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

tryingtodobetter

Afternoon Everyone

Only a little snow here today so the children could go to school and I could go to work (much to my children's dissapointment) NSD here so far, but I need to pop to the co-op to buy some potatoes for dinner later.

I have been researching car insurance and have found one that comes with RAC cover for my budgeted amount so that will be a saving of £92 on breakdown cover :j:j

DS1 and DS2 are off to cubs later so I will have £32 of subs to pay for the half term. Both the boys love going and it is the only paid activity that they do as their school offer a good range of free after school activities :T:T

I'm going to Bookers cash and carry later this week for work, does anyone know the best deals to look out for at these kind of places e.g. toilet roll, washing powder?


Hope everyone has a great day.

TTDB.x.

slowlyfading

:hello: afternoon everyone!

Well, today has been a challenge so far! This morning when I woke up, there was quite a covering of snow on the ground and was still snowing, so I decided I wasn't going to risk going to school in the car, and so would walk instead. Then, as I was getting ready to leave, 4 of my housemates returned, and said that their schools were either closed or the roads were too bad. So, I put on my walking boots on, plus another 4 layers or so and set off for the 30 min walk to school. By the time I got to school I was freezing!

Then, half way through second lesson, which I was teaching year 7, we are told the school is going to close, so all the kids had to go to the hall and the staff to the staff room for a briefing. Could they not have decided this before?! Lol :rotfl: so I then had to walk all the way back up to uni in the snow, which wasn't fun either.

The nice thing about being home before lunch is that I got to go to the uni canteen and I've had stew and a dumpling for lunch, with mash and carrots. I wasn't too keen on the dumpling - haven't had one before now and don't really understand what is it! but the stew was nice and warm think I'll just have tomato soup for tea.

Had another NSD today as well - I don't take my purse to school with me, and I don't intend to go anywhere now! That makes 4 for January so far

Have a good afternoon everyone

Nessa56

rozeepozee wrote: »

Haven't got a slowcooker, but seriously thinking of buying one. Is it really much cheaper than a pan on the hob?

Slow cookers are brilliant much cheaper than the hob, takes as much as a light bulb and the food comes out gorgeous, you can do joints (cheaper cuts are lovely cos they have a long time to cook and just fall off the bone.

Chicken is amazing as well done in a slow cooker, curries etc could go on forever. I think there is a slow cooker thread on here somewhere with loads of recipes.

v
x

Aril

Hello fellow frugallers:j:j
Lunch break at work again here:D

I got very excited this morning as I replied to a chap on freecycle who was offering a BM [ours has died] and he sent me his phone number. When OH rang him the chappie said he'd sent the number to everyone who'd asked and the first one who'd rung had been given it. Obviously not that important on a world stage I realise but don't think I'll waste my time replying to his offers again. Ho hum back to the drawing board:D

Am working a late evening tonight so will be another nsd here and a quick turnaround supper of filled pasta.

Had a good session last night- all my old cards have now been sorted and recycled and I've been able to cannibalise some to add to my craft stash:jand the small person helped me out so we had a good catch up whilst doing it.

Have a frugalicious day!
Arilx
Sorry BM= Breadmaker

edaniels1983

Aril wrote: »

Hello fellow frugallers:j:j
Lunch break at work again here:D

I got very excited this morning as I replied to a chap on freecycle who was offering a BM [ours has died] and he sent me his phone number. When OH rang him the chappie said he'd sent the number to everyone who'd asked and the first one who'd rung had been given it. Obviously not that important on a world stage I realise but don't think I'll waste my time replying to his offers again. Ho hum back to the drawing board:D

Am working a late evening tonight so will be another nsd here and a quick turnaround supper of filled pasta.

Had a good session last night- all my old cards have now been sorted and recycled and I've been able to cannibalise some to add to my craft stash:jand the small person helped me out so we had a good catch up whilst doing it.

Have a frugalicious day!
Arilx

blonde moment, but whats a BM???


i hate freecycle when that happens. our local one is getting very childish. one bloke yesterday supposeidly had a 32inch lcd tv broke and wanted another, an ipod brake and wanted a replacement, a car blow up and need a new one!! a new gas cooker due to his not working!! and a wii as his kids have broke theirs!!
all from the same bloke!!
im surprised the moderators allow such greed and cheek

mumtoomany

Hi all, Sitting here with around 6 inches of snow outside. Schools all closed today, so DS, DD2 and DD5 at home also DD5's friend. (her mum had to go into work this am but will have both girls for tea.)

Frugalish year so far spent only £58.13 according to Cheryl's exelant spread sheet. I am managing it quite well, for me! It works even better if I save it!!!

Rozeepozee, with regard to your cellars. If you put loft insulation in the spaces between the joists(ie under the ground floor floorboards). Then, using string and drawing pins, work from one joist to it's neighbour, i) put in pin, tie string to it. ii) take string across to next joist, put in pin wrap string round. iii) put pin in first joist about 8-10 inches farther along, wrap string round. vi) back to second joist repeat step iii). Does this make sense? I hope so. It has made a great difference to how warm our house is.

P.S. Rozee I think your maths may be a little wrong in your sig. Spent £30 but taken £300 off the total. Or is this a new wayof being frugal that I've not caught on to yet?

Mumtoomany.

mooomin

New work shoes bought today - reduced from £39.50 to £7 in the M&S sale :j and paid for using a gift card from Christmas! I used some of the leftover gift card balance to buy pretzels for work (I need to nibble during the day) and some grapes. I still have £8.48 left on the gift card too :j

grandma247

flippin36 My only complaint is there is nothing worth watching on tv.
Thats why we will not be buying a HD set anytime soon,unfortunately the better picture does not make up for the rubbish programs.

rozeepozee the best thing about slowcookers is they can be loaded first thing in the morning and you can forget about it till teatime

Well it took me an hour to walk to work and an hour to walk back this morning. Normally I would not have bothered to go but I had a feeling the careworker would not be able to get there and she didn't. So I got my lady up dressed and breakfasted. Bed was made and room sorted then a manager turned up. I set her on washing up and dusting the bedroom before I found out she was a manager (not mine but for the care company):o
She was ok about it and thanked me for turning up. I had a LOT further to walk than she did as she lives in the village.
Everyone stay safe and warm, if you don't need to got out don't. There was a woman killed on the motorway near here last night and hubby had to come home through the towns as they shut the motorway. He worked till 7 last night. This weather is keeping him in a job as they deal in heaters.

I made some easy socks last night and I am so glad I did. My toes are toasty warm. They are easy for anyone with even the most basic knowledge of knitting. I cast on 40 stitches and did knit2 purl2 rib on size 5 needles for 16 inches. The length can be adjusted, just remember that when they are stretched over the leg the length will shrink a bit. When finished cut the thread leaving a long piece for threading through the stitches and sewing the seam. I did both socks at once using seperate balls of double knit wool. It is what I call nobrainer knitting because I can do that and read my emails etc. or watch tv while doing it. I don't need to look at my knitting much as I can tell by feel if its wrong.

Optimisticpair

Found you.

So far spent £171.35 which included a new toaster and food for the birds who are chirpy despite the heavy snow. We had to stop the car to pick up a live blackbird off the middle of the road yesterday, he seemed ok but weak. I put him in a gateway where there will be food if he pecks about.

We've decided to lose a few pounds in weight and the frugal bonus is it will save on buying jam, sweets and biscuits for a while.

knithappens

grandma247 wrote: »

I made some easy socks last night and I am so glad I did. My toes are toasty warm. They are easy for anyone with even the most basic knowledge of knitting. I cast on 40 stitches and did knit2 purl2 rib on size 5 needles for 16 inches. The length can be adjusted, just remember that when they are stretched over the leg the length will shrink a bit. When finished cut the thread leaving a long piece for threading through the stitches and sewing the seam. I did both socks at once using seperate balls of double knit wool. It is what I call nobrainer knitting because I can do that and read my emails etc. or watch tv while doing it. I don't need to look at my knitting much as I can tell by feel if its wrong.

think i will give these a go today have lots of wool in, so will keep me occupied