FRUGAL LIVING CHALLENGE part 3, July - Dec 2010

Erme

feeling lousey...this is a frugal idea I have for when I feel better

Home made over bath airer

I was thinking about making an over bath airer with string and hooks cos there's no way I'm paying £13 at Mr A and think it'll be better long term to dry stuff in the bathroom.....hooks should just be screw in ones....it's plasterboard in the bathroom on concrete and then string should have....if not can get from hardware store just down the road...

What do folk reckon to the idea? The only snag I think is like the fact I have a shower but even if I have to peg stuff up if it's up high it should work right?

E
PS. Have a new hallucination (or is it my eyes?) when look up from computer periodically see what looks like it snowing in the lounge for a few seconds..E

landregistrylass

Evening all. Busy week at work, so today has been a real chill day. Went to car boot sale but have to be sensible and realise likely bargains are dwindling fast with fewer stalls due to colder wetter weather. Got some bits and bobs for stocking fillers (spare stylus for DGS Nintendo thingy - 50p) and a candle with a reindeer motif for Christmas decs - 30p. A couple of bath fizzers, and some cheap fresh eggs complete the list. Frugal lunch - scrummy bubble and squeak with bacon and now off to firework display (free) run by local council. With all the cutbacks it may be the last, and it does give me a real high seeing the colours and light. A guilty pleasure though as I know the money spent on it could be better utilised. Tomorrow its making a weekly menu from the reduced stuff I got at Mr T during the week (yippee) and listing some items on eb8y. DH and I will probably be on our own at Christmas, so dont know whether to go to the bother of making a cake or anything. What do you think?

cw18

Erme - attaching some kind of (strong) string to screw hooks should work, but if you put the screw hooks directly into the plasterboard the weight of the washing will pull them out and leave you with nasty holes considerably larger than the ones you put the hooks into. To put it up securely you'd need to use a drill to make holes in order to fit rawl plugs first - and you'd need to ensure the rawl plugs were a tight enough fit else they'll just pull out too.

Kerry_Woman

For the past 2 week I have been using up the food in the freezer and store cupboards. Still had to get a few things in, so keeping the food bill down. My Mum and I went to M&S yesterday and got a small whole chicken for half price - only cost £1.93. That will make 3 dinners for my Mum. Am still planning to use up the things we have, before buying more and only to get what we need.

For the 2nd quarter in a row the mainline phone usage is low. Making the most of the free evening and weekend calls. My next bill is due in about a week's time.

NualaBuala

LRL ... I'm not overly fond of Christmas cake so I don't bother. I've seen different kinds in Lidl and Aldi that you can ice yourself or have as is ... might even be cheaper than making your own. BUT .. making your own seems so nice and traditional and fun. And you'll know exactly what went into it. They keep for ages, don't they so even if there are just two of you, it shouldn't go to waste.

(((((Erme))))), sorry to hear you're feeling bad. Hang in there lass, hope you're doing better soon.

I always enjoy your posts, Natalie, you are doing great!

Kerry Woman, I am trying to do something similar. I will need to do some stocking up soon though but I've saved a fair bit just by using up stuff in the cupboards and freezer. Can't believe I am down to my last couple of tins of tomatoes ... panic is setting in lol!

Hope everyone else is ok and staying warm ... it's got very chilly here.

Hugs,
Nuala

Erme

I still have the chest infection. I was coughing so bad on Saturday that I'm back on the e-cig and down to one cig (approx) an hour and the most dangerous times (apart from first thing in the am and last at night) are when the cartridge needs replacing.

But even this if it continues should make a significant dent on the cig budget. When I went down to 2 cigs an hour a wee while back for 4-5 das of the week I went down about 1.5oz in weekly tobacco needs. That's a min of £5 saved ...so excited to see how long my current tobacco lasts....And it's not difficult and I have the branded version for when I'm in places I can't use the e-cig ...and right now with all this wind and rain would youwant to nip outside for a cig...

I think the cigs right now are more about me not wanting to part with them just yet rather than actually NEEDING them because when busy it's easy to go as long as 1.5 hours without a cig... So I will have to set myself agendas and be firm with them. The e-cig is actually satisfying the craving which it wasn't on that meds I came off about a month ago. Now I realise I appreciate why I had such a battle.

Thanks for the advice on the over the bath airer. Raw plugs makes sense but first I think I need the hose on my shower reattaching because it currently only works as a fixed shower and if I'm going to do clothes I'll need it in my hand for showering... Don't know how much that is going to cost or if there is a cheap way of doing it...any ideas most welcome? It's too tight for me to undo it myself unless I just use a thingy (thingy for undoing bolts etc) that I might have in my DIY box under the sink.....

Sorry to ask for so much advice but I need to do all this on the cheap....

Frugal has convicted me the past few posts

Made a get well present with my paper kit I got from the charity shop the other year and taught self how to make cards on the pc on Saturday so that's my new year cards sorted. It'll take time but it'll be worth it cos I think I already have enough card stock for new year...

Anyhow desperately need to do quiet time...

Blessings

E

Erme

PS. Am finding I don't need the lounge @ 22c anymore so saving on fan heater. 20c or even 19 is just fine unless I just come in from outside and need to dry off and get warm and stuff. Trying to use the fan heater minimal. Next do a meter reading on the 11th. Bill is due next month and hoping to get my monthly payments down :j though there's still the potential big freeze in january to face.

E

Frugaldom

Erme wrote: »

Frugal has convicted me the past few posts

Not sure if 'convicted' is the right word, Erme. :rotfl:

Re the quitting smoking, could you gradually extend the time between cigs and start delaying having your first one of the day? When you go to light one up, don't light it... wait for 5 mins or so then light up. Even if it only cuts one out a day at first, anything should help. 2 an hour sounds an awful lot for anyone's budget to cope with nowadays.

Keeping electricity use down here by burning more and more logs but this awful weather means everything's getting soaked! :mad: The cover over one of the logs stores got pretty much shredded in last night's gales and the second load in the other store got soaked being delivered and then stacked during torrential downpours. Looks like it's time to build another ark here! Flooding everywhere.

Counting down the weeks until 2011. I know there'll need to be some last minute juggling but I should manage to keep within budget and that's what this challenge is all about - isn't it?

Almost finished my first 25kg sack of homegrpwn potatoes. The other sack seems to be doing fine in the garage and I still have 4 barrels to empty. I'm hoping all this rain hasn't completely rotted them, mind you!

Hens have, at last, got back to laying us some eggs, so they're back on the menu. Was only getting an occasional one plus a few quail eggs, so they'd all been getting used up for baking. Anything else got scoffed by DS.

Neighbour tried out the cheap Aldi flour for baking cob loaves and got 6 from a bag costing 33p. Got a smaple one from her and had it at lunchtime today - tasted great with some of the ham & lentil soup from BigBrandsforLess, very frugal. Expecting another order from them later this week on their 100% FREE offer, so that's the soup stocks well in hand for winter - worked out cheaper than buying ham houghs and making it myself! Mind you, I now have enough lentils to last until next winter after taking advantage of the Food Bargains offer! :rotfl: I had a spendathon fit! :rotfl:

Erme

Frugaldom wrote: »

Not sure if 'convicted' is the right word, Erme. :rotfl:

Re the quitting smoking, could you gradually extend the time between cigs and start delaying having your first one of the day? When you go to light one up, don't light it... wait for 5 mins or so then light up. Even if it only cuts one out a day at first, anything should help. 2 an hour sounds an awful lot for anyone's budget to cope with nowadays.

Keeping electricity use down here by burning more and more logs but this awful weather means everything's getting soaked! :mad: The cover over one of the logs stores got pretty much shredded in last night's gales and the second load in the other store got soaked being delivered and then stacked during torrential downpours. Looks like it's time to build another ark here! Flooding everywhere.

Counting down the weeks until 2011. I know there'll need to be some last minute juggling but I should manage to keep within budget and that's what this challenge is all about - isn't it?

Almost finished my first 25kg sack of homegrpwn potatoes. The other sack seems to be doing fine in the garage and I still have 4 barrels to empty. I'm hoping all this rain hasn't completely rotted them, mind you!

Hens have, at last, got back to laying us some eggs, so they're back on the menu. Was only getting an occasional one plus a few quail eggs, so they'd all been getting used up for baking. Anything else got scoffed by DS.

Neighbour tried out the cheap Aldi flour for baking cob loaves and got 6 from a bag costing 33p. Got a smaple one from her and had it at lunchtime today - tasted great with some of the ham & lentil soup from BigBrandsforLess, very frugal. Expecting another order from them later this week on their 100% FREE offer, so that's the soup stocks well in hand for winter - worked out cheaper than buying ham houghs and making it myself! Mind you, I now have enough lentils to last until next winter after taking advantage of the Food Bargains offer! :rotfl: I had a spendathon fit! :rotfl:

Well when I don't cut down I smoke more than that and chain smoke...so please don't be harsh on me. And I smoke roll ups which is a lot cheaper than tailor mades (don't know how anyone on benefits affords tailor mades) and I get the tobacco from and independent tobacconist so it's legal but cheap...there are 'cheaper' ways to smoke than just your standard packet of 20...

Anyhow whilst I'm on my soapbox....had an amazing experience with the kindle last night. Had been trying to sort out antivirus on Sabbath on my netfree/nearly netfree day and had screwed up the desktop (it would boot but nothing would load) and I thought 'I need to start this o/s in safe mode but I've forgotten how'. Phoned a friend and she wasn't in. So eventually used my wifi on my kindle to look it up online and within minutes it was sorted. ...so yeah....spare pc/mobile with net connection/portable internet if you rely on it like I do, which I do, because I choose not to have TV...

And the chest is feeling a lot better today cos I finally used my brain and had some raw onion (great for these things and which I have loads of) so yay...off to Mr A for some messages....

Hope everyone is well...

E

Erme

re soup for winter


what's wrong with baked bean and tomato? It's just a tin of baked beans and a tin of tomatoes heated up and blended...

Does me fine for when it's freezing outside...

E