Everything we spent on food in September as a family of 5 on a budget!

[@michellelockett6518]

You are a fantastic presenter ❤😊

[@thewholehome]

Thank you, that’s so kind! ❤️

[@Amanda-hc3rf]

You always inspire me to try more, be kinder, and get better at making food choices. ❤

[@thewholehome]

Oh I love that! It’s a journey for sure but every little bit is a step right?! ❤️

[@michellelockett6518]

Would love a cleaning routine video 😊

[@thewholehome]

I don’t feel qualified to do that at all 😆 but I can do one about my budget/low waste cleaning supplies and a basic how to use them!

[@thewholehome]

I wish I had a good cleaning routine but I’m more just trying to stay on top of it!

[@momoftwo5477]

Your food and budgeting videos are so helpfull and fun to watch. We are a family of six living in germany with a thight foodbudget as well. We buy lokal and organic as much as possible and cook and bake from scratch. I‘d love to see your sourdough Routine, as we bake a lot of sourdough breads as well (see the german here😉)

[@thewholehome]

Someone else just asked for that too - I’m going to try and out together a video this weekend! I’m not a purist about sourdough and I don’t strictly follow the “rules.” But it’s easier for me that way 😆

[@thewholehome]

And hi over there in Germany! My husband spent 6 months of last year working there and we loved visiting! ❤️

[@momoftwo5477]

Amazing! Thank you so much!😊

[@busymammalife3454]

Great video as always, I’m just wondering what laundry detergent you use? Thanks 😊

[@thewholehome]

Thanks! I do a mix honestly and try to do refill, but this month I got a £10 no scent Ecover bottle!

[@JS-bu4vq]

Hi interested in your sourdough routine. Just started on this journey and it seems to take 2/3 days to make a loaf ! Can you show your method on day 1 and day 2 perhaps. Thx

[@thewholehome]

Yes I’ve been wanting to make this video! I’ll try and squeeze it in this weekend. Typically to get a loaf the quickest I start my levain (or get my starter big enough to use) on night 1. Then morning of day 2 I’ll mix up the loaf and do my stretch and folds, then bake in the afternoon. My more normal schedule is the same starting of the levain (or just getting the starter bubbly) in the evening of day 1, then doing the stretch and folds in the evening of day 2. I proof it in the fridge overnight then bake morning of day 3!

[@JS-bu4vq]

​@@thewholehome that does sound like my routine but would love to follow aling with yours. Still new to it but bread is comung out goid and ever expanding repetoire of discard recepies. Look forward to watching. Guess routine helps but as you make so much I was just interested in your day 1/ day 2 etc. Thks x

[@thewholehome]

@@JS-bu4vq I’ve written out a video plan so it’ll get filmed in the next few dats!

[@sabihaedwards8191]

@@thewholehome do you always do a few loafs at a time ? xx

[@thewholehome]

I do usually, cos once the oven is hot and I’m doing all the steps, it makes sense to cook a few - then we can slice and freeze them. But if I only want one for some reason (or if I only have the flour/starter for one) then I’ll do one and adjust the recipe :)

[@Randilynn66]

So I’m curious if you keep anything in a stock pile? It doesn’t sound like you do. I have a nice supply of toilet paper and paper towels because people went nuts here during Covid last week. There was a similar situation with a longshoreman strike on the East Coast people panicked on the west coast and started stripping Costco, clean of water and toilet paper and other supplies. I was out of town, but even if I was home, I wouldn’t have worried because I know I have enough toilet paper for the next year.

[@thewholehome]

Great questions! I get lentils and flour in bulk so we always have meals there, and we buy 50 rolls of toilet paper which is a good few months worth at a time so we’re good there (and if we ran out I’d happily use cloth wipes which I know isn’t everyone’s thing!) 😆 So no I don’t keep a full pantry at all but we have a few essentials!

[@greysky09]

Do you have tinned meats or soups etc? I’m thinking about how we dip into the pantry and freezer when we parents are under the weather or want to not shop the day we ran out of all the things haha using the freezer saves us. It seems like you don’t make 2 and freeze 1 on dinner much?

[@thewholehome]

@@greysky09 I’m SO inefficient on this! We usually cook once then eat leftovers for lunch or the next dinner. But our freezer is TINY! It can fit a chicken and a bag of frozen peas in it so I can’t cook ahead 😭

[@greysky09]

@@thewholehome oh noooo! That makes a lot of sense then. Ours is small by US standards but we have a full basket, small shelf, and the door for frozen veggie bags.

[@Randilynn66]

I think you’re doing an amazing job. Groceries in California have reached out of control prices. Where did you live in California?

[@thewholehome]

We’re actually not there anymore we’re in the UK! We spent a lot less when we were but it was 2019 and we only had 2 kids!

[@Randilynn66]

@@thewholehome I know you're back in the UK. I was just wondering where in California you lived when you were here.

[@HK-kw6jt]

@@Randilynn66 They were up by Redding, I believe