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

Frugaldom

Added your blog link, SL, well done on getting it started.

Fishcake_Random

Another post from me today, you lucky things lol.
OH found a thread on MSE about the 9p shortbread in Mr.T's going up to £1.29p being a staple of his lunchbox and his achilles heel he made us rush to our local to check for himself and stock up if we hadn't changed yet. So off we poodled....
Once there I picked up.
Bread 95p reduced to 45p
Shortbread 11 packs for 99p
luxury choc muffins £1.65 to 65p (been waiting ages to spot these reduced as I've been desperate to try them)
2x 5 jam donuts - reduced to 17p each
A thick slice of gala pie - reduced to 28p. (Wouldnt like to guess at original cost!)
A pint of milk - 45p as I got wicked heartburn walking around for some reason so we drank it on the way home lol.

But......... the bread and 2 packs of donuts went through at normal price so I paid £4.32. The donuts were buy 2 for £1 originally.
Went to the CSD and got DTD on bread 96p and both donuts at original price before 2 for £1 offer and DTD so back 2.08.
Over all I had £3.03p back so my shopping only cost £1.29p which after the shortbread meens my shopping cost just 5p an item!!!
So lunchs this week will include a frugal sarnie,a few pieces of shortbread and a donut. That'll stretch the last of this months budget lol
x x x x

hermum

top_drawer wrote: »

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

That ches of drawers looks a real bargain, well done you & so much nicer than plastic ones.

hermum

chika wrote: »

top_drawer - I adore that chest of drawers. I'm a massive WTP fan, it's just so cute. What an amazing bargain! I've been away on a Uni field trip this week so haven't posted much. Just wanted to let people know that if you're looking for a frugal holiday then the YHA is the place to go. I was dreading staying in a hostel but I was really pleasantly suprised.

The rooms are lovely, ours was ensuite, the food amazing - cooked or continental breakfast, buffet or packed lunch and an evening meal for an amazing £35 for two nights full board. If you want to self cater you can do that too which will bring the costs down a lot.

I wasn't intending to go on holiday this year but I think a few days in one of these places will do nicely.

Hi, where was the one that you stayed in? Several years ago I stayed in one in London & it was dire, so haven't tried it again.

hermum

lyndasharp wrote: »

An expensive pet day today. Took Bessie for a check so I could get her some worm and flea treatment - she had to be looked at as it's a new vet. £39 for the flea and worm bits, which I've now found cheaper online (grr) though one is prescription only anyway. Her gums looked sore, so she's going back in a fortnight to see the vet. I suspect that's going to be expensive, as she wouldn't be covered even if she was insured due to preexisting mouth ulcer problem. Her teeth look pretty clean, so I just hope it's not a sign of some more serious problem.

We also stocked up on seeds and got the seed potatoes. The seeds were half price :-)

Two mystery shops now booked, so free food tonight and Monday!

Can't you get pet scripts on medicanimal if not them I know that there is an online service for scripts, as I used it a few years ago.

hermum

Skint_Lynne wrote: »

Evening everyone,

I have taken the plunge and set up a blog, the address is:

http://suburbanfrugalite.blogspot.com have a wee read and see what you all think.

NYK, not sure if you are adding these somewhere, I think I saw the links for blogs on your page. Yes, I did, just checked.:D

Really, it's just for me to keep a wee record of what I have done within the year. I spend too much time reading and not enough doing, so hopefully this will help. I hope it entertains someone or even gives a wee tip here or there.

Not much to report, still watching as always, just a small spend on mushrooms for cooking with tomorrow. More potato scones made tonight.

Speak soon. xx

Well done, I will have to work out how to be a follower.

Erme

What does Mr T's mean? Can someone explain that to me? Been dieing to know for days!!!

Thanks for the link on beans in pressure cooker ....just a disaster with them and was so hungry decided to raid a tin. . First time making it with tahini though and could have done with some garlic but turned out okay .

Friend from Germany brought round choc cookies (from Germany) of some description so that was tea...kind of bad but at least I didn't go on the scales this am (why would I after eating a whole pack of those?:o) So today = healthy eating day and like exercise DV (biking to kirk x 2. If it's that snowy I have to catch a bus I don't go...simple. Because that makes folk work on Sabbath :P)...

Budget looked even worse last night but at least I have the menu plan sorted for this next week . Am going to blow £5-6 essential extra monies on rescue remedy cos I so like need it!!! And buy a few bin bags (but use what I have already/poly bags) fae Lidl's (cos I reckon they're the best. I don't like them splitting) for like the kitchen. Next week I'll buy the cheap saver ones for the lounge bin (the big white ones). I don't have a 'bin' in the kitchen, just some hooks I got from Lakeland years ago.

And it was a good housework day. Also I found some spare disposable ST's for when I go camping/stay at a chap's house later this year so that's good. So I have ST's for the year now .

Need to find some files though for downloaded recipes/thrifty stuff. and some clear plastic pockets (might try poundland/staples) och and a set square for my bag making ala sewing machine (finally have a new one. But think it needs servicing cos like when you tap the motor it switches off. And an oil - cost = £10 including instructions. Total cost on sewing machines = £36 excluding refund from shelter )..

Blessings

E

cw18

Erme wrote: »

What does Mr T's mean? Can someone explain that to me? Been dieing to know for days!!!

Mr T, Mr A, Mr S and Mr M are all supermarkets..... we tend to use shorthand for these, I think so that search engines don't find them. (Changing a letter to a number, symbol or alternative letters is another way of doing it, which would make them Tesc0, Azda, S@insbury and M0rrisons)

grandma247

Nyk my grandma used to make rag rugs and she used half an old dolly peg as a prodder.

Jayjay we have a few of those tyre "vases" with flowers on at the allotment. Dh made them. You can't make them if they have the re-enforced tyres with the wires across although I suppose if you had some wire cutters it would help. They can be painted too.

Shaz the origins of codswallop and square meal are interesting. Also P.O.S.H.

rictus well done with the cc. Getting your payrise would be the ideal time to save in earnest for your vehical. You could put the extra straight into another account by standing order before you see it so you don't miss it.

fishcake-random It is amazing what some people think of as a bargain and when they think they are hard up too. A hairdresser I used to go to in her home was always saying how hard up she was and when I mentioned it to a mutual friend she told me to take no notice as they had four holidays a year and two of them were abroad. She felt hard done to because they could only afford one holiday abroad that year.

Hugs to all those still feeling rough.

I am a little better today but head still feels like its going to explode. Went to bed yesterday afternoon and stayed there till this morning. Got up to make a drink and found the computer had been left on all night Grr. We had to get up early to take ds2 to a meeting in Carnforth yesterday so ended up going in a cafe and buying drinks and a cake for 3 of us as we had a three hour wait ( so we thought). Meeting ended after just under 2 hours so not too bad. Did the charity shops while there but very expensive so only got a pair of bathroom scales for £1 at a carboot type thing and a book,Sarah Brown's vegetarian cookbook 70p.

lynzpower

morning all :wave:

OH is still in pit so I am being rather lazy ish. Ive put the WM on and the DW on. Im now almost at the end of the washing powder, so I need to make gloop today or buy some more powder. I think I'm going to make gloop in a minute!

We have free tickets to the destinations show at earls court, so will toddle along to that to see if there are any freebies going Not that we are going on holiday this year of course

I have decided that I want to ( at some point in my life) walk a long trai, this trail takes approximately 6 months. I am a beginnner in the hiking sense, havent done any wild camping yet. My plan ( and im dragging OH along for the ride ) is to get as many walks in as possible here in the UK. I have seen many hikers extolling the virtues of the dehydrator- I am actually sold on this, but because of mismanagement of cash Im not getting it till March payday So Im hoping to pick up some maps and brochures for a flick through.

on the way back Im going to go the gym and do an hour or more, I have not been going enough, and havnet cancelled it yet ( eek) I did go the other day and really enjoyed it The council one near me is 40 a month with no pool! so I cant downshift to that.

Lynne im blog following too, hope it all goes well