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

ifonlyitwaseasier

rozeepozee wrote: »

any suggestions on what we can make from lamb leftovers?

chopped up finely and made into sheperds pie, sandwichs, curry, lamb hash (like corned beef hash but with lamb ) ummm can't think of anything else but i tend to pick at lamb if it's in the fridge so never have much left over

had a fairly frugal weekend, didn't go out yesterday and went for a walk today gettting a few sandwich meats, yogs and snax for hubby's lunches,
also got the ministry of food book that relates to the exhibit on at the imperial war museum (am going next week) and it has a very frugal voucher offer to get 2-4-1 entry!! and as i bought the book using the last of my b'day vouchers is was technically FREEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

tc all

ioiwe

danielley

Hello All

Frugalling is going well; not bought any clothes or beauty products yet this year. It’s been a fun challenge to see how much I can rotate clothes and eek out make up... I will have to buy some foundation this week I wouldn't be able to go to work unmade up, I look terrible, just will try a budget brand instead of my usual 'premium' products.

Work has been really trying the past few weeks, I have been there 10 years now and It really is time for a change, but when I look around, I can’t get anywhere near my current salary if I move... I suppose it’s a good thing I am learning to live on a more modest budget.

Planted some onions and herb seeds today plus the strawberry hanging basket that I got from Ald1, going to get one of the mini 4 tier greenhouses tomorrow, to ensure that the cats don’t attack the plants whilst they are in the house. Have priced up the greenhouse thing and the cheapest is Ald1 as it is £14.99 and includes a cover, whereas the W1lko's one is £12 but the cover is £3 odd. Also you have to pay to park at W1lkos got to factor that in!

Had a bit of a disappointment, the strawberry hanging basket was supposed to have 3 plants in it and it only had 2; does anyone think it’s worth speaking to Ald1 about it, I’ve planted it up now, but I wouldn't mind a partial refund..... Also I bought a mini tomato propagator set from H0mebase in the sales after Xmas and the tomato seeds are missing! It was only £1.99 and I have been able to use the tray, propagator lid and compost for some onion seeds so it’s not a total disaster.

What are your thoughts on freezing packet ham (sliced watery stuff) I got some for Mr Danielley's sandwiches and it was BOGOF but I’ve just realised the date was short.... I’m going to risk it, as I can’t really think of any uses for packet ham other than in sandwiches! And it would only get chucked otherwise! I will learn from this and next time I get a BOGOF I will check the date and if it is short and something that can’t really be frozen I will offer it to Mum or sister and pass on the saving...

Hope you are all doing well and not too many plants will have been affected by this snow.

x

annie123

Paulgonnabedebtfree wrote: »

A QUESTION RE TONER CARTRIDGES

When I had dismantled the above cartridge (lots of screws and suchlike), I got as far as the channel where the toner powder lies (that's how I know there was hardly any left). Does anyone know if you can buy the toner separately and refill it yourself. I know it can be a bit messy but I can live with that if it saves me a bundle. Or is this a false economy for some reason? I've no problem undoing about a dozen screws, tipping in a bit more toner powder, and sealing it all up again if it's worthwhile doing it. Is the toner alright for all makes of printer or is there a compatibility issue?

Is it ink jet or laser?

I refil my samsung izzi plus laser for £7-£10 ish plus p&p so I try to find free postage codes etc,

From a random google search this one came in at £15 for mine all in http://www.tonertopup.co.uk/shoppingcart.asp

still much cheaper than buying a new cartridge and very easy to do and never had any problems with doing it.
hth

lynzpower

What are your thoughts on freezing packet ham (sliced watery stuff) I got some for Mr Danielley's sandwiches and it was BOGOF but I’ve just realised the date was short.... I’m going to risk it, as I can’t really think of any uses for packet ham other than in sandwiches! And it would only get chucked otherwise! I will learn from this and next time I get a BOGOF I will check the date and if it is short and something that can’t really be frozen I will offer it to Mum or sister and pass on the saving...

Ive frozen it before. Personally I feel its better to cook something with it and freeze or eat it.

We use it on pizza toppings or in a calzone, slice it and have it in a pasta sauce eg carbonara.

Both of these things freeze really well too.

rictus123

Well i managed to find a pair of my workboots( that i need,steel toe cap, got to be good quality) for £33 brand new on ebay+£5 postage..so £38 when they are normally £75+ Sig is updated...awfully close to £500 but all spends are done. So i am doing well really Cant wait to get some savings built up and its all worthwhile!

grandma247

Danielley i freeze ham slices all the time for dh. It just has to be drained before putting it on the bread as freezing and thawing releases some of the water in it.

I found out just how devious supermarkets are today. Last week we saw t&l's syrup in the small tin for " a special price of £1". I said to dh I am sure it is normally cheaper than that and the big tin is about £1.19 normally. Well we looked for the big tins but could not find them and I know they had some a day or two before.We went into MrA today and they had small tins at 87p and the big tins at £1.27 normal price not "special". I can only assume people spotted the difference in price in Mr t's and got the big one OR someone at MrT hid the large tins. I will keep checking and see how long it takes for the big tins to re-appear and at what price.

NualaBuala

Hi frugalites :wave:

Hope you've all had a good weekend.

Frugaldom wrote: »

NualaBuala, I spent £24.99 (less cashback) on a 25kg bag of peanuts for our garden birds. It works out much cheaper for us than having to trip into town for the nearest pet shop then end up paying £2 for a small bag each time. Hopefully, this will last us through the winter for them.
.

Thanks Fru, that's great value for the peanuts. I think they work out cheaper than seed and next time I see a cheap peanut feeder I'll get one. I got a huge sack of seed from Ald1 for just €12.50 which I thought was pretty good. Will keep my feathered friends happy for a while!

BigMummaF wrote: »

Oh Nuala--I'm trying very hard not to look at that link..there's too many half-finished projects here now without me starting something else _pale_ I seem to have the attention span of a gnat's armpit just lately so really need to kick mesen up the proverbials & the sooner, the better!

:rotfl:I know the feeling! I'm having to force myself just to tackle one thing at a time but it's not easy!

pagangirl wrote: »

Hi Nuala - that's what I was like before finishing work - too tired to do anything but sling a mico meal in - tummy has settled down great since had time to home cook.:D Congrats on the poncho, any chance of a pic?

Thanks pagangirl, glad someone understands what it's like. Glad your tummy is better these days. I got a bit of cooking done today so I just have to reheat stuff in the microwave for the next few days. I seem to be a bit inept at putting up pics – I have a picassa account – does anyone have an idiot’s guide to posting pics so I can show off my poncho (not that it’s very good!) .

Looby-loo – thanks for the tea info. Alas we don’t have Sainsbury’s over here. Might do a trip up north some day and stock up on all their bargains if I can get a lift.

Natalie, great about your energy usage. Are you on imeasure? I’m trying hard to cut my usage, hard when it’s so cold but I’m keeping the heat off as much as I can. Good luck with your househunting.

Crikey Michelle, you are doing great with the saving and overpaying the mortgage. Well done!

Hope you’re better soon Thriftkitten and anyone else who is under the weather.



I had a fairly frugal weekend although there was a bit of spending.

• Free brunch at my Auntie's yesterday
• Was given a parcel of frozen leftover Christmas turkey which I made into a pie today. Will keep me fed for a while! Have a little leftover pastry which I might make into a veggie pasty to use up the stuff lurking in the fridge.
• Got seeds at a reduced price in Ald1, also a rhubarb bulb but I think it might be too cold and frosty to plant anything at the moment.
• Cheap huge balls of Aran wool in Ald1 - will do for my next knitting project which is making a tea cosy. And there'll be lots leftover for some wristwarmers to keep my hands warm when the heat is off and I'm sitting at the computer. Maybe some slipper socks too.
• Massive baking session using up whoopsied bananas for 2 loaves of banana and walnut bread. Also had my first attempt at using yeast to make bread. Haven't tasted it yet but it looks edible and it did rise. So these will keep me fed during college next week. Edit: Just tasted the bread and it's yum! I'm so pleased it turned out ok! :j

Got to get my bag packed for tomorrow and I'll be in bed very soon as I'm wiped out.

looby-loo_2

grandma247 wrote: »

Danielley i freeze ham slices all the time for dh. It just has to be drained before putting it on the bread as freezing and thawing releases some of the water in it.

I found out just how devious supermarkets are today. Last week we saw t&l's syrup in the small tin for " a special price of £1". I said to dh I am sure it is normally cheaper than that and the big tin is about £1.19 normally. Well we looked for the big tins but could not find them and I know they had some a day or two before.We went into MrA today and they had small tins at 87p and the big tins at £1.27 normal price not "special". I can only assume people spotted the difference in price in Mr t's and got the big one OR someone at MrT hid the large tins. I will keep checking and see how long it takes for the big tins to re-appear and at what price.

I bought syrup from at Mr T today. The big T&L was £1.35 for 907g (14.9 /100g) and the Mr T value was 77p for 680g (11.3 /100g). As it's for cooking I thought I'd give the value a try but I shall miss the traditional green/gold tin .

Have you noticed that a special offer normally preceeds a price increase? I think they hope we will stock up and then forget what we used to pay when the time comes to buy again.

Was the first big shop I've done since before Christmas and first for as long as I can remember on a Sunday - it was packed and I had to queue for a trolley. No whoopsies anywhere. I only went because when bagging up clothes for the charity shop I found a £6 off £40 spend coupon in the bag. DH hadn't noticed it:eek:and it ended today. I asked him for all his reciepts. Sure enough there was a £3 off £15 cleaning products spend too! That was hard to spend, with making gloop and inheriting so much from MIL house but I managed. So -£6, -£3, -£4.75 my coupons and also got 5p petrol voucher as I spent £51.22;) So I will be petrol neutral this week in savings.

cha97michelle

nuala a bit of a cheat as we got a large tax rebate, but better it went to a good cause than dwindling away on rubbish.

Todays frugalling:

• I made a big batch of leek and potato soup in the SC this morning. It was a lovely texture since i used my new hand held blender, but unfortunately the taste was too bland and the kids weren't overly keen. Any suggestions how to jazz it up? I am thinking maybe use it as a base for a pasta dish and add some chicken or something similar and some sweeter veg. Other than that, i guess i had best find a nice recipe. It smelt so good as it cooked as well.
• Made a batch of sausage and mash for dinner. Used my colander as a steamer to cook some broccoli at the same time over the pan, and also cooked extra mash and veg to go towards tomorrows dinner
• been doing a bit more knitting. Completed another half a square for the blanket i am attempting to make.
• We had a good tidy up and sort out in the house today. I have decluttered the bathroom a bit by putting some of the toiletries in the cupboard. I now know we have loads and other than dental stuff, don't need to buy anything for ages. I don't use lots anyway, and i had been giving the oil based cleanser recommended here a try, but i need to pamper myself a bit more with the body washes and moisturisers. So many and they take up such a lot of space. I'm so not a girly girl. We had loads of shaving gel too, and DH uses an electric razor and i have an epilator, so we are giving that to my younger brother who is out of work. Might as well save my mum having to buy him it.
• I put some clothes in the rag bag. I cut all the buttons off first as i think i could re-use them in projects if i get really into the knitting.
• Before i put them out for collection, i am going to check out Nyks link to rag rug making. It appeals to me. I'll not mention it to DH though as i think he already thinks i am a bit strange. He's more on board than ever but i keep catching him giving me strange looks. :rotfl:
• I got a banana loaf out the freezer (made when we had spare stuff about to go off while we were away at christmas.) The kids were not keen, so i put some in the bottom of some jelly and fruit thinking it would make trifle. I didn't get round to making the custard so that was as far as we got, but they wolfed it down. Kids eh. DS2 said it was yucky, DH said, here. Try the jelly. Try the fruit. Try the cake. HE said all were nice. Then a spoon together was nice. Strange boy. Nearly 2, and he wants to be just like his brother so everything now is yucky. Heaven help me if he also becomes fussy as it has taken me ages to get DS1 eating a bit more.

Sorry, a bit waffly. If anyone has any tips on the soup i would be grateful as there is a huge tub of it sat in my fridge and will need using in the next few days.

Michelle.

candygirl

MICHELLE I some times use soup as a base for a stew in the SC:D:D