Live on £4,000 for a year - 2009, Part 3

shaz_mum_of__2

Just think SM half that stuff could me canned leaving an emptyish freezer..lol

I too spent some time watching vids on canning i think meals like bolognase curry soups etc will be the thing here as well as passata and veggies not sure i will bother with beans as they can keep well dried

Had to buy a new top(due to weightloss) for my son graduation ceremony tomorrow but got it half price in the george sale only £6 other than that a nsd got a tomato sauce for pasta in the sc for tea and some green tomato chutney on the go too might even squeeze in a cake and some twinks yet as i will have a houseful tomorrow when ds gets home



Shaz

Frugaldom

Hello everyone, I've been away at our monthly 'LETS meet' where the locals trade and exchange goods, so had an enjoyable chatting session (I chat A LOT, just ask SM, who probably needs several days at work to get a rest from my incessant chatter :rotfl:). I traded some eggs, hm lemon curd & hm soup, plus delivered some more packet rice from when I split my last App F00d order.

lyndasharp wrote: »

We have enough dried chilis from last year to do several years worth of spicy food!!! I'm refusing to dry any more! Will try frying them whole though. I'm going to ask nice neighbour if I can borrow her dehydrator IF I'm lucky enough to ever get any chilli peppers this year.

...I've just emailed L1dl to ask for a refund on the peaches we bought at the weekend, as they all went mouldy and rotten. Has anyone else had problems with their fruit/veg, or were we just unlucky? I hadn't bought fresh stuff from them before...

I have this problem with Ald!'s fruit/veg - fortunately, I now know to inspect the stuff closely but end up seldom buying any as it almost always has the tell tale signs. I didn't mind too much losing a pepper out of every 6 or so as it still worked out cheaper but I'm beginnning to suspect repackaging going on somewhere along the lines and certainly don't think Ald! deserve all the acclaim and rewards they have been receiving recently. Makes one wonder just exactly the 'judges' are looking for in their supermarkets.

Ram - the lemon drizzle recipe is at start of the grocery challenge in MS old stle forums, will find link if I can and add it here.

Shaz, well done with the top and the reason behind buying it!

taka

nykmedia wrote: »

I have this problem with Ald!'s fruit/veg - fortunately, I now know to inspect the stuff closely but end up seldom buying any as it almost always has the tell tale signs. I didn't mind too much losing a pepper out of every 6 or so as it still worked out cheaper but I'm beginnning to suspect repackaging going on somewhere along the lines and certainly don't think Ald! deserve all the acclaim and rewards they have been receiving recently. Makes one wonder just exactly the 'judges' are looking for in their supermarkets.

I've had the same problem with Mr S's basics apples... they are brown and off within a few days (even before the date on the pack has been reached) so don't buy them anymore. Same with some of Mr T's nectarines. I agree too that Ald!'s fruit can be hit or miss too - the 1st time I set foot in the new store near me, one of the June's super 6 consisted of moldy fruit. Not had a problem since though - I've just (~2hrs ago) finally finished up my super 6 nectarine glut after stocking up on the last day of July's super6. I do tend to keep a lot of fruit in the fridge though and only take out enough to ripen for use in a few days time and eat the stuff i got out a few days before (eg nectarines/pears/plums etc that often need ripening at home). My main problem with Ald!s is that they never have the super6 in stock when I'm in. On Saturday the choice was mango or tomatoes - nothing else in the super6 in stock! This is why I now have a mango that I've no idea when its ripe enough to eat! :rotfl:

Brighton_belle

I have had such a good day. I am beaming with happiness: I bumped into an old friend I haven't seen in 20 years - she doesn't even live here but was visiting the town for the day. And we so want to keep in touch now we have found each other again. It just feels great - one of life's little gifts which make being alive feel good.

I also sold a blouse through a shop that sells 2nd hand clothes in very good condition for £6 and collected the money today and have spent it already on a small selection from Samuel Pepys' dictionary, so you can now expect my posts to be full of rarefied words and tales of swink and sweat for belly-timber:D ( and I do have a long term use for this, it wasn't a totally random buy!)
I bought a present for a friend using some of the smiths vouchers I was paid as a med final exam 'exhibit' and picked up a leaflet of up coming events and exhibitions at the local museum.

I've also been working further on my moasic clock designs and have arranged to go over to my parents to take my scroll saw out of moths balls to start cutting out templates next week.

Off to cook dinner now and an evening to relax.

thriftylass

Glad you had such a great day BB.

I'm looking forward to the economy food programme tonight. I think someone said this week's family spend 17 k on food a year. Sounds horrendous, that's 280 per person per month :eek:. But I guess easlily achieved if one doesn't cook much from scratch and goes out alot with three kids. Although I should better be quiet, this month isn't going to well . But hopefully this weekend's hen do is the last big spend this month and maybe I can salvage my budget the second half :rolleyes:, should hopefully have some extra coming in too.

slowlyfading

Well, I've been shopping today, and it has been fun! As per usual I didn't spend too much I did buy a dress from French Connection, but it was such a bargain! The ticket on the dress said the original price was £95 (:eek::eek:) but guess what I got it for............... £16!!! I'm going to wear it to a party I'm going to on saturday night, and I NEVER wear dresses as my legs are far too fat, but its a one off occasion, and I have to make an effort apparently :rolleyes: but I'm so pleased at my bargain skills! :j Lol :rotfl:

I also bought some things in Boots with my points, so I didn't spend there, and I got a birthday card and my lunch and that was it. So, its been a good day. I also met up with an old friend for a coffee in Starbucks, which was a nice treat, and lovely to see her again.

I'll update my sig later

sf xx

Frugaldom

Good evening, thank you for the mention of the economy gastronomy programme as we'd forgotten about it. Watching it now, feel like making pasties now but can't see where the 'economy' part is if they are still spending over £200+ per week. :eek:

Completed tonight's workout for my C25K challenge and feel OK, although the legs are aching a little. I'm sure it's making a frugal fitness difference and physio friend assures me the fat will be melting off as the muscles develop, hence no signs of weight loss.

SF I hope you enjoy party, sounds like a 5 star bargain you got and I am sure that dress will look great.

Hope everyone's had a good day.

Next week's programme - £20k a year on shopping for groceries?? :eek::eek::eek:

thriftylass

Watched about 15 min of that economy programme and got itchy fingers. Darted off to the kitchen and thought what bedrock dish I could make. Now got a massive lamb casserole in the oven made with stuff I had in the house :D:D. Now thinking about the tumble down meals that could come from it.

P.S. Nyk, I guess the economy part was to first halve their budget without to much of a shock to the system, now they learned the basics I'm sure they can do what we do and reduce it further.

Skint_Lynne

Hi all,

I'm back from the Orkneys. I didn't see much, but what I did see was lovely. Everything was clean, and the people were so nice.

The only didgy thing was the taxi driver who brought us from the airport, he was a bit fragrant and his taxi was dirty. I am not a fussy person, but he was well shady. It's great to be perfect.:p

My mum seems to be a bit better today, she is still very sore but hopefully is on the mend.

I went out and started to pick the blackberries in the garden tonight, I got a pound and a quarter and there's plenty more to be had when the ripen. It is okay to freeze them until you are ready to make the jam, isn't it?

I am knackered, so am going to have a bath and an early night. Thought I'd better check in and let you know that I have survived yet another trip, (and I didn't spend that much either):p.

Speak later. xx

sophiesmum_2

No problem freezing the blackberries until you need to use them Lynne, I do this all the time.:D