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

babyboysmommy

ceridwen wrote: »

I vaguely recall reading somewheres about chemicals in old tyres as well...

The thought crossed my mind of using a binliner - not sure about that, as its still plastic (and therefore with chemicals in of their own...).

The answer as to whether binliners would actually "work" in the first place I imagine could be obtained by filling a binliner with water and seeing if it leaked through to the other side - as that would tell you how permeable that binliner is.

When I did my searching on google I found nothing to say they were a problem, just that people think they are. When I think of all the chemicals we ingest every day... I wonder just how many things we think are not safe in years to come are discovered to be fine & some that we think are fine now prove not to be. I will be using them as planters, as to what I'll put in them yet I'm still undecided so may be veg or flowers. I need to do more research.

mooomin

Morning all!

I was feeling a little disheartened yesterday, as I had spent pretty much all of my Entertainment budget for the month by the time I [strike]staggered[/strike] arrived home as I went out for a couple of drinks with some colleagues (And still have three nights out to go this month....) However, the Frugal Fairy must have decided to bestow some blessings on me....

Last year my brother needed a new laptop and wanted to buy a top-spec one from HP for £1200 :eek: My work gives me discounts for HP so I bought it for him and saved him £250. I also noted that you got a free M&S Christmas Hamper when you bought certain laptops, so I applied for this before Christmas and sent off all my receipts etc.

I got home from the pub last night to a letter saying "Due to demand you can't have the hamper, but here's £50 M&S vouchers" :j :j :j

So, any meat etc that I need to buy this month will be coming from M&S, and I have a voucher for £2 off when you spend £20 on food that was sent to me by a kind MSE from the DFW boards. It also means that we can have a nice meal sometime this month if they do Dine In For A Tenner, Mr Fresian loves the profiteroles I am going to try and limit when I buy it to later in the day when they reduce the meat further.

Hopefully those vouchers will help me to claw back some money from the damaged budget!

Frugaldom

Good morning frugallers

Re the tyres, there are reports of toxins but I haven't found any conclusive evidence proving that these toxins have contaminated potatoes whilst they have been grown in this manner. Might ask a scientist friend, but it'll probably take me a week to decipher her scientific, chemical strewn answer. :rotfl:

It looks as though it may brighten up here, so that could mean a garden day. :j Going to plant extra garlic around the square foot garden and see if it helps deter slugs, as that area will be fenced off from hens.

Last night, I made a start on my rag rug. I'm using an empty peanut sack for the hessian base, a corncob holder as a prodder and all the old offcuts from curtain making plus an old sheet and duvet cover to tear into strips and prod through the rug. Not sure how it will turn out but it's a pretty cheap hobby to learn and can easily be unpicked if I make a glaring mistake.

JayJay14

On the subject of tyres etc, I've just remembered my late mum had a planter made out of a car wheel with the tyre still attached. The tyre was sliced round the middle of the tread (where it would have been on the road - I'm not explaining it very well) and the two side of the tyre folded out back over the rim. The base was one side of the tyre and the other made a bowl to plant in. The wheel provided drainage. She had one on the patio for years with flowers in, and I always thought it looked great but have never had and wheel/tyres to try it myself.

lynzpower

Morning all frugalites:

Havent been posting much, but have been frugal in my own little ways

Warmer weather ( hey I even took my coat off yesterday :j) and much more bearable and work and home - with this I Havent been buying lunch in the pub this week! Which is great as I really need an hour in the warm some days.

Have salvaged some bubble wrap so Ill be fashioning that around the inside of the lean to to try to make it a bit warmer.

On Thursday I attended the great banking debate from Which? Mag, a great night of debate to talk about the future of banking and I got a book on making the most of money ( which ill prob stick on amazon today) some which magazines ( including gardening :T) and a 10 love to shop voucher :j

Yesterday I bought a blueberry plant in 99p stores, I hope it is a good one.
Im desperate to get started with my planting.

Which magazine tested compost this month and I was staggered to see the difference in what grew in the best and the worst ( nothing) I hadnt really thought about compost being variable, it seems so obvious now :wall: So I am going to buy thier best rated ( might as well give ourselves a fighting chance) which is B&Qs at 3.98 a bag.

I fear I have set my savings target far too high as I have 200 to spend for the rest of the month. That includes food for 2. However, I have spent 135 on a singing retreat and that has thrown things all over the place. So I am going to have to move some cash from savings to current otherwise it will all go wrong. I am going to stagger till the end of feb and see how I do.

Todays frugal stuff is:
1) order some more seed catalogues as the ones I ordered havent arrived
2) do some toluna
3) book train for going to MILs birthday get cashback if poss
4) think about booking car for Glastonbury as so far in advance it should be cheaper.
5) make another HM B&B pud with the fruit loaf gone wrong and the remains of the choc sauce
6) make a rubber chicken with roasted veg ( curry and a soup for the freezer with the rest)
7) make a HM loaf with leftover dough
8) make some cookies for the tin
9) try to avoid spending money


Hope everyone is doing OK

xnatalie81x

Official weigh day is Monday. Sneaky weigh day is Saturday. Lost 3lbs this week so far Submitted and bought 2 size 20 swimming cossies in tesco - reduced form £10 to £4 each............. BARGAIN not to be missed - still a little tight tho SHOCK!!!!!!!!

Grocery budget is 293 mth. In Jan and Feb (2wks) i have managed to save 100 through mega frugal shopping. Am hoping the summer months when allotment is in full swing will mean i can save 100 month and overall save around 800-900 to pay off my debts - this years grocery budget is lower than last year too

top_drawer_2

hello all,

Today is going to be a NSD! Yesterday nearly was but I had to go to the post office and post a book ive swapped on readitswapit, looking forward to getting my swap though. I also bought a V shaped pillow case for the pillow I spulged on ages ago and still hadnt got one for and also some cards in the pound shop - they are really nice ones though. I am now organised for my Nephews bday and mothers day, I also got one for my sis as she lost a baby at Christmas so I thought a really nice Mummy day card would be nice.

This is my new set of drawers, It was £10 and I am planning on stripping it and repainting it. I am going to use it for all my stationary and sewing equipment which I need at the side of my desk .... anyone got any experience of furniture stripping and repainting?

I'm also planning on doing some planting this weekend if I can just find somewhere to put them.... when will it be warm enough to put them out in the yard?

Have a lovely Saturday!

TD

Frugaldom

top_drawer - what a bargain you got with that chest of drawers! Even I'd have bought that for a tenner and I'm about the [STRIKE]tightest[/STRIKE] most frugal person I know. Had to pop in and take a look, love it and can't wait to see it redesigned. Well done on spotting such a bargain! :T

Karmacat

Ooh, toluna - thanks lynzpower, will do some of that while on the phone... thanks for reminding!

shaz_mum_of__2

Top drawer

check out the chabby chic thread for renovation advice


Natxx did you get my PM ? was it any help?

Feeling better here today but still staying indoors for time being

Made hubby a valentines card yesterday and want to make a pressie too but was proving difficult until i remembered something i was going to do last xmas

we both like to learn about the origins of old phrases and i am going to getand cover a book and put some phrases in and then he can add to it over time

we learnt a new one on our trip round a local (wind)mill

Millers have to have the millstones dressed regularly which involves chiselling grooves in the hard stone and bits of the chisell cip off and bury in the hands of the worker a mason would prove his experience by showing the metal chips in his hands to the miller - i.e. showing your mettle

everywhere we go we pick up a new phrase but have not been keeping a record of them i think he will like it i think i will search the net for a few new ones to put in too.

going to bake a few cakes i think bran loaves and coconut cake and maybe some millies style cookies if i can find the recipe as i have white choc chips and cranberries to use up.