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

Frugaldom

Welcome FireAngel, I've added your name to the challenger list. Thanks for joining us here

I've spent a bit of time researching what I can grow in my front garden, which is north facing and gets practically no sunlight at the moment. Turns out that anything that's leafy and green that isn't being grown for root or shoot should be alright, so that gives me a bit of extra space and a list of the following that should be OK, if I choose to grow them:

1. Salad Greens, such as leaf lettuce, arugula, endive, cress, and radicchio
2. Broccoli
3. Cauliflower
4. Peas
5. Beets
6. Brussels Sprouts
7. Radishes
8. Swiss Chard
9. Leafy Greens, such as collards, mustard greens, spinach, and kale
10. Beans

I can also grow rhubarb, berry bushes, morello cherries and several varieties of apple trees, so I have no excuses for a boring and non-productive front garden. And it's not like the passing traffic or passers-by will be wondering at my choice of plants! :rotfl: I must now plan my spending of the remaining £42 garden fund (comprising of the last of my 2008 £2 coin collection) very wisely, indeed.

cw18

nykmedia wrote: »

And it's not like the passing traffic or passers-by will be wondering at my choice of plants! :rotfl:

Wish I could say the same -- especially as my largest expanse at the front is open to all and sundry leaving the estate from our side of the entry road. (comes past 2 houses to a T junction, but I reckon about 80% of the traffic uses our side of that).

I luuuuuurve my rhubarb crumble, but only managed to find affordable "bunches" in the shops twice this year (and both were at mega-whoopsie prices)

Annie021063

nykmedia wrote: »

Welcome FireAngel, I've added your name to the challenger list. Thanks for joining us here

I've spent a bit of time researching what I can grow in my front garden, which is north facing and gets practically no sunlight at the moment. Turns out that anything that's leafy and green that isn't being grown for root or shoot should be alright, so that gives me a bit of extra space and a list of the following that should be OK, if I choose to grow them:

1. Salad Greens, such as leaf lettuce, arugula, endive, cress, and radicchio
2. Broccoli
3. Cauliflower
4. Peas
5. Beets
6. Brussels Sprouts
7. Radishes
8. Swiss Chard
9. Leafy Greens, such as collards, mustard greens, spinach, and kale
10. Beans

I can also grow rhubarb, berry bushes, morello cherries and several varieties of apple trees, so I have no excuses for a boring and non-productive front garden. And it's not like the passing traffic or passers-by will be wondering at my choice of plants! :rotfl: I must now plan my spending of the remaining £42 garden fund (comprising of the last of my 2008 £2 coin collection) very wisely, indeed.

I have been watching and reading this thread - must get into gear to set a challenge figure.
What I really wanted to say was that we tasted our first ever home grown brussels yesterday and they were delicious. I think the trick is to not get carried away with buying plug plants, if you have the time and space buy seeds. Pretty much everything we grew this year was from seed, including a very successful crop of sweetcorn. Make sure you have an even crop of veg throughout the growing season so you will always have a veg or two to pull for dinner. Freeze what you can. Spuds store well and we have just eaten the last of our lates. Next year we will grow more hopefully to take us into the spring. Good luck with the challenge.

Frugaldom

Thanks Annie, I already have all my seeds and have only just used up the last of my potatoes from 2008, which were grown from my bag of eating potatoes, so spared the expense of seed potatoes, likewise with garlic, tomatoes and peppers (I dried my extra chillies and still have some from summer crop)

I'll look forward to hearing more about your 2009 veggie growing project and challenge progress as I've moved house and am starting this garden from scratch.

bails

Paul, nice to 'meet' you properly and I hope you meet your Olympic goal.
SFT, will clear a bit of space now, sorry!
Blondmuppet, Bightonbelle also has lodgers so she may be able to help/empathise.
Still jealous of all the garden talk - if I was really organised I'd be saving all the inof for 2010 but, well, I'm just not Got to know your own limits eh?
Night all, really must get some sleep and shift this cold, got to finalise my budget tomorrow
Oh, and forgot to say, we're veggie here too so between us we'll have lots of frugal, healthy recipes to share :T

JAMIEDODGER

morning everyone:)

woke up really early this morning, no idea why!

kids are all still asleep my four plus one extra as ds2 had friend to sleepover for his birthday yesterday. Im enjoying the peace while it lasts!

have just reserved my new fridge for collection tomorrow by my dad (cant fit it in my car as have to have kids in it too) and have also ordered my greenhouse and groundsheet, through ebay using TCB:)

still have leftover money in 2008 budget and not sure what to spend it on??

Went to tesco yesterday to use up £5 off £50 voucher and stocked up on a few bits there, also bought a double lot of cat food.:D

Need to start planning what to grow this year now greenhouse is on its way:T


Roll on 1st jan:D

oldMcDonald

OK, I'm in for 2009 - I failed miserabley last year, got as far April and then plummeted off the wgaon!

Good luck with the 2009 challenge, everyone

Janey51

Wow :eek:

I don't know about Australian Flu being contagious, but Frugalitis is definitely a very virulent bug :rotfl:
How lovely to see so many new people joining the happy little band for the new year.
As an old timer, I have to say I hope you are all better at this than me....see my signature which lies on the generous side

Please be aware that our leader has very sharp eyes and can spot a wayward 2p at 100 paces :rotfl:
Be tidy with your coppers or Nyk may have to go and lie down

Now me, I am a lost cause
I do provide light relief and I am sure any disasters likely to be heading your way in 2009 will pay me a visit first.
About the only thing I haven't experienced is a tornado...but, the tree now resting on my fence may have been a victim :eek:

Good luck everyone :snow_grin :grouphug:

*Mari*

Just thought I'd pop in to say hi

I can wait til the first either, think I'm getting in the mindset already as I havn't spent a thing over ther last 7 days. Need to pop out today but just for essentials.

My new tactic is going to be to leave cards at home and use a cash purse only. I've done this in the past and find it really makes me think about what I do and don't need anlong with the list/menu plan which I will stick to!!

We are also veggie here, not quite up to growing our own but its something we are trying to work out. We are lucky though as family/friends give us their surplus so often have freebies.

Right off to write my list and hit the shops before it gets to busy, then home to make new onion marmalade recipie I've been given.

Hope everyone has a good day :j

Mari x

fizzel81

morning all

not much to report, went to mr t last night omg how the prices have shot up even compared to asda so not somewhere im shopping again (plus 2 bus rides away) ive now got 37.21 of my remaining funds from 2008 left and im going for a browse in woolies and then in morrisons where i think im going to do a bit of stocking up storecupboards wise with basics (bread flour, yeast,rice,pasta, lentils,) to name but a few bits, once ive spent what ive got (and it will be knocked down to 30 as thats all i can get from the cash machine) then for me there is nothing untill the 1st when i shall hopefully hold off spending untill 5th january

wow chatty yesterday i missed lots (sobs) got my new tv cabinet and now have the joys of sorting the new telly how nice of parents to move you into what they call the times, not ungratefull but there was nothing wrong with my currant tv/dvd player and stand

off to shower now, im feeling a little shilly from the heating being on lower but cnnot wait for lower bills, as under what ive planned for the year would be a bonus!