Frugal Living 2011 - the preparation stage

salski

This is a great idea and a great post! I will speak to DH when he gets home to see if he fancies taking part - and even if not on here, its a great idea! We have a baby on the way - due in 6 weeks so we are both unsure of our expenditure, but we could try....?
Many thanks

youngmummy

hi all could i join you all please myself and OH's new years resolution is to only buy what we need and save as much as possible.
there are 2 adults, 1 child, 1 dog, 1 cat and a rabbit this is my budget for the year
electricity £520
gas £520
water £520
tv licence £150
loan £520
bacci £520
littlewoods £56
garage rent £312
food and household £2800 including pet food and toiletries £53.00 per week
xmas and birthdays ect £2500
mobiles £600
sky £600 includes line rental and internet
petrol £2080
bike insurace,mot and tax £400
total = £12098
my aim for 2011 is £12,500 it is alot but its my first time and i will decrease it as time goes on we cannot pick up freeview where we are living but when we have moved we have agreed to buy a freeview+ box and have that instead. we also wont have garge rent when we move, and my loan and littlewoods will be paid off by july 2011 hopefully total saving =£1488 . also petrol wont be as much as we will be living nearer shops ect ... my village shop is currently 1.5 miles away and is v.expensive my nearest supermarket is nearly 20 miles away ouchh!!! so hopefully 2012 will be lower than 2011 enless another baby comes along!!! ohh how much i would love another ... just got too convince my partner x

xnatalie81x

First attempt at pizza was delish!!!





And while i was there - here is the baby having his first swim lol. 3 weeks old exactly on that day - he is now 5 weeks and 1 day



ps that is me

NualaBuala

Beautiful piccies Natalie - they are making me very hungry! And I love the one of you and the baby in the swiming pool! How wonderful to learn to swim so young!

xnatalie81x

tasted like pizza hut and total cost for pizza and hm chips £2.03 and 4 small slices left for lunch tomorrow!! (for the kids only lol)

itsallinthemind

xnatalie81x wrote: »

tasted like pizza hut and total cost for pizza and hm chips £2.03 and 4 small slices left for lunch tomorrow!! (for the kids only lol)

What's your recipie please? The one I use(or possibly me?) certainly could be better

Quite excited, got Breville fryer for £20, never used one at home before, not had homemade chips for years. Now I am dithering over veg or sun oil. Doing lots of dithering this week

xnatalie81x

I used rachel allen breadmaker - 1 cup water, 2 3/4 bread flour, 1/2 sachet fast action tesco yeast, some salt, some sugar, guess at tbsp of veg oil and set to DOUGH - while cooking in a pan tinned tomatoes, squeeze tomato puree, sugar and loads of basil. Boil down for ages till really thick. After 5 mins check dough. Too wet looking so added a few spoons of flour (i'm a kind of throw it in and hope for the best type of cook) - when done in breadmaker (hr n half) turn onto copping board and cut into 3 - disperse between 3 cooking mediums - spread out and leave 15mins. Let kids loose with sauce, pineapple n cheese lol xxxxxxxx Seriously tho - ALL ABOUT THE BREADMAKER

itsallinthemind

xnatalie81x wrote: »

Seriously tho - ALL ABOUT THE BREADMAKER

Gr. Only thing I could do with, bar the chest freezer. Children will have to lump my okayish bases till then

Think maybe I need to budget for a few bits, they can always live in my wardrobe, I do not really need it, wear the same stuff anyway

But thank you anyway

Marru

Ok I am cheating but I made today an Approved Foods order and got lots of porridge stuff and toilet paper. So at least we have the bare essentials coverd for awhile :rotfl:

xnatalie81x

my stand up freezer was free after a WANTED ad on freecycle and chest freezer was given to me through a friend of my aunt who wanted rid. First is a whirlpool one and second is a beko one. Also another aunt has leant me her tumble till i find one - a lovely hotpoint i think a lot of my family feel for me as they knew the useless ex xxxxxx My ex MIL also gave me so money for baby after born although their dad (all 4 have same) has yet to even see baby...........................

Breadmaker was also free - ask around xxx sure someone has one in the back of a cupboard somewhere unused xx even if only lend to you till you can afford your own xxxx