Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

minnie2

l.m.hart wrote: »

Minnie
£1.75
(43.8p / Roll)
Velvet Triple Layer White Toilet Tissue (4) plus you can download a 50 p off voucher from there website,not brilliant but alot cheaper than normal.

forgot to say Mr T's

thanx for that will have a look!!!

dizzy_lizzie wrote: »

Thanks Nuala
Don't give up on the crochet. Go on Youtube tutorials on crochet and I think that will really help. Or you can always ask me and I'll try to help
Hope you're not coming down with anything. Keep warm and drink lots of fluids.
The weather doesn't help. I'm trying to keep off going to the docs. I have asthma and use an inhaler and a preventor but in cold weather I get dreadful chest infections. I know I need antibiotics, but had them only a few weeks ago and I'm loathe to have them again so soon. Doesn't help when the little sweetiepies at work are coughing, sneezing and spluttering over me, Bless their little cotton socks, they don't do it on purpose.
Chest has been rattling something awful this week. I'm determined to get to the end of this term without any time off! Anyway I'm going to think happy thoughts and......
Spring is just around the corner


Luv dizzy x
♥

well i always get ill during the hols!!!! as well being facilitator - i have learnt that apparently you keep it at bay during term because you are busy and slightly stressed and then when the hols come and you relax - you become ill!!!! so what a waste of the hols! and if you are ill - take the time off you need ive learnt that the hard way!!

NualaBuala

dizzy_lizzie wrote: »

Thanks Nuala
Don't give up on the crochet. Go on Youtube tutorials on crochet and I think that will really help. Or you can always ask me and I'll try to help
Hope you're not coming down with anything. Keep warm and drink lots of fluids.
The weather doesn't help. I'm trying to keep off going to the docs. I have asthma and use an inhaler and a preventor but in cold weather I get dreadful chest infections. I know I need antibiotics, but had them only a few weeks ago and I'm loathe to have them again so soon. Doesn't help when the little sweetiepies at work are coughing, sneezing and spluttering over me, Bless their little cotton socks, they don't do it on purpose.
Chest has been rattling something awful this week. I'm determined to get to the end of this term without any time off! Anyway I'm going to think happy thoughts and......
Spring is just around the corner


Luv dizzy x
♥

Thanks Dizzy, the crochet is filed away for the future - I love the look of other people's completed projects so I won't give up! And thanks for your kind offer of help - I may well take you up on that. I noticed that I had bookmarked your wristwarmers on the knitting thread, they're lovely too.

It's just an ME flare-up, have done too much over the past week and need to rest more. I don't worry as much now when it happens as I seem to feel better once I've had a good rest. This time of year is awful for asthma, hope you don't catch the nasties, so hard to avoid them though. Fingers crossed you don't need time off or Dr! Bring on Spring! (love your smiley!) x

dizzy_lizzie

minnie2 wrote: »

well i always get ill during the hols!!!! as well being facilitator - i have learnt that apparently you keep it at bay during term because you are busy and slightly stressed and then when the hols come and you relax - you become ill!!!! so what a waste of the hols! and if you are ill - take the time off you need ive learnt that the hard way!!

Aw thanks minnie. You're right. The amount of people that start to get ill just before we break up is unbelievable! The problem is I'm off quite a lot with my asthma and chest infections. They are very good at work and understand this. I think it's just me wanting to carry on and trying not to let it rule my life. When I have to stay off I feel like 'its' won! I don't hold out much hope for this term though. But I will give it a blimming good go!!!
Luv dizzy x

(Love this and it'll be me in Spring)

Luv dizzy x
♥

23rdspiral

sorry forgot b4 to welcome the other joiners :wave:

fingersxed, Sandra, Applemint, Lollopybear (and others too!!) - you've all been saying really sound stuff about how good it is to know where our money is going, even if we cant change our needs/wants/habbits/ all at once. i've been on MSE/lurking for years and have gone through phases(obsessions) of being really frugal and of spending more than i should.

I've kept up with filling out CWs spreadsheet better than any other tool i've ever used - i'm even admitting my CS and craft spends to it! blimey. So it's only the end of Jan and there's along way to go, but I know i've chosen a good path for the year, even though it looks a bit rocky ahead, and i also know i've some good companions for the journey. thanks everyone.

dizzy_lizzie

NualaBuala wrote: »

Thanks Dizzy, the crochet is filed away for the future - I love the look of other people's completed projects so I won't give up! And thanks for your kind offer of help - I may well take you up on that. I noticed that I had bookmarked your wristwarmers on the knitting thread, they're lovely too.

It's just an ME flare-up, have done too much over the past week and need to rest more. I don't worry as much now when it happens as I seem to feel better once I've had a good rest. This time of year is awful for asthma, hope you don't catch the nasties, so hard to avoid them though. Fingers crossed you don't need time off or Dr! Bring on Spring! (love your smiley!) x

Thanks Nuala and you take care too. Yay you bookmarked the wristwarmers, the knitted ones and crochet ones on attic24 are so easy. The spring smilie is off here, which was posted a few days back and has some fantastic smilies on it. Really easy to add too, which is a bonus for me
Luv Dizzy x
♥

lynzpower

minnie2 wrote: »

does anyone know of any good toilet roll deals at the minute? there is only two of us but we go through them like anything!!

I have just started using "ninky" ( i think) from farmfoods- £2 for 9

I was using value before, these are loads better, they are much posher, quilted effect. they are lasting a LOT longer than value.

I always squash the loo roll before it goes on the dispenser, then it will not roll too freely and you use less.

Another frugal tip, not sure if everyone already does this or not.

If not its a "frozen pastry" typre revelation

dizzy_lizzie

Nichelette wrote: »

Thanks to everyone for all the welcomes...

First thing on my list is to stop buying breakfast at work (I never want food til about 10am by which time I'm always at work), and to take a proper lunch so I don't need to buy anything during the day.

I went to Tesco earlier and got a few salad bits so I've made a quorn chicken salad for lunch tomorrow. Quorn chicken & mince were only £1 a bag in Asda recently so I stocked up on both as I'm a vegetarian and it's cheaper than meat anyway. Also managed to get a couple of loafs for 25p each which I'll freeze and make sandwiches with.

I'm trying to cook things to freeze so I'm not eating rubbish when I come home from work - I am at the moment which isn't very MSE as I've put on enough weight that my clothes are now mostly tight or don't fit . I made a batch of this:http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1364/spicy-root-and-lentil-casserole which is quite cheap and healthy and did actually taste quote nice, so much so that my dad who was quite hungry ended up eating two portions. I've only got one left now which I've put in a container for my mum to try, so I'm going to get more lentils and potatoes tomorrow so I can make another batch which will hopefully make it to the freezer this time.

I've tried to teach myself to crochet, I can start it off but then I mess it up . My nan taught me to knit but I can never get the tension right, and she died before I had time to perfect it. She always had to fix it when I messed up :rotfl:.

Hi Nichelette. We eat a lot of quorn in this house (I don't though) and there are some fabulous recipes on the site here just in case you've not been on it. You can also order the cookery book which I did for DD and it's well worth the money!
Also don't give up on the crochet. Once you've mastered a couple of the stitches you can make loads of stuff. Youtube tutorials is the way to go if you get stuck
Must go and pick DD up now, I'm an hour late already. I'm getting addicted to this thread!!!! Which is no bad thing because it's free...:T:D
Luv dizzy x
♥

Ellidee

Lynz is the toilet paper you use maybe 'Nicky' ? I have seen this quite cheap and the quality is not bad.

Laushappy

Ok kids are now in bed

So i have come across a few frugal tips in my mother and baby mag this month (dont usually buy mags anymore but i did indulge friday!)
They had a spread called 99 ways to save, i have picked out a few i thought might be of interest:

1. avoid driving your car with a full tank of petrol as it weighs down your car and eats up fuel really quickly.
2. Mix a squirt of expensive body lotion (or face creams) with a cheaper version to make the one you like last longer.
3. Share BOGOFs with friends.
4. Driving at 50 mph rather than 70mph can cut petrol costs by as muchh as 30%
5. For those that like reading there is a website: Readitswapit.co.uk
Where you can swap books you no longer want for ones that you do.
6. To get smells out of carpet, liberally sprinkle bicarb of soda, leave for a while then hoover up.
7. Put a save a flush in your water tank, available free from your water company, reduces the amount of water used in each flush.
8. Get a shower smart free from eaga.com, can save over £30 yearly on water bills.
9.Turn off 5 mins before cooking time, the remaining heat in the oven will continue to cook the food, saving on electricity.
10. dont buy sheets for moses baskets, pillow cases are fine.

Sorry if i'm repeating tips already shared, i picked out ten of the best out of the 99 tips.
There is also a list the best 15 websites for money saving if you have a young family, let me know if anyone wants these web addresses and i will post them on here.

Not a very frugal weekend, spent over £100 on food, clothes, swimming and other bits and bobs, mostly needs though

Have a good evening all

salski

These threads work so much! Last month I really over did the savings aspect of things so thought I would have to recall some - instead we just stuck to an even more rigid budget! We came in at the end of the month with money still left!! This is utterly unheard of for us! So we're very happy!
I have been given up smoking for over 3 weeks now and saved £190.38 so when it was payday - treated myself to some new boots (leather £25 from DP) trainers £15, joggies for after baba is born £6 and some PJ's for hospital £18 including a dressing gown

Thanks for the thread - makes me smile knowing I got pennies and Im paying debts off and Im not fritting money away!