Live on £4000 for a Year, 2009 Challenge, part 1

Frugaldom

OK, took the photo opportunity because this is such a cheeky hedgehog! He was investigating our other hedgehog!! :eek: :rotfl:

Vixstar

Such gorgeous frugal pets you have Nyk.

Well I'm still practising not sure how its going till the end of the month, but obviously something is rubbing off - the urge to create spreadsheets to chart spends:rotfl: Used excel to list a rough monthly budget and its slowly growing out of control from there!

Skint_Lynne

Hi all,

Not much to report here, I've not been spending much, but would like to spend less. I am still going through too much cash, but I will get there.

I feel as if there are not enough hours in the day. I am guilty of doing everyone else's chores, and my house is still like a coup. I also want to do a mailshot for mother's day coming up, but it needs to be done by Sunday so that I can post the letters on Monday, so I had better get moving.

I want to get the house gutted for DH coming back as well, I don't want to do a last minute.com job again, so I will need to get focused. I've deep cleaned the bathroom already.............that just leaves the rest of the house.:rotfl:

I would like to have the time for growing veg as I enjoy it, but I think I'll need to leave it to some toms and courgettes. I might encourage my mum to do it as she has more time on her hands. It's not easy for me with 2 jobs now.:rolleyes:

I was at the dentist tonight, just 1 more appointment to go until I am done. You have to pay on your last appointment, but I think I'll cancel it and re-schedule so that I have been paid again, then I can pay the dentist without struggling for the rest of the month. He's loaded anyway, so he can do without my cash for another wee while methinks.:D

I love looking at all the growing stuff you have on, Nyk, you have a good imagination and it's even better that you're not spending a fortune on it and it does the same thing. I like the three tier baskets as well sophiesmum, that would be good for strawberries or tumbling toms. I can't wait until the day that I have time to do gardening properly, it will probably be a long time coming.

Catch you all later. xx

angelatgraceland

Im sprouting mung beans and aduki beans now. They are coming on very well in my old steamer baskets on a dinner plate. Steamer lid is on them too-it is perfect! Fastest ever growth as not drying out and are staying nice. rinsing them now and then and water on the plate. Only put them in yesterday morning after soaking them overnight. The green ones(cant remember which is which) are just about ready to eat! So glad I saw how to do this on here(but with a sprouter which looks the same).
So if you arent using your steamer-start sprouting!
Cucumbers have raised their heads too-shame they are not F1 hybrids though.

purplevamp

Morning all! This will be a quick post as I'm off to bed soon and I'm only quickly reading the last day or 2's posts

MrDT - good luck with the house move, I'm so jealous!!

shaz - :grouphug: sorry you are feeling so bad, I feel like I'm falling apart sometimes. I had a v.vein removed when I was 36 and a "downstairs" operation the year after. Not as bad as your ailments I know. Hope you feel better soon.

nyk - love your new addition, he's so sweet . Seeing your totals doesn't make me feel as bad about mine, although DH does laugh that I've spent so much already!

bb - good luck for your OH (although he's probably had it by now *checks time* :rolleyes:)

loopylou - fingers crossed you won't have too much longer to wait. My DS1 and DS2 were both 5 days late, both born on a Saturday. DD was 10 days early. Make the most of these last few days :A


Today I finally used my home grown pepper, it was only about 2" big but it was lovely! Not much in the freezer so I made chicken with pineapple, banana and chilli. Only spent £3 on DS2's swimming today. [STRIKE]Tomorrow[/STRIKE] today I'll have to pop to the shops for more milk and naan, does anyone know if naan is easy to make? I did make another loaf in the bm today and as soon as it came out had a slice toasted with jam, tasted like cake, nom nom!! On Monday I popped into the library and asked them if they could order me another copy of the Paul McKenna book with the CD, they can but not sure how long it'll be. I'm still working my way through Dreamworld of a Shopaholic. It's been 6 weeks now and I've still got over athird to go . Well I'm off to bed to read another 5 minutes before I fall asleep. Nighty night everyone!

Brighton_belle

purplevamp wrote: »

bb - good luck for your OH (although he's probably had it by now *checks time* :rolleyes:)

Thanks purpleV. Yesterday was a bit of a long day:OH's op went well but he had post op complications - and he was a very poorly boy and they kept him in (was expecting to be a day patient) All sorted now and he his now tucked up in bed here at home looking rather pale and fragile.
On a frugal note - I was too tired by the time I got home or I might have succombed to a takeaway, but no way was I walking anywhere. So I was glad to have at home a big bowl of HM shepherds pie followed by big bowl of HM apple crumble: comfort food at its finest. (He was an NHS patient but at the nuffield, so pretty close to you geographically I think).
No plans or lists today other than to catch up on sleep myself and play nursey

purplevamp

Brighton_belle wrote: »

Thanks purpleV. Yesterday was a bit of a long day:OH's op went well but he had post op complications - and he was a very poorly boy and they kept him in (was expecting to be a day patient) All sorted now and he his now tucked up in bed here at home looking rather pale and fragile.
On a frugal note - I was too tired by the time I got home or I might have succombed to a takeaway, but no way was I walking anywhere. So I was glad to have at home a big bowl of HM shepherds pie followed by big bowl of HM apple crumble: comfort food at its finest. (He was an NHS patient but at the nuffield, so pretty close to you geographically I think).
No plans or lists today other than to catch up on sleep myself and play nursey

That's good news bb, tell him to take it easy. Yes, the Nuffield is in the same road as my kids school. Apple crumble eh? Just thinking about it makes my mouth drool :rotfl: . Enjoy your lazy day. :A

SmlSave

I love the veg rack nyk! You've got me thinking of all the different places I could put hanging baskets now.

I confess too I bought myself two new hanging baskets, a hellebore and rasberry cane today. Will one cane do or do I need more for pollenation?

You'll get round to gardening Skint Lynne, like you said you're a busy person and you've the house to do too. I only had courgettes last year as the tomatoes got blight and ended up with a glut nom nom courgettes....

This thread got me sprouting beans too angelatgraceland. I feel extra healthy when I eat them

Frugaldom

Good afternoon frugaltoonies

SmlSave, I pinched the hanging basket idea from Sophiesmum last year and am slowly developing my own version :rotfl:

BB, I hope your DH is feeling better and makes a speedy recovery. Crumble sounds good!

Bails, hope puppy is behaving anf that you & OH have a good weekend.

Weather today is back to the normal cold & wet March, so not much happening in the Frugaldom Gardens. I'm defrosting some mince to make cottage pie for tea but can't decide whether to make an apple or peach crumble or if I should go the whole hog and make a lemon meringue pie. DS has been away all week, so I may make the meringue for him getting home tomorrow, as it's one of his favourites.

My beans and peas are sprouting everywhere in their homemade mini-propogators, so I may need to plant them out soon. Today's rain means everything that got planted yesterday wil have had an extra drenching to help them along the way and, hopefully, the fruit trees and bushes should appreciate it.

Anyone else waiting for €gg card cashback? Just wondering when it gets paid in as it would help a little with my cash neutral deficit. The 4% interest helps, too. :T

sophiesmum_2

SkintLynne and anyone else who liked the three tier basket planter that is on lakeland site.
http://www.lakeland.co.uk/3-tier-flo.../product/51190



I have found this one on wilkinsonplus - looks almost identical and only £10 so you could get 3 for the price of the lakeland one:D - I think they have them in store too.Think I will be picking up a few of these out of my extra earned income budget.:D

http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/invt/0158058

The cheaper one also has the liners included - the lakeland one does not include the liners!