Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

minnie2

SandraScarlett wrote: »

I use cheap baby wipes for lots of cleaning jobs. Been to Sainsburys and their Basics pack is usually 17p, but it's on half price, so 8p a packet!!! Frugal or what!

Let DGD help me with dinner today. I'd defrosted a casserole, made with pork shoulder chops, and zillions of vegetables, and she made dumplings, which we cooked in packet chicken noodle soup, with egg vermicelli. The dumplings and vermicelli absorb all the liquid. When we'd finished, she said "That was cool, Grandma :cool:" which I took as a great compliment!

xx

Argh i am so tempted to go there now!!! but that would ruin my no spend day!!!!

dizzy_lizzie

minnie2 wrote: »

another NSD woo hoo!!! but finances are not looking great!! going to be very tight again!!

minnie2 Looking at it positively if it wasn't for your NSDs things may be worse! So give yourself a well done pat on the back and think how well you're doing in your journey to financial freedom

Aril wrote: »

Evening all:jAm helping out at a jumble sale on Saturday- am totally prepared to go wild with a few ten pence pieces if I find any treasure:rotfl::rotfl:Woohoo I know how to live
Aril

Aril I bet you'll have a great time! It will hardly cost you anything, you're doing your bit for charity and if you find a bargain for pennies how great will that feel? And you can have fun looking for it, like a treasure hunt lol Think I've sold it to myself now I want to go to one!

Laushappy wrote: »

Someone asked me for packed lunch/healthy meal ideas, homemade coleslaw is lovely, cabbage, onions and carrots can all be brought cheap (lidl!) grate them up and add lemon juice, black pepper and some light mayo or salad cream, crush some hazlenuts (or any favourite nuts), this makes for a healthy balanced and cheap meal

Laushappy that's similar to what I do. Put cabbage carrots and onions in the food processor and although it makes them really small and it looks a bit like puree and only a bit though lol, once I've added Mr.S salad cream suitable for vegans, it's sooooo tasty. never thought to add nuts that's a great idea thanks

I haven't forgotten about posting up the choc vegan cake recipe but I still can't find my recipe book, had it in my hand virtually when baking from it last week and now it's gone! It must be somewhere...probably need to declutter!
Luvz Dizzy x

Went back to catch up on posts the quote button only seems to do 3 so congratulations to
seriouslyfrugal on your job. I bet you'll love it

natnat13

My first NSD, yay!!

minnie2

lynzpower wrote: »

Hieveryone

Bit of a downer for me today really in some respects
Dog cost 55 quid at the vet and she has to go back again next week- more money although she seems fine now
water has started to leak out of the washing machine underneath and I jsut cant afford a new one, but is going to cost 75 for someone to come out to assess it
called to pay my late council tax and due to the fact Ive left it late ive got summons so another 100 quid t find out of nowhere?? they said I can write and appeal it as we are on a low income and we might jsut get it waived _pale_ ) I paid 75 today but the rest has to come from my savings account when its moved, this has really depressed me though

good news:
I got a 50 quid gift card from Very after they couldnt fulfil a lot of our orders so very happy with this :j

have you got pet insurance? bloody animals they are a money pits!!! i have 3dogs!!

what about a direct debit for your tax? they have to send you two letters before they take it further so have you had two - otherwise you could use that to get out of it!!! also you could play on the christmas holiday period - my council had a technical hitch over christmas especially with all bank hols etc! definately appeal it!!

if your really strapped you could use a laundrette for a bit!

you have my sympathies!! it never rains but it pours!! i need to get my act together andrenew thing i need!!

im sorry i cant be much help!!

the other thing is the vets are obliged to give you a prescription if you ask for one rather than getting meds from them!! then you can get it filled for a fraction of the price online!!!

dizzy_lizzie wrote: »

minnie2 Looking at it positively if it wasn't for your NSDs things may be worse! So give yourself a well done pat on the back and think how well you're doing in your journey to financial freedom

hmmm long old struggle and desperate to see the benefits - which we wont see till about june, though it will only be minor benefits!! so frustrating - not seeing any results you start to wonder why you bother!!

cw18

minnie2 wrote: »

the other thing is the vets are obliged to give you a prescription if you ask for one rather than getting meds from them!! then you can get it filled for a fraction of the price online!!!

Except they can now charge for the prescriptions (used to have to give them free is asked). Think mine charged me £8 a time - made it worth getting one item on-line, but not the other !!!

minnie2

cw18 wrote: »

Except they can now charge for the prescriptions (used to have to give them free is asked). Think mine charged me £8 a time - made it worth getting one item on-line, but not the other !!!

money pinchers!!!! ridiculous!!! everything in this world is money money money now a days!!!

well lynz its still worth asking incase yours doesnt charge!!

dizzy_lizzie

minnie2 wrote: »

hmmm long old struggle and desperate to see the benefits - which we wont see till about june, though it will only be minor benefits!! so frustrating - not seeing any results you start to wonder why you bother!!

minnie2 never never never think that it's not worth the bother! Everyday that is hard is a day towards being debtfree. Everyday you struggle is going towards the day when being debt free you 'll really appreciate it because of how much you did struggle! Everyday you manage to make it into bed after another day like the one's you're having is a day that you say to yourself, 'well done we got through today!' Everday is a day towards the light at the end of the tunnel. And though you might not be able to see it now eventually you'll start to see a little chink of light that will get brighter and brighter and when you get to that tunnel you'll go through it whooping with joy because you worked damn hard to get there!!!!
Luvz dizzy x

ps. we are allowed down days though, but not giving up days!

lynzpower

have you got pet insurance? bloody animals they are a money pits!!! i have 3dogs!!

what about a direct debit for your tax? they have to send you two letters before they take it further so have you had two - otherwise you could use that to get out of it!!! also you could play on the christmas holiday period - my council had a technical hitch over christmas especially with all bank hols etc! definately appeal it!!

if your really strapped you could use a laundrette for a bit!

you have my sympathies!! it never rains but it pours!! i need to get my act together andrenew thing i need!!

im sorry i cant be much help!!

the other thing is the vets are obliged to give you a prescription if you ask for one rather than getting meds from them!! then you can get it filled for a fraction of the price online!!!

thanks I know it never rains but it pours.

I have explained to the advisor at th council she was really lovely. we are not entitled to Council tax benefit but we look likely to be entitled to a bit of LHA due to OHs low income but because we paid upfront for our 6 months rent, we cant get it right now as we have paid off, she said we should apply in February.

She said we should appeal and write down anything that would help such as if we have debts ( not really but I am living off an overdraft right now) what my savings will be spent on this year when I move them and any other income we get ie nothing.

We are running the washing machine again, there is a ever so slight chance it is the door seal in which case that is fine as we can probably do this ourselves instead of paying someone. This will save us at least 70 quid so it is worth the effort!

Likewise if it does then i will sell it on ebay for parts, it is worth it.

Minnie it is always worth it doll, ALWAYS

I might be having a down day but Im not giving up ( although I was just looking on the warehouse sale to cheer myself up I have weaned myself off as it is not cheap enough I have already ordered shoes) and tomorrow I will go to matalan clearance in the hope of finding some work clothes.

Minnie have you any old cds to sell on music magpie? I have a box full must get on with it

rubytuesday

Well definitely not a frugal day but good spends non the less! I got my bargains from Tesco and stuck to the leaflet, went swimming (freezing today even colder than when it was snowing!:eek:) and straight from there went on the bus to Waitrose to get some decent bread to go with a boxed cheese girlie brought back from her skiing trip to Val d'isere last week (all paid for by herself out of a rapidly dwindling inheritance and she booked every thing herself:- flights, hotel, transfers and ski school rather than getting a package thus saving herself a fortune! She's learning!) Anyway I digress I also stocked up on my Good Earth Tea bags (a new discovery and the best tea I've had!) and got loads of reduced goodies to go with the cheese! Very pleased but over budget!
I am going to give making bread another go but when I mentioned to the girlie about using the breadmaker again she said ''oh no Mum please don't!'':rotfl:

Lynz what about checking freecycle for the washing machine.

lynzpower

the problem with freecylce is that

a) we have just moved to a new area and I dont have anything to offer just yet
b) we have no vehicle so hiring one is out, and people seldom deliver

Im hopeful we can repair it otherwise Ill have to find a way of making very quick cash!

unless it is fine and just a glitch and it will be fine trying to be optimistic!