club on Monday and therefore a new book to read (The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa). Do I buy the cheaper Kindle version, the second hand option or a new copy? Arghh.

Menu: The curry was aubergine daal (from Save With Jamie) and chicken korma. I couldn't find any curry leaves for the temper (flavoured oil) so after research I substituted coriander stalks, chilli and ginger - just as yum. Our roast was slow pork with roasted pears. The tagliatelle (correct spelling here not on chalk board - oops) was broccoli and pesto tagliatelle (from Jamie's Ministry of Food). We'll definitely have this again, the potato shavings made it deliciously creamy. And I do like to feed my family broccoli as you will note from my photos.

So, how's your 'less spending' going? Any no spend days or enjoyable treats?

Spending Report Week 1

It's been a good first week of A Year of Less Spending. Sharing this challenge here was definitely the right thing for me to do and it's been great to read that many of you are also trying to reduce your spending. Starting this challenge in September is the perfect time for me as autumn always feels like a fresh start, as many of you commented.

Over the summer holidays I deliberated over how I could reduce my spending and whether I could manage a year long shopping ban. I've been so inspired by Cait Flanders and her success with her shopping ban. However, I knew a total shopping ban was not for me. 

My aims are to be more mindful of our general spending, to spend less on groceries and clothes (my weak areas) and to go back to basics with menu planning, using a spending diary and cooking more from scratch and in bulk. I hope that at the end of the year I'll have wasted less money on stuff and allocated more of our money for experiences and savings for future goals. 

There's probably not much difference between my challenge and a total shopping ban. It just feels less restrictive and allows for the occasional treat. 

I hope to post an update of this challenge weekly or at least monthly. I'm interested in recording menu plans and seeing how much I spend each week/month on groceries. I love reading menu plans and food budgets online and I feel it's only fair that I share mine after all the inspiration and tips I've learnt from fellow bloggers. Also, being accountable here will hopefully encourage me to stick to a budget. 

So here's a roundup of my first week.

Grocery shopping: £89.97 (budget £92 per week/£400 per month for four of us which includes food, household items and toiletries). I shopped with cash at my favourite budget friendly supermarket. A few items were bought in another supermarket and I also shopped at our local green grocers. This week I only worked two days and I had plenty of time and energy to plan and shop carefully. I'm sure this will be more challenging in the weeks that I have more work. However, I'm very pleased with the total.

Spending diary: It was exciting opening my new notebook (an end of year teacher present) and recording my first few days of spending. It was a spendy week with our car needing a repair, MOT and service but it actually had no problems which was a lovely surprise. I recorded every little spend such as parking when I took my son to the dentists. Keeping a spending diary certainly makes you aware of every little expense. 

Clothes shopping: No browsing online and I kept my blinkers on when in town. I think a good wardrobe tidy will also keep me on the straight and narrow - it's long overdue.

Treats: We were treated to a one year old's birthday party (Tim's great nephew) and our friend hosted a meal for her 50th in a restaurant. We were spoilt with both great company and food (Spongebob Squarepants birthday cake in the afternoon and an Indian meal in the evening). 

Motivation: My motivation is sky high. Every temptation is met by "No, this is The Year of Less Spending". 

Temptations: I was tempted by some perennials for sale on a drive in a local village when I dropped the car off but I realised I still have cuttings to plant and there's not that much space left in our tiny garden. 

Menu: Highlights were Jack Monroe's veggie chilli (I added extra chilli flakes and chilli chocolate) and an apple and blackberry crumble. We had two brilliantly simple Nigel Slater staples, marmalade chicken and chorizo jacket potatoes, both from his excellent Eat book. 

I'll leave you with a few foodie photos to round off week 1. Have you kept within your budget this week and managed less spending? I'd love to hear.

Apple and blackberry crumble with custard as it was the cheapest accompaniment.

Veg chilli with rice as it was easier than potato wedges. The boys had a meat version.

Nigel Slater's marmalade chicken for five as Mum came round. The sauce was delicious.

And potato gratin which is a firm favourite in our house.

A Year of Less Spending

September is here with its shiny new satchel of optimism so what better day to start something new: A Year of Less Spending. From today September 1st 2015 until 31st August 2016, I hope to track all my spending and spend far less money than I have in the last twelve months. It's not a total shopping ban as I don't want us to completely go without nice treats. I don't believe living with less means having to go without your favourite things, it just means having them a little less often. 

Over the last few years we've got much better at managing on a smaller income whilst still enjoying a comfortable but simple life. We've learnt to live with what we've got and make things last (my husband has only ever owned one mobile phone and it's still going strong). We're fortunate to have no debt other than a small mortgage, no credit cards and modest savings/pension provision.

However, despite improvements in my shopping habits such as keeping my grocery shopping more consistent, I still overspend especially when life gets busy and I'm tired. 

Then convenience becomes more attractive than saving money. And despite having minimised my wardrobe to forty pieces last year I've added more pieces to it than I'd planned. Convenience shopping and clothing are still my weaknesses. When I add up my incidental spending over the last twelve months it shocks me how much money I'm still wasting.

Spending less money on my hair over the last year has shown me that I can stick to a challenge. Not dyeing my hair, using less shampoo and cutting my own hair with only occasional salon visits has saved me a fortune (probably more than half of what I previously spent). Now I need to apply this mindset to spending less money in other areas. How many times during the next twelve months will I be tempted to buy wants such as flowers, magazines and charity shop finds? How many times can I resist the lure of my nearby lux eight letter supermarket for the four letter supermarket that requires driving through town but whose receipts ring joy? This is what I'll track and share with you during the next year.

Having less income requires careful management, especially when it fluctuates like my earnings do (I work supply hours as well as my permanent hours). From today I shall be back to keeping a spending diary and trying to spend less. There'll be more time spent planning frugal meals and cooking from scratch. I'll try paying with cash and staying away from shops/advertising/online browsing (where we all know the temptation starts) as much as I can.

My aim is that by keeping a spending diary and by reducing costs we'll be able to save for more fun experiences and some sort of summer holiday next year. I'll be able to make a few considered purchases to update my small wardrobe and start saving for bigger future expenses such as a living room revamp and travel plans for my 50th birthday/our 25th wedding anniversary. 

Above all I hope to reduce my wants, adequately provide for our needs and build savings to help realise our long term dreams. 

One thing we've certainly found is that a higher income doesn't make us happier. As I've written many times we value time together over earning a high salary because of the hidden costs to our health and family life that we experienced when I worked full-time in a management role in teaching. Living with less has made us appreciate all that we have and they're not just material things. 

It also makes me more aware of how easy it is to waste money and how uncomfortable excess consumerism makes me feel.

A Year of Less Spending is a balanced approach to minimalism and materialism. At the end of twelve months I hope to be more accountable for my spending, to have had some great experiences and to have acquired more savings than impulse buys.