Comments on: Soup, Scones and more food budgetry

By: Dani

Dani — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:38:17 +0000

Hi Leslie! Glad you liked it. Definitely check out Aldi, their product range improves all the time. Although I tend to avoid their F & V, it goes off very quickly, I suspect it’s been cold stored for a l..o….n..g time. Once income does make it harder but not working gives you more time to shop in lots of different places to find the bargains too.

By: leslie

leslie — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:30:32 +0000

i finally got a link to your site from nick! i, for one, loved this post and the monetary breakdown. i’m going to have to do some serious budgeting once we’re down to one wage so the cost of meals and what i actually spend money on every week has been on my mind a lot lately. i might have to check out aldi… it’s always scared me a little.

By: Dani

Dani — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:00:43 +0000

I loved it when I used to order organic through home delivery but it’s not affordable here either (even pre-orthodontist!).

By: Maria

Maria — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:52:30 +0000

No, Aldi hasn’t hit the apple isle yet unfortunately. I’ve just switched to Coles because they seem to have more organic products but the f&v is nothing to write home about at all. I much prefer buying organic through home delivery but it costs an arm and a leg (and Jono doesn’t even have kids let alone an orthodontic bill!) and you’re dependent on the delivery day. We go through fruit too quickly to wait a week each time. *sigh*
Look forward to your next post! x

By: Dani

Dani — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 21:22:14 +0000

Karen I hope your headache has gone. I’d be interested to see how Canberra compares with Melbourne. Working three days (and having an extra Ankle Biter) would have a big impact on how much you can realistically manage to make yourself. Thank goodness for the thermomix, hey?
Maria, I’d go crazy if I had to depend on supermarkets. I absolutely shudder to think what my spend would be. I guess Aldi haven’t hit Tasmania yet either? They help a lot, especially now they have an organic line. I will certainly do a cleaning product post.
Em you’ve so hit the nail on the head with the choosing-to-be-blind spots. Which is why I’ve done this exercise. I would have said that I buy no luxuries in my food shop but I’ve already found a couple. OK they’re not huge but an extra $10 a week is $520 a year. Budgeting is a vile job but the pay offs are worth it.

By: Em

Em — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:16:37 +0000

Hey lovely, you’re doing a super job of juggling good nutrition on a budget - and being honest about where it goes. I keep similar records for all our living expenses, and it is a very useful exercise when you need to see where your money goes. Otherwise it’s easy to make excuses about the stuff you want to ignore (and don’t we all have those choosing-to-be-blind spots). Budgeting is hard work.

By: Maria

Maria — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:16:10 +0000

I think it’s great Dani. To eat as well as you do for $150 a week is truly amazing. Of course it requires a lot of planning and imagination but feeding healthy tasty food to growing children (including the orthodontist’s) is what makes the home kitchen so wonderful.

I wish I could get farmers market produce and deli items for the prices you do. The big supermarkets don’t even come close, and the prices are stupid considering the quality is so inferior.

Can you do a post about your cleaning products for bathroom, loo, kitchen etc. please? What you use, how you store it. Ta x

By: karen aka brazen

karen aka brazen — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:13:07 +0000

LOL at judgey mcjudgement!!

i am finding it fascinating. i’m trying to do the same, but in a lesser way (working 3 days i do rely on some prepackaged things, mostly crackers etc, fruit juice poppers). i’m jsut trying to cut back a bit.

i was actually goign to post my weekly F&V shop tonight too lol (except i have a headache and can’t be bothered) it was cheaper this week lol