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

BigMummaF

Can I pick your brains please? I have always been useless with pastry; SIZE=1]don't mind making it but the rolling out bit is a pain[/SIZE how do you know how much to make This morning I used a pound of flour & 4oz each of lard & marg, but it wasn't enough for the 6 individual pasties I was hoping for. Pup has the only one--he doesn't have onion--& I made a casserole-dish pie with the rest cuz I wasn't in the mood to play silly buglers any more :mad: They've been cooked & look lufferrlee SIZE=1]for tomorrow's dinner as I'm out[/SIZE as I took advantage of having a pork shoulder joint for today's roast & filling the oven.
So guys--what do you suggest?

Vixstar

Well my store cupboard challenge is going well. Freezer's almost empty and I spent under £5 on food this weekend. All I need to get for next week's lunches is some crisps to go with my cupa soups. Although my evening meals will be coming from my accomodation's dining hall so will be spending a little there but I need one cooked meal a day.

Frugaldom

Hi guys, thanks for alerting SFT about the paper bricks, Ddraig, as that crossed my mind, too :eek: Welcome back findingmyfeet and well done you! No credit cards, savings in an ISA and, hopefully, no debts? :beer::j:T

BigMummaF - did you use egg yoke in your pastry? I'm assuming it was short crust. I always have to add extra to my pastry as I don't get the large eggs. The recipe I use calls for 175g plain flour, 25g lard, 25g butter (I use marg), 1 egg yoke and water to bind it all together. I save the egg whites for either meringues or macaroons, since discovering how easy they are to make (Thanks Shaz! ) On second thoughts, maybe it wasn't shortcrust pastry if it was for pasties. Shaz makes pasties, I'm sure she'll be along soon. I know it works better if it's refrigerated first and I don't use egg in it if it's for apple or rhubarb tart.

savingfortravel

nykmedia wrote: »

Hi guys, thanks for alerting SFT about the paper bricks, Ddraig, as that crossed my mind, too :eek: .

Nyk-How close to the multifuel burner is safe? Could we put them in front of it on the brick hearth (sp). We really need a good drying place. Using paper logs will save us a fortune this winter. Otherwise we may have to consider the kitchen area.


Just popped out to our local Mr T for a bargain hunt. Got some whoopsied quorn cocktail sausages for Christmas day and New Year's Eves teas (my brother doesn't eat meat either) and some veggie sausages and burgers on offer.
Just to let you know that Mr T are selling huge boxes of Thorntons for £6 1pound and 5 oz.

Decided to get everyone 1 bought pressie for Christmas. Got Thorntons box for my mum and dad's hamper. We are planning to make some biscuits/sweets to go with it too. As well as our HM countryside photo calendar. Also a book for mum I bought for 10p from Gardening club function.
Found 2 practically new cookery books for SIL in charity shop.
So on our way. Asked Mr SFT to keep small boxes he receives computer bits in for work. Hoping to cover these and put sweets and biscuits inside.
Off now to make veggie shepherds pie and clean out fridge.

SFT

cw18

Our C00p has already started clearing out some areas of the store..... mainly toiletries and cleaning products, but also the multi-packs of crisps and a lot of the nuts.

Have come home today with 4x1kg eco biological washing powder (£1.12 instead of £2.24 - I do have Soapnuts, but still prefer the eco powder when I can get it on offer), 4xbottles eco all surface cleaner (49p instead of 97p) and 4xbottles eco toilet cleaner (49p instead of 97p).

They didn't have vast quantities of any those left, but am debating calling in first thing tomorrow (will be passing in the car) to see if there's any left. Already have (more than) enough for the rest of this year, so am debating stock piling for next year (in which case I think I'll account for them on next years spreadsheet!!!!)

Frugaldom

SFT, I'm not too sure how would be best to dry your paper bricks as I need to make the most of the sunshine when I make mine, hence the reason I have so few made. I just can't seem to get them dried out before they begin to get that musty smell. Perhaps you could dry them on racks but make sure they are contained so there's no chance of anything catching fire in the event that they did ignite. Paper smoulders and can do so for some time before bursting into flames then, just when you think it's gone out, air gets into the gaps and off it goes again. I've seen me turn over the remains of a brick in the grate and it'll reignite as soon as the air gets stirred through it, so they are quite dodgey things to have lying around near heat sources. I'll stick to drying them the way I dry out the logs - in the open air.

CW, I'll be going into town past our Co-op on Wednesday (if I can borrow HS's car) so will take a quick look and see if there are any changes afoot here.

Washing's all dried, folded and put away, yeah! Quite a struggle getting it off the line in such high winds but it was worth it for that lovely fresh smell of line dried washing.

findingmyfeet

thanks for all the nice comments and welcome backs etc, really nice of you all.
nyk-yep greatly ashamed to say that there is still a debt left. Hopefully if i keep plugging away at it another 6-8 months will see it off and that will be it, hopefully never again. I have taken it down by more than half this year mostly by not using the cards and not buying unnecessary crap i didnt really need.
Decided to do the savings so that i wouldnt use the cards if i had an emergency-car breakdown etc. so now im feeling much more comfortable. And forgot to mention the mortgage was paid up too, had another year to go but been overpaying while rates low. Everything improving.

DdraigGoch

FMF - don't be ashamed that there is still a debt left, be proud of how little debt is still left. It sounds as though you are keen to get rid of it and determined so to do. Well done on the debt reduction!

Scrooge, sorry to be late, but huge congrats on the achievement.

ram_murdock

Hellp everyone i have eventually caught up!!

Contrats to AEB and to bails!! AEB i'm so glad you and the babes are doing good.

Congrats scrooge also on being debt free!

Just to updated eveyone - i'm hoping to get the keys of my house this week! Very exciting.

I've been super frugal lately. Taking packed lunches to work, only doing one grocery shop per week and bulk cooking.
Gve in and bought my first clothes of 2009 this weekend - a new work dress and skirt which i really needed.

Going t keep up online from now on. Still keeping y send diary upto date and working on mni monthly budgets to keep an eye on my spending,

Hope everyone is well!

savingfortravel

nykmedia wrote: »

SFT, I'm not too sure how would be best to dry your paper bricks as I need to make the most of the sunshine when I make mine, hence the reason I have so few made. I just can't seem to get them dried out before they begin to get that musty smell. Perhaps you could dry them on racks but make sure they are contained so there's no chance of anything catching fire in the event that they did ignite. Paper smoulders and can do so for some time before bursting into flames then, just when you think it's gone out, air gets into the gaps and off it goes again. I've seen me turn over the remains of a brick in the grate and it'll reignite as soon as the air gets stirred through it, so they are quite dodgey things to have lying around near heat sources. I'll stick to drying them the way I dry out the logs - in the open air.

Thanks Nyk-Will still try to dry outside too. Put 3 logs in kitchen-away from any electricals. So that could help. We'll have to see. Trying to work out some figures for next year too. All went a bit pear-shaped this year, what with weddings and moving. Must be that kind of weekend-everyone thinking of Christmas and 2010 figures. SFT