Cheaper than chips: 2-5-13

I seem to be getting into a pattern here.  While I know I'm not totally authentic in what I'm doing and I've set my own rules rather than following any other perceived wisdom, it does seem to be working well, I'm eating better, funnily enough, and certainly I am spending a huge amount less!  It's taking a lot of thinking though, a lot of calculator calculations and it's only week 1

Something I'm certainly doing differently:  I count the money as spent when I prepare it, not when I buy it.  I haven't thrown anything away yet and if I did, I would count it.  And I weigh veg before peeling or whatever.
Counting the cost at preparation time may sound daft and if I really was close to the bread line I couldn't do that, but it enables me to take advantage of offers and to buy whole packs of stuff.  It also means I don't have to shop daily.
I'm starting to just glimpse what a vicious circle it can be for those genuinely in need.

Tonight I was expecting to be going out and, as a result, spending nearly two week's food money on a meal and drinks, but I'm still coughing and spluttering and one of my friends is quite vulnerable to infections, so we've postponed it until next month.  Given that most of the weekend will be a washout for family reasons and Tuesday will either be dinner out or a buffet at mine, perhaps it is just as well.

Food today:
B  porridge with a banana (free)
L  tomato soup, bread and butter and a flapjack (all home made)
D  a 2 egg omelette with onion, mushroom and pepper, roasted tomatoes (free) and stewed plums for afters.  The stewed plums were shockingly dear, more than the omelette in fact but I had plums in the fridge and they needed using up or throwing away (no way).  I stewed them in sugar, water and one star anise and I have eight more (little) portions to freeze..
Coffee: 3 plus freebies at school.

Total cost:  £1.25 - but, of course, the banana, the tomatoes and quite a lot of coffee was free.  Cheating - perhaps, but real life!

I've read that you can make pancakes using mashed banana instead of egg.  Given that I have a pretty soft banana, I'm going to try that tomorrow morning.  I'm not sure how filling it will be, mind you.  Watch this space!