Tuesday, 03-01-23: Low Spend, No Spend January

 Good morning, everyone.  

 I was very pleased with myself yesterday but ashamed at the same time.

Ashamed because I discovered two - TWO - big blocks of cheddar in the fridge hiding behind the cheese box!  How on earth did I manage to end up with two?  Terrible household management!
Proud because I grated all of the opened one (there was so much, I dug out the food processor which did it in seconds) and that's all in the freezer where it will do me for ages.  The other block has a long life - use by some time late March - so it can stay in the fridge for now, untouched, until I use up most of the frozen cheese and then I can grate that down to join it.  
All good for the Low Spend part of the next few months.

I also realised I must plan some meals using feta as that's not so freezable, I think - or do you know better?  Please say in the comments.

Yesterday's meals:

Beth and Al were still here for breakfast so I forgot to photo but it was totally on plan.  A slice of toast and two eggs, scrambled.  I didn't have the turkey dripping on the toast in the end.

Lunch polished off the rest of the tortilla plus coleslaw made with sweetheart cabbage, carrot and apple with two level tbsps super-light mayo for one syn and odds and ends of salady bits.
It looks like loads but, apart from the potato, eggs, cheese and mayo in the coleslaw, it's all speed food (pepper, mushroom, onion, lettuce, carrot and tomatoes) and I felt great afterwards.

Afters was an easy peeler and the rest of the apple that didn't go in the coleslaw.

I also enjoyed some diet pepsi although, being cans, it won't go off!!

I got a bit peckish and 'nibblish' later in the afternoon so had this.  It can count as half a healthy extra B but I'd had my B so it was three and a half syns.  That's fine as I had a low syns count for the day anyway.
It served its purpose.  Do you find it hard to go from nibbling stuff more or less on and off all through the day to more organised eating again?  I do, so this helped me to manage.

This was dinner.  A nice, normal, high veg, very tasty plateful.  Apologies for the Christmas plate - it's going away tomorrow, as are the table decorations.

I didn't have anything else, partly because it was approaching seven but mostly because I was nicely full and satisfied.

Today's plans

B: sort of potato rosti, egg, tomatoes, mushrooms
To use up more of the canned potatoes, I will grate them, add some onion and garlic granules and seasonings, carefully mix in one level tsp softened turkey dripping and spray cook in the Ninja. That's the idea, anyway. Will it work - no idea but it sounds as if it will be OK.

I will have an apple earlier, before Groove, for immediate energy.
SW: two syns for the dripping and the rest should be syn free

L:  cheesy tuna and chutney toastie, side salad; fruit
For this I will mix some canned tuna with grated cheese and some of my balsamic onion chutney and make the toastie using spray oil.  Should be nice.
SW:  up to two healthy extra As, one healthy extra B and half a syn for the chutney

D: turkey and gravy, roasted potatoes (using up the last of the canned potatoes), maybe roasted parsnips, veg; yogurt
A bit like a simplified Christmas dinner really.
SW:  up to two syns for bisto granules and half a syn for some yogurt.  I've used up all the cranberry sauce and won't make any more for now.

E:  Groove aerobics starts today

Summary:

up to two healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

five syns

What is low spend, no spend?

All I will buy through January is essentials - and by that I mean food such as fresh fruit, veg and dairy/eggs.  All other foods will come out of my existing supplies and, to be honest, that may not be much of a challenge.  Also included in any low spend essentials are cleaning products and toiletries although I think I am fine for the latter.  
Also anything else essential that I won't think of until it lands!
That is the low spend part.

Everything else, unless it is either a regular bill/payment/commitment, will not happen.  No sneaky little Amazon purchases, no 'bargains' from the supermarket, certainly no clothes . . .
That's the no spend part.