FRUGAL LIVING CHALLENGE 2010, part 2, April - June.

minjara

Well after months of worrying about my other half and how we are coping I am back. Taking a leaf out of so many peoples books I am now monitoring what I am having on a day to day basis and noting costs. Not so much setting myself a budget for the year but watching very carefully what is actually getting eaten cost wise each day to eek everything out.

Just to recap, my OH is still very ill, diagnosed severely depressed with psychotic episodes and his UC has been flaring up like no ones business. The tribunal we are having to settle for a mere 4500 which has pretty much been spent already lol. Cab legal aid basically said as they didn't have enough knowledge it would be their word against ours. If we had the money for a proper disability lawyer we would fight it all the way for the 48k but we don't, its just all morally wrong, but neither of us have the strength any more and we dont want to fork out for their costs if we lost. So £1100 is going on fixing up the car and the house a bit, £490 is going on a holiday (which is much needed just to get us out of our surroundings.) I think it will help OH lighten up and hopefully give him a much needed boost. £175 is going to ppl we owe money to, so we'll have a bit to live off.:T

We are going to Butlins at Skegness for a week as my OH went there when he was younger and he loved it. It has roller coasters near by and entertainment and its bed breakfast and dinner. I think its given him something to look forward to and as I said I think it will perk him up a bit at least for a while. Also having the freedom of the car again will hopefully get him out and about a bit as he is feeling very trapped in the house when he has to rely on buses, as if they are noisy he just can't cope with them and the paranoia sets in.

We've just done a shop that came on Friday and that should last for a good while we think. That came to £62.77 and from the food in the house we should have plenty of meals. I am finding I am eating a lot on my own just now as OH is just very sore from UC and is pretty much just eating cereal. So Friday was a bit of a treat, eating £3.30 :eek: worth due to having a nice steak that was already in the freezer. There is one left for another days treat. Yesterday I made up for that a bit my only having £1.34 worth and today I'm only sitting at 28p so far, and I think chicken stir fry for dinner which will take it to £1.20.

I'm keeping a tally now on all these costs to see what they come to but I am quite happy if I don't go over £1.50 most days.

Also planted up most of my veggie seeds to see what happens and I'll post back when these start coming up. Quite happy and cheery today though as all my plants are doing well and the lillies are coming up in their pots outside and the anemones are starting to flower bright purple!

Fingers cross for everything!!!

Minjara x

NualaBuala

Happy Easter frugalites! :easter_os

Your chick is gorgeous Cooltrikerchick, just beautiful! Thanks for sharing your pics.

Hugs to you Minjara, sounds like you are having a very tough time. I know it's so unfair about not being able to afford to take the case further - but on the plus side, these things take an awful lot out of you and sometimes I think it might not be worth going through it for any amount of money. I think the holiday is worth every penny and I hope it does you and your OH the world of good.

Blairweech wrote: »

... Also had a chat with our local MP (Lib Dem), he was doing the canvassing rounds today. I was actually underneath the car when he appeared, so we chatted about public transport, cost of fuel etc. Also got the environental stick out and started poking him with that ...

:rotfl:Good on you! I'm intrigued by the mushroom cake, is it a sweet cake or a some kind of savoury thing? I love mushrooms and I love cake so it sounds good either way!

Natalie, your new house sounds fabulous and I'm thrilled for you!

Great to see you on this thread JackieO, your avatar always makes me smile!

Hope the rest of you are having a good day. It's great to see so many people joining in and being insprired by Nyk/Frugaldom and all the hardcore frugallers. I think I'm a frugal wannabe but am improving all the time I hope!

I baked bread and rolls yesterday; some for now and some for freezer. And I made good use of the oven being on by doing a delicious on-the-verge-of-going-off-apple crumble (more apple than crumble, just the way I like it) and had it with value custard after dinner. Nomnomnom (and there's a good bit left!). Had lunch with family today which was lovely (very frugal though I did buy chocs to bring) and will probably just have a bit of bread, cheese and apple crumble for supper.

Got a bit done in the garden yesterday and hope the sun shines tomorrow so I can do more. You're all doing so well but I haven't sown any seeds yet. It's still quite cold here so maybe that's no harm.

Have a lovely evening folks!

phoebe03cat

annie123 wrote: »

On a frugal note, got 5 pots of whipping cream for 25p per pot on friday so now have 750g of butter in the freezer all for £1.25 compared to kerrygold @ £1.18 250g at MrS that I usually get, very pleased :T
Also have 1/2 ltr of whey to do something with.....

does turning the cream into butter make the date extend annie? I know you have frozen it, but does it last for long once it's defrosted? Also can you tell me how you do it please...think I will have a go;)

minjara

Thanks Nuala yeah I totally agree the holiday will be definitely worth it. Just had out chicken stirfry for dinner and it was absolutely gorgeous and scrummy. Fruit tea cake later on and that will be it for moi!

earthgirl

Hi all, having a very frugal break at my mums for a week. I've so far had 2 NSDs and used no petrol as I've tried to walk everywhere - I'll try to keep this up for the week where I can. I have left OH with strict instructions about what food to be using, so we will see what happens!

annie123

phoebe03cat wrote: »

annie123 wrote: »

On a frugal note, got 5 pots of whipping cream for 25p per pot on friday so now have 750g of butter in the freezer all for £1.25 compared to kerrygold @ £1.18 250g at MrS that I usually get, very pleased :T
Also have 1/2 ltr of whey to do something with.....

does turning the cream into butter make the date extend annie? I know you have frozen it, but does it last for long once it's defrosted? Also can you tell me how you do it please...think I will have a go;)

Dead easy to do if you have a food processor:D

• Put whipping cream or double cream in machine
• turn on for approx 5 mins....depends on how much cream and machine
• you will notice it change to butter and whey, then stop machine
• drain off whey
• rinse butter lots or it will go off,(you can add a little salt if wanted now) I tie mine up in muslin and leave to drain over a bowl for a couple of hours squeezing a few times.
• Butter then ready to use:D

Mine keeps in the fridge for weeks and weeks, we use it before it has a chance to go off.
It tastes sooo much nicer than shop stuff, but I only make it when I can find whoopsied cream, co op good for 75% off, on the last use by date.

If you dont have a processor you can make it by shaking the cream in a clean jar, but takes aaaaaagggggggggeeeeessss and arm ache!

rozeepozee

Absolutely gorgeous day here. Had a lovely few hours out, just me and DP as DS is at his granny's for easter, in the Peaks in our campervan. It's the first time I've been out of the house since Monday :eek: as DP's been away dropping off our boy and spending a few days with his folks and I'm so huge I can't drive anymore. Being a prisoner in your own home makes life very cheap though. Today was the first spend day of the month - petrol... but the 'van is a lot more economical than our old car and will be even more so when run in. Determined it's gonna pay for itself in the long term with cheaper days out and holidays once we're a 3 child family.

Did a huge curry from the food already stockpiled, enough for us and plenty to freeze. Want to make sure we've a few emergency meals in once the babies come so we don't spend too much money on takeaways.

16 days to D Day, unless they come before.

CTC the chicks are ADORABLE! MIL has chickens in her lottie (she sent back some eggs, which are lush) but no chicks... We'd love some but they'd probably wreck the garden and I think we'll have our hands full this year anyway. Vegetables are a big enough commitment.

I still don't have my Dig In seeds - registered ages ago - should I reorder them do you think???

loopychriss

I'm still around, don't post much but read everyone's posts with interest.

This has been a good learning curve for me, and I've kept to a budget for the first time in years. I question everything I buy now, and have severely cut back on my personal spending. I've also learned to look for the bargains in the supermarkets, and not just buy the first thing that leaps into my hands!

OH and I don't have any income, we're living off our savings at the moment, as he took voluntary redundancy last July with a year's salary as redundancy payment. We had part of that in July, and are expecting the rest sometime this month. However, with nearly £1800 a month expenses it is dwindling at an alarming rate. I can control the food spending and my personal spending, but the household bills direct debits were set up by OH and he doesn't see the need to change any of them yet.

We went onto a water meter last month but have yet to see what the new direct debit will be: the old one has been cancelled for 6 months so we'll be getting a big bill in September. I changed the gas & electric plan but have yet to see a difference in the £111 a month direct debit.

OH doesn't seem to realise that we just can't be spending as we used to when he was working and not having to worry about spending. Luckily we paid off the mortgage in 2008 so don't have that to worry about. We've just got a frugal 2 year period where we're living off savings - he will claim his works pension in March 2012 and then he'll get a nice lump sum and a regular income again. Even then he'll only be 58 and will lose 5% of his pension for every year he claims it early (60 is the normal age), so he'll lose 10% of it.

So for now I'm being strict with the areas I can make savings in and so far I'm enjoying the challenge. We've eaten stuff we've had in the freezer and cupboards for months and not wasted food. I've also saved a good amount towards our holiday in September, which will be our one extravagance this year, as it's our 30th wedding anniversary and we are going to visit relatives in the US. Even that's a compromise though: we'll fly economy on a day when the price is cheapest, instead of premium economy which we would have done if he was still working.

I'll stop waffling now... just wanted to say thanks to this site and everyone on it for all the wonderful ideas...

Erme

minjara wrote: »

Well after months of worrying about my other half and how we are coping I am back. Taking a leaf out of so many peoples books I am now monitoring what I am having on a day to day basis and noting costs. Not so much setting myself a budget for the year but watching very carefully what is actually getting eaten cost wise each day to eek everything out.

Just to recap, my OH is still very ill, diagnosed severely depressed with psychotic episodes and his UC has been flaring up like no ones business. The tribunal we are having to settle for a mere 4500 which has pretty much been spent already lol. Cab legal aid basically said as they didn't have enough knowledge it would be their word against ours. If we had the money for a proper disability lawyer we would fight it all the way for the 48k but we don't, its just all morally wrong, but neither of us have the strength any more and we dont want to fork out for their costs if we lost. So £1100 is going on fixing up the car and the house a bit, £490 is going on a holiday (which is much needed just to get us out of our surroundings.) I think it will help OH lighten up and hopefully give him a much needed boost. £175 is going to ppl we owe money to, so we'll have a bit to live off.:T

We are going to Butlins at Skegness for a week as my OH went there when he was younger and he loved it. It has roller coasters near by and entertainment and its bed breakfast and dinner. I think its given him something to look forward to and as I said I think it will perk him up a bit at least for a while. Also having the freedom of the car again will hopefully get him out and about a bit as he is feeling very trapped in the house when he has to rely on buses, as if they are noisy he just can't cope with them and the paranoia sets in.

We've just done a shop that came on Friday and that should last for a good while we think. That came to £62.77 and from the food in the house we should have plenty of meals. I am finding I am eating a lot on my own just now as OH is just very sore from UC and is pretty much just eating cereal. So Friday was a bit of a treat, eating £3.30 :eek: worth due to having a nice steak that was already in the freezer. There is one left for another days treat. Yesterday I made up for that a bit my only having £1.34 worth and today I'm only sitting at 28p so far, and I think chicken stir fry for dinner which will take it to £1.20.

I'm keeping a tally now on all these costs to see what they come to but I am quite happy if I don't go over £1.50 most days.

Also planted up most of my veggie seeds to see what happens and I'll post back when these start coming up. Quite happy and cheery today though as all my plants are doing well and the lillies are coming up in their pots outside and the anemones are starting to flower bright purple!

Fingers cross for everything!!!

Minjara x

Firstly Butlins at Skeg sounds very good. Fresh air, walks and like cheap shopping in Skeg (take a list - you can probably get it in Skeg DON'T OVERSPEND)...

Now for your OH and buses. I get similar probs with buses from time to time (sure someone who looks EXACTLY like me has murdered her kids or something. Get all the looks and the comments). What do I do? Usually walk or cycle or if I have to take the bus, well headphones can help a wee bit, as is being a tad fussy as to where you sit (front or back, try them out...front you can't see anyone behind you, back you can't be seen but both have downsides)..

The worst one is actually hearing voices on buses/trains...that's a killer...so not good. Not a lot you can do about it (not least when they're OUTSIDE you're head), headphones help a little but not fully. Tried everything on this one, first class trains, the works (first class actually doesn't make that much difference) because I HAVE to travel on my own with all this. If I had someone to reassure me when travelling that would help. So that's what you can do for him. But otherwise just try and rationalise it and tell yourself it's the illness. It makes travelling very hard but last time I did a 6 or 7 hour train journey I got no voices so was quite chuffed. :T

You know with mental illness sometimes all you can do is stay alive till it gets better (I've been ill for 15 years, psychosis for about 11, undiagnosed for about 6 of those). In most cases (like the majority) it does get better over time. But it takes time and a lot of trial and error with stuff like coping techniques, meds, therapy, daily routines (to stay sane), working out stuff to do in a crisis, when to get other's to intervene in a crisis etc etc.

There's a thing online called the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (google it), by Mary Ellen Copeland that has helped me no end and might help your OH. If his CPN won't do it with him maybe you can?

Just a thought..hope that helps



E

phoebe03cat

Thanks very much for that annie. We are within walking distance of mr.t so can usually get the stickered stuff over the week. Mind you have just been reading another thread about the bogoff tuna which doesn't appear to have been bogoff at all. I think I got caught on that one; I was aware the price went up a bit prior to the offer but I didn't think it was the whole price difference. Have not been sure about stockpiling for some time , so think I will now buy just what I need,generally speaking;and preferably at stickered price!
Loopychriss..we are in more or less the same position as you as my dh was made redundant and I'm having to take 4 years early medical retirement. We are finding it really hard to put the brakes on all of a sudden! Cheryl's spreadsheet has been brilliant and made us analyse the direct debits. I can't see how you can control spending without doing that. We certainly had to alter some of ours and discovered it was where most of the money was dripping to month after month.I thought I would hate accounting for every penny but am finding it empowering. My illness was caused through stress at work; probably too many new initiatives, paperwork,internal disputes etc but basically no control as we were micromanaged. The switch to time rich, money not so great; really seems to be working for me too with the support and ideas from this board.