Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

seriouslyfrugal

Hi everyone


Happy birthday Cheryl :j I hope the run went well

another NSD here :T


chika I agree with you when you said that this is a friendly thread & I look at the challenge as living within my means without waste or having items that won't be used and if I can help others by either offering advice or posting offers i've seen that may benfit others do the same then great


hope everyone is ok and have a frugal monday everyone :rotfl:

NualaBuala

enjoyfinancialchallenges wrote: »

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 bag 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. So the answer to your question really is I 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.

Lovely post EFC, really interesting - I love hearing about other countries and different times. And don't worry if you're not using spreadsheet, nowt wrong with a pen and paper! I'm sure there are plenty of classes around if you ever want to learn but definitely not an essential I think.

Lynz - hope you'll feel better very soon and get a good night's sleep tonight. x

Cheryl - sounds like you had a good race, sorry to hear about "your chap's" Dad.

Erme, hope you're doing ok hon, sounds like you might be having a bad day - honestly don't think anyone was getting at you about the phone or other issues you raised, certainly not in any posts I've read. You're amongst friends here. x

Am pleased to report I have spent nothing today ... well so far anyway. The bread turned out delish which is a mixed blessing as I have eaten loads already slathered in butter. Bad news for trying to lose weight! It wasn't very moneysaving as a lot of the dough was wasted. I used the no-knead method which as a very wet dough. It was so hard to handle and a lot got lost (ie stuck to everything it came in contact with)! But I think I will be more successful next time. Also the cost of having the oven on high for 40 minutes is significant - in future I would plan better and cook more than one thing at once.

itsallinthemind

Erme, I must have missed any jibes! It may be just you are having a sensitive day. If you are not and there were jibes just ignore or report them. Try not get yourself worked up. If anyone has a go on a forum, just remember that is all it is x

I have a brick of a phone and am an Atheist Thervada Buddhist. I also drink fizzy pop and smoke. I swear asnd forget to floss, so judge me! I care not and neither should you Erme.

It makes no odds to me what phone anyone has or what god or gods they may or may not worship. It does not change the fact I respect your right to make choices and believe what ever you wish to! I would expect everyone else to the same.

This thread is about support!

Excuse my rant, but if Erme is being harassed, it is not on

Laters folks x

natnat13

Everybody is different and thats what makes this thread so interesting and useful :j
I'm not into mobile phones at all, I have no signal here so I have an old thing on PAYG for emergencies whilst driving really.

SandraScarlett

I love reading about everyone's efforts, and especially enjoy the success stories. You are all so clever, baking your own bread, and making your own wine, and doing zillions of different, and inspiring, recipes.

Sometimes I read a post, which appears to be replying to something someone asked, or said, but for the life of me I can't remember the previous post!

So, I do apologise if anyone has ever asked me something, and I haven't replied. The ol' memory is definitely deteriorating! In fact, it was only when my DH opened the newspaper, that we both realised it was Sunday and not Monday!!!

xx

NualaBuala

SandraScarlett wrote: »

I love reading about everyone's efforts, and especially enjoy the success stories. You are all so clever, baking your own bread, and making your own wine, and doing zillions of different, and inspiring, recipes.

Sometimes I read a post, which appears to be replying to something someone asked, or said, but for the life of me I can't remember the previous post!

So, I do apologise if anyone has ever asked me something, and I haven't replied. The ol' memory is definitely deteriorating! In fact, it was only when my DH opened the newspaper, that we both realised it was Sunday and not Monday!!!

xx

Same here Sandra! I sometimes worry that I've missed something I should have replied to, especially when I've been busy and no time to catch up properly. And even when I'm following, my brain can be like a sieve!!!

enjoyfinancialchallenges

No Cranky40 I dont feed my cat out of the freezer either but I'm only able to do what I'm doing by useing up all stockpiled food and that includes catfood. I did shop before the end of last month but used my vouchers from Mr A*** so no extra money changed hands. My vouchers have all gone now except for £5.?? in Ar** and my B**** points, so still can find extra funds somewhere and thats not counting what I may have in the C*-*p or Ne**** points. Its amazing what we collect over a period of time.

One thing to my advantage is that I live alone and I don't eat meat, if I did I doubt I would manage this challenge at all.

londonirish, hi there, I think all the 0s Birthdays seem to be significant in their own way, somehow with me its all a bit of a shock really that I'm here and got this far. My daughter tells me now I'm to young to be 72 but there it is I am! I really want to live forever as I have so much to do and I dont want to miss anything or doing anything. I did achieve the one thing I always knew I wanted to do from a very early age I knew I wanted to be 'a nurse who delivered babys' so my mind was already set, no hesitation there and yes the journey was long but rewarding I never regreted it. Now I'm just content with life, its strange really and maybe this is part of the growing older process. Ten years ago I wouldnt have waited to get out and visit southern Africa once more and my children between them have promised to pay my fare out for my 70 birthday and I thought that wonderful and still do that desire to visit is lessening for me. I just don't miss the country like I used to. I think its all to do with time healing lossess etc I know even though I miss my late daughter tremendiously time really does heal. You never forget but just learn to cope without that rawness you feel at the start. Oops I hope this doesnt seem all morbid I see it all as just life and somehow we all have different ways of coping that turn out to be the same but a different variation of.

Just enjoy the 30s londonirish and the 40s when they come and the 50s and 60s and many many more to come, lifes fun at any age. IYSWIM XX

lynzpower

Evening all

I also hadnt noticed any jibing about phones ( new old or otherwise) nor of anyone questioning each others faiths. I agree with you allintthemind

I am feeling a lot better (thank you for all the wellwishes) and hoping to have a lovely sleep later. I have cleaned the bathroom, done a bit of uni work and tidied up a bit. Made the hottest meal known to man out of the reggae reggae book. Oh has made the split pea roti to go with, looking forward to this, YUM! ( and yes there will definately be a whole meals worth of leftovers to freeze :j)

Im about to salvage the cake I half made last night with filling and icing it. She says! Baking is not my strong point but Mr K. Chef helps :cool:

Im spending some ( lazy time) gazing at hotels for the holiday and trying to wrk out which are the best for the cheapest.... wistful sigh

I have updated my spreadsheet and its all good

I put off taking my things back to house of fraser today, it will have to be tuesday. I am also definately going to collect meat from M&S deal on Tuesday as well, wasnt going to but the meat is such good value we could stretch it out for ages and alternative meat costs when I looked on saturday seemed really expensive. if you can get 3 things for a tenner thats 3.33 each, use half of it for one meal ie 1.50s worth of meat between 2 I think is perfectly adequate.

Might fling myself around quidco now to see if there is any free cash to be had and enter a few competitions!

Happy Sunday night everyone

Ps Well done on your run cheryl- hope the new freinds father is ok.... xx

Barros

had no NSD this weekend however ... i have spent about £15 all in, and just made a massive batch of 10 meals for this week + so have all my food in. Also i get paid on Friday yay!

Itsvery satisfying making all your meals on ahead for the week; nothing to spend and you know that you are going to be eating well too.

enjoyfinancialchallenges

enjoyfinancialchallenges wrote: »

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.