Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

dizzy_lizzie

Nichelette wrote: »

Thanks so much for reminding me about the quorn cookbook, I meant to do that ages ago but completely forgot. I've just ordered it now and I'm sure I'll use it a lot .

You're very welcome Nichelette. Hope you make some fabulous meals from it. The ones DD cooks look great and smell delicious

23rdspiral wrote: »

so i didnt have a NSD, that scarf called too loudly and i was feeling too low to fight it. still it's only 3.00 .

What rotten luck you're having at the moment spiral. Hope something else comes along really soon!
I think everyone on here would say you deserved a little treat and at least a scarf is something that will always be useful.

Rubytuesday the hot bath sounds like just what I need but DD has jumped in the shower. Hey well done on the magazine article too:beer:

And sandra the poem is excellent

Hope everyone is snug this evening. It's very cold out there isn't it? I'll be taking my hot water bottle to bed tonight.
Luv dizzy x
♥

JayneC

hello all,

After updating the spreadsheet I can report coming in under budget:D spent £663.58 from monthly average of £740 so quite pleased. Have to confess though that I have spent almost half of my personal leisure budget already:( (so may have to reconsider that) groceries came in just about on target which is the main one. Also spent quite a bit on audition fees for DD3 but they're all paid for now..

Managed to get up to my 'other' garden yesterday and cleared a spot behind the greenhouse which will be fab for raspberry canes - I got some last month with my Tesc0 clubcard vouchers and a plum tree too - but weather so awful I haven't planted them out yet. Not sure where the plum tree is going yet - may have to put in in a pot for now until I can cut back some of the established trees. THe garden is so steep that the area behind the greenhouse is actually at roof height of said greenhouse;) so technically it's on top:D. Pulled up loads of nettles and brambles and have seriously done my back in - dosed up on ibuprofen today! Darling DD2 had cleaned all the kitchen and living room for me when I got back cos I was complaining about not having enough time to do everything - she's ok sometimes;)

This evening I went to a local photographic exhibition which was free and with free wine and nibbles too it was organised by a friend of mine that I've not seen for about 2 years and coincidentally bumped into on Saturday! So that was lovely.

Found another phone to recycle - it had no value but got £2.50 from quidco it's tracked too! Not had any more mystery shops since having 3 in one week! Still plodding on with surveys but find that most I get screened out of:(

BTW Empty Miss Piggy I know it was ages ago but I'm sure it was you talking about holidays in the South of France. I used to go with ex OH and the younger kids and we always went with Eurocamp or Keycamp and drove down. We stayed in a caravan but you can stay in a tent much cheaper. The vans are decent and have aircon and the sites were really nice, a good choice for cheap hols. As it's so hot there you could go at whit break when it's much cheaper than summer break and you don't die in the heat!! There were forest fires in the summer just near where we stayed once (Frejus) but we'd gone in June so thankfully missed it. HTH

Scarlett I love your poem x

We all seem pretty optimistic at the moment - lets hope that continues xx

Jaynex

JayneC

Oh just remembered too Nichelette - I've got a book called allotment month by month by Alan Buckingham and it's by far the best book I've read about what to plant when and where. It's really easy to follow and tells you what you should be harvesting as well as planting and jobs for the month too.

midwinter

rubytuesday wrote: »

Then off to John Lewis to purchase a couple of bras as my bosooms have shrunk! Well actually they're the same but my back size has gone down. How they can justify charging so much for these contraptions I do not know!

If you know your size for next time rubytuesday, do look on Ebay. They often have good brands, slight seconds, at much reduced prices for sale.

rubytuesday wrote: »

Now I'm going to have a nice hot bath watch Silent Witness and catch up with you all later. X

I hope you enjoyed it, I did! Love this programme!

CRANKY40

I trimmed the house elf's hair with the clippers yesterday and he sat as good as gold, so that's £5 saved. Tonight I cut my own fringe. I've been doing it for years so it's not as perilous as it sounds.... I've checked my spreadsheet of wonder, and I'm well under budget but that's because I am saving for Christmas and birthday presents that haven't been bought yet.

I have asthma too. When I lived near the Brecon Beacons I didn't need any medication at all, when I lived in London I ended up in hospital, and now back on Merseyside it's medication and mostly under control. Just shows what a difference pollution makes.

I can crochet by the way. Not well enough to follow a complicated pattern, but if anyone lives near Merseyside/on the Wirral and needs a hand getting started I would be willing to help. Same with knitting.

rubytuesday

NualaBuala wrote: »

Sandra - that's brilliant! :T:j:T
I wish I knew how to send it to Martin - it should go in the newsletter!

Absolutely! There is a thread somewhere where you can vote for post of the week I believe!

rubytuesday

midwinter wrote: »

If you know your size for next time rubytuesday, do look on Ebay. They often have good brands, slight seconds, at much reduced prices for sale.



I hope you enjoyed it, I did! Love this programme!

Thanks for that Midwinter. I do find it hard to get a decent shape though it's all down hill now!:rotfl:

rubytuesday

Jayne you have just brought back memories! I sold doughnuts and Ice creams on the beach at Frejus when I was eighteen and twentyone!

mooomin

I didn't see this mentioned so here's a link to a free audiobook - it's Brighton Rock which I believe is getting released as a film soon.

Erme

23rdspiral wrote: »

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

Och poor you...hugs..

flying_fresian wrote: »

My new laptop battery arrived :j:j:j

I'm off to update the Spreadsheet of Wonder and will be back to confirm my (very bad) January totals.

*flees*

You're not the only one...I've overspent by about 2 as well...which is really bad even by last year's standards :eek:

Nichelette wrote: »

Thanks so much for reminding me about the quorn cookbook, I meant to do that ages ago but completely forgot. I've just ordered it now and I'm sure I'll use it a lot .

Yesterday I also bought this book in preparation for the spring http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1845335597/ref=oss_product. The book tells you when you need to do what with veg at what time of year which will really help me because I was so rubbish with it last year I never seemed to get anything planted at the right time. Last year my dad paid for his friend to build a raised bed for my birthday so I could grow my veg out of the dogs way. I've got enough room for a good variety of veg, and I always grow some things in pots too. We also have apples, rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries & tayberries in the garden. I wish we had room for a plum tree, that's the dream .

Today I've bought some more potatoes and lentils so I can make more of what I did yesterday, and I'm going to make some of this http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/333614/red-lentil-chickpea-and-chilli-soup to take to work for lunch when I've eaten my way through the salad I've got...

I've been working out my essential spends for the month, I live with my dad still so my outgoings are less in depth than most peoples. I only really HAVE to spend the following:

£200 rent
£80 petrol - to and from work only - don't use the car for much else, would like to cycle but terrified of being run over as main roads are involved...
£20 gym - I could get rid of this but I need an incentive to make me go, and the incentive is that I'm paying for it. I think it's better to do this than sit at home and put on weight as I know I'd never be motivated to do enough at home. I know, naughty...
£15 phone - sim only contract, I'd rather go PAYG as I hate direct debits, but this is the cheapest I've found as most of my friends/family/OH are on o2 and I get unlimited calls to o2 numbers

On top of that I've got £90 for a years car tax in April (MOT & insurance have aleady been paid for in Jan).

I think I got the RHS one the other week from the discount bookstore for about £7 which seems reasonable...Looks like one of the better ones if you have a discount bookstore nearby?

rubytuesday wrote: »

Then off to John Lewis to purchase a couple of bras as my bosooms have shrunk! Well actually they're the same but my back size has gone down. How they can justify charging so much for these contraptions I do not know! Of course the one that was reduced to half price did nothing for me and I told the assistant I would not even bother to try the one that was fifty pounds on as no way would I may that much for a bra!

Maybe this is no help hun but have you got an independent scaffolding shop nearby? I have and she's great on the measuring and ever so discreet (which I need).Also she knows she has to give me discount otherwise I will walk out and go and buy the bra on ebay ...Ebay is often quite good for scaffolding if you know the make and size. Personally I'm a huge fan of freya which retails around the £30 mark but you can get on ebay for £15 or less.

And it's not like you don't need it if your size has changed cos one of my irks with Ma is that she won't get measured (personal hang up - say no more :mad:)

Anyhow was just trying to catch up on posts as have a busy am but now am running 10 mins late so mad panic with am routine (and you know how important routine is to me :T).....so best go...

BTW aiming for 4-5 NSD's this week which is mainly going to be achieved by not being chained to the morning doughnut and getting a pancake instead. But no crying over spilt milk if I don't.....if I need two freddos I need two freddos (sos meds for a bad hair day....works wonders and is cheap )

E