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

candygirl

Am keen on making the laundry powder, but need up to date info about where to get borax please, as the thread doesn't say;):D

lynzpower

You can get quite big bags of borax in Wilkinsons candygirl

Also believe that boots used to do it.

candygirl

lynzpower wrote: »

You can get quite big bags of borax in Wilkinsons candygirl

Also believe that boots used to do it.

Thanks hun, just looked on Tesco site n they dont have it so thought it was rare :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:i'm sure my Nan used to use it though:D

Savethekipper

If anyone is thinking of selling CD/DVD/Games then I have just had an e mail that Music Magpie is offering 25% more throughout January and February.:T

sophiesmum_2

Good evening frunchkins
Have been reading but not posting much while the thread has been so busy.Hugs, congratulations and other responses as appropriate as I have forgotten who has said what already
It has mostly been a quiet week at work for me but I have managed to:

• Not buy anything from Boots 75% off sale as I still have goodies from last year yet and this year will be home made gifts
• Cook for oldies 3 days this week meaning free dinners for us and leftovers for soupmaking for lunches - all saves the grocery budget
• Went to town this afternoon and used some of xmas vouchers to buy clothes for work and home,a bird feeding station,two throws,and two steel shelves for my kitchen (Had to put £5 to it). Used boots points to buy a tub of vaseline.Still have about £70 worth of vouchers left for different places yet.
• Picked up 3 bags of clean wood from mums for fire
• Collected another 20 recycled jars towards this year's preserving
• Was given two large jars of morello cherries in syrup to use up so probably pie making this weekend or something like cherry turnovers
• Did a tax return for mum and was rewarded with being bought a small handcrafted wooden stool
• rehomed a large bag of material pieces, bag of asorted wools, cottons and some trimmings which will be very useful in my pressie making and the patchwork I am hoping to start soon
• Approved food order arrived at the cottage to help with stockpile and pantry filling there,lots more pulses, dried goods and beetroot for pickling
• Still eating from stockpile and freezer in this house trying to use stuff up and relocate some of it to the cottage before the move in summer

Not much else happening but hoping to get started on garden preparations over the weekend,sowing some early seeds,and turning over the compost bin.
Happy frugalling everyone :j

homegrown_life

Evening all,

hugs NualaBuala, hope that you're ok.

I've had a good day today. Succumbed to buying a preserving pan from amazon (it's £30 on there if anyone is interested), had been thinking about it for a bit and decided that I'd get it when I realised my marmalade mixture isn't going to fit in my biggest pan! :rotfl: I was tempted to get express delivery, but signed up for the amazon prime trial so got next day delivery for nothing. Should be here tomorrow in time for me having to actually heat anything up! I've paid for it with a little of my own spending money (not in the challenge budget), an amazon voucher from last year and £5 from my 'anything else' category. Works for me

So today I started marmalade making. Had slightly less oranges than I should have due to one going mouldy. I'll have to give up on the grocer that is local to my work as the prodce is just really not very nice Shame. I also made up a weetabix cake with half the mixture as I had a stray weetabix sat about. Made with choc chips - nom nom! Kids seemed to be bottomless pits and I'd run out of fresh fruit so I figured I best make something!

As I said before I only have a little left from the grocery budget this 4 wkly period, so sent hubby to Asda tonight with a list. He went with his dad and his dad offered to pay for it all for us so that gives us a bit more breathing space! I think I'll try and make him a nice homemade fruit loaf as a thank you. It used to be that we'd pick stuff up for each other all the time at the shop and just shrug off the price to each other, but with me keeping a closer eye on stuff he knows I'm not able to do it so much anymore. But it would be nice to do something in return.

Happymrsh

Another NSD here today, although tomorrow I am food shopping so I will have to spend. Getting a real sense of achievement by not spending and i don't like it when I have to now :rotfl:

I have been looking at some other threads about homemade gifts and I have got so great ideas, I think everyone is going to be getting homemade gifts for birthdays and Christmas this year.

sophiesmum - what things are you hoping to make for gifts?

I am going to try and make some nice name plaques for bedroom doors for any children I buy for, and some sweetie boxes too. Maybe some hampers for adults or may attempt some half aprons, although i'm not really a sewer so that maybe a little harder

sophiesmum_2

Happymrsh OH got a sock monkey, home made chocs in a jar, a card and a birthday cake made for him last weekend.It was my first try at a sock monkey -( blog at http://dreamer-dreamingofasimplelife.blogspot.com/) but it worked out okay:) I'm planning on some foodie type gifts for some people, sweeties, chocolate butterflies ,chocolate slabs, cakes, cookies etc. having a go at some sewing crafts - patchwork throws, maybe one of those quillow things ( small quilt that folds up on itself to make a pillow.) fabric or felted covered journals and pen rolls, personalised pillows, framed photo collages, baskets of preserves, blackberry liqueurs,easter baskets of hm sweeties, hand decorated /painted noiceboards, picture frames, mirrors (recycled or charity shop finds) ,potted plants in decorated recycled pots, and anything else which catches my eye over the year

grandma247

nualabuala One sniff of corn feed or calf nuts takes me right back to those happy days ...
Isn't it amazing how a smell can bring back strong memories. I remember the first time I had cammomile tea as an adult about 20 years ago and it brought me memories of my grandmother. I have no idea why,I can only think that maybe she gave it to me as a baby. We lived with her for a while after I was born . They had a smallholding then and I remember fields of cabbages and potatoes, also a couple of cows.

Fishcake are you by any chance a secret millionair? how many more people have they phoned?

hello SM. you have been busy.

homegrown life are you using sevilles? I am going to look in mr m tomorrow. I looked last week but they did not have any.
Making a cake is a nice gesture and I am sure it will be appreciated

Happymrh there are lots of free patterns and how to's on the internet for aprons.

SF can you relax a bit now? Your pressie sounds lovely I am sure she will like it.

I have been busy with more sorting in the loft and have another two bags of rubbish. 1 paper and 1 hard rubbish for the bin. There is still a lot to do but I feel like I am getting somewhere now I have to do a bit at a time because it becomes overwhelming otherwise. I think it helps that ds3 turned ten in september and now needs different playthings so I can get rid of a lot of toys and books to the grandchildren. I will keep a few here so they have something to play with when they visit.

savingfortravel

Will have to catch up with posts tomorrow. Only just finished school work.

Quick Frugal achievements of the day

• NSD
• Free biscuits and tea at school
• Free lunch at school
• HM soup for dinner.

Catch up tomorrow. Have a good day all

sft