Could you live on €10 a day?

ClaudiaSchiffer

..I'm trying to do this for the month of October but it's proving very difficult.

This is my second week and not only am I starving but I've become nicely acquainted with migraine which I've never experienced before.

Since the recession rolled into town, I, like most people, took a major wage decrease and now I'm finding it so hard to cope every month. I don't have the money to go out and defo don't have the money to buy clothes or even a magazine. Nearly every month, there's either birthdays, bills or car tax to be paid.

So, this is why I need to get by on €10 a day..it sounds easy but trust me, it's not! I don't know what other options I have right now. Does anyone have any ideas???????

Sorry for the rant/moan btw..it's just something that's really worrying me at the mo with xmas around the corner.

Crotchety

It's not hard.

A pint of milk will last - ... a few days.
Loaf of bread - .. a few days.
Butter - ... a few days.
Teabags/Coffee - ... a few days.

etc.

Under 10euro for a few days. 70euro a week so there will be a bit of the oul' sundry. You know what i mean.

fryup

if you're renting...consider moving back with your folks

admiralofthefleet

i did today.
all i spent money on was bread and corned beef. i got smokes yesterday and they have lasted me til now because i have cut down.
havent had a drink since sunday

Borneo Fnctn

Crotchety wrote: »

It's not hard.

A pint of milk will last - ... a few days.
Loaf of bread - .. a few days.
Butter - ... a few days.
Teabags/Coffee - ... a few days.

etc.

That's not living, that's surviving.

brummytom

I'd find it very hard to live on €10 a day.. what with the whole different currency thing

TequilaMockingBird

Is the €10 just to cover food? Or do you smoke, travel expenses etc?

mcaul

ask a british person on the dole over there - that's how little they get when unemployed.

DazMarz

That'd be tough... But then again, depends on what you are subsisting on... Also depends on what you intend to be doing during the day...

I don't think I'd manage on that much per day!!!:o

Michellenman

I could easily survive on a tenner, probably even a fiver a day (inc food and transport). Couldn't live on it though.

Joey the lips

Bag of spuds0.90c
1/2 doz of eggs .60
Bread.50
Butter.98
Porridge 1.10
Milk 1.19
Toothpaste

Then slight small veriations

You have
Calcuim
Protean
Vitamins

For the body
Tootpaste for the sexlife!

ps:There is always the meals for 7 euro porridge and milk in tesco if your really stuck

Orla K

In college I used to make 5 days dinner/breakfast for €20. A tenner a DAY seems really easy to me.

Even once I was left with money for a bus ticket home and €2 that was to last me TWO WEEKS. I bought a big bag of potatoes and a bar of chocolate (to cheer myself up). I still had some food in the press but that soon went and I stopped eating potatoes for about a year after that.

FunkZ

If it's just food, yeah that's easy! If anythiong else comes into the equation your ****ed like a toastie in a toaster that can't be turned off.

But foodwise ya can get a KG of mince for 6 quid!

ClaudiaSchiffer

At the mo I'm living on soup and potatoes/pasta, I do smoke so I buy 20 cigarettes every 2.5 days, I walk to work but every weekend I spend roughly €25 on trains.

ClaudiaSchiffer

Joey the lips wrote: »

Bag of spuds0.90c
1/2 doz of eggs .60
Bread.50
Butter.98
Porridge 1.10
Milk 1.19
Toothpaste

Then slight small veriations

You have
Calcuim
Protean
Vitamins

For the body
Tootpaste for the sexlife!

ps:There is always the meals for 7 euro porridge and milk in tesco if your really stuck

Toothpaste??

ClaudiaSchiffer

fryup wrote: »

if you're renting...consider moving back with your folks

I've tried that but moved to the city for work. My folks don't live near anywhere near where the city.

Whosbetter?

10 Notes a day!

You joking?

Mortage alone would kill that twice that in a day, so no can do.

anniehoo

Its possible if you're 12 and not paying for a mortgage,petrol,electricity bills,management fees,tv licence,bank loan,eazy pass (grr:mad:),car tax/insurance,pension,life assurance!

I wrote down all my bills for the first time tonight and..feck me its scary reading

stovelid

ClaudiaSchiffer wrote: »

So, this is why I need to get by on €10 a day..it sounds easy but trust me, it's not! I don't know what other options I have right now.

Didn't you put anything aside from your 80s/90s supermodel heyday?

Novella

70 euro a week for food for one person?! No problemo! Go into Tesco, you can get loads of food in there with that amount of cash. I'm not even trying to cut down on spending but I would think 70 euro for food for a week is loads!!!

stepbar

ClaudiaSchiffer wrote: »

At the mo I'm living on soup and potatoes/pasta, I do smoke so I buy 20 cigarettes every 2.5 days, I walk to work but every weekend I spend roughly €25 on trains.

There lies the problem.....

Midnight_EG

Brekkie role and a bottle of water for breakfast €4.00
Packet of crisps for lunch or an apple €.50
Lasagne meal (Or any other meal) from Supervalue €3.80 + Bottle of water €1
Packet of Chewing Gum for the day €.70

Total = €10

I think I'm self-sufficient

sceptre

FunkZ wrote: »

But foodwise ya can get a KG of mince for 6 quid!

If you're prepared to accept lesser mince, Dunnes have suspicious mince at 2.85 for 800g.

I wouldn't make a habit of it, it's quite fatty. Especially if like me you keep a litre of proper soy sauce in the fridge.

So you know what's great though, he said, stressing his student credentials,[1] Tesco own brand creamed rice pudding at 29 cents for a tin. You want to be a real penny pincher survivor, add that to your diet. It's actually quite nice with a lump of jam, close enough to what my granny used to feed me as a fourth course for lunch.


[1] When I was in college the first time I survived for a chunk of a year on Koka noodles mixed with beans and the odd sausage. My cooking's improved a bit since.

Stercus Accidit

I sleep indoors, so no.

ClaudiaSchiffer

stepbar wrote: »

There lies the problem.....

I stopped for 3 weeks last month in the hope of saving but what money i thought i would save I spent filling the void of cigarettes i.e chocolate, chocolate and chocolate?!

ClaudiaSchiffer

Stercus Accidit wrote: »

I sleep indoors, so no.

Excuse me?

ohohoh

€70 a week is loads if you're prepare to put in the effort and if you have the time to shop properly

Invest in tubbaware and zip lock bags. Plan your food for the week and bring your lunch into work

Cooked chicken €6 - take all the chicken off it and freeze it. Or make a massive curry and put into single portion freezer bags.
2kg Bacon Bits in Lidl €2 - break up into single portions and you can make loads of bacon/pasta meals.

I could go on but you get my drift. Anyway shop in bulk I find is alot more efficient

ElectroJazz

I'm gettin pretty crappy pay in work now and I was smokin a pack a day, sometimes more, and that was eatin my wages so I started rollin my own, not only am I smokin a bit less but I only spend about €8 a week on tobacco now and it's saved me a fortune so far! maybe you could try that

smellslikeshoes

Having migraines definitely means something is wrong. Make sure you're getting enough fruit and veg. Aldi/Lidl always have some very cheap fruits and veg. Eggs are a good cheap food so definitely pick up some, lots of protein and good fats in there for very cheap.

You should look into making up your dinners for the week at once and freezing them, if you're not a good cook now would be a very good time to start learning.

And give up the smokes, would never be a better time for it, think of all the money you would save.

anniehoo

Ok..so it seems we're just talkin about food ...if thats all ..then hell yeh you can live for that amount. Unless you want to clarify there CS?!!

Shoop

ClaudiaSchiffer wrote: »

Excuse me?

Oh he went there. MmmHmm sista!

Well wouldn't be that hard though but really depends on how healthy you like to eat. Being of the student nature I would happily stuff 90c centra jaffa cakes, 25c rice pudding and 15c noodles down my throat as a mangled breakfast/lunch/dinner Not in that order though) for a week.
I'm glad I'm not me though

Overheal

your doing it wrong if you are taking it a 10 euro per day and not 300 euro per month.

Firefox10

It depends on what you mean by 10 euro a day. I easily get by on 10 Euro on day to day spending. (Excluding Bills, Mortgage etc.)

CodeMonkey

With €10, I can get a nice striploin/ribeye steak from Fallen & Byrnes with enough change for toast/cereal in the morning and a decent homemade sandwich or left over dinner for lunch.

Going hungry with €10 to spend on food is a sad indication of poor budgeting and laziness. People who think €10 a day for food is just surviving have had it easy for too long. Wake up people.

ClaudiaSchiffer

ohohoh wrote: »

€70 a week is loads if you're prepare to put in the effort and if you have the time to shop properly

Invest in tubbaware and zip lock bags. Plan your food for the week and bring your lunch into work

Cooked chicken €6 - take all the chicken off it and freeze it. Or make a massive curry and put into single portion freezer bags.
2kg Bacon Bits in Lidl €2 - break up into single portions and you can make loads of bacon/pasta meals.

I could go on but you get my drift. Anyway shop in bulk I find is alot more efficient

After my weekend train ticket, it works out at €45.50 a week which is €6.50 a week

Cheers for the ideas thou. Don't suppose you know if there's a Aldi/Lidl in south city centre (Dub)?

CodeMonkey

A twin pack of chicken legs (includes drumstick and thighs) from Mark and Spenser is less than €7. There's enough there for at least 5 dinner even if you have a big appetite.

ClaudiaSchiffer

Overheal wrote: »

your doing it wrong if you are taking it a 10 euro per day and not 300 euro per month.

I've work it both ways - daily and monthly.

colm_c

ClaudiaSchiffer wrote: »

After my weekend train ticket, it works out at €45.50 a week which is €6.50 a week

Cheers for the ideas thou. Don't suppose you know if there's a Aldi/Lidl in south city centre (Dub)?

Take the bus, it's usually less than half the price of a train, also if you're going home at the weekend then surely you have a free weekend without the need to buy food?

Why is the limit €10 a day anyway? Surely you could push that to €11?

Give us a run down of your budget.

aidan24326

ClaudiaSchiffer wrote: »

Cheers for the ideas thou. Don't suppose you know if there's a Aldi/Lidl in south city centre (Dub)?

There's an Aldi in Rathmines (Swan Centre). Tesco is pretty cheap now aswell, and always watch out for special offers, 33% off, buy one get one free that sort of thing.

CodeMonkey wrote: »

A twin pack of chicken legs (includes drumstick and thighs) from Mark and Spenser is less than €7. There's enough there for at least 5 dinner even if you have a big appetite.

M&S is not really the place for budget shopping in fairness.

Easy to get by on 10euro/day foodwise, but it depends what other expenses you have. Will vary alot from person to person. But it IS possible these days to eat reasonably well on a low budget if you're smart about how you shop.

Coriolanus

How do you only have 10 bob a day? Welfare is at least 210 and if you can kidnap a few kids and claim them as your own you'll be getting child benefit, abandoned spouse, lone parent etc?

ClaudiaSchiffer

CodeMonkey wrote: »

With €10, I can get a nice striploin/ribeye steak from Fallen & Byrnes with enough change for toast/cereal in the morning and a decent homemade sandwich or left over dinner for lunch.

Going hungry with €10 to spend on food is a sad indication of poor budgeting and laziness. People who think €10 a day for food is just surviving have had it easy for too long. Wake up people.

I understand your point but I can't not tax my car and I can't dismiss family birthdays, my pension contributions and my loan repayments.

Back a couple of years ago, money was never an issue. I never had to think about what I was spending as there was always plenty of cash and savings. It's just a bit of a shock to the system over the past few months.

CodeMonkey

aidan24326 wrote: »

M&S is not really the place for budget shopping in fairness.

Easy to get by on 10euro/day foodwise, but it depends what other expenses you have. Will vary alot from person to person. But it IS possible these days to eat reasonably well on a low budget if you're smart about how you shop.

I am making the point that you can still eat well and shop in F&B and M&S with €10 a day. You don't have to just "survive" with €10.

barry181091

Haha, if we're just talking food I have a great suggestion.

At 7pm ish tesco reduce their cooked chickens to 2.50€. Now that's cheap and would last you ages

Kalashnikov_Kid

ClaudiaSchiffer wrote: »

Since the recession rolled into town, I, like most people, took a major wage decrease and now I'm finding it so hard to cope every month. I don't have the money to go out and defo don't have the money to buy clothes or even a magazine. Nearly every month, there's either birthdays, bills or car tax to be paid.

Sell the car and get a bicycle instead. Or if you're lazy, a moped/125cc. You have already said that you spend money on trains every weekend, so is the car a real necessity?

ghostdancer

at least 2 local butchers do meal packs. i'm sure ones in your area do to.

€20 in one of them gets:
12 sausages
1lb mince
1 whole chicken
4 pork chops
4 burgers

1lb mince makes lasagne for 3 days, other lasagne stuff (pasta, sauces,cheese) is less than 8 quid. (€28)
the chicken gets about 4 days worth of chicken sandwiches for lunch. add bread + other filling for at most €6 (€34)

buy a big bag of frozen chips for 3 quid, that's 4 days of burger and chips dinners (€37)

cereal and 4L of milk for breakfasts for the week €7 (€44)

so breakfast for the week done.
lunch for 4 days done
dinner for the week done.

treat yourself to a roll/sandwich from the shop on friday. (€5)

sausages/eggs (€1.50)/beans (€2.50)/toast for lunch/brunch at the weekends (€48)

at least €15 (and pork chops) left over then. spend a fiver on fruit for the week for snacking.

a few weeks of this and you'll have enough left over to get treats a little more regularly.

ghostdancer

ClaudiaSchiffer wrote: »

After my weekend train ticket, it works out at €45.50 a week which is €6.50 a week

Cheers for the ideas thou. Don't suppose you know if there's a Aldi/Lidl in south city centre (Dub)?

if you're just going back home every week, surely you can just go every 2nd or 3rd week instead, assuming you've no urgent responsibilities at home?

humberklog

CodeMonkey wrote: »

With €10, I can get a nice striploin/ribeye steak from Fallen & Byrnes with enough change for toast/cereal in the morning and a decent homemade sandwich or left over dinner for lunch.

Going hungry with €10 to spend on food is a sad indication of poor budgeting and laziness. People who think €10 a day for food is just surviving have had it easy for too long. Wake up people.

Shopping in Fallon + Byrne for steak whilst on a tight budget is a very sad indication of very poor budgeting and disastrous judgement.

And just how much we still believe in the pups we were sold when things were aplenty for some.

Rebelheart

ClaudiaSchiffer wrote: »

..I'm trying to do this for the month of October but it's proving very difficult.

This is my second week and not only am I starving but I've become nicely acquainted with migraine which I've never experienced before.

Since the recession rolled into town, I, like most people, took a major wage decrease and now I'm finding it so hard to cope every month. I don't have the money to go out and defo don't have the money to buy clothes or even a magazine. Nearly every month, there's either birthdays, bills or car tax to be paid.

So, this is why I need to get by on €10 a day..it sounds easy but trust me, it's not! I don't know what other options I have right now. Does anyone have any ideas???????

Sorry for the rant/moan btw..it's just something that's really worrying me at the mo with xmas around the corner.

€10 is a fortune! The first thing you must do is really accept that and then you will discover that it goes a lot further than you had envisaged. The great thing about not having enough money to eat is that you have less energy. This allows you to go to bed earlier and sleep longer. You will crave tiredness as it is an escape from hunger. You will want the days to pass faster and hate waking up at night and think of very creative ways to get yourself tired quicker.

Beans and toast (no butter): that is the secret to survival in this world.
Water: drink loads of it (while it's still free in Dublin and unmetered in the rest of the country)

PS: Maybe look at the whole thing as a sort of self-imposed Lent-style restriction. That 40 days mentality always works for me at the start of giving up anything.

PPS: Feck the birthdays. Look after yourself. Let people know you are cutting back and they'll be more impressed than offended by it. I think what you're doing is cool. You might even get more spiritual from it. People generally buy far too much that they don't actually need.

Rebelheart

humberklog wrote: »

Shopping in Fallon + Byrne for steak whilst on a tight budget is a very sad indication of very poor budgeting and disastrous judgement.

And just how much we still believe in the pups we were sold when things were aplenty for some.

hehe. They must have been taking the piss!

ClaudiaSchiffer

colm_c wrote: »

Take the bus, it's usually less than half the price of a train, also if you're going home at the weekend then surely you have a free weekend without the need to buy food?

Why is the limit €10 a day anyway? Surely you could push that to €11?

Give us a run down of your budget.

Hey, I mailed you privately but not sure if it went. It supposedly sent but then I checked my sent box and there was nothing there?

CodeMonkey

humberklog wrote: »

Shopping in Fallon + Byrne for steak whilst on a tight budget is a very sad indication of very poor budgeting and disastrous judgement.

And just how much we still believe in the pups we were sold when things were aplenty for some.

Not realizing €10 is a lot of money to spend on food and you don't actually have to do that much budgeting is what's sad. Not getting this point I was making even though I've spelled it out is as dumb as going hungry with €10 to spend on food.