Jump Start January: Week 3: Day 1

So, the third week of Jump Start January begins – and it’s a Tenner Week. The overarching goal is to keep your personal spending under £10 for the week, with a new task each day.

Today, for the first day of Tenner Week, the task is to make a note of all the food you already have. This is a great week to start using up any surplus or stored ingredients, as most of us have plenty of them in our homes.

All you need to do is briefly write down what’s in your fridge, ice box, freezer and cupboards, and any food you have on your shelves or in the biscuit tin. Look out for anything fresh, dried, canned etc. Also include any veggies in gardens or allotments, windowsill herbs, and any spices and flavourings.

Look at anything fresh or perishable, and work out if there’s any way to make it last longer. For example, you could freeze half a loaf of fresh bread now so it doesn’t go stale, and defrost it later in the week.

Then work out a menu for the week, remembering to use fresh things up first, before they go off. Include breakfasts, lunches, evening meals and snacks. Try to include as much variety in your menu as possible, and make some of your meals healthy ones.

Also, remember your TV viewing time is rationed this week, to help you shake things up and get out of a rut. If you’re a big telly-watcher, try to find other things to do this evening – save your screen time up for later in the week.

£10 Week at Golightly Gardens

Today I’ve had cereals from the cupboard for breakfast, leftover chocolate from Christmas for a treat, a cheese and pickle toastie to warm up at lunchtime, and a pear and a fruit juice for a snack. Tonight I’m making a pasta dish with leftover cooked salmon, and some prawns, mushrooms and broccoli.

The week’s menu is written, and fingers crossed it should be varied and tasty. And also healthy, by and large.

We’ve also had a surveyor around to tell us that our little house was indeed renovated by dodgy builders, and is being held up for the most part by a single plank, instead of thick walls and y’know, steel girders and suchlike. We had our suspicions already, but we’re obviously going to be in for some fun and games. And bills, bills, bills. So it’s probably a good thing that this week is devoted to limiting spending as much as possible.

Spent today: £0.00 (yay!)

TV watched today: none so far.

How are you getting on with your Tenner Week?