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

knithappens

sneaking on my daughters netbook before i turn in for the night shhhhhh dont tell.

i am haing spreadsheet withdrawls, argghhh, i am going to save all of my receipts, until i get the laptop fixed, i begrudge paying someone to fix it but needs must.


spent most of the day cleaning, I was a good girl and only did a lidl shop for fruit and veg, and ordered my daughters cake for her birthday thsi coming saturday, my lil lady is goign to be 14, we ordered a big costco cake, so she could take some to school have some at home and also take some to her grandparents, so for 11.99 not bad and it is a huge cake, so well worth it.
I am ust psyching myself up as it will be my lil munchkins first after noon at the childminder in preparation for when i go back to work next month, i trust the childminder she has looked after my son since he was 11 months and he is 8 this year, i just dont want to leave my baby, but needs must, i have compromised and gone part time, will only be teaching 3 days per week. I am lucky really to be in a profession that pays well for part time hours, but still a big pay cut for me, I have to be so careful this year as my mortgage comes out of its fixed rate, and not being to savvy with figures, or confident with the mortgage side of things, i am tryign to weigh up the pros and cons of sticking with the mortgage i have as the interest rate will mean lower payments for a while, or re-mortgaging ( if i can afford to do that even). Kind of scarey knowing all this lies on my shoulders.

on a lighter note, i dug over my veg patch ( fpr some reason that term makes me laugh, sound really inuendo (y) to me - is that even a word haha , i have put cradboard over the soil to prevent anything growing there until i get round to planting and add in fresh compost. will have to sort through my seeds soon and see what i will. grow this year
lynzpower - I am now a follower on your blog -
flying_fresian - well done on the ebay front i managed to make 119 before fees, 106 after ebay fees, so not sure yet after paypal fees, but he torture of all those listings last week seem like a distant memory now - will be paying this off the credit card which means i will be under the 6000 mark this month, meaning i would have paid nearly 500 this month alone which is a big acheivement for me.

anyway off to bed now, night night fellow frugaleers x

p.s sorry that i mispell so much, i think i have unusually fat fingers that press every key in sight, or the fact that i am so sleep deprived from haing ababy after a 7 year gap - either way, but when i preof read my post it makes sense and looks rightmwhen i read it back, i think god what must people think of me haha - sorry again, especially in advance as i know i will repeat this and I know it will get on some peoples nerves, I honestly dont do it on purpose)

LilacPixie

Knit - wouldn't worry about it my spelling is shocking, add that to a keyboard that is full of toast crumbs I am surprised my posts are even co-herent.

lynzpower

Just thought Id come on and say "payday today!"

If I am running my budget payday to payday- and I think its easier to do so- I have got a residual left in the bank of 143.47 :j

Thats including the fact I saved 750 earlier in the month. :j

Have also got cash from thee current acc outstanding in expenses

Have one watcher on my 2 ebay items

ceridwen

Fishcake_Random wrote: »

Ooooooh any chance of a washing up liquid recipe???
x x x

Is it the one that goes:

3 litres boiling water
6 drops of teatree or lavender essential oil (or lemon or lime juice)
1 heaped tablespoon soap flakes
1 heaped tablespoon soda crystals
1 tablespoon white vinegar

- Mix
- put in containers.
- add the essential oils when it has cooled
- shake before use
- add water as needed.

?????

Havent yet tried it myself. I've been getting lost wading my way through that cleaning thread on MSE and various books of mine - just trying to find a handful of basic cleaning recipes using just a handful of easy-to-get ingredients.

Also working on finding just a handful of basic cosmetic recipes using just a handful of easy-to-get ingredients.

I just made up some of that laundry gloop and used some for the first time - and it seems to be relatively easy (using the huge jampan I have - rather than the standard saucepan method). So my translation of "how-to" on that was:
- boil up 2 kettles of water and transfer to jam-pan
- add a grated bar of cheap soap
- do fair bit of stirring - until dissolved
- add quarter packet of soda crystals and stir again
- leave to cool for a few hours and then pour into a 4 litre "lock and lock" container from Lakeland.

(I do like that 4 litre size - just the right thing for a packet of bread flour as well).

and I duly used my soup ladle to put a ladle's worth straight into the drum of my washing machine.

I'm now wondering if this gloop can be used for handwashing purposes too? I'm presuming it can...Thinks further....wondering if it could be used for any other household cleaning purposes as well?

I cant be bothered to work out exact costings on things like that. I just thought "74p for whole packet of washing soda and about 4p for a bar of soap plus a smidgen for water and electric = about 25p I theenk and will probably do about as many washes as my £5 something boxes of Ecover detergent I have been buying = it must cost a lot less = that'll do (unless someone tells me it aint environmentally-friendly)".

FrankieM

Morning All,
Still only managing to skim read but wishing everyone good wishes whatever they are going through.

Went to Aldi yesterday for their Super 6 and also the local co-op for their reduced counter. I'm going to have to spend some time sorting out my fridge cause I keep stuffing things in and if I'm not careful I'm going to end up throwing things out.

DH is away for 2 weeks so I'm able to do some use-up meals and a few more veggie meals....and to please myself a bit

So today is a bit of housework and baking for lunches. I'm going to have to buy some milk and dog food as well.

Hope you all have a good day.

grandma247

ceredwin the gloop is excellent for hand washing. I find it does not make my hands sore like commercial washing powders and liquids.

xnatalie81x

Morning all - today is a very happy day as I GOT PAID - from one of my jobs AND from my own swim school (direct bank transfer for 'paper trail') - - my first wages from my own business - two weeks £30.

Frugal Monday:
1. Let son use potty for at least 1/2 of today to save on nappies.
2. Eat dinners and lunches prepared yesterday
3. Go to work
4. Pay neighbour in eggs to look after son while at work
5. Go hand in CRB id for job of exam invigilator (thanks to UYI board!!)
6. Start diet as i eat too much and that ends up costing us loads! HONK HONK pig alert

Each week i will choose one area of lifestyle to focus on completely and this week it is LUNCHES
Further have split today into packed lunches, so today:
DS: Egg mayo sarnies (about 15p...), value yog 8p, HM cake 10p = 38p
DD: Egg mayo sarnies (about 15p....), cucumber and tomato 10p = 30p
plus value squash of max 5p.....

Me, DS and OH lunch.......

DS2: HE asda Chicken and Sweetcorn noodles 4p banana 14p (1.14 for 10 tesco value)
OH: Sorts himself out with his chicken things for weightlifting
ME: ???? no idea as yet as depends on where i am and when i am hungry as work..... will update later.


A friend's mum wants to buy eggs from me but i use all 21 a week i get - 6 to neighbour for childcare and then we eat the other 15 (an omlette for us all uses 8!!! and then egg mayo sarnies and gone) but i cannot look into getting any more hens until we move. Still, gives me an excuse to get another 2 when we move as i love my girls and really 1 hen will be hers but i look after it lol - how much do you charge for your eggs if you sell/swop them. I think mine work out to about 10p an egg....... would probs do 6 for £1........ is that good for free range and HAPPY eggs. I haven't bought eggs for ages!

Frugaldom

Today is the birthday of Robert Burns, commemorated here by a celebratory supper, normally comprising haggis, neaps (turnip) and tatties. Being a frugalite, I didn't buy a haggis, but I am going to try my own makeshift recipe by serving frugal pheasant. I'm contemplating turning it into a makeshift haggis type loaf, rather than stew, and will serve it with home grown turnip & mash. Fingers crossed that it works, as I'll be winging it for the recipe. :rotfl:

My recently acquired sewing machine is set up on kitchen table ready to start making 'things'. First up is a curtain for along the front of the recycled cookery 'workstation', then some repairs and then I might cover the kitchen chair seat pads, if there's enough curtain material.

Did a washing overnight (we have E7 white meter) with my latest batch of gloop, so it's all on the pulley drying.

Hope everyone has a good day, it's back down to freezing temperatures here, so the fire will be getting lit soon. Can't wait to get my stove installed for next winter. :j

xnatalie81x wrote: »

Still, gives me an excuse to get another 2 when we move as i love my girls and really 1 hen will be hers but i look after it lol - how much do you charge for your eggs if you sell/swop them I think mine work out to about 10p an egg....... would probs do 6 for £1........ is that good for free range and HAPPY eggs. I haven't bought eggs for ages!

I sell or trade at £1 per 1/2 dozen, which reminds me, I need to add yesterday's £2 into my cash neutral budget.

gilligansyle

Morning,

frugal stuff today:-

• carrot and stuff soup,cost around 40p for a litre or so.
• Breadmaker on
• Washing machine on, wish I could get it dry outside, but will have to have house looking like laundry for a bit longer.
• As my big box of Daz, bought 6 months ago is coming to an end, may have a go at laundry gloop and washing liquid.
• Slow cooker on, remains of last nights beef, with some more of cheap carrots, onions and spuds.

I don't generally buy bottled water as we have drinkable tap water, but Mr A have their own stuff on offer 4 x 2 litre bottles for 50p. I got some for DS for work. He normally just takes some in with him, but for that price, he can have a new bottle!

homegrown_life

we never remember to celebrate Burns Night here but as I grew up in Scotland I always kick myself when I realise I missed it. But it's been on the calendar this year and I've planned a scottish type meal. Not doing haggis, but doing tatties, neeps and some mince. I wanted to do a clootie dumpling for dessert but have no eggs. I might try and make some shortbread with the kids later instead. We'll see. Enjoy your dinner Nyk!