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

ceridwen

cw18 wrote: »

((hugs)) for Lynz.

Sorry to hear things possibly aren't going too well at work/with your hand

But it sounds like you still have a lot of positives there, so as you say they're the things to focus on now :T

Hope all goes well with you Lynzpower.

Re MSE - rather than changing your "name" officially on this site - a lot less time and hassle might be if you logged in as an "Alternate Identity" using a different email address (if you use your Internet provider one now - use a Googlemail one or vice-versa for instance).

Take care.

JayneC

Hi everyone,

Been keeping up (mostly!) but not really posting much lately.

Have been off work this week and have been busy in the garden. have now finished my chicken shed (yay:j) and am very excited. I do need to build a run and buy feeders n stuff before I can get my chicks tho. DGS was very impressed and was playing in it quite happily, said it was his little house! I'd post some pics if I could find my camera, but it seems to have disappeared! Also did dig up more paving in the back.

I've now dug up most of the front garden too:p!! It was a little border with tarmac paths and I decided to see if the tarmac would lift with a spade - which it did very very easily and mostly crumbled to bits - now half the tarmac is in my carboot (took it to the tip today but it was closed for some reason) and the other half is in bags waiting to go to tip when I've emptied my boot:p. Now have another planting area am debating whether I've got room for a plum tree . I've planted a blackcurrant as aparantly they don't mind the shade and the front garden is north facing so hardly any sun! I think rhubarb does ok in the shade too so I might try n get some of that too. If any body has any other suggestions for things that don't mind shade (preferably edible) please let me know. I've also sowed some flower seeds, so it can look pretty too!

Top-drawer - re seeds, don't worry too much about what it says on the packet as most seeds will last a few years (apart from carrot which doesn't usually keep).They tel you they don't keep so you'll buy more every year! you can also save seeds if you let some of your plants run to seed - I got quite a lot of seeds from a company called Real Seed Company and they actually instruct you how to collect the seed and sell varieties that you can easily collect seed from (ie not hybrids).

:wave:lel - thanks for tips

:grouphug: - Lynz, SF, NB, Erme and anyone else that wants one x

Take care all x

Frugaldom

phoebe03cat wrote: »

... Have finally gone for it and cut the tops off the bananas to give them a chance to get going. Within the hour the leaf shoots have grown about three inches, they're amazing...

Hi guys, I have FINALLY caught up and felt compelled to post a question about the bananas - have I missed a post somewhere about these?

Erme - I'm still here, still living frugally. Saw your mention of Food Bargains, their link has been on page on handy links for some time now, as I was able to get a discount code from them. Just waiting to hear when the next one can go live.

Lynz, I PM'd you

RP, hope all goes well with the C Section and that mum & babies are back home again soon.

CW - You don't want a little place in Preston, you want a little place in Scotland where you can have holes and hills all over your garden, just like mine with the moles! :rotfl:

Sorry not to be posting much but there really isn't much to post about at the moment. We're getting an average of 10 eggs per day from hens & ducks, Silkie hen is sitting on 6 (not Silkie) eggs, I have a total of 12 assorted hen chicks hatched out with a couple more due tomorrow, quail eggs are in the process of hatching right now and the garden is still frosty in the mornings, so nothing much planted out here yet. My mushroom kit that was a gift from a friend, has started producing mushrooms! :T I've had my first few salad leaves and the rhubarb looks like it'll provide enough for a few pies next month, so I'm happy about that.

Spending in being kept to a minimum, LETS trading going really well. I have £2,895.41 of my original £4,000 to last me the year and grocery spending is at £326.54 for year to date. My 'EEK' is still a little in deficit, I need to make up £22.88.

Looks like we'll get rain soon but the garden needs watering.

Back soon, neebor just arrived

cw18

Frugaldom wrote: »

CW - You don't want a little place in Preston, you want a little place in Scotland where you can have holes and hills all over your garden, just like mine with the moles! :rotfl:

I don't want a little place anywhere, 'cos little places tend to come with little gardens too..... and I'm starting to catch the self-sufficiency bug I think

After my afternoon in the garden yesterday (which I surprised myself by really enjoying, as I'm not an outdoors person), I had an early (for me) night - somewhere between 10 and 10:15 I think, but I didn't check the clock. Woke up at 6am which was a full half hour before my alarm - and that never happens :eek:

By 6:50am I was back in the garden, and so far this morning I've flattened the land for one of my raised beds, laid the weed supressing fabric, put the raised bed in place, and mixed the composts etc to fill it. I've then mixed a load more of my composts and properly planted (into containers) my A!di fruit bushes and my Blueberry plants (were mostly starting to show signs of leaves, but weren't in a decent growing medium). Really need to sort my fruit trees next, but have to assemble the raised beds for 3 of them, and didn't/don't want to start using my drill while it looks like neighbours are still in bed.

Just had a quick break for a brew, but am now heading back out. Think I'll start by sorting the lengths of wood into piles for each box, then I'll flatten the area for the second veg box and get that ready to go, then get the one assembled tree one sorted before I start making a lot of noise out there. I think it's late enough to take my music out with me now though, as I've missed that this morning (kept me on track yesterday, as I find I do all h/work and such better with a good beat to work to )

Also trying to decide whether to risk trying my rhubarb and asparagus in containers rather than directly into beds - being as I can't harvest either this year (according to everything I've read) and asparagus doesn't survive well if moved, it seems pointless planting them when I won't reap the benefits if I move...... and then I'd have another year or two after starting over in the next place before I'd get crops

Winchelsea

Cheryl and JayneC,

Wow, you both wear me out just to read about what you've been up to! Brilliant, keep up the good work - and all the other energetic people!

Reminds me of how I was myself when I was younger - raising 5 children, cooking from scratch, gardening, decorating, making all our clothes, while doing my OU degree at the same time. Now I care for DH with dementia, and energy is in very short supply. But, I still get a lot of pleasure out of doing what I can and carrying on with the frugal lifestyle.

Having learnt all the skills when younger, managing on a pension never did seem too much of a challenge. Was determined not to compromise our lifestyle by wasting resources, financial or otherwise. And MSE is great for keeping on track.

Had a NSD yesterday. Usually coming back from hols includes a quick visit to the shops to buy essentials, but didn't need to do that as brought stuff back from self-catering, plus had things indoors.

Cooked a tasty vegetarian goulash with rice last night (we have been veggies for over 30 yrs), using red lentils for the main protein, and topped up by rinsing out an almost empty peanut butter jar with some of the goulash. Had a side salad which included young dandelion leaves from the garden .

Am nurturing some dandelion flowers to make the fritters that Alys whatever-her name showed on the tv programme.

Will probably spend some money today - going over to see DS and his friend, and going to a food and book fair. (Books are off limits for me at present though, as I have literally hundreds on my shelves waiting to be read - and have an email from the library to say they have a couple of books waiting that I reserved - one is the newest Kaffe Fasset one for a bit of inspiration for my sewing.)

Have a good day everyone - hope the sun is shining like it is here!

Erme

right morning all...HUGS for all who need then >:D<

Now some piccies...:)



This is a pic of my bike on the railway line on Wednesday....

Now the bike kind of got more xmas pressies yesterday cos cos I'm not going to Edinburgh for a few days end of this week I spent the Ed monies on a new rack and another basket (the idea was the basket on the top....another pannier on the other side but no, not to be). so now have the pannier you can see (about 20 litres in the main bit) and the basket on the other side (till it dies...not exactly confident but maybe when I enquired before the boys @ the bike shop wanted me to buy a £50 pannier rather than an £18 basket). So total spent on Bike this week = £50 (£15 rack, 2x £18 pannier/basket) = total Ed monies so that won't go on my FL total cos that was supposed to be holiday monies...

Next challenge is catering for ma's expensive tastes when she visits in 2-3 weeks time without going over budget. She is just like SOOOO expensive and have every excuse under the sun for getting the food she wants (and calls packet porridge her 'special' porridge...I'm like...would rather you called it expensive kids porridge personally. It would only take a tin of Golden syrup and a bit of experimentation with smart price oats and you could save a fortune!!! :mad:)...

anyhow another nice pic from Newtondee (google it...it's a camphill community)



Piglets jossling

and finally a pic of me wearing an oversized fleece (I'm the one on the right with the duvet dress on) walking down by the river



Spent half of yesterday taking old rack off (was wonky) and putting new rack on then playing with the basket...Did manage to get to veg garden but anyhow...

My odour eliminator air freshner that came on friday is a joy .. Pick up first monies from orders DV Monday then second (and possibly third) on Tuesday. Don't quite know how Ma's will work out (and what with her being expensive for food as well . She says she has no money but her food is like so expensive.

Had a nice 'sugar fix' when tired last night of low fat vanilla ice cream from the kenwood site...

Tis about all my news....

Back to bed now...am so tired...

for everyone who is going through a tough time

E

Kerry_Woman

Went to UK Aware(a green living event) yesterday at Olympia, London. Got an advanced ticket, so saved at least £8 on the door price. Picked up some useful information. The guy who runs greenmetropolis.com was there. Brought some soapnut shells to try them out. Won a BT digital cordless handset plus answering machine at the BT stand. Had to answer questions giving marks out of 10 about what BT were doing about sustainablility. This is the third year that the event has been running and is very informative.

Did get a code for the EDF shop, as I am EDF customer to spend £30. So got 2 boxes of eco balls to try out. They had free postage as well, so was pleased.

Got a book from the library about green living.

Hugs to the people who need one.

Optimisticpair

top_drawer wrote: »

I received my dig-in seeds today so am really going to have to get a move on about planting ....... Need to sort a greenhouse thing and some soil as still not got round to buying it, Preston market are doing a deal on £14 for 3 bags of multipurpose or £18 on three bags of proffessional soil + they will deliver too.

I doubt I will plant all my seeds so the excess might have to go on ebay/freecycle as according to the packaging they dont save for next year ...

At the moment I have planted lettuce and the stuff for the guinea's ... each morning I put them outside and bring them in about 7pm. Would buying a plastic greenhouse thing mean I could put everything outside all the time?

Jen

Hi,

BnQu do a good multipurpose compost in 70 litre bags at 3 for £10 so you can work out if Prestons is good value from that.

Yes, as long as the danger of frost has passed in your area lettuce and anything hardy like that can go outside in an unheated greenhouse. It was 5 degrees overnight 2 feet up from the ground according to my Max-Min thermometer and I'm 600 feet up. My windowsills have overflowed while waiting for better weather so I bought a plastic covered Wilko one for £12.00 yesterday.

Most seeds are viable for next year at least. Fresh seed just makes germination more reliable. ie more of what you sow will sprout from fresh seed. Seed should be stored in a dry jar in the fridge -cold but not going to freeze. I picked this up off the net seed viability chart

http://faculty.matcmadison.edu/mchristoffel/plants/seeds/viability.htm

and seed viability article -

http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1995/3-3-1995/seedv.html

Lettuce stored well can keep up to 5 years!

enjoyfinancialchallenges

NualaBuala thanks for your good wishes for tomorrow, I'm unsure how long I will be off my feet because I'm having both feet bunions done :eek: :eek:. I had one foot done about forty years ago and no, I dont have three feet, honestly. :rotfl:I dont know how much foot surgery has changed in that time, on the previous occasion I was in plaster for a few weeks and hobbled around on crutches during that time. This time I've been told I could be discharged the next day or the next so it should only be a short stay. Anyway I completed my flower garden and have veg seeds in that can carry on growing without me.

I thing Ro Po said she was to have a elective c/s on 19th if she did not go into labour on her own so I wish her well in greeting her babies into the world tomorrow. I havnt seen anything recently so may tomorrow go wonderfully well Ro Po.

To anyone else feeling a bit blue or stressed for any reason, I wish you sunshine and blessings.

pagangirl

Hi all - still frugalling - just lurking more than posting, as nothing exiting to post about !

Hugs Lynzpower - sending you sprinkles of "Happy Dust" to cheer you up :wave:

CW - phew, you're making me feel tired just reading what you been up to in the garden :eek:

Hugs to all, have a great weekend - well, whats left of it !