Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

ceridwen

NualaBuala wrote: »

Would be interested in your recipes for HM shampoo and deodorant. I used use bicarb as shampoo and vinegar as a conditioner and it did work well but I stopped as I was warned it could be drying. I still go back to it from time to time though. I have a deodorant recipe that is basically bicarb, cornflour, coconut oil and either shea butter or aloe vera gel - might give that a go once I find a suitable container as I have all the ingredients.

Hi Nuala

I'd be interested in having that recipe for deodorant you mention above please if you could look it out for me:)

Still lurking away here - dont want to tie myself down to any specific figures, but picking up inspiration generally:)

Still at the good resolutions stage - so got a couple of jars worth of dried pulses I've had for some time soaking in containers now and will then cook them up in my crockpots. Don't know why I havent done so before now really - as its so simple. Just soak 8 hours, put in crockpot and cover with water, cook 8 hours. How simple can it get? (as long as I remember that kidney beans need 10 minutes pre-boiling after the soaking - because of those toxins in them). So - gonna do my couple of batches of beans and then parcel them up into single-size portions and put in the freezer for when I require them.

My other thought is that I DO have to be time-conscious because of having a full-time job to do - so I don't have the time to faff around to save a few pennies. However - there are some things that are just SO much cheaper if made oneself and can be done so quickly/easily that its worth doing. So - my little list of "WAY Cheaper Items" is:
- bread (already doing)
- the famous Laundry Gloop (already doing)
- washing-up liquid (yet to try)
- general purpose cleaner (yet to try)
- my cosmetics are SO expensive (as I buy only genuinely "natural" ones) that I really must have more than a desultory go at handcream, body lotion, lipsalve and moisturizer (have yet to find ones that fit all my criteria - ie takes no more than a few minutes, ingredients VERY easy to obtain, VERY cheap). I've been known to use vegetable shortening before now as moisturizer and body lotion (ie Cookeen) as that is very cheap/easy to get but must try again - as previously it went rancid pretty quickly and think I should be able to resolve that by adding the oil from a couple of Vitamin E capsules as a preservative.
-

ceridwen

On a different tack - think home-made yogurt probably comes into the WAY cheaper category. Just need to find a way to do it that is WAY easy as well (I don't want to faff round with checking out whether the milk is exactly the right temperature/now where did I put that thermometer again?).

I know yogurt can be made in a crockpot/slowcooker. Has anyone done this and if so how please? I assume that I just put a tablespoon of live yogurt and a pint of milk in a crockpot and cook on "low" for 8 hours and thats it? Is that correct? Also - can I use any type of milk - without having to bother about whether its skimmed, semi-skimmed or full-fat? (I would only use "proper" milk - I don't use UHT milk or powdered milk....)

apple_mint

Cheryl please could you add me in? Another lurker here. Stepping out of my comfort zone onto another forum.

I mostly lurk on OS, and have worked hard over the last few years to cut down our costs. I haven't a particular figure in mind, I want to stay motivated and to track our actual spends this year in relation to the food budget (with a view to cutting it in half in order to save). We have pretty much cut our fixed costs down to the bone but need motivation to keep our discretionary spends reined in. I think being part of this challenge will be a big help.

I have £129 in our food budget until payday on the 15th. We spent very little over Christmas as we were well stocked up and so we are going to try and put £100 from the food budget into savings and live on £29 until the 15th. It is doable as we have store cupboard and freezer supplies and still have plenty in the fridge.

Getting to the end of the year having spent less than last year is the main aim.

I'll be setting up my spreadsheets this week.

nannyboo1

Chipps wrote: »

Hi, I joined WW just over a year ago. I lost about 4 1/2 stone, so found the cost of joining well worth it. Also, not buying so much junk counteracted the cost. They have some really good recipes. I don't have access to their recipes now, but my DD sends them if I ask! I am now a gold member so don't pay to belong (need to do something about the few extra pounds I have put on over Christmas though!)
Good luck with your weight loss!

Thank you i know it works I just need to stick to it lol

nannyboo1

LolaLemon wrote: »

quick to make.
100g flour, 100g butter, 50g sugar
mix together with hand to get crumbs, roll into a ball, then take 'pinches' off, roll into balls, and flatten, bake in low (180^) oven for approx 12-15 mins.
depending on how big u make those pinches will determin how many shortbread buscuits u get.
i add 1 teaspoon of powder with the flour for flavour (cinnamon or drinking chocolate)
or a few drops of vanilla essence
or handfull of sweets (tonight i used dolly mixture) chopped chocolate, smarties, hundreds and thousands etc etc

the dolly mixture was very sweet, so only had 2, the cinamon ones where brill, perfect with a cup of hot chocolate/tea/coffee/milk....

the mixture can be halved (50/50/25) or increased
the one i posted i normally half the big ball, and do 2 flavours

(the ball isnt massive, about the size of my palm, u should get between 6 and 12 biscuits, i have gotten 24 small ones one time)

the flour doesnt matter, ive used plain, SR, and wholemeal, just what ever i have to hand
and they go down a treat for those unexpected guests.



sorry for all the posts, i read page one, then posted then read up the way, then back to page 2... very backwards me :rotfl:

Thank you xx

xnatalie81x

Thanks nannyboo !!! Gonna try those biscuits with a finger poke in the middle and some jam in them, and also some cooled with a blob of coloured icing. Will take photos for you all xxxxxxx lol. May need to increase amounts though as my 3 kids LOVE home made biscuits and cakes, and i would like a few left for their packed lunchboxes when they go back to school on Wednesday

I have been investigating recipes for home made pasta. I found a pasta machine lurking in one of my mums stuffed cupboards yesterday (whilst cleaning) BUT i have really sensitive taste buds to egg and don't like fresh pasts because it tastes so EGGY. I also reduce eggs in cake recipes and put milk in instead because again - just taste too EGGY lol. However, and eggless pasta can be made with semolina flour and water. This shall be being road tested in my breadmaker within the next 2-3 weeks (when i get time)

Back to work next Sat so i have lots to do! Plenty of admin to keep me busy PLUS baby has creche trial on Tue and i am back to my classes Wed and Thu and therefore this 6 weeks of no routine shall be coming to a long awaited end PHEW My days will again be filled with school runs - gym - afternoon school run - swim school work - more school run - dinners/baths/housework and here Weekends will be filled with working

I need to get my hands on some sort of weekly calendar for plotting activities as i love routine and want to get some time aside for garden 3-4 times a week (around 45mins a time) for sowing/growing..... anyone know where to look?? I have a diary but i want something i can put on the wall so we can all see what we should be doing at certain times during the day

Catch up with you all soon. I am off to root out my foraging book today and start having a look into that........ nettle pesto and home made pasta springs to mind

Georgiegirl2012

Well here I am, back again with some figures

Broken down as follows - annual (monthly)
Council Tax £1200 (£100)
Water £300 (£25)
Gas/Electric £1020 (£85)
CH Cover £500 (£41.67)
Buildings/Contents Ins £400 (£33.33)
Phone/Broadband £1500 (£125)
TV Licence £200 (£16.67)
Mobile £400 (£33.33)
Endowment £120 (£10)
Windows-bank loan £2400 (£200)
Vets Bills £250 (£20.83)
Presents £200 (£16.67)
Denplan £250 (£20.83)
Mortgage £7000 (£583.83)
"Friend" loan £600 (£50)
Groceries £2500 (£208.33)
Anything else £300 (£25)


Total budget £19,140 (£1595) - which is a bit of a shame considering that's more than I earn and given that I currently break even at the end of every month without going overdrawn it can't be that bad.

Obviously this is a first draft, some of this is over estimated to allow for increases during the year, some of it is payments I hoped I would be able to make, some of it I know will be reducing during the year, I will be back after reworking my figures.

This is my first month of my first year, so I will adjust as I go along - already joined other challenges to help me manage my money, including the grocery challenge, the thrifty gifty threads, making cards ideas, and the sealed pot challenge.

I hope to be money neutral for presents during the year, and I alread have almost £75 due to me from various cashback/survey sites, so that's a help.

I might mostly be a lurker on this thread, but time will tell

Good luck everybody, and big thanks for setting up and continuation of the threads and the spreadsheet.:T

itsallinthemind

Natalie, I use this, has Monthly and Yearly. Right up to 2025 if you are feeling organised lol
http://www.year-planner-calendar.wanadoo.co.uk/year-planner-wall-diary-calendar-public-holiday-chart-academic-fiscal-free.htm

My Mother has a standard whiteboard, She marked lines with a permanant marker, am, pm, evening - across 7 days. Then uses a different colour whiteboard marker for each person and black for everyone. Was cheaper than buying a pre marked one.

itsallinthemind

ceridwen wrote: »

I've been known to use vegetable shortening before now as moisturizer and body lotion (ie Cookeen) as that is very cheap/easy to get but must try again - as previously it went rancid pretty quickly and think I should be able to resolve that by adding the oil from a couple of Vitamin E capsules as a preservative.
-

I use Olive Oil, all my family do. The girls(and boys) in the family all look great(ok could be genes) my nearly 80 year old Grandmother looks sixty at a push and I have not one wrinkle that I can see. I have a frownline, but that is because I frown :D Try it, I love the feeling of it, nice and thin

wornoutmumoftwo

I'm definetly in, determined to last more than a month this time. NSD yesterday owing to the shops being shut.
Unfortunatly though my hoover broke on new years eve so need to get a new one, not the best start but hey ho.

Still haven't sorted out a budget though I'm sure I'll find the time once the boys get back into school, for now I'll just go carefully.