Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

itsallinthemind

cw18 wrote: »

I'm finding myself just referring to him as 'my chap' most of the time

I guess we would have looked a bit like an old married couple to some folks yesterday afternoon/evening.

Sensible choice, though toyboy has its appeal lol

Your evening made me smile, there is a lot to be said about people just being able to be in each others company without making grand gestures and having to talk the whole time :D

cw18

itsallinthemind wrote: »

Your evening made me smile, there is a lot to be said about people just being able to be in each others company without making grand gestures and having to talk the whole time :D

I quite agree, and it's a loooooong time since I've felt so comfortably relaxed with someone - so I guess that alone is a good thing

never_too_old

cw18 wrote: »

I quite agree, and it's a loooooong time since I've felt so comfortably relaxed with someone - so I guess that alone is a good thing

There is hope for us all .have a great birthday hope you got lots of nice gifts .:bdaycake:
have a great run

ceridwen

cw18 wrote: »

I quite agree, and it's a loooooong time since I've felt so comfortably relaxed with someone - so I guess that alone is a good thing

Hmmm....sounds a lot like the sorta evening "an old married couple" would have ("old" as in "established" - not old old IYSWIM:rotfl:).

That actually sounds quite promising to me for the long haul...:)

HowlinWolf

Happy birthday Cheryl and good luck with the race.

rising_from_the_ashes

NualaBuala wrote: »

I know some people are well-organised and keep an inventory but I've never managed to keep that up.

I have this problem too! Stuff disappears into the bottom & I forget about it - must try harder this year!

Marru wrote: »

Also got Mr T value muesli and then J0rdan's one and will mix them 50/50 and see if I can get the more expensive stuff to stretch this way without reducing the quality too much.

Good idea - might try that one!

cw18 wrote: »

Race kicks off at 11, and I'm hoping to find a friend from another forum before the start

Cheryl - good luck & happy birthday!

Have a good day everyone!

NualaBuala

lilylass wrote: »

I have this problem too! Stuff disappears into the bottom & I forget about it - must try harder this year!

Glad it's not just me!

EFC, wow, you are doing great on the spending! That's a lovely arrangement you have with your neighbour. :T I'm trying to live off stores as much as possible for the rest of the month but might need some little top-ups of fresh stuff.

itsallinthemind wrote: »

Glad it was a joke RE wearing something and taking it back, I stayed away a few days from the challenge as I could not trust myself to bite my tongue! :rotfl:

NSD's since my last check in, hope all are well and good luck for the run and Happy Birthday to Cheryl, enjoy your day with your...what is he? Boyfriend? Man? Student of frugaldom? Plaything? Well enjoy either way! (Boyfriend always sounds like you are 16 to me max, but partner is too serious I guess? Who knows!)

I was worried at first it was serious but remembered I've been told I sometimes take things too seriously and there were lots of smilies so figured it was a joke.
Lovely to see you posting again - I'd noticed you hadn't been around and was going to PM you if you hadn't reappeared to see if you're ok.


Am trying to make bread today to save me buying any - just hope it turns out ok as I'm not sure the yeast was viable. Fingers crossed!

Hope you all have a great day - especially Cheryl!

Jolaaled

Does anyone use their empty flour bags???
It seems such a shame to throw them away, as they're quite strong and look amazingly 'useable' for SOMETHING..but can't, for the life of me, think WHAT!!

any ideas anyone??

enjoyfinancialchallenges

Thanks NuBu for your comments and someone else whom I have forgotten but yes its all going well for me re spending on food or even not spending on food. My neighbour and I do not have any set arrangement he is just kind and is always asking if I need something or other but I do try and be a good neighbour in return as when you live in the country its quite essential, you never know when you or they will need assistance. In some other financial areas its not so good though as I paid the vet for Poppys damaged eye plus I still had half the MOT and service fees to pay off so in effect I've spent lots. Obviously my service charges have gone out as usual but its the food stuff that I'm managing not to spend on thats exciting. I'm still waiting to hear how much the pet insurance will pay and return to me still so there will be a lot of adjusting to do AND I cant do spreadsheets in any shape or form. No use even being told because I just dont understand all the technical terms and have never done any sort of office work in my life. Oh yes, I've had to keep records as a health pro and thats different but not 'Office' or whatever else you clever people do. Am afraid I just write lists and deduct where neccessary.

I hope today goes well Cheryl and that you enjoy your birthday. When I read about the 'two old folk' playing on their computers together my first thought was, come on Cheryl you can do better than that but I suppose if its OK with you then its OK with you IYKWIM.;) I was going to offer my terminology of LOL = Live Out Lover but I think I was leaping ahead too much. :rotfl:Whoops!

Jolaaled your question on flour bags really took me back to when we lived in Malawi and then Rhodesia now Zimbabwe, yes a long while ago I know but the flour and Mealie meal, the staple diet there then, came in cotton bags which were very useful to everyone. Local people used them to make clothes from and they could be used for cleaning cloths, nappies or for whatever you needed a piece of cloth for. The country grew cotton so very carbon neutral really and I think I picked up a lot about frugal living over the 20 years I lived out in Africa part of my lifes experiences. So the answer to your original question on what to do with paper flour bags is I really dont know but thanks for the memory. I hope this doesn't sound to colonial though certainly not intended but I'm feeling a bit concerned now.

Have a good frugal day everyone.

redglass_2

enjoyfinancialchallenges wrote: »

How is everybody who is eating from their freezers and larders doing? !

Mixed, mixed, is the answer. I see stuff in there but also want something else from the shops, so I'm not nearly as disciplined as you. Your figures are amazingly impressive! I like the arrangement with the neighbour, too - way to go, in my opinion...:T

Jolaaled wrote: »

Does anyone use their empty flour bags???
It seems such a shame to throw them away, as they're quite strong and look amazingly 'useable' for SOMETHING..but can't, for the life of me, think WHAT!! any ideas anyone??

This probably isn't what you had in mind, but strong paper is brilliant for lighting woodstoves. Or how about starting veggie plants off in them, planting them out and letting them dissolve underground? (On a related topic, in this house the big catering tins of beans you get from Appr*ved F**ds are washed, stripped of their labels, put on shelves and used to hold laundry pegs, knitting needles and kitchen utensils like fishslices and wooden spoons. I'm always disappointed if a tin arrives bashed....)

(((Slowlyfading)))= I'm amazed anyone would send you a nasty PM, you are always so pleasant and sensitive with people. Their problem not yours!
Cheryl - Happy Birthday! and hope the race went OK.