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

homegrown_life

Thanks for all the ideas re homemade bread. I used the recipe and instructions from the Down To Earth blog and it went well, looked fab but I'd slightly undercooked it so some of it was a bit dough-y. Argh :mad: I'll try again tomorrow. I know it says to knock and it'll sound hollow but I'm obviously not very good at determining this!!

CW - glad you got your doggy home with you and hope he stays well.

rozeepozee

knithappens wrote: »

xnatalie81x I love costco for milk 6 pints for £1.45

How much is this per litre, I wonder? We normally stock up on milk at Costco - I drink gallons atm! I need to get these figures in my head so I know if I'm saving!

natalie we're still sleeping with our boy at 3+ and trying to work out how we'll fit 5 in the bed when the twins arrive - get a bigger bed? :rotfl: And did you say tomato seedlings? Can you grow them that early? I grew them from Feb once and they were straggly but I got the best season out of them I'd ever had. My MIL (an allotment keeper was surprised they did so well so early).

thrifty lass I'm just about to eat the last of our sprout leftovers using this recipe http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/lentilandsproutcurry_65670.shtml.

weezl74

a combination of using costco for milk and watering down makes our milk 16.1p per pint

weezl74

rozeepozee wrote: »

How much is this per litre, I wonder? We normally stock up on milk at Costco - I drink gallons atm! I need to get these figures in my head so I know if I'm saving!

natalie we're still sleeping with our boy at 3+ and trying to work out how we'll fit 5 in the bed when the twins arrive - get a bigger bed? :rotfl:

RP the same amout of milk that's £1.45 in costco is £2.30 in asda. HTH x

XSpender

xnatalie81x wrote: »

Any calorie counters/ww ppl help with a NICE recipe

This recipe is from WW and has zero points. My DH loves it and will ask for it even when he is not losing weight, He says it is very filling.

Chunky Italian Vegetable Soup

2 carrots
1 onion
2 celery sticks
200g swede or turnip
1 crushed garlic clove
1tblsp tom puree
1 tblsp italian mixed herbs
2 tins chopped toms ( I have made it with one tin and DH never noticed!)
1.5 litres veg stock

Chop all the veg and put in a large pan with the garlic, toms, herbs and tom puree. Pour over stock and simmer until veg is tender. Takes about 25-30 mins. Season and serve.

I think it would be nice with left over pasta added too.

XS x

Aril

Hello fellow frugallers:j:j
Just a short one today as am back at work and on my lunchbreak. Gradually getting back into the swing of it all but was a bit of a shock to the system first thing:D

Never much scope for devious frugalling ways on a workday but I am decluttering some of OH's unwanted paperbacks to a friend:D We're having a freezer dip tonight for tea- not entirely sure what I'll find when I defrost it all so that will be a bit of an adventure:rotfl::rotfl: It should be another NSD though provided the small person doesn't come back from school with a request for money for anything.

Have a good frugalling day!
Arilx

rozeepozee

It's definately a spending day today. DDs coming out and I spent £1 on a Which? subscription to check how much a freezer (a business expense) and a lawnmower (unbudgeted for but see below) would be. Must remember to cancel it before february so I don't get charged for another month! Also paid for my son's swimming lessons.

I also had the conversation with our gardener that I was slightly dreading. We live in a block of 3 flats and the bill is around £150 per months (I just checked and he charges £32 per two hourly visit and comes weekly). We've decided that DP can mow the lawn and sweep the front drive and then the gardener can come fortnightly instead - a saving of over £800 - but we'll need a lawnmower.... However, even allowing for £250 for this one off purchase, we'll save a good deal, so it makes sense.

So.... anyone any gems of wisdom about purchasing a lawnmower? I've looked on Which, the best buy petrol one is £230 (possibly £200 but when I tried to phone this company to check delivery charges, the number didn't work), the next best buy is an electric one at £180 and there's a Flymo electric one which comes in at slightly lower rating is but is only £127 from Argos. Which is the most moneysaving? Petrol or electric? Is now a good time to be buying a lawnmower? Do prices go up as the gardening season kicks in? Hmmm...

shaz_mum_of__2

I made a giant quiche with the remains of the veg from christmas and the remnants of a ham joint , also got a vat of minestrone cooking in the pressure cooker with the rest of it

Made and frozen a dozen ham sandwiches for ds packed lunch too.

Can anyone reccomend a decent flask a wide necked food one and a regular one for drinks my stainless one leaks and never really kept the coffee hot need one before uni starts back again

Thanks

Shaz

MushyPeas

Ooooh Shaz that looks yum! :drool:

Fishcake_Random

I'm having a horrible day!!!!
Trying to get in touch with my last employer as I need my taxable pay for the last 2 years for various forms and no one seems to want to help me. I really need to claim working tax credit and get my MA form done and sent in this week.
I'm also starting to get into my nesting period I think as everything around me needs "sorting" and I want to bleach and scrub everything lol.
On a positive note todays only spend is a loaf of bread on the way home for this weeks lunchs so probally only £1 unless we spot some reduced. I have also nearly finished my sock for OH and plan to celebrate its completion with a reduced cherry pie that needs munching lol
x x x x
p.s that quiche is gorgous!!!!
x x x x