FRUGAL LIVING CHALLENGE 2010, part 1. (Living on £4,000 a year)

savingfortravel

Just wondering if anyone else has read Mean Queen's thrifty tips on her LIFE AFTER MONEY blog
sft

knithappens

savingfortravel wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone else has read Mean Queen's thrifty tips on her LIFE AFTER MONEY blog
sft

i became a follower on her blog yesterday, still reading, some good stuff there

savingfortravel

knithappens wrote: »

i became a follower on her blog yesterday, still reading, some good stuff there

She's brilliant. Love reading about her walking and staying at Youth Hostels. Admire her crafting ideas too. She is soooo creative.
Her list of thrifty tips is interesting/useful but some of them made me LOL esp the tip about using plates/saucepans more than once. She also is prone to licking her plate clean to save washing up. I do hope she's had some heating on her house in this weather. I'm just about to read what she's been up to over the last couple of days. sft

MushyPeas

Evening everyone

Gosh, it sounds dangerous out there, please do all looking after yourself. Slowlyfading, please do take care - concussion can be delayed till the next day.

Well... I'm sitting down with a stiff drink after trying some baking. I'm almost out of food and from reading everyone's frugalling adventures I thought.. how hard can it be?

All I've tried to make are some biscuits and I've discovered the following that cookbooks don't tell you:
* rubbing butter into flour by hand is really hard, takes ages and then later when you think it's like breadcrumbs bit lumps of butter appear! (is there an easier way?)
* flour gets EVERYWHERE
* when you have your hands in a bowl two things will happen a) the phone will ring and b) you'll get an itch on your nose
* trying to figure out how to cook three things at once is almost impossible

Oh dear... I think I need more practice :o:o

In the over are:
* cornish fairing biscuits, a bit like these (actually probably not at all like those as they said walnut sized balls and I don't really know how big that is supposed to be...)
* two small ramekins of apple crumble
* chips! (I am seriously running out of food!!)

Now the conundrum of what / how to cook was:

* chips 20 mins @ 220
* biscuits 12 mins @ 200
* crumble 40 mins @ 180

I've put the chips and crumble on the top, biscuits bottom and set timer for 20 mins. Just checked biscuits... they might turn out to be large cookies :eek::eek::eek:

So I'm sort of keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best!!!

I think I need to skulk around the baking part of OS a bit :cool:.

Pea x

warney27

Hi All!
I am new to this, so please bear with me if I make mistakes!
I have been following money saving expert for about 2 years now and have changes over my car insurances, home insurances, broad band, phone line, electric company and have a cashback credit card. thank god for martin lewis, his team and these forums!
I also have been doing the competitions since june and have won a few things, the big prizes being a 12 year old bottle of malt whiskey (which i gave to my dad for his birthday) a eco wireless energy metre and a £500 gift voucher for Smyths toystore which I spent on xmas presents and this years birthday presents for my daughter, niece and nephews.
I am on holiday this week from work and have been watching this forum and thought i would like to try, so I sent CW18 a message and she very kindly sent me over her budget sheet. i have just finished it, I have included all our expenditure and it comes to £29000 for the year, which is far to much and room for improvement. Our annual income is £40330.
Here is a bit about us, I am warney a 27 year old chef, my wife to be is a 27 year old part time care assistant/full time mummy to our 2 year old daughter who has cerebral palsy. Today has been our first day on the budget we have spent £25.41 at the shops. I found the breadmaker, dusted it off and have just made a loaf. we have made chocolate chip fairy cakes and sausage rolls. we have also planned the meals out of the freezer to use it up.
That is me and the family, please ask if you want to know more. Any tips much appreciated and thank you for reading.
cheers
warney27

MushyPeas

savingfortravel wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone else has read Mean Queen's thrifty tips on her LIFE AFTER MONEY blog
sft

Hey savingfortravel, what's her blog address? I just hunted on google and found nothing. Cheers

knithappens

savingfortravel wrote: »

She's brilliant. Love reading about her walking and staying at Youth Hostels. Admire her crafting ideas too. She is soooo creative.
Her list of thrifty tips is interesting/useful but some of them made me LOL esp the tip about using plates/saucepans more than once. She also is prone to licking her plate clean to save washing up. I do hope she's had some heating on her house in this weather. I'm just about to read what she's been up to over the last couple of days. sft

oh yes and eating out the pan to save washing dishes - guilty here too lol

savingfortravel

MushyPeas wrote: »

Hey savingfortravel, what's her blog address? I just hunted on google and found nothing. Cheers

www.meanqueen-lifeaftermoney.blogspot.com

Have I done that right?

sft

Brighton_belle

couldn't get the car to the garage for essential repairs to day as big hill I live at the bottom of too icy.
Also, another day off work, but I don't get paid either. Most importantly, my new free desk diary, in which I run my life (as opposed to small appointments diary) is sitting at work waiting for me and I need it to get organise, lol.
Meatballs in slow cooker very yum and warming.

Most frustrating weather story of the day: bails only 2 miles away but too much weather for us to meet up today.

sft -i'd have to cut and paste the link, can't just click on it, but that's ok

knithappens

warney27 wrote: »

Hi All!
I am new to this, so please bear with me if I make mistakes!
I have been following money saving expert for about 2 years now and have changes over my car insurances, home insurances, broad band, phone line, electric company and have a cashback credit card. thank god for martin lewis, his team and these forums!
I also have been doing the competitions since june and have won a few things, the big prizes being a 12 year old bottle of malt whiskey (which i gave to my dad for his birthday) a eco wireless energy metre and a £500 gift voucher for Smyths toystore which I spent on xmas presents and this years birthday presents for my daughter, niece and nephews.
I am on holiday this week from work and have been watching this forum and thought i would like to try, so I sent CW18 a message and she very kindly sent me over her budget sheet. i have just finished it, I have included all our expenditure and it comes to £29000 for the year, which is far to much and room for improvement. Our annual income is £40330.
Here is a bit about us, I am warney a 27 year old chef, my wife to be is a 27 year old part time care assistant/full time mummy to our 2 year old daughter who has cerebral palsy. Today has been our first day on the budget we have spent £25.41 at the shops. I found the breadmaker, dusted it off and have just made a loaf. we have made chocolate chip fairy cakes and sausage rolls. we have also planned the meals out of the freezer to use it up.
That is me and the family, please ask if you want to know more. Any tips much appreciated and thank you for reading.
cheers
warney27

welcome, it is great to see another guy on here, i love this forum, everyone is lovely, it feels like home popping on here during the day.