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

thriftylass

Twinkles08 wrote: »

Forgive my ignorance 'cos I'm a complete novice,but I've noticed quite a few of you are planting seeds.I'm v interested in this but it wd have to be in the window sill and in pots in the courtyard.If you were planting tomatos wd you sprinkle a few seeds in 1 pot or just 1 seed per pot?Id also like to have a go at lettuces or salad leafs (whats the difference?)Wd I need to put stones at the bottom of the pots for drainage?Soz to bombard with questions but you friendly bunch seem to know everything about anything.:D

I sow about 5 seeds (tomato, pepper or else) in a pot, cover with a clear plastic pot for a mini greenhouse effect. Once they germinated and are about an inch tall I pluck out the weak ones and leave the strongest to grow. I also just have them in the living room and did this for the first time last year and it was a success. Once they flower I give them some liquid tomato feed in their water occasionally. I also take of the little side shoots of tomato plants that grow in the branch corners. There are loads of more tips online for such things. I also grow salad leaves Indoors (sprinkle seeds in a pot, cut and use as needed and it grows back). Lettuce grows more in big heads (like the iceberg) and are maybe better in a garden. Oh and I just use pots with multipurpose compost without drainage. Good luck.

Twinkles08

Thank you lynzpower,for all the tips.Is it sad that I'm excited?My mum use to grow a lot of her own veg so it's making me think of childhood too.No wonder she was mad when we played ball games around her tomato plants-soz mum!:p
Congrats to your OH by the way

Twinkles08

Fab,thanks Thriftylass :T:D

grandma247

chika wrote: »

Have you quite your job and stepped up frugalness to make up for it? I think i could make it work but its a scary thought!

I did in August 2008. I did 2 nights every week and sometimes up to four nights if no one else could cover as a carer for a disabled man. I earned £85 a night so it was a big drop for us. We survived and now it is a lot easier as frugalness is now entrenched.;)

Good to hear the car is ok , that is my biggest worry. Over the next few months though I need to have some savings put by for another in case this one dies or is going to cost so much it would not be worth repairing.

savingfortravel

liloandstitch wrote: »

So clearly I have found our motivation and mojo to really see this through rather than playing at it. So I will stick to my budget - and thanks to everyone for the inspiration that I receive on here.

This is one of the nicest, most inspirational threads on here, I have followed it for the last year or so and have really enjoyed the journeys that you have all travelled. I hope that at the end of this year, I am able to say that I too have started to make the right steps on my own journey.

Lilo

Still got lots of posts to read but had to respond to your inspirational post Lilo-we seem to be on a similar journey as I want to give up work in a few years time-to enjoy more quality of life and focus more on Mr SFT. You are so right about the 'things money can't buy'.

Thanks for giving me a boost and push in the right direction. Post as often as you can to let us know how things are going.

sft

NualaBuala

Hi frunchkins (I know I've borrowed that from someone, can't think who!),

Hope you've all had a good day. Hugs to everyone who needs them - I know some of you are recovering from ops or have loved ones undergoing them.

Optimisticpair wrote: »

I like my fire, it looks so cheerful.

It's not just a knack, some days it's harder to get one lit due to wind not drawing upwards.

If your logs are seasoned, they are several month old ones, and if kept in the dry they should be ok. If logs are new cut they have a high moisture content and you hear them hiss. I stack a few up indoors and on the hearth. I've found that tree and shrub roots are good kindling as well.

I heard on here pine cones are good kindling but haven't tried them yet.

Good luck

Thanks! Today the fire took off ok but didn't want to blaze. It is a temperamental thing. I think the logs (which I just use to start it off, then use coal as I have some for free) were supposed to be 25% water but I have heard some of them hissing. Still, I'm snug and cosy and the fire looks lovely so am not complaining.

Twinkles, I was wondering the same thing. I've got some seeds and pots but not sure what to do with them. Thanks Lynz and Thriftylass, great info on growing stuff. And congrats to your OH Lynz.

I had a frugal day today - no spending. I did a wee bit in the garden although it rained a lot so didn't have long. That reminds me - I have a question for Nyk, Rachelet and any other homesteader types who keep chickens and grow your food, what do you do when the weather is bad? I guess the animals don't take care of themselves but how do you manage when it's really bad? And what if you want to go away on a break? Who minds them? And do you tend your veg/fruit every day? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just wondering if I could hack it! Short answer is I doubt it! :rotfl:

JayJay14

Well until 7pm today was an NSD but then OH rang to say he'd got eggs (FR from a girl at work) he had ordered a tray (£3 for 30 - really good deal, straight from the farm)but then he spotted her going home carrying another tray she hadn't sold - so he bought that one too.
We will share a few with the DDs and DS but they will last ages.

Then he filled up his car on the way home:eek: - £57.34 to add to the totals.

Dinner tonight was whoopsied sausages and bottom of the fridge pasta bake - didn't quite turn out how I had hoped but it was OK. Need to think of something a bit more edible for tomorrow:rotfl:

lynzpower - that is fantastic, I know how I would feel if my OH came home with the same news, you must be walking on air:j

savingfortravel

Frugal achievements:

• NSD
• Free tea/coffee and biscuits at school
• Free roast dinner for lunch at school with toffee tart dessert.
• HM Frugal spicy veg soup for dinner.
• Sneaky value lager.
• Boden Ebay cardi arrived-bargain at £10.

Lilo-Just read my last post and meant to say how sorry I am to hear about your step brother
Lynz-Hope you're ok after your op.
Rozee-Thank you for sharing the seed info.
Optimistic-Pine cones are great kindling. I get the kids at school to collect bagfuls for me when they start dropping.
Knithappens-Thanks for the info about Lovefilm-my mum is 'on trail' at mo and we will cancel it after-following your advice.
SF-Congrats on passing another test.
SF/Chika-I remember the application form process well. Just remember that this term you are competing with all teachers (who need to give a terms notice) and next term you are competing with NQTs (like you) and returners-so much better chances. I got a job in June and it felt great..some people got theirs in Feb. We all started in September however.
Shaz-Thanks for the tidy tips. We need to declutter more although for a tiny cottage we have good storage but the summer house and conservatory could turn into tip rooms if we don't keep on top of it.
Peacekeeper-Well done on the Mortgage repayments.
Lynda-Glad Dad's op went well.
Hardup-Great whoopsies.

Have a good evening and day tomorrow. See you in the evening.

sft

Frugaldom

larmy16 wrote: »

Nyk - sorry it was a while back I noticed your comment re Bernadine Lawrence book. Would absolutely love to see a sample menu from your home - just one day's which you have managed on £3. It would be so fascinating.:)

Hi Larmy, it isn't quite as straight forward as spending £3 every day or even £21 per week, it's about sticking to the overall annual budget and turning that into 365 days of meals for 3 adults and having enough left over to trade via LETS to exchange for other things. As an example, today went as follows:

Breakfast for 3 - 1 x porridge (5p), 2 x cereal (2 x 10p)

Lunch for 3 - Homemade broth (3 x 3p) with a roll (3 x 4p) followed by hm cake (3 x 7.5p) & packet custard (7p)



Dinner for 3 - Boiled rice (29p) with stirfry made from:

• Oil for frying (approx 6p)
• Sliced mushrooms (straight from freezer - approx 5p)
• Chopped peppers (straight from freezer - approx 10p)
• Shredded cabbage (approx 6p)
• One onion, chopped (approx 5p)
• Dash of soy sauce (approx 2p)
• Some sweet chilli sauce (from 1 litre bottle - approx 3p)
• Chicken (drumsticks from freezer - 50p)

Tea, coffee, milk etc, approx 45p per day (I use powdered & UHT skimmed milk)

Total for day's menu of 9 meals = £2.30 (rounded up)

Soup = Broth 25p + onion 5p + carrots & leek from garden, stock made from leftovers, so 30p for approx 10 servings = 3p per serving

Pineapple cake = pineapple slices 36p + flour 7p + marg 7p + sugar 10p, so 60p for 8 servings = 7.5p per serving

Veggies are whatever is available either homegrown or bought on offer (eg Ald! Super 6)

The longer you follow the frugal lifestyle, the better stocked and equipped you are to prepare a meal from stores. I started recording my costs officially in 1999, so I've had a bit of practice. I also trade for extra foodstuffs via LETS

NualaBuala wrote: »

I have a question for Nyk, Rachelet and any other homesteader types who keep chickens and grow your food, what do you do when the weather is bad?

It's a dawn start, dusk finish 365 days of the year. Bad weather means wrapping up warm and wearing waterproofs & wellies. , Getting away for a few days is almost impossible, although I guess if you just have a couple of chickens, you could get a friend or neighbour to help out. A lot of livestock means not a lot of chance of leaving the place empty at all. I managed to get previous neighbours to help out for the day of DD's wedding, but until we get the new neighbours moved in, our household can't all go away at the same time.

Happymrsh

I have writen this message twice and managed to delete it twice :mad:, here goes third time lucky:rolleyes:

Today was a good NSD, well i say NSD but i did put £10 petrol into the car, but i had just been to a friends witha ton of little girls clothes which she gave me £20 for, so i paid petrol from that so have actually gained £10. Hopw that makes sense :rotfl:

i then counted out some money in the jar of loose change. Managed to count £15 which i took to the PO and got changed, so I now have £25 in my savings jar, pretty good me thinks :T

Managed to photograph some stuff tonight to put on ebay, will do that tomorrow hopefully as its only going up for 99p.

Had a good, frugal, dinner. Left over minced beef wellington from yesterday, bubble and squeak made with left over mash and vege in the fridge and peas and gravy, yummy.

Today i have also put up a curtain at the front door, its very draughty and so hoping it'll help keep the heat in and save a little on heating. Already had the curtain and my dad found a wooden curtain pole in his garage that he let me have and also put up for me

nykmedia - I think its fantastic how well you do and how you can break down your meals into cost like that. I hope I can one day be even half as organised as that, amazing, well done you :T