The Cost of Living: 1st - 7th July 2017

After generating some interest (or at least, traffic) with my June 'Cost of Living' post, and suffering a brief existential crisis that same afternoon, I've decided to do things a little differently.  From now on I'll publish a weekly post of my expenses, with notes on my habits and circumstances where relevant to issues of frugality, simplicity, zero waste, veganism and so on.  Thought it might be a way to keep track of and share my eating habits, too.

Saturday 1st
Breakfast: Porridge. Lunch: Food provided at a meeting at work.  Most of it wasn't vegan, but I had a banana with me.  So lunch was a banana.  And coffee. Tea:  Pea shoots, mung beans, leeks and lentils.
One cup of coffee at Cafe 19 on the way home: £2.85   50p charge on the card machine, had no cash on me.  Didn't think they did that anymore.  Hardly ever carry cash these days. Topped up electric meter: £32 After topping up £40 in May and lowering this to £35 in June, trying to stick within a budget of £32 this month. Onions and leeks to make soup: £1.60 Leeks were reduced from £1 to 60p in Marks and Spencer's by the bus stop. Total: £36.45 (£2.85 non-essential) Sunday 2nd
Loaf of bread and a bottle of olive oil: £5.78 The price of olive oil has gone up since last I bought it, and abandoned my half-arsed attempt not to use it any more.  Don't think I'll buy any more of it this month if it's £5 a bottle. Washing powder and bleach: £3.38 A 1.3kg box of Co-op's own brand concentrated washing powder is perfectly adequate for a month's laundry for one person, costing £2.59.  I note with satisfaction it also meets my vegan requirements. I don't like to use bleach, but I haven't found an alternative way of getting reusable dish cloths clean enough to use hygienically. Microgreens seeds: £4.60 40g of "rambo" raddish seeds from Nicky's Nursery  Brunch: Fried bread. Lunch/tea:  Lentil, leek and onion soup.  Added plenty of dried sage, fresh basil and chives. Tea/supper:  More soup.
Total: £13.76 (£4.60 non-essential)

Monday 3rd
Postage costs for two books sold on amazon:  £3.48
Breakfast: Porridge Lunch:  Worked at the cafe today, where I'm allowed to help myself to lunch on my break.  See, there is such a thing free lunch.  Had a big plate of salad and a couple of leftover new potatoes with mint sauce. Tea: Fried bread and the last of the weekend's soup.
Total: £3.48  (essential - counted as such because it's something I sold that will yield a profit overall, so isn't really an expense).

Tuesday 4th
Breakfast:  Fried bread with spring onions, basil, rosemary and mixed nuts.  Pretentious and delicious. Lunch: Worked at the cafe again until 2pm.  Snacked on oven chips most of the shift. Tea:  Quorn burger and chips at Infamous Diner.  About the only place in Manchester city centre I know that does unlimited coffee refills.   Total: £11.40 - didn't spend money on anything else today. 
Wednesday 5th
Brunch: Fried onions.  Didn't feel like eating breakfast.  Had a big bowl of fried onions at about 11:30am and took a nap.  The joys of working part time. Late lunch: Lentils and broccoli. Tea: Toast and coffee.  Tried to drink more water again later at night, to stimulate the dream centres, and to avoid late night snacking.  Marginally successful.
Prescription: £8.60 Time to replace my inhaler.  Now that I'm barely using my Ventolin any more I'm saving £8.60 a month on prescription charges, which is nice.  Here's a post about my last asthma check up.  It's also about breathing in general, so it concerns you.  Everybody breathes. Postage:  £1.74 Sold another book on amazon.  You've probably got some stuff you could sell.  Why not do that?  Why not sell all your stuff? Coffee: £4.00 Coffee was on offer at the Co-op today, so I bought two bags of it. Food and drink: £4.84 Broccoli, sweet potatoes and onions from Strawberry Gardens in Bury.  Another successful zero waste shop. Total:  £19.18 (all essential)





Thursday 6th
Breakfast: Porridge Lunch: lentils and brocolli. Tea: Curly fries and coffee at Infamous again: £4.60 Dinner: Baked sweet potato with fried onions. Total: £4.60 (not really essential this one, as I ate when I got home).
Friday 7th

"Every day, once a day, buy yourself a present".

Didn't eat breakfast this morning.  Bought some bread and jam though when I got to work.  Toast and strawberry jam.  Classic.  £1.75 Lunch: 'Lentil ridges' from the Co-op.  Barbecue flavour, or something.  Not zero waste.  I'm sorry.  Also bought some broccoli and some kale.  Might make some green soup tomorrow.  £2.52 Tea:  Quorn burger and curly fries, with several coffee refills, at Infamous again.  £11.40  I don't even know why I go here.  It's the only vegan thing they have, and only then when I remember to ask it without cheese.  Maybe it's the Twin Peaks flooring. Total: £15.67
This brings the week's total spends to £104.54.  Today is Friday, and I was paid £262.86 for working last week.
WEEK END BALANCE: +£158.32
Next week Council Tax and rent are due.  That's all I have to say about that for now. Some related recent posts: Marx, Money and Me Another perspective on freedom Is minimalism boring?


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