FRUGAL LIVING CHALLENGE part 3, July - Dec 2010

NualaBuala

Kerry_Woman wrote: »

Please don't feel that we will blame you for anything. I will use it first to see how it works to see if my Mum is happy to use it. Two other people who I have spoken too have mentioned using oats. I will also try the coconut oil first also.

So you're the guinea pig! Well I hope it does more good than harm for you!

Kerry_Woman

NualaBuala wrote: »

So you're the guinea pig! Well I hope it does more good than harm for you!

Have used some other natural remedies and supplements before, with no side effects. They have helped slightly. I have used evening primrose and flaxseed oil supplements and they helped my skin slightly, but have to keep using them for any benefit. I stopped using them for a while.

NualaBuala

It's a nuisance, isn't it! All this talk has reminded me that I haven't applied any today. I had a nasty patch on my knuckle - all red, cracked and peeling but within 2 days it's almost perfect. So off to slather on some more.

Erme

NualaBuala wrote: »

Erme, I'm glad you posted. I am so so sorry the comments upset you. Just reading your post I was thinking that the FP was worth every single penny if it made it easier to eat. I'd say a lot of folk on the OS board wouldn't be without theirs. And I love the idea that bath bombs etc were put down as part of your recovery plan. Pay no attention to what I say chuck, you are making progress all the time and I am certainly noone to talk (Queen of the Takeaway, I should be booted off this board lol).
I meant to ask, how is it going with the storage heaters - it's been pretty nippy lately so I hope they're working!
Hugs,
Nuala x

Well I have to own up I have had to use the fan heater a wee bit lately but most of the time it's okay. Friday was particularly bad for the fan heater and like I was having a doom and gloom day so that didn't help .....but praise God I went out for a cheap coffee with a friend (I'm the sort who needs my coffees out now there's no more drop ins but on frugal budget refuse to pay more than £1 per coffee per day . If it's in house (lyk friend round) etc that's fab but often it's not.)

I was about £40 for the elec last month with mostly the storage heater on all the time and the water heater down by 5 degrees (suits me fine. I wanted it lower but they said it wouldn't clean stuff)... and like I don't think I'll be as good this month but if it's only £5 then I'm happy...If I can be less than £60 every month no matter how cold it gets then I'm happy. I don't need the bedroom heater on @ night cos I have my fleecy sleeping bag liner under the bedcovers which is also good for anxiety because it swaddles you (you buy them @ the camping shop or you can just use an old single duvet cover but that's not so good for warmth)...

Bad shop at Mr A this am...not quite sure where it went :eek: £17 and only 3/4 of the panniers full and now have found I'm out of mild flour (to diluter the strong stuff)...got a shock @ Mr S when going for my medicinal bubble bath because like I noticed saver loo rolls - same price but only 6 :eek: in a big pack and arranged on top of each other to look big...

Just baking for the managers (they are my guinea pigs) for tomorrow using US cookbooks for the FP that are about 30 years old and the more with less cookbook for the master baking mix (half killed self putting lard into flour hence am on here before making coffee cake - simple) and then doing bread for self for week. Why should I buy bread unless really sick when I have 10 packets of Mr H flour in from AP? So yeah - only really 'expensive' ingredient in this honey nut coffee cake is the nuts but I got the cheapest I could and I got peanuts for homemade peanut butter and I have plenty of chick peas in for sandwich spread....

Baking will wait for no woman - flour all over one's culottes or not

So best go..

Don't worry about what was said folks...I only got upset cos I wasn't well...I'd rather it came from you than anyone else...

PS. ....On manybooks.net there's a book on the frugal housewife or something - freebie - have downloaded but not looked at yet and something on war time recipes or something .....worth a munchas when you have time on your hands.... calibre is what you need for an e-book reader for your pc - everyone recommends it...

E

ChinaTea

Thanks for the good wishes re the blood tests. I was diagnosed with a blood disorder 3 years ago that affects the size of the red blood cells and the main cause is alchohol. I don’t drink at all and so they blamed smoking so I gave up over 2 years ago but the condition hasn’t altered and they just scratch their heads and ask if I’m sure I don’t drink. It seems that this seems to have gone a bit haywire and to quote …if you aren’t prepared to stopping drinking alchohol and smoking there isn’t a lot that can be done. Back for more blood tests next week. Also have an appointment at the dentist on the same day.

Like others I’m thinking about next years budget and what the cuts are going to mean. I receive DLA and Incapacity benefit and it’s difficult at the best of times and a worry as to what effect the welfare cuts will really have. After the government spending review there doesn’t seem to be a lot of good news and with food prices going up next years budget will have to be cut deeper than the proverbial bone. I’m stocking up with flour, rice, pasta as much as possible and with the bigger veg plot next year intend to cut the food budget by about 10%. Petrol is a big expense as I can’t get anywhere without the car and the local garage is at 124.9 now so I wait till I get to 1 of the supermarkets to fill up but even now am going out less, 1 day a week unless I go to see my parents 53 mile each way so although they are both ill I’ve cut this down to around once a month or less already and don’t feel that I can do any less than this.
I’ve bought clothes this year for the 1st time in 3 years and then to replace stuff so the budget for this will be £0. I have a big stash of yarn and am knitting jumpers and other wooly items so will have some new items. Have not really thought much beyond these parts of the next years budget but the only other major expense is gas and electric and the cats. More number crunching needed.

DGS picked the pumpkin he grew from a little seedpot at the weekend and Saturday we’re going to carve it out to a lantern and make soup with the pulp. He was so proud that he’d grown it, he loves gardening and things like this encourage him even more.
He’s got his own little patch for next year and it also gets him eating a lot of veg that he wouldn’t otherwise even if some of it is raw straight out the ground but we don’t use any fertilisers or chemicals and I figure a bit of dirt won’t harm him.

Haven’t done a lot today except try to keep warm and dry it’s been really miserable and dark earlier as well. Hoping tomorrow is better and will achieve something.

Kerry_Woman

ChinaTea - Sending you hugs. Hope they can help you with your blood disorder.

knithappens

pink_numbers wrote: »

yay! My mobile contract was due for renewal, and I've manage to cut my £18 per month tariff to £7.50 for 200mins and unlimited text. All thanks to knithappens, as I rang up orange quoting t3sco's offer and asked them to match it THANK YOU!

thriftylass - welcome back I fell off the challenge a while back but NualaBuala talked me into coming back, so I'm like you, a born again frugalite

NualaBuala - EAT LOTS AND LOTS OF CHCOLATE. You know it makes sense

Thats fantastic on the phone deal :T:T:T

pink_numbers

NualaBuala wrote: »

I haven't seen one in ages - found her a bit useless really! You're welcome but I guess if what your Mum is using works, it might be as well to leave it alone. I don't want to be the one who made things worse!

Pink, some day I will have a go at soap making. Have heard good things about neem oil.

noooooo don't use the neem oil, they STINK!! :eek::eek::eek:

Instead, I use neem powder, which smells similar to henna, and not stinky at all. I buy mine from the indian supermarket.

Erme

knithappens wrote: »

Thats fantastic on the phone deal :T:T:T

After cashback mine works out like £2 or £3 a month with unltd texts and 300 mins off e2save whom I'd recommend..hard at first to budget for it but the first lot of cashback went on the fridge freezer etc. etc...comes in handy...total lot of cashback is about £500 over 18 months :j

E

Erme

PS. Baking got done. Master cake mix got ruined by some out of date cream of tartar :eek: but otherwise the honey nut cake was fab...in fact I pray I get around to taking pics before taking it to the meeting tomorrow...basic coffee cake, then rather than put it in a loaf tin (och aye and this one was made with yeast and a little SR flour) you put in in a ball somewhere warm and cover for 30 mins....then roll out into a long strip (didn't have the space for that so divided it in 3 then cut it in half after rolling it out) and divide into 5....loosely wind each strip round each other so you have whirl.....put in biscuit pan (forget what they are called) or round cake pan and sprinkle nuts and honey and let rise for 1.5 hours....(cover obviously) then mid oven I think (or was it mid high? Think it was 375F) for about 20 mins or till a chop stick (cheapest cake testers I know ) comes out clean and some how scrape off (if you haven't stuck it to the pan with the honey :eek:)

Looks really posh too with the chopped nuts and the honey gives it a nice glaze and also cos it's in a swirl...not expensive to make asides from the nuts (can't recall what else it had in it...PM me and I'll look it up...think it had a couple of eggs and like the usual coffee cake stuff)

E