Live on £4000 for a Year, 2009 Challenge, part 2

Frugaldom

Blairweech, let me know how cost effective the laundry gloop is. Of it works out cheaper than soapnuts, I may be tempted to have a go at nailing jelly to a wall. :rotfl: After last year's efforts at the giant jaffa cake, it sounds right up my [STRIKE]street[/STRIKE] single track country lane.

Love the bag, Skint_Chick, it looks properly 'designer fashion' with a most unusual and attractive fabric pattern. Maybe you could approach some of the exclusive designer outlets to stock your handiwork - it could develop into your own label. I bet among everyone on here, we could stock a very exclusive line of items for a designer store. Skint Lynn... are you reading this? Exclusive designer fashion, accessories and household decorative items plus handmade cards... and you have a shop! Hmm... both the designer/creator and the stockist having 'SKINT' in their names doesn't bode well, though.

SM - You still doodling and dreaming up planting schemes for your new garden? Just hope my chickens don't learn to fly across the boundary fence or dig their way under the hedge! :eek: Best make sure you don't have cute chicks wandering around or Mr White will be over chatting them up no end! (Mr White is a cockeral, for any new readers, he isn't my OH! :rotfl:)

Redglass - what do you mean by "though this hasn't stopped me tasting it" -ARE YOU DRUNK? :rotfl: How strong is that stuff? I think you're supposed to leave it for several weeks before you even taste it! :rotfl: Nearly time for making rhubarb wine!

Taka - Turning girly, buying heels and sparkly light fittings and now a footwear fettish seems to be developing, ARE YOU DRUNK, TOO? I hope it's a frugal footwear fettish. (Says me who bulk bought 6 pairs of cheap mock crocs in a clearance sale earlier this year!) :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

taka

nykmedia wrote: »

Taka - Turning girly, buying heels and sparkly light fittings and now a footwear fettish seems to be developing, ARE YOU DRUNK, TOO? I hope it's a frugal footwear fettish. (Says me who bulk bought 6 pairs of cheap mock crocs in a clearance sale earlier this year!) :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Shoes+boots buying has been suitably frugal don't worry. The most expensive pr was £20 - total spend is ~£110 which is pretty good for 8 prs, 7 of which are leather! Ok the heels were not necessary but I went shopping with a mate and tried one of the pairs (in brown) on in the shops and loved them but not enough to buy them at £50. :eek: Turns out they are ones she bought ~6 weeks ago (same size!) and hasn't worn but has left it too late to return them. I bought the shoes she was after (~£30 in the sale :T) and she gave me this pair and another unused pair of hush puppies she found in her wardrobe too! We are both happy now!

I just need not to look at any shoe related establisments till 2010 and I'll be ok :rotfl:

I don't drink much really... only occasionally and thats usually pretty frugal too as it doesn't take much to get me tipsy! :rotfl: Saying that it was lovely having a drink in the sunshine yesterday!

Skint_Lynne

nykmedia wrote: »

Blairweech, let me know how cost effective the laundry gloop is. Of it works out cheaper than soapnuts, I may be tempted to have a go at nailing jelly to a wall. :rotfl: After last year's efforts at the giant jaffa cake, it sounds right up my [STRIKE]street[/STRIKE] single track country lane.

Love the bag, Skint_Chick, it looks properly 'designer fashion' with a most unusual and attractive fabric pattern. Maybe you could approach some of the exclusive designer outlets to stock your handiwork - it could develop into your own label. I bet among everyone on here, we could stock a very exclusive line of items for a designer store. Skint Lynn... are you reading this? Exclusive designer fashion, accessories and household decorative items plus handmade cards... and you have a shop! Hmm... both the designer/creator and the stockist having 'SKINT' in their names doesn't bode well, though.

SM - You still doodling and dreaming up planting schemes for your new garden? Just hope my chickens don't learn to fly across the boundary fence or dig their way under the hedge! :eek: Best make sure you don't have cute chicks wandering around or Mr White will be over chatting them up no end! (Mr White is a cockeral, for any new readers, he isn't my OH! :rotfl:)

Redglass - what do you mean by "though this hasn't stopped me tasting it" -ARE YOU DRUNK? :rotfl: How strong is that stuff? I think you're supposed to leave it for several weeks before you even taste it! :rotfl: Nearly time for making rhubarb wine!

Taka - Turning girly, buying heels and sparkly light fittings and now a footwear fettish seems to be developing, ARE YOU DRUNK, TOO? I hope it's a frugal footwear fettish. (Says me who bulk bought 6 pairs of cheap mock crocs in a clearance sale earlier this year!) :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I done a really long reply before and it didn't work:mad:. I was just saying that skint chique boutique could work well in the current climate.:D

I've started writing everything down again, so will see how that goes. I've got plenty of food in, done an inventory last night, and have meal planned for the next fortnight. I've decided to run the freezer down and then start from scratch again.

I made some muffins this morning, they turned out okay for a first attempt. I'll give some to my mum and put the rest in the freezer for breakfasts.

I'm going to get some shopping in, the toilet roll mountain had diminished into nothingness since the return of the TRM. Hopefully this will not be too drastic as I have plenty of dinner items in the freezer.

Will check in later. xx

redglass_2

nykmedia wrote: »

) Redglass - what do you mean by "

nykmedia wrote: »

though this hasn't stopped me tasting it" -ARE YOU DRUNK? :rotfl: How strong is that stuff? I think you're supposed to leave it for several weeks before you even taste it!

Whaddaya mean, drunk? Leave it for weeks, what for? S'vodka innit, s'ready to go with or without roob - rubh - whatever - wanna make sumfin of it?
* is carried outside*

Actually I really do mean taste - just a drop, to see what's going on in there.

taka

Skint_Lynne wrote: »

I was just saying that skint chique boutique could work well in the current climate.:D

Can I do the (silver) jewellery at the "skint chique boutique" or would I need to change my name to skint taka to qualify? :rotfl:

I do need to get back to doing my jewellery - I have loads of equipment and silver (and a scary no of semi precious stones and beads) but got very demoralised and negative about my designs when I was ill and haven't done any for eons... If nothing else it'd keep me away from the shops and I might actually use some of my million cabuchons/faceted stones!

*must remember to check "my precious" (golum styleeeeee) when I get home... all 100+ semi-precious stones that is :rotfl:*

savingfortravel

Hi Everyone!
Had a good weekend. Helped to make a list and include a 'flow activity' each day (which were to write to my best mate-apart from Mr. SFT of course-in Australia and go on a walk today. Walk just proved to me that I feel 100% better when I'm away from home and letter I will finish tonight).

My DFW stuff included

• only spending £3.10 (excluding petrol and ebay fees) after our walk (on a filter coffee and home made scone/jam and butter) all weekend.
• Eating for free at my nephew's b'day party-got to take some bits home after-it will not go in the bin with us around/all other meals from freezer and storecupboard (except sinful scone).
• Walking in the countryside. Got another walk lined up for Thursday-love these light evenings-can do 2 hours walking even if we start at 6.45!
• ebay sales and more listings on.
• starting make £5 a day challenge.
• Petrol from Mr T for points/MOCs used in store.
• Free Smoothie carton from D.Express on Saturday.
• Mr SFT topped up phone at Boots and I used my last 150 points coupon-up to £9.44. Thanks SM.

Hope everyone had a great weekend too. Please keep your fingers crossed that our survey gets done this week and comes back without any serious concerns. Thanks

Take care

sft

sophiesmum_2

Glad you got the weather for your walk sft , it's been wet and miserable here all day so you did better than us.
Boots points mounting up nicely :T:T
My flow activity for today has been garden planning and browsing potting sheds and poultry supply sites:rotfl:The day has just flown by:p

andan

Hi guys, just quickly popping in. I am trying to convince OH that we don't need the heating on any more but its not going down too well.

My tomato plants are growing well but my courgette type plants haven't been doing too well since i put them outside, not really sure why, am hoping they will come back!!

Have spent very little recently and what i have spent has come from my free money so am doing fairly well. However i have to pay £50 for the hygienist soon which will add a big chunk on for my challenge. Other than that i am plodding along and continuing to keep spends etc low.

skint_chick

thanks everyone for the lovely comments about the bag! I'm very pleased with it because it was my first attempt - and I handsewed the entire bag. It has black lining with a little pocket for my concealer, lip balm and lip gloss. The fabric is from Ikea -it's quite a heavy fabric - I think it's meant for curtains:rotfl:but I wanted something a bit unusual to go with my plain black outfits. Next fabric is a leaf print in different green and browns on a white background for a wrap with little pockets for books of stamps, writing paper, and envelopes. I also got a Cath Kidston catalogue and there's loads of stuff in there I want to make my own version of I don't have any plans to sell my stuff mostly because I pick what I'd like rather than what would sell - and I was going to make my friends bags etc for presents and I wouldn't have time to make any extras even using the sewing machine.

New camera is getting lots of use -already have scenery shots on Facebook with compliments. Next year I'm going to build more "creative" money into the budget so I can do more projects I enjoy.

Frugaldom

Good evening, frugalites

Just dropped HS off in town, where he got the London bus 'dan saff' for a week's holiday visiting family, so I have a full week to frugalise and set myself a mini-challenge. I'm going to eat out the store cupboard / freezer and not do any grocery shopping at all for a full week - if I can. I would try keeping the electricity as low as possible but DS has already objected to the storage heaters being switched off - his giant tv, however, is more than enough to heat his room, so he can just wear a layer extra (he only ever wears a T shirt!!) or else go to bed early.

The deer have taken to grazing at the side of the drive recently, as if it wasn't already like an obstacle course trying to avoid the numerous baby rabbits and squirrels! But as usual, I never remember to take my camera with me! SM - watch out for them, those baby bunnies just sit there looking at you then dash out at the last minute. I don't know how they have survived the farm traffic, postman and delivery drivers this long!

Hope everyone has had a great bank holiday weekend. Weather has been atrocious here, so not much done in the garden, but I did get more seeds in on Friday and they have already sprouted! That must be a record for me!