Tuesday 28 February 2023

Tuesday, 28-02-23: low spend February

 Morning, everyone!

Yesterday's meals:


I really fancied a bit of marmite on toast for breakfast so I 'paid' another three syns of one slice of bread.  It was lovely!

Lovely, crunchy cheesy turkey toastie with salad and one syn's worth of 70% less salad cream.  Dessert was fruit and later in the afternoon I had a yogurt then instead of after dinner.

Very nice leftovers of the cheesy potato and corned beef pie.  I had planned some other veg but forgot and prepped cauliflower and broccoli so had that instead.  It's all nice.
I finished off the gravy from Sunday for another two syns.
The syns for the day were still within range - nine and a half.



Today's plans

B:  fruit and yogurt
SW:  half a syn for yogurt

L:  soup with added turkey, bread or pitta to dunk; fruit
The soup is leftovers from Saturday, blended smooth and the turkey is Sunday leftovers.
SW:  one healthy extra B

D:  Greek style baked chicken, side salad; yogurt
The one I didn't have last Friday evening and from the Fast Feasts book.
SW:  one healthy extra A for feta and one and a half syns for eight olives (both more than the recipe says) while the yogurt is half a syn.

Ex:   Groove today

Summary:
one healthy extra A
one healthy extra B
two and a half syns

What do I mean by low spend?

February is a low spend month.

Through January, I spent very little on non essential food and other items.  The idea was to spend nothing on non food things and I didn't quite achieve that but I was happy with how it went, all the same.
I was so pleased to be able to make some charitable donations as a result; it's so nice to see positive outcomes.

'Essential' means  food such as fresh fruit, veg and dairy/eggs and other essentials including things like cleaning products and toiletries although I think I am fine for the latter, plus anything necessary that comes up through the month

As for all other spending, there are a few items I need but not an awful lot so I'm really hoping it will also be low spend.

(Of course, all regular bills, direct debits, etc, will still be paid as usual)


Monday 27 February 2023

The week in meals

     These photos show most of the meals I have had over the last seven days, excluding desserts, snacks, naughty things, etc.

For details of syns, healthy extras, etc, see the individual posts.


Saturday, 18-02-23:
B:  fruit platter
L:  chicken tikka salad pitta
D:  peshawari-style baked chicken thighs, rice




Sunday, 19-02-23
B:  bacon and mushroom omelette with roasted tomatoes
L:  fruity pork steak, roasties and veg
D:  cheese and onion toasties

Monday, 20-02-23
B:  fruit
L:  stuffed peppers and salad
D:  cheese and chutney topped burgers, salad, chips



Tuesday, 21-02-23
B:  pancakes (of course)
L:  the rest of the stuffed pepper and salad
D:  steak with sweet potato fries


Wednesday, 22-02-23
B:  bacon, egg and tomato toastie
L:  chicken salad
D:  cheesy chicken pasta bake

Thursday, 23-02-23
B:  fruit and yogurt
L:  chicken pasta bake
D:  peshawari style chicken, veg

Friday, 24-02-23
B:  fruit and yogurt (and taster at group)
L:  chicken patties, salad
D:  lost it a bit, I'm afraid so ooops, line drawn!


And that's the end of another delicious week on Slimming World!

Monday, 27-02-23: low spend February

 Morning, everyone!

Yesterday's meals:
I also had a yogurt later on.
Not a great photo, sorry, but this was really nice.  Apart from some turkey, a tiny bit of cranberry sauce, one stuffing ball and a bit of gravy, everything was completely eaten as Beth and Alex both went back for seconds!  I didn't want leftovers (or seconds) so that was great.

No need for any dessert.
I simplified the recipe considerably, mainly because I couldn't really be bothered.  It was still very nice and I had more feta as a nibble so that was my second healthy A.
Spreading the pitta with mango chutney was a nice touch and, while I'm not sure I would make it again like that, I enjoyed it.  Maybe, next time, put everything inside the pitta, mixing the chutney with the spicy yogurt and the turkey

And that was it for the day.  It filled me up so no need for yogurt.

Today's plans

B:  fruit and yogurt
SW:  half a syn for yogurt, if I use Mullerlight

L:  cheesy turkey and cranberry toastie, salad; fruit
Just what it says.  I do love a toastie!  I'm trying a different was to make the toastie to see if that helps to melt the cheese better.  I'll let you know!
SW:  one and a bit healthy extra A, one healthy extra B and half a syn for the cranberry (it really is a small amount).  If I have salad cream, that will be another syn.

D:  corned beef and roasted veg tie with cheesy potato topping, roasted tomatoes, mushrooms and red peppers; yogurt
This is the first of the leftovers from Saturday.
SW:  under one healthy extra A for cheese and one syn for the corned beef (the original made enough for three) plus half a syn for the yogurt

Ex:   circuits and C25K

Summary:
two healthy extra As in total
one healthy extra B
three and a half syns

What do I mean by low spend?

February is a low spend month.

Through January, I spent very little on non essential food and other items.  The idea was to spend nothing on non food things and I didn't quite achieve that but I was happy with how it went, all the same.
I was so pleased to be able to make some charitable donations as a result; it's so nice to see positive outcomes.

'Essential' means  food such as fresh fruit, veg and dairy/eggs and other essentials including things like cleaning products and toiletries although I think I am fine for the latter, plus anything necessary that comes up through the month

As for all other spending, there are a few items I need but not an awful lot so I'm really hoping it will also be low spend.

(Of course, all regular bills, direct debits, etc, will still be paid as usual)


Sunday 26 February 2023

Sunday, 26-02-23: low spend February

 Morning, everyone!


Yesterday's meals:
Quite a lot of fruit for breakfast so I nibbled at it through the morning.

The soup mix and veg soup was delicious.  There was enough to blend down for another day but, for now, it will probably go into the freezer

The cheesy mash and corned beef pie was delicious and made, not two, but three portions.  I'll keep one in the fridge for Monday and the other can go into the freezer for later in the week.
Making three portions means that the syns are a bit lower, of course.  Fine by me!
Nothing else - I was full up.


Today's plans

B:  fruit and yogurt
I do love fruit and yogurt and, as it's a big lunch, it's nice and light.
SW:  half a syn if I have a Mullerlight

L:   roast turkey dinner; fruit
Beth and Alex are round and it's the usual - the roasted meat, roasties (potato, parsnips and onion), veg such as carrots, broccoli and sprouts and I will also make some gravy and some cranberry sauce.
SW:  four syns for the gravy and cranberry sauce.  The rest should be speed/free/protein.

D:  loaded spiced turkey pitta, salad; yogurt
The recipe says 'naan' but I will use a pitta instead.  Here it is.
I won't make the pea relish but I might add some feta, seeing as I haven't used any As yet.
SW:  a tbsp mango chutney is one and a half syns and I will count one syn for the curry paste.  The yogurt is half a syn and some feta is one healthy extra A while the pitta is a B

Ex:   Shimmy stretch and something from YouTube.

Summary:
one healthy extra A
one healthy extra B
seven and a half syns

What do I mean by low spend?

February is a low spend month.

Through January, I spent very little on non essential food and other items.  The idea was to spend nothing on non food things and I didn't quite achieve that but I was happy with how it went, all the same.
I was so pleased to be able to make some charitable donations as a result; it's so nice to see positive outcomes.

'Essential' means  food such as fresh fruit, veg and dairy/eggs and other essentials including things like cleaning products and toiletries although I think I am fine for the latter, plus anything necessary that comes up through the month

As for all other spending, there are a few items I need but not an awful lot so I'm really hoping it will also be low spend.

(Of course, all regular bills, direct debits, etc, will still be paid as usual)


Saturday 25 February 2023

Saturday, 25-02-23: low spend February

 Morning, everyone!

It was a maintain yesterday.  Oh, well, onward and downward!
No-one had entered a recipe for the competition and there wasn't much in the way of tasters either -  about five of us brought something and I think Jen was a bit disappointed because it's a big group but it's hard times and maybe people are pushing it to afford the fees, let along bring some food along.   I wouldn't be surprised.
Yesterday's meals:

There were some nice things at taster yesterday morning.  I ended up having two thirds* of a pink and white (one and a half syns) and a bit of weetabix loaf (around two syns) so that wasn't so bad.  I also had some of my fruit salad and yogurt and brought the rest home where I had some more and took the photo.

* Each pink and white had been cut into thirds


The chicken thing was really rather nice although they weren't fritters which is what the recipe calls them.  To me, fritters start with a thick batter to which you add other stuff.
They were, in fact, rather like the chicken meatballs I made the other week which just goes to show there isn't such a thing as a really original recipe!
I had some more of the leftover fruit for afters.

I lost the plot in the evening and didn't make the Greek style chicken so that will have to wait for another time.

Today's plans

B:   fruit
I have a whole load of fruit to use up enjoy so it is fruit, fruit and more fruit today!
SW:  speed and free

L:   soup mix soup, bread for dunking; fruit
When I was clearing out my food stores, I found a pack of soup mix - that mixture of pearl barley and dried pulses.  It was past Best Before but it said on the pack that if it was older, soak it overnight before cooking with it.  So I soaked some soup mix overnight and I have shoved it into the slow cooker with a nice mix of hearty veg - onion, carrot, sweet potatoes, squash, leek, edamame beans, swede and parsnip and some of the turkey stock I made last week from the carcass bits of a turkey thigh.  It's on high so should be nicely done by two when I usually have my lunch.
SW:  the soup should be speed and free and the bread will be my healthy extra B

D:  cheesy potato topped corned beef and roasted veg pie, assorted veg; yogurt
Just a concoction really.  I will pre-cook and mash the potato, adding lashings of grated cheese and, maybe, an egg yolk too for added texture.  The underneath is roasted onion, squash and sweet potato with some pepper, mushroom and cubes of corned beef and I must remember to ladle off some of the soup liquid to moisten the mix.
I'll make it up and finish it off in Nellie and I'm expecting that there will be enough for two good portions, one for today and one for Monday lunch (as Sunday is all sorted).
SW:  I will use all my healthy extra As but one will be for another day so that is one A.  The whole can of lean corned beef is four syns so that's two syns, the veg, etc, should be all free/speed and the yogurt is half a syn

Ex:  a walk and a shimmy snippet class, C25K

Summary:
one healthy extra A (because the pie is for two portions)
one healthy extra B
two and a half syns

What do I mean by low spend?

February is a low spend month.

Through January, I spent very little on non essential food and other items.  The idea was to spend nothing on non food things and I didn't quite achieve that but I was happy with how it went, all the same.
I was so pleased to be able to make some charitable donations as a result; it's so nice to see positive outcomes.

'Essential' means  food such as fresh fruit, veg and dairy/eggs and other essentials including things like cleaning products and toiletries although I think I am fine for the latter, plus anything necessary that comes up through the month

As for all other spending, there are a few items I need but not an awful lot so I'm really hoping it will also be low spend.

(Of course, all regular bills, direct debits, etc, will still be paid as usual)


Friday 24 February 2023

Friday, 24-02-23: low spend February

 Morning, everyone!

Weigh in and, after last Fridays - er - family booze-up, I'm not expecting much but a little bit would be nice.  
Fingers crossed.

It's also a taster session to celebrate February Free Food Festival - which is a bit of a (syn free) mouthful at the best of times.  There's a competition if you want to take part which is to submit something that just contains speed and free foods and is totally original.  We then vote on the one we like best and that goes forward to a regional thingy and then nationally.  I've taken part twice and 'won' twice, just for our group.  I had a few ideas this time but one has turned out not to be 'original' and the other contains some healthy extra A because I thought you could use healthy extras.
I can't be bothered to think of anything else; I've done my share and got the stickers, certificates and tea towels to prove it so last night I just put together a really, really nice fruit salad with some yogurt on the side.  It's absolutely my favourite breakfast and I'm hoping there will be some left over.  There usually is.
And I'm looking forward to seeing what others bring.
Yesterday's meals:
Breakfast - self explanatory really!

Lunch -leftovers of the chicken pasta bake and instead of cheese on top, I stirred in a quarter pot of Seriously Cheddar lighter for half a syn.

I rubbed a cut clove of garlic over both sides of a slice of wholemeal, sprayed both sides and toasted it.  Not completely garlic bread but there was a very pleasant garlicky vibe to it.

Later on, I had an apple.  


Dinner was a portion of the peshawari-style sauce I made last weekend.  I added chicken, red pepper and a selection for 'tropical' fruit - mango, pineapple and grapes and it really was very nice indeed.  It would have been nice with rice but I'd already had double carbs at lunchtime so better not to.

I goofed with the chicken though.  I thought I had got out a small piece of chicken but when I unwrapped it to slice and cook it, it was chicken mince, darn it!
I was able to get out, quickly thaw and use a chicken sizzler but I now have to change tomorrow's planning in order to use up the mince.  

That was it for the day as I was full up.

Today's plans

B:  SW taster session . . .
 . . . so goodness knows but it should all be low syn as them's the rules!
SW:  no idea yet

L:  cheesy chicken mince fritters with broccoli, salad; fruit
I searched for chicken mince recipes and stumbled across this one.  
It's American, a basic burger/meatball type recipe but it looks nice  and they are baked (or, maybe, ninja-ed.  They just appealed when I was looking.
I can serve them on a bed of lettuce and other salad veg.
SW:  it's a bit of a guess but I am estimating a bit of a B for some breadcrumbs (I don't have panko but I do have wholemeal), one A for cheese and that's it really.

D:  Greek-style baked chicken; yogurt
I do get through a lot of chicken, don't I?
This is from the SW Fast Feasts book, p 92, and sounds really nice.  I'll let you know.
The only thing I am changing is that it asks for green olives and I think I only have black ones.
SW:  one healthy extra A for feta and ne and a half syns for eight olives (in brine, not oil).  The rest looks to be speed or free.  Then half a syn for yogurt, if I have a dessert.

Ex: probably a rest day.

Summary:
two healthy extra As
a bit of a healthy extra B
two and a half syns plus whatever I have at taster.

What do I mean by low spend?

February is a low spend month.

Through January, I spent very little on non essential food and other items.  The idea was to spend nothing on non food things and I didn't quite achieve that but I was happy with how it went, all the same.
I was so pleased to be able to make some charitable donations as a result; it's so nice to see positive outcomes.

'Essential' means  food such as fresh fruit, veg and dairy/eggs and other essentials including things like cleaning products and toiletries although I think I am fine for the latter, plus anything necessary that comes up through the month

As for all other spending, there are a few items I need but not an awful lot so I'm really hoping it will also be low spend.

(Of course, all regular bills, direct debits, etc, will still be paid as usual)


Thursday 23 February 2023

Thursday, 23-02-23: low spend February

 Morning, everyone!



Yesterday's meals:
Yummy but rather messy to eat.  Worth it though.
I added a grated baby beetroot into the coleslaw - nice.
The chicken looks tiny, I know, but it was plenty and filled me up.

Later on I had a plum and an orange.

This was a delicious dinner - cheesy chicken pasta bake with loads of added veg.
No room for any pud.

Today's plans

B:  fruit and yogurt
The usual.
SW:  half a syn for a flavoured yogurt and the fruit will be a mix of speed and free fruit

L:  chicken pasta bake, side salad; fruit
Leftovers from yesterday and very nice too
I might try making some mock garlic bread by rubbing a cut clove of garlic over a slice of bread, then spraying it and baking it (in Nellie).  Or I might not, I'll see how I feel.
SW:  one healthy extra A for grated cheese.

D:  peshawari style chicken, plenty of veg; yogurt
This is a portion of the sauce I made last weekend.  I will cook the veg and the chicken and then add the sauce plus some tropical fruit from the freezer and let it all simmer and reduce down a bit.  It should work well.
SW:  the sauce is half a B, a bit of an A and two syns while the yogurt is half a syn.

Ex:   SET class online, maybe a run/walk, depending on the weather

Summary:
up to two healthy extra As
one healthy extra B (maybe)
three syns

What do I mean by low spend?

February is a low spend month.

Through January, I spent very little on non essential food and other items.  The idea was to spend nothing on non food things and I didn't quite achieve that but I was happy with how it went, all the same.
I was so pleased to be able to make some charitable donations as a result; it's so nice to see positive outcomes.

'Essential' means  food such as fresh fruit, veg and dairy/eggs and other essentials including things like cleaning products and toiletries although I think I am fine for the latter, plus anything necessary that comes up through the month

As for all other spending, there are a few items I need but not an awful lot so I'm really hoping it will also be low spend.

(Of course, all regular bills, direct debits, etc, will still be paid as usual)


Wednesday 22 February 2023

Wednesday, 22-02-23: low spend February

 Morning, everyone!

Yesterday's meals:


Tuesday didn't actually start with pancakes, it started with an apple before Groove class which was an energetic session so when I got home I was more than ready for pancakes.

I had one with lemon and sweetener and then one with fruit and yogurt and much preferred the latter so the lemon juice and sweetener were put away.

So any pangs of conscience I may have had about more than one tbsp sweetener vanished into thin air!


I enjoyed the second day stuffed half-pepper very much.  
I had a bit of baby beetroot pickling vinegar left in the jar so use it to quick pickle shredded cabbage and carrot slices and it really was very nice.  I'll do that again rather than just throw it away.

Afters was an orange and a plum.

A really nice steak (from Aldi) and the sweet potato fries were lovely too.  I invested two syns in some oil to air fry them in and they came out nice and crunchy.
I did have room for a yogurt for once.



Today's plans

B:  bacon, egg and tomato sandwich
I'm on to using my home made bread now and it is very nice.  I do have one more bought loaf, the one I won in the raffle a few weeks ago and then I am sticking pretty much with home made, I think, now I know I can cut it thin enough to have two slices for my healthy extra B
SW:  one healthy extra B for bread

L:  teriyaki chicken, salad; fruit
This is a tricky one to syn because the chicken came from a butcher ready flavoured and I've had it for a while anyway.  I looked up teriyaki sauce and it is one syn per tbsp so if I estimate it as four syns (for the lot, lunch and dinner), that should more than cover it, I should think.
SW:  two syns for the chicken (est)


D:  cheesy chicken pasta bake; side veg; yogurt
This was going to be a tuna pasta bake but when I checked on the amount of chicken I had, I think it is enough for two portions so I will thaw the lot and I can cross it off my freezer list.
Apart from the cheese and yogurt, this should all be free and speed.  I intend packing the sauce with vegetables and maybe it will make enough for two.
SW:  up to two healthy extra As for grated cheddar, two syns (est) for the chicken and half a syn for yogurt

Ex:  C25K and personal training class

Summary:
up to two healthy extra As
one healthy extra B
four and a half syns (est)

What do I mean by low spend?

February is a low spend month.

Through January, I spent very little on non essential food and other items.  The idea was to spend nothing on non food things and I didn't quite achieve that but I was happy with how it went, all the same.
I was so pleased to be able to make some charitable donations as a result; it's so nice to see positive outcomes.

'Essential' means  food such as fresh fruit, veg and dairy/eggs and other essentials including things like cleaning products and toiletries although I think I am fine for the latter, plus anything necessary that comes up through the month

As for all other spending, there are a few items I need but not an awful lot so I'm really hoping it will also be low spend.

(Of course, all regular bills, direct debits, etc, will still be paid as usual)


Tuesday 21 February 2023

Tuesday, 21-02-23: low spend February

 Morning, everyone!

Yesterday's meals:

A nice, colourful breakfast.  I didn't have any yogurt with it.

It's a bit hard to see the pepper halves that have been stuffed in his photo but they were there.  As expected, I only had room for half so the other half is now in a small bowl, covered and in the fridge and I will reheat it for lunch today.
The drizzle is a bit of salad cream, about half a syn's worth per half pepper.

Having half reduced the healthy extra and syns, of course, but I'm not fussed about that in the slightest.  Nor am I funned about synning the salad cream as I think one cancels out the other.

The burgers look like a pair of googly eyes, don't they.
OK - so I made the burgers with 100g turkey mince, one red onion and rosemary sausage, some softened chopped leek and some crumbled feta, all mixed together and shaped.  It made two burgers so I decided to forego the roll (I was having chips anyway and double carb isn't a great idea) so I just put a slice of processed cheese over each burger and topped them with some onion chutney.
They were lovely.
As usual, I was stuffed and had no room for any dessert.
So that was yesterday!
Today's plans

B:  Pancakes with fruit and yogurt
Today is Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday so, of course, I HAVE to have pancakes.  I've planned fruit and yogurt but I might have that on the side and have lemon juice and sweetener (not sugar, I'm not that decadent!) as well because that's what we always had when I was a child.  
I will be using wholemeal SR flour for the pancakes and I have already explained why I am happy to count it as a healthy extra B in a previous post but, in short, it is higher in fibre than 40g oats, has fewer calories and Bs are all about the fibre you get for your calories.
SW also now says that you should syn if you have one tbsp or more of sweetener - I don't bother.  it is so rare and I am always so well below syns that it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference!
(Sometimes, I can be a bit of a SW rebel)
SW:  one healthy extra B for flour, a bit of healthy extra A for some coconut milk and half a syn for yogurt.  

L:  stuffed pepper and salad
Leftovers from yesterday . . .
I think I will add some grated cheese to the stuffed pepper half to counteract any dryness
SW:  one healthy extra A, one and a half syns for the Mexican pork one-pot filling and half a syn for the salad cream I added yesterday - I don't think it is really that but let's be safe.

D:  steak, chips, salad; yogurt
I will make sweet potato chips as I have a sweet potato that really does need using up soon and I had potato chips yesterday.
I'll make a mushroom sauce for the steak, using a bit of Elmlea.
SW:  two and a half syns for a level tbsp Elmlea, half a syn for yogurt (I often don't have the yogurt because I am full, but safer to include it in.

Ex:   Groove class (so nice to be back at classes again) and C25K

Summary:
up to two healthy extra As
one healthy extra B
five and a half syns

What do I mean by low spend?

February is a low spend month.

Through January, I spent very little on non essential food and other items.  The idea was to spend nothing on non food things and I didn't quite achieve that but I was happy with how it went, all the same.
I was so pleased to be able to make some charitable donations as a result; it's so nice to see positive outcomes.

'Essential' means  food such as fresh fruit, veg and dairy/eggs and other essentials including things like cleaning products and toiletries although I think I am fine for the latter, plus anything necessary that comes up through the month

As for all other spending, there are a few items I need but not an awful lot so I'm really hoping it will also be low spend.

(Of course, all regular bills, direct debits, etc, will still be paid as usual)


Monday 20 February 2023

Monday, 20-02-23: low spend February

Morning, everyone!

I was so impressed with the peshawari style baked chicken recipe that yesterday I set to and made a batch of the sauce - just the sauce, without the chicken or the red peppers.  It made five good portions which I can use with chicken (raw or cooked) or with other protein such as chick peas, turkey, etc, and they are all a bit of a healthy extra A plus either half a B and two syns or five syns (the half B is for the ground almonds).

On to a new week and I'm planning lovely meals (lovely to me anyway) that use up my stash and work with the Slimming World plan.  It seems to be endless, my stash, but at this time I can only be thankful.  At some point, I will run out and have bigger shopping lists again, but for now it is saving me money and giving me great satisfaction so no complaints.
Yesterday's meals:
Breakfast.
I added a Dairylea light cheese slice to the omelette before adding the bacon and mushrooms and it was yummy.  It was a third of an A so I can adjust the cheese for dinner accordingly.

The fruity pork was really lovely.  The sauce boiled down to a thick and sticky consistency which went perfectly with the apple and the onion.  It would be nice with gammon too, I think, or chicken or a turkey steak.
I had a few grapes for afters.

Dinner was good old toasties (made with hm bread so even nicer than usual) with a salad and it finished off a good day's food really nicely.  No room for anything else so that was that for the day.  xx

Today's plans

B:  fruit and yogurt
SW:  I plan to use 0% yogurt so that will be syn free.

L:  stuffed red peppers, leftover veg, maybe salad if needed; fruit
I plan to use one of the portions of Mexican rice one-pot to stuff two pepper halves and top with some grated cheese or, maybe, some crumbled feta (because you get more cheese for your healthy extra!)
I might make the stuffed pepper last two days (as there will be two halves) but I will see how hungry I feel after circuits.
SW:  three syns for the one-pot and half a healthy extra A for the feta

D:  cheesy chicken burger, salad, chips; yogurt
I will make the burger with 100g chicken mince (or turkey mince, whichever comes to hand first) and mix it with a red onion and rosemary sausage and some wholemeal breadcrumbs plus seasoning as needed.  The sausage lightens up the texture and tastes really good as part of a burger.
I will add one processed cheese slice and build up the burger with salad, red onion, cucumber and tomatoes.
SW:  a healthy extra B for a wholemeal something - a roll or maybe a protein thin. half a healthy extra A for the cheese slice  and I might make the chips with a tsp oil for two syns.  Half a syn for a yogurt.

Ex:   circuits starts again now half term is over and I must do a garden jog as I didn't do one yesterday.  I'm staying on week 1 of C25K for a few more sessions before moving on to week 2.

Summary:
one healthy extra A
one healthy extra B
six and a half syns, more if I have yogurt



What do I mean by low spend?

February is a low spend month.

Through January, I spent very little on non essential food and other items.  The idea was to spend nothing on non food things and I didn't quite achieve that but I was happy with how it went, all the same.
I was so pleased to be able to make some charitable donations as a result; it's so nice to see positive outcomes.

'Essential' means  food such as fresh fruit, veg and dairy/eggs and other essentials including things like cleaning products and toiletries although I think I am fine for the latter, plus anything necessary that comes up through the month

As for all other spending, there are a few items I need but not an awful lot so I'm really hoping it will also be low spend.

(Of course, all regular bills, direct debits, etc, will still be paid as usual)