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

FrankieM

Afternoon All,

I feel like I've missed something, nyk are you ok?

Sunny here, but cold and snowy.
Went into the butcher this morning to pick up my half a pig and also popped into Tesco for fuel and more bread and milk.

My pigs is currently cooking in the oven. It's been scored and salted so I'm hoping it turns out well.
Boiled up some chickpeas to portion out and freeze.
Apart from that it's going to be a quiet day. I think it might involve some sledging at some point!

There seems to have been loads of spending so far this month. I'm sure I can remember nyk saying the same thing on previous challenges. I'm going to have to really keep an eye on things in Feb. I should have stocked everything up by then!

Have a good day everyone.

ceridwen

mumtoomany wrote: »

Hi all,
Thanks Ceridwen and Cheryl,

M (DS's ex girlfriend) lived with us for 13 months when her parents threw her out in 2008. They don't seem to value education at all (remind me of Matilda's parents in the Roald Dahl book). All her sibblings left, or were sent from, home at 16. She still comes round to ours most days, calls my OH dad and we think of her now as one of our own. So £19 well spent. And when we are old and (more) grey her taxes will pay our pensions.

Mumtoomany.

Cor - thats appalling - parents chucking out their children into the World at 16:eek:. Poor little b*****s. Ooooh....goes off muttering "why on earth DO people have children in the first place if they dont want them?" grrrrr....

I simply dont understand some parents...this week watching some poor little blighters being wheeled round in their prams in this cold weather without appropriate warm clothing on....words fail me...

ceridwen

mumtoomany wrote: »

Hi all,

Just popped back on to say I too was crying through your story AEB, I am inspired. If only I lived a little closer (greater Manchester here) I could come round and babysit for you.

Mumtoomany.

Hmmm....now sits there thinking "Wonder what the chances are getting mumtoomany together with Faith Cecilia (normally on another Board) to look after unwanted children?...hmmmm..."

Between you wanting to "mother" everyone that moves and Faiths "fighting spirit" and liking children.....what a winner of a combination that could be...

....goes off lecturing self "sit ceridwen....SIT....beHAVE....well I can dream:D"

Paulgonnabedebtfree

Just in case anyone wanted to have a little laugh at me (and in doing so maybe a laugh at themself ).
I've just done an inventory in my larder. It's well stocked with non perishables that I pick up when there's a deal going.
Anyway, I don't eat many baked beans. When I do, I'm not so keen on the cheaper, own brand ones although they will suffice at a pinch with extra tomato sauce added IMO.
So I eat the more expensive brands like Heinz and Branston once in a while but only buy them when there's a deal on. Usually I've bought then 4 for a quid or, at a push, £1.50.
I've just done a count up. I live on my own and have 49 (yep 49 LOL) tins of these things in the bottom of my larder.
Now what was that I saw on the weather forecast about a wind chill factor in the southeast over the coming week?
Anyone who doesn't want to die from methane poisoning should avoid the Surrey/Sussex border area in the coming weeks.

kittiej

Hi Rictus.

I don't know how to do links sorry

You'll find the olympic challenge in the Debt Free wannabe board, originally started by Dragon.

HTH

MushyPeas

Afternoon all

Oh I do enjoy reading everyone's posts, it's very motivating. paulgonnabedebtfree that made me laugh about the baked beans - you'll have to start putting them into other dishes such as spag bol etc. to use them up

I ventured out today for the first time since the 29th... very slowly walked down the iced steps to my car and after de-icing and letting the car warm up I went to Morris0ns - oh my goodness it was heaving!!!

Well, I was very good and after all the tips on here and the lovely Weezl's threads I only spent £12.06 AND picked up my first whoopise... was so happy Hmmm maybe I need to get out more :rotfl:

So... I have chickpeas soaking so I can bung them in the slow cooker and then freeze in batches. Wasn't sure what to do so read around on the threads and I'm going to follow the method here:

http://thehealthyeatingsite.com/how-to-cook-chickpeas-in-a-slow-cooker/

What do others do? Anyway, with some whoopsie potatoes (I can't carry a bag big enough to make them really cheap so happy with this) and veg, pulses etc. I'm going to cook up some lentil soup (though last time I used lentils in the slow cooker they were still a bit hard so do I soak or boil them first?) and make some curry. I even bought some value UHT milk to save pennies. Also I picked up napisan and soda crystals to try and make homemade washing liquid. I have tonnes of soap to use up so it seems like a good way of using it up - wish me luck!

I also picked up some yeast as hope to try making naan bread at some point, but a bit nervous maybe tomorrow.

And guess what I'm doing on one of the coldest days so far this year... you guessed it...defrosting my freezer . Oddest frugal tip of the day from me - use left over drained hot water from cooking pasta to defrost freezer - I think you guys are beginning to get to me

Have a frugal but warm day! Pea x

Nessa56

Paulgonnabedebtfree wrote: »

Just in case anyone wanted to have a little laugh at me (and in doing so maybe a laugh at themself ).
I've just done an inventory in my larder. It's well stocked with non perishables that I pick up when there's a deal going.
Anyway, I don't eat many baked beans. When I do, I'm not so keen on the cheaper, own brand ones although they will suffice at a pinch with extra tomato sauce added IMO.
So I eat the more expensive brands like Heinz and Branston once in a while but only buy them when there's a deal on. Usually I've bought then 4 for a quid or, at a push, £1.50.
I've just done a count up. I live on my own and have 49 (yep 49 LOL) tins of these things in the bottom of my larder.
Now what was that I saw on the weather forecast about a wind chill factor in the southeast over the coming week?
Anyone who doesn't want to die from methane poisoning should avoid the Surrey/Sussex border area in the coming weeks.

Oh my gawd, time I went I think ha ha.

I just did a mini inventory my self and for some reason I have 4 tins of sweetcorn, and 4 tins of carrots (both of which I hate ?) I live on my own as well so must have got them for guests at some time ???

v
x

mumoffour77

Righteo my fellow frugaliers:D

Today I have cleaned......
DS1 put all the xmas stuff in the roofspace:D
Im looking at some furniture from freecycle;)

Got my RM survey thingy:) which also means that I have free postage to sell some bits on ebay:)
Mince, carrot and onion and spuds for tonights dinner:)
DD and DSs 2&3 had some leftover H/M soup for lunch with defrosted whoopsie bread:)
Im still playing with my Spreadsheet.....I still love it;)
Im waiting on my bank statement coming in so that I can get dates sorted out for DDs etc its due on the 13th so i will get it on the 15th.....im going to sign up for 24hr banking!!
Maybe this all should have been done before the challenge but i usually do things the wrong way around!

Thank you all for my Dads well wishes:T
He IS getting home tomorrow:)

aeb if you ever need to vent about anything (cause i know that we need to sometimes, esp when people and kiddies expect so much from us please feel free to PM me....I know its not easy and your reaction is probably one of well I just have to get on with it...kids to rear ect but rem your only human:D But I think your doing a wonderful job hun!! xox)

loopychriss

Paulgonnabedebtfree wrote: »

Anyway, I don't eat many baked beans. I've just done a count up. I live on my own and have 49 (yep 49 LOL) tins of these things in the bottom of my larder.

LOL!!! I think I might be a close second then.... I've got 33 tins of Branston in my store!!! (Morrisons were selling them the other week at 4 tins for 89p, today they're 4 tins for £1). I stocked up because they're the only ones I like and they are normally £2.34 for 4, which I will not pay. Oh well, I suppose we don't have to eat them all this week... yet! Think the South East might have a wind problem over the next few weeks!

redglass_2

MushyPeas wrote: »

last time I used lentils in the slow cooker they were still a bit hard so do I soak or boil them first?/

Normally they don't need soaking and should soften in about 15-20 minutes' boiling time. If they are old, though, they might be tough and need longer, or maybe the slow cooker just isn't hot enough. My advice would be: soak and boil before putting in slow-cooker, or maybe you could combine the two by soaking in boiling water. I always soak lentils anyway as it makes them less 'windy' (provided you change the soak water at least once and throw it away at the end of the soaking time).