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

Vixstar

Probably will end up buying a cheaper picture as spending thousands on one painting does seem mad (and I'll probably end up spendings my savings on more useful things anyway.

Managed to keep my grocery shopping for essentials only down to £3.75 which I'm pleased with although may have to buy some ingredients for the baking I agreed to do.

And thanks for the breadmaker suggestion.

whitewing

Don't proper paintings increase in value generally? (lol, spoken by a poor person). Although I suppose you'd have to insure it.

Moneysaving is not about giving up on your dreams.

shaz_mum_of__2

Morning guys ...........whoops afternoon

Dropped Ds in town and poppoed into the market i was very good i Only bought wool at the market (doing the buy only essentials eat from freezer thing with nyk)

I have taken a beef joint in the freezer for sunday dinner and meatballs for tonight i did buy sprouts at the coop though for 50p a bag and the carrots from mr m as they were 30p and an essential in my kitchen

we have been eating from freezer for almost a week and it doesnt seem any emptier when it gets filled again it will be more streamlined ie stuff we eat regularly not just stuff i have bough cos its cheap/whoopsied

Nyk i don't meal plan either but know i always have a load of meals on hand, rice and lentils along with spices and a few basics like onion potatoes and a bit of (frozen) spinach can give loads of options same with pasta althogh we mainly eat tomato based sauces theres loads of options

we rarly eat the same things maybe go 3/4 weeks without repeating meals but then i love cooking.For me the best type of meal is the one where you look in the fridge and think theres nothing there then make a nice meal from ll the straggly bits

right off to knit a bit more sock.............................

sophiesmum_2

Managed to make 13 jars of lemon marmalade, some will be for stores some for trading at LETS:D There is enough jars of preserves to last us over 12 months now,plus some for hampers, and some for trading/gifting. Could do with some more pickled stuff though and waiting for my apple tree to finish so I can do some apple sauce/pie filling from my apples - only about 15 apples on my little tree but they are getting to be a decent size now:D
Have cleared two black bags of clutter for charity shop and two black bags of shreddded paper to the compost bins, will need to top them up with some green stuff now when we cut down the last tomato/cucumber plants tomorrow.Have just stuck a chicken in oven - making roast dinner tonight (spuds and veggies all from mum's garden ) and will be enough left to make chicken and mushroom risotto for tea tomorrow, chicken for sandwiches/toasties for lunch tomorrow, and some pieces to freeze which will do for OH's curries etc another time, will also make soup/gravy stock with the carcass.
Need to pop to Mr A soon to pick up a stock of uht milk as getting low and need some in for yoghurt making as well as normal use. They currently have 10 x 1 litre packs for £4.50 which isn't bad, and my yoghurt will work out at 45p a litre instead of 98p a litre for smart price natural yoghurt. Getting back to eating breakfasts again - I'm not good at brekkie eating - so plan to have natural yog with some of our stockpile of tinned/dried fruits or a small amount of home made muesli.
I'm also starting a ginger beer plant off later which is someting I've been thinking of doing for ages, and is on my 101 list but just never got around to it yet. Reading the down to earth blog the other day reminded me about this again so going to get on with it, I love ginger flavoured stuff

Frugaldom

Tagliatelle lunch for 3 was served up with a little bit of grated cheese but I STILL have dough left! If I added a bit more flour with marg & lard then kneaded it all back together again, would it become short crust pastry for a pie or quiche?

sophiesmum_2

I don't think it would be very successful as the gluten in the pasta will be relaxed and may not combine well to make the pastry. Why not just put in plastic bags and freeze as lasagne sheets until needed next time?

Frugaldom

Thanks SM, I'm glad I waited now rather than waste the dough. I'll just leave it wrapped in the fridge and try a ravioli/parcel-type thing tomorrow lunchtime, I'll fill them with whatever's left over from tonight's dinner or else chop up a lorne sausage - it'll be an interesting experiment whatever I do, finding out just how far 3 eggs can stretch when feeding 3 people at each sitting - 6 meals so far and guaranteed at least 3 more! Gives whole new meaning to 'going to work on an egg' as well!

shaz_mum_of__2

SM - made me shudder

i made ginger beer as a teenager and opened a bottle of it with my teeth(plastic 2l pop bottle) the bottle exploded and shot the cap down my throat where it got stuck !! luckily dad gave me the heimlich and took me to hospital there was blood every where ............................i had to have an emergeny tube put in whilst in an ambulance en route to Hull hospital going 100m an hr over the humber bridge.....................very scarey but luckily all healed nicely but i cringe when i see people take bottletops off with teeth now and haven't made ginger beer since although i do still drink it occasionaly

Got to the heel of my sock so time for a rest as the next bit the bit i am worried about..lol

where has today gone to?

Vixstar

Oooh another sock knitter!That reminds me I have a half finished pair somewhere

shaz_mum_of__2

Vixstar wrote: »

Oooh another sock knitter!That reminds me I have a half finished pair somewhere

Its my first one bit scared i will mess up the heel can't make sense of the pattern in my head hoping it becomes clearer once I actually do it