FRUGAL LIVING CHALLENGE part 3, July - Dec 2010

NualaBuala

Hi everyone :wave:

Best of luck at uni Blairweech - I think self catering has the advantage that you can set your own budget for food and eat what you fancy rather than be dictated to by the menu. Happy anniversary to you and your OH. :j

Frugaldom - I'm trying to pay off my loan early AND save! I know it's generally said that saving while you owe money is a waste but I feel the need to have a cushion for if the washing machine breaks or some other emergency. Next year (not sure of date yet) I will be debt free and then every spare cent will get saved. I tend to do better when I have a particular goal so will have to put my thinking cap on. Anyway, this challenge is another tool that helps me stay focussed, especially when I hear how other people are doing.

Today is a good day for me energy-wise so I have been pottering around doing bits of tidying. I still have LOADS to do but I am taking it slowly but surely. I visited some local charity shops the other day and I haven't seen them as busy in years - I guess that's a sign of the times. Anyhow, they are crying out for donations and as I am decluttering I have plenty to pass on. It's a nice feeling to be able to do something good, especially when I can't afford to give money.

Hope you're all ok - hugs all round.

Kerry_Woman

Kiwi - Glad you are ok.

Jayne - The pictures of Off Grid and your garden look great.

NualaBuala - When I have a declutter, I also give to charity shops. I also try and buy things from them. It is a good way to help charities.

I have been getting some temping work recently. Seems to be few and far between. I have 2 events work coming up soon, 1 in September and 1 in October.

Hugs for those who need them.

slowlyfading

JayneC wrote: »

SF - Are you ok? Sounds like you're a bit down. Hope you feel better soon.

I'm okay, just finding the start of term in a new school quite tiring and obviously I've had a lot to take in so it's been a bit overwhelming! But, still plodding on but thanks for asking, very kind of you xx

JayneC

Hi all,

glad you're ok SF

Thanks everyone for your positive comments about my garden. I'll try and get some photos done of my 'other' garden too. Not that organised yet. Hopefully will get there tomorrow for a bit. Frugalling going well. Finished the Moneyless Man book. Really good with tips on all sorts of stuff along with very insprational ideals. Now more than ever just want to go and live in a field - kids not up for it tho, so have to put that on hold for now;)

Am making slow progress on the decluttering - big bag of clothes (tho I'm actaully quite good at decluttering clothes now - and without replacing them with some other cheap tat too!!) Plus some kitchen wares - am limiting the number of plates mugs, etc in the hope that it will also limit the amount of washing up

On Sunday I'm off to a FREE music event near me. Acoustic Gathering is an all day event featuring local bands and completely free YAY:j So if anybody's near Scarborough and fancies a day out come along to Peasholm Park (it's near the North Bay).

I'm afraid I'm off to bed now (another exciting Friday night) cos am pooped.

Have a good weekend everybody x

Erme

Guys sorry not been on...been sick..Almost ended up back in Psych ward on Monday but praise God I have a fab psych. So been recovering....and trying to count the good DAYS (not just half days) though life seems pretty hectic on a good day...

Just done my first attempt @ Soda bread cos I couldn't find my yeast. Only put it initially @ 200 so hence the top looks like mars but dead easy to do and though expensive (500ml or so of milk for a 2lb loaf - any idea how to reduce that?) it looks yummy and was quick to do (less than an hour in total so will be great for being unwell/recovery. I still say getting my tub of yeast is cheaper...Though I really must go and blag at the bakers though I don't know how long yeast keeps for in the fridge if I'm to get free yeast?

Anyhow elec sorted for now...got in touch with the local inde energy folk and they advised that changing may not be my best option. However there are things I can do to reduce the bill like use the storage heaters rather than the fan heater and lower the thermostat (it's like near boiling water out of there) on my hot water tank...(though don't know how to do that)... so now is the time to switch on the storage heaters and try them out rather than midwinter...

My new 'friend' has a lot of probs so I have to be careful. Ma has been a problem lately too. Lots of tantrums (aged 60+ go figure???) so yeah that's about me

But good news on the elec - I'd missed 2.5 months payments due to being unwell and I just did a reading and only owe them £15 so they're reducing my payments down again :T

Anyhow best go see if this bread is cool and like try it out...

Never made soda bread before :eek:

Keeping the hoover..have too many insects in my carpet not to and I needed a new hoover...Bagless too...

Hugs

E

Erme

PS. Someone may want to cut and paste this elsewhere but like I find citric acid fab for getting the dough and sticky stuff off my FP blade...helps no end :J

NualaBuala

Morning frunchkins :wave:

Kerry_Woman wrote: »

NualaBuala - When I have a declutter, I also give to charity shops. I also try and buy things from them. It is a good way to help charities.

I want to do the same. I am going to make it a habit to keep an eye out in case I can get something I need cheaply ... I'll have to be careful not to buy stuff just for the sake of it though! Hey, that's great about the temping work!

Sorry you were sick Erme but you sound like you're doing a lot better now. I find soda bread easier to make than yeast bread. It was what my Nana always made so I guess I'm used to it. Re the milk being expensive, I guess you're right. Can you buy buttermilk cheaper than ordinary milk - cos that is ideal if you can get it cheaply People who make yoghurt also use the liquidy whey bit instead of milk. Or if you have whole milk I'm sure you could water it down a little. Or would making the milk with powdered milk work out cheaper I wonder? I haven't tried these apart from the buttermilk so you might want to wait to hear what others say before trying! That's great about your leccy bill! :j

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend.

top_drawer_2

hey everyone!

I got back from London yesterday, a lot of £££ lighter ...... We had an amazing time though, we went on the London Eye, to the Tower of London, on a bus tours and to see Chicago and Lion King and we (window) shopped in Piccadilly and Bond street, visited Harrods and Liberty's .... I had planned to get some christmas presents but we just didnt have time and everything was soooo expensive!!

I am however extremely well read as the hotel gave us the Indepedant newspaper everyday, so whether it be politics, honour killing or the bringing back of languages into the National Curriculum I know about it!

Kiwi - I had no idea that there had been an earthquake! We had a television in the room which we watched briefly, in between sight-seeing but it wasnt mentioned, amazing how they missed it .... Hope things are getting better for you, preparation is key! I made a provisons box up this past winter, just in case.

It feels really strange to not be preparing to go back to uni when everything seems to be aimed at students at the moment .... I do feel invigorated though to sort out my life and am planning a big declutter and things on the job/career front. Today I am having the day off and am planning on stopping on the computer in front of the televison for the most of the day, although Im going to have to go out at some point for some bread etc ;(

Jen

Erme

NualaBuala wrote: »

Morning frunchkins :wave:


I want to do the same. I am going to make it a habit to keep an eye out in case I can get something I need cheaply ... I'll have to be careful not to buy stuff just for the sake of it though! Hey, that's great about the temping work!

Sorry you were sick Erme but you sound like you're doing a lot better now. I find soda bread easier to make than yeast bread. It was what my Nana always made so I guess I'm used to it. Re the milk being expensive, I guess you're right. Can you buy buttermilk cheaper than ordinary milk - cos that is ideal if you can get it cheaply People who make yoghurt also use the liquidy whey bit instead of milk. Or if you have whole milk I'm sure you could water it down a little. Or would making the milk with powdered milk work out cheaper I wonder? I haven't tried these apart from the buttermilk so you might want to wait to hear what others say before trying! That's great about your leccy bill! :j

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend.

Well I have a good recipe for yeast bread so I don't know...Just when I'm in a rush I'd do it..It came out fine...wee bit of vinegar in the milk:). Sorted (even though it was fat free milk or something?). Yeast is probably cheaper though but takes about 2 hours or so...

Hoover playing up...praise God the instructions (that I downloaded) tell you how to take it apart ...brilliant hoover though...I think I made the mistake of getting rubber bands caught in it :eek: and then they burnt and it smoked and I switched it off and took the bands out and now it just smells like it's burning after a short while so I have to take the bottom off and investigate ...wheels slightly temperamental so it'll be pliers onto the screws of those later...

And for the first time in years the storage heater in the lounge is on so I'm nice and toasty Even though I should be freezing by rights

Blessings

Back to bed now

E

Erme

PS. I also raided the last of the EC sale (liquidation) for electronic cig stuff....so like £40 lighter now in the account (for really good stuff...the only thing I didn't get was like a spare battery charger but like I got everything else and like 60mls of nicotine liquid for £12 or something daft when it's normally min £20 for 30ml and everything else was 70% off....should have done it sooner ) :eek: so that's my cig monies gone for this week...so pray it works and I don't go too loopy

E