Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

salski

ERME - Good luck with it hun - you will know when you wanna give up hun...it takes you wanting to do it, and for me its took nearly 9 months to get there - but I did and Im doing it! Fingers crossed its forever, but Im still taking each day as it comes GL hun x

mogan6

Hi:wave:,

I'd like to thank everyone for the very warm welcome, this seems to be a very friendly place to be.

This morning I have been through all my cupboards and have done an inventory which I've put onto a spreadsheet. I then emailed it to myself (which I can access on my mobile). So now when I go shopping at least I know what I already have!!

A big part of my problem was that I could not remember exactly what I had, so if I was cooking something different I would buy all the things I needed only to find that I had half the stuff in my cupboards!
I know this is probably way OTT but I think it will work for me. (I intend to do an inventory of the freezer tonight:o)
(I love these little smilies by the way - I did say I was a complete newbie didn't I?)

I've been trying to catch up on all the posts too to get some hints and tips. I've only done a few pages as there are quite a lot but I'll get there in the end and I've picked up a few already.

I've been reading that a lot of you buy beans/pulses in bulk, if it's not too much trouble could anyone suggest anywhere to find recipes for these.

I've ordered my free soapnuts as well so I'll look forward to trying them when they arrive.

SandraScarlett – Your poem is wonderful!!

I'm making pizza for dinner tonight using up some leftover chicken with some peppers and onions and a rhubarb crumble with rhubarb from the freezer (I have an allotment).

I'm off to read a few more pages...........

Mo xx

seriouslyfrugal

l.m.hart wrote: »

Hi if you click on the post number in the right hand corner, it opens it up in a new tab then you can click your bookmark tab ( mines a star to the right of my browser , i change the name so i know what it is and then save,)hope that makes sense im not very techie and dont know proper names of things.:D

Thanks for this it's amazing what happens when you don't do somthing for a while :T

SandraScarlett

natnat13 wrote: »

Morning all
Sandrascarlett, that poem is brilliant, Nualabuala - I am friends with MSE on facebook, I could cut and paste it onto the page with sandra's permission of course?

I am sat here with my big fluffy dressing gown over my clothes because I am refusing to put the heating on! It is very cold here today but it's just me at home so seems a waste. Apparently people have started stealing oil from around where I live, glad my tank has a lock on it!

I have set myself a little challenge to have 5 NSDs in a row, I am ok for everything I think so we'll see!

Hello to all newcomers, it sounds overdramatic but this thread has really changed my life over the last few weeks, I hope you find the same xx

You may send it to whoever you wish!! If it's made some of you smile, then that's great. Had a super free Jolly with a friend today, and thoroughly enjoyed my Costa. We had a meal deal for lunch, with points, and sat in the sunshine in Green Park, then walked through St James's Park, Trafalgar Square, and down the Strand, culminating in a wonderful wee in the Savoy!

We bought cheap tickets for Million Dollar Quartet, a new musical about Elvis, Johny Cash, Carl Perkins and there must be somebody else, the clue being in the word "quartet"!

xx

NualaBuala

natnat13 wrote: »

Morning all
Sandrascarlett, that poem is brilliant, Nualabuala - I am friends with MSE on facebook, I could cut and paste it onto the page with sandra's permission of course?

I am sat here with my big fluffy dressing gown over my clothes because I am refusing to put the heating on! It is very cold here today but it's just me at home so seems a waste. Apparently people have started stealing oil from around where I live, glad my tank has a lock on it!

I have set myself a little challenge to have 5 NSDs in a row, I am ok for everything I think so we'll see!

Hello to all newcomers, it sounds overdramatic but this thread has really changed my life over the last few weeks, I hope you find the same xx

Great idea Nat!
That's terrible that people are stealing oil! :eek: I don't have any, glad I don't have to worry about that.

Mo, if I remember rightly, there are several bean/pulse recipes on Weezl's website http://www.cheap-family-recipes.org.uk/. They are used a lot on account of being so cheap. It's a great site anyway for cheap healthy recipes. Your dinner sounds scrummy!

Sandra - sounds like you had a lovely yet frugal day. I giggle whenever any of you here mention the Savoy loo! I will have to check it out next time I am in London - never mind all the usual sights!

I will tot up my figures tonight to see how I did for January. I know I spent more on groceries but I'm not too worried because a) health must come first and b) I really work off a yearly budget so am sure it will all even out given enough time.

minnie2

enjoyfinancialchallenges wrote: »

minnie2 you mentioned you lived in East Anglia and so do I. I know there is a Farm Foods in the outskirts of Sudbury if you are anywhere near there.!

i do live near a farmfoods - but not a home bargains or poundstretcher. Im norfolk

[QUOTE= Ooh minnie it's a rotten condition to have isn't it I'm glad work are really supportive of you though. It makes such a difference doesn't it?
I must admit I hate being off and it controlling my life but when I am off I just snuggle under the duvet on the couch and eat homemade potato and leek soup which I seem to crave more than usual when poorly. I've just realised that's what I'm taking into work tomorrow for lunch as well I remember a few years ago we went camping and had a day out from the site to The Eden Project which was about an hours drive away. I was fine until we got there and I realised I'd left my inhaler in the tent! So then I started feeling panicky and breathless. I knew it was just because I knew I didn't have my inhaler so for the rest of the day I just visualised a pure white light in my throat, opening up my lungs. Sounds a bit new age (I do have an interest in colour therapy) but I managed to continue the day and the hour drive back. Pounced on my inhaler though once we got in the tent.
Do you have any techniques minnie when it's bad?
Luv dizzy x
♥[/QUOTE]

my technique is to take loads of drugs and pass out alot through lack of oxygen! i have a funny relationship with my asthma - its like a seperate person to myself! i am terrible at keeping on top of it!! i also have loads of serious allergies - which affect my chest too, as in i stop breathing etc- i am anaphylactic - so I am thoroughly medicated.but i am terrible at remembering to take them!! and i always have attacks at really inappropriate times!!! however - i have never had an attack or my asthma play up when i am abroad!! have you found that? its never an issue and when i forget to take my inhalers morning and night etc it doesnt make a difference - here at home im horrendous if i forget!! also norfolk where i live is terrible for asthma - its worse than london and the smog!!
I was on loads of inhalers and took me forever in mornings and evening to take them!! becotide salmeterol sabutamol seretide brown green blue purple now just have stronger steroids that are suppose to last 12hrs but dont! and sabutamol.

Erme wrote: »

So you live near my Ma who lives in Boston:j...Yay when I visit MaLand maybe we can meet up? I have to say Skeggy is bargain heaven....no wonder so many ebayers live there LOL

E

i dont live near there sorry - it was home bargain store that said that that would be my closest store but its still over 50miles away according to map and i think thats wrong as we went there with inlaws in summer for hol and it took us hours to get there. Im in norfolk!

natnat13

I have posted the poem on the facebook page, had 2 do it in 2 sections and it came up on the others filter, hope Martin reads it!!

NualaBuala

natnat13 wrote: »

I have posted the poem on the facebook page, had 2 do it in 2 sections and it came up on the others filter, hope Martin reads it!!

Yay, thanks Nat!!!:j

never_too_old

SandraScarlett wrote: »

You may send it to whoever you wish!! If it's made some of you smile, then that's great. Had a super free Jolly with a friend today, and thoroughly enjoyed my Costa. We had a meal deal for lunch, with points, and sat in the sunshine in Green Park, then walked through St James's Park, Trafalgar Square, and down the Strand, culminating in a wonderful wee in the Savoy!

We bought cheap tickets for Million Dollar Quartet, a new musical about Elvis, Johny Cash, Carl Perkins and there must be somebody else, the clue being in the word "quartet"!

xx

sounds a wonderful day,hope you dont mind me asking but did you get the tickets from the box office and how much were they?

23rdspiral

HR have asked me to come in for a meeting on friday - I DONT WORK THIS FRIDAY. just for a few minutes they said. I LIVE c45 MINUTES AWAY. dont they know PETROL IS EXPENSIVE and anyway, I DONT WORK THIS FRIDAY.

they've got their knickers in a twist as they forgot to give me my redundancy when they should have... and i even rang then to check my leave date! Can they really make me go in? Should I for the sake of peace and harmony?

i knew the end of my contract was coming, but they've made it so aweful. i've been afraid of the postman for 4 weeks now.
I'm feeling so dispondant and angry...all at once.

EDIT: sorry everyone. we should be celebrating making it tonight. i'm going to go do my spreadsheet