FRUGAL LIVING CHALLENGE part 3, July - Dec 2010

NualaBuala

Hmmm, since none of are too keen on diets today we should all just tuck in to Erme's delicious looking cake! It looks very posh, well done Erme!

:j Happy Birthday Jayne! :j

Sounds like you are having a wonderful birthday - I'm so happy for you, you truly deserve it.

Lovely to hear from you Chika - well done on getting through your first half term. It must be a very tough job because both you and SF are unwell in half term. Hope you're better soon.

All is fine here. Went shopping but am well within budget, will probably be able to carry over a bit to next month. Got some little treats for Halloween callers but made sure to get things I like in case none come. I have a mad craving for fish and chips and it's all down to [STRIKE]Mad Arthur[/STRIKE] I mean Mardatha. She is leading me astray big time. :rotfl: I still have two portions of healthy stuff in the fridge to use up but maybe, just maybe I will have a treat at the weekend.

P.S. If anyone else wants to lead me astray, please note it's not very hard - just mention fish and chips or chocolate and that's it

pink_numbers

We went to the market today with the intention of spending £15 on offal (stocking up for three months). We managed to buy:

3lb chicken hearts
2lb chicken liver
2kg ox liver
1/2 kg pork liver
2 lamb heart
1 pork kidney
1 rabbit

I can't believe we got so much meat for £15 (with a pound to spare!). I'm in offal heaven

thriftylass

chika wrote: »

Congratulations thrifty - that is amazing news. Did you sort out the things you wanted to do to your house?

Thanks.
Sorry, was busy today and yesterday and didn't manage to post yet. I'll write a little update tomorrow, promise.

Night night

knithappens

Chika, congrats on gettting through your first term. It must be a teacher thing, getting ill during half term breaks, I have been ill all week, and it is nto letting upi t hink our bodies work so hard during term, that as soon as we relax, the illness comes out, as i have felt this coming on for a few weeks before the end of term, and as soon as we break up it comes out in full force.

was so impressed with my 14 year old yesterday, she is doing food technology for GCSE, she made a chickpea curry on tuesday, so yesterday she decided to use what was left and add some mince, she managed to make 2 lasagnes and a spag bol, we had the spag bol last night, and the lasagnes were frozen, so proud of her.

Also the wooden battons are now up so i can finally hang curtains in my dining room and kitchen to keep the draughts out this winter. It also made me clear out my kitchen so the work man could get to the windows, going to finish sorting it out this morning, and that is 2 more jobs done.
Posting some bits off ebay this morning, and i managed to get a cute little christmas elf off ebay yesterday too, for our elf activities,cant wait.

Really interested in what people have been saying about using less cosmetics etc, I have started usong less shampooo my dead locks, and they are in much better condition, also i tend not to use as much stuff as i used to, but am going to look into using more naturla ingredients for my skin.

anyway, going to watch teletubbies with lil lady, then get myself into gear, have a great day every one

Erme

The cake was a bit fiddly to put together but otherwise relatively easy...I did it in the FP...

Late up...not slept well last night...stupid anti virus :mad:

So just getting breakfast..

No where near doing budgets for next week (big giro day and official beginning of month) never mind next year!!! Aiming though for £5 then will lower depending bar holidays, rent and council tax and extras like this year I bought a washing machine and fridge freezer and things at well over £100 each...

I willhowever still be having a basic mobile and getting a cheap deal on e2save like this year (before frugal I wanted an all singing, all dancing android - now they have no attraction) when mobile contract runs out and trying to get the best deal wherever I can and possibly getting a basic cleaning job in the winter after new Year's holidays to skye (expensive @ £15 a night for youth hostel but necessary) and arrange some cheap get aways when I can...(Ma's...frugaldom's, skye? or couchsurfing)...

Looking forward to starting my socks from silver's sock class that fishcake so kindly gave me when I've finished the afghan for sofa minus border (it's so huge the border scares me :eek)

Anyhow best go have breakfast...only good bit of frugal news here is that my student friends have a load of apples so tomorrow I'm hoping to get a load and make into apple curd (from Weezls page)

E

landregistrylass

Morning all - interested in all the diet stories. SF - dont be downhearted. You have only just had your baby. I still have my baby weight.............and DD is now 27!!!! LOL. I will get around to losing it sometime. Erme - you are so naughty showing pics of that delicious baking when everyone has been talking about losing weight. Will let you off if you send me a slice. Pinknumbers - what do you do with all that offal? Hope you enjoyed your birthday Jayne - can I have your autograph now you are famous? NualaBuala - had to laugh when you said that you got things you liked for non existent halloween callers and then mentioned fish and chips, had vision of you offering them a couple of chips in their goodie bags. Off to Aylesbury this morning - free activities such as face painting, mega slide and climbing wall. Hopefully use up all DGS energy!!! Late night visit to Mr T last night was VERY productive - all root veg (parsnips, carrots, swede, shallots and potatoes) approx 10p a bag, and some reduced stewing lamb so I can feel a mega stew coming on. Also an 8p loaf (white sliced, wouldnt normally buy) so bread and butter pudding. Have a good day all. Its been great catching up this week. When I am at work I rarely have the time, but MUST make time as your company and tips are invaluable.

xnatalie81x

Hello all

Update time - as i am doing monthly money until start of new year (and i am so so excited to get started) i stuck to my 'envelope' spends and managed to save £240 in a 'savings' envelope - this will be for new clothes FOR ME after the baby is born as i have dropped from a size 20 maternity to a 16 maternity and am guessing that i will be about a 14 after 6-12 weeeks!!!!!!! and therefore will have NO CLOTHES that will fit me. Obviously i won't spend all of that (in one go anyway ha ha ha)

Managed to pick up trainers for all 3 kiddies - £5 each for the size 8 and 9 and £8 for the size 3's (my 6 yr old has clown feet!) at sports direct - lonsdale white n pink, white n blue and black ones for the eldest - we were at the estate anyway picking up the lego from the mail.

£7 to last until Sunday - off to buy lockets! Sore sore sore throat!!! New budget picks in 1st Nov for the month

NualaBuala

Well done Natalie! :T Wish you and Cheryl could somehow pass a bit of your weight loss on to me. I will need it if I start this new diet called The Fish and Chip Plan.

Speaking of which ...

landregistrylass wrote: »

NualaBuala - had to laugh when you said that you got things you liked for non existent halloween callers and then mentioned fish and chips, had vision of you offering them a couple of chips in their goodie bags. .

No way ... the chips are ALL MINE!!! They will be doing very well if they get some of the scrummy Haribo Starmix I got for them which just happens to my be current favourite jelly sweeties. Apparently you cannot give apples and nuts anymore ... a real shame I think. We got very few sweets, not sure if there were any in fact.

Hi to everyone else - hope everyone has a good day!

slowlyfading

landregistrylass wrote: »

Morning all - interested in all the diet stories. SF - dont be downhearted. You have only just had your baby. I still have my baby weight.............and DD is now 27!!!! LOL. I will get around to losing it sometime.

I've not had a baby....! You must be thinking about fishcake!

Thriftkitten

Morning all, lurker here after falling off the wagon last march , I was lucky enough to be rewarded with a slow roast shoulder joint of beef 800g from my mum which was a whoopsie from Mr T's, I would like to do it in the slow cooker today, could anyone advise me if it's ok to do it this way and roughly how much juice/liquid to add, length of cooking time please,
I am thinking of making roasties and roasting bugs bunny carrots/red peppers just before joint is done, never done a joint in the sc as quite a newbie with it.