Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

rainbowcattail

oooh that is a good idea about freecycle - thanks l.m.hart.

itsallinthemind

ceridwen wrote: »

All suggestions welcome please...

Is it unvarnished? My furniture is just treated with wax, when I had a spillage on the bedside I warmed it with a hairdryer, then blotted with kitchen paper. Removed the rest by a half solution of vinegar and water. Let it dry a few days then re waxed it. I think I found that out by searching the Old Style forum

Edited to add............If anyones child ever takes a permanant marker pen to waxed wood, rub toothpaste on it, found that out after trying everything, as it also removes scuffs from plastic bath panels

miss_empty_piggy

Back to work tomorrow for me, gutted but will be glad to be back into a routine.However, STILL haven't got around to finalising my budget (will ensure it is completed by the weekend). As for today:

* Both boots split - found some leather glue in drawer and they are now mended - phew!!!
*chicken food - managed to get value one that I didn't even know about (about 1/2 price of normal)
* got another bid and lots of watchers on ebay so pleased about that
* free lunch for me and DDs - BF bought us pasties/sandwich's and let me have the change!!!
* paid DD1 £1 (instead of £10) pocket money as she's done bu**er all to earn it) she was happy with this as she knew how lazy she'd been.
* Bought foundation for 99p instead of the already cheap 3.99.
* bought stuff necessary to make frugal washing powder for the next month.

Feel like I have made good decisions about money today. However, have not made good decisions about time as now have to go and prepare lessons for tomorrow and panick mark!!!
Have a good night everyone. Big hugs to everyone going back to work tomorrow.

lily288

Thanks itsallinthemind I think i'll make pizza tommorow and i'll par bake dough at the same time and make a sauce to freeze for chicken pie and add the chicken to it (if that makessense)
Where do you get creamed sweetcorn from? is it just in the supermarket as we seem to have a limited supply of things in our supermarkets i'd really like to try the soup I love that from the chinese

lynzpower

I always make chicken and sweetcorn or cracb and sweetcorn a la chinese and have never used creamed from a tin. You can cream it by putting a bit of cream and soe ogf the sweetcorn and a swift blast in a blender. I dont do this usually though as I dont tend to have cream in, only skimmed milk or milk powder

We use sweetcorn kernels as we find them cheaper and less waste.

http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/535027
is one I used, obviously using left over shredded chicken from the carcass and lazy ginger from a jar

this is a great leftovers recipe! thanks for reminding me of it, next time I do a chicken I shall make this, I always have sweetcorn in the house adn freeezes well for work lunches etc.

Marru

I haven't spent anything from the frugal budget as yet. However I am cheating as BF has been doing all the shopping while I have been ill. I better pay him as he is going to look after DD while I need to go away to work for few days. Don't know as yet how I am going to deal with that in my accounts.

lynzpower

Re: mobile phone - have narrowed my choice down to 3 things. Could be as little as £5 a month, but do not know if that will be enough, so might just go with £10/motnh just to be on the safe side. It is still halving my current budget for the year though

: blairweech Oooh could you advise, Ive been looking to downshift but everything seems so expensive!

itsallinthemind

lily288 wrote: »

Where do you get creamed sweetcorn from? is it just in the supermarket as we seem to have a limited supply of things in our supermarkets i'd really like to try the soup I love that from the chinese

Our local supermarkets are not huge, but all sell a huge can of green giant creamed sweetcorn. I just do this...

1 can creamed corn
1 can of water
Shredded cooked chicken
1 or 2 eggs
Knorr Aromat seasoning

Heat corn and tin of water to a simmer.

Break and stir egg up a bit in a cup or jug.

Pour into the pan in a very thin stream stiring constantly and fast so you get little strings, not scrambled egg, little at a time, taking it very slowly.

Stir more then add chicken, heat through and sprinkle Aromat.

I only use half a can though and pop rest in the fridge. Aromat works better than a pinch of salt, which you do need with this.

lily288

Thanks allinthemind def going to have a go at this I know everyone in the house will love this

NualaBuala

itsallinthemind wrote: »

I've not no. I tend to keep everything within my own 4 walls, maybe one day I may explore things further when the children are not so time consuming!

Not at all easy to go dashing off when you have children - and did I read that one of your children is disabled? Sorry if I'm mixing you up with someone else - I think I'm barely skimming this thread at the moment and probably I have everyone mixed up! That was so nice of you to do the errand of mercy for your friend!

kittiej wrote: »

Nuala it was snowing here earlier (South Wales). I'm fed up with the stuff.

Uh-oh! Hope it won't be like last time! Are you stocked up ok just in case? I have enough food to last ages - but I'm likely to run out of the nice stuff or get bored with eating the same old stuff. Just checked and we don't have snow forecast this week but temps are definitely lower.

LollopyBear wrote: »

NSD for me today :j

I've also made some headway in 'the dumping ground' (aka the spare room). I've now rechristened it 'the study' to give that room a sense of everyday purpose. Was able to throw away 2 binbags full of rubbish, a big bag of paper recycling and 2 bags for the charity shop. There is still a long way to go, but I feel better now I'm able to see the floor and I've got a space to do my marking in.

This may not seem particularly relevant to being frugal, but it is another step along my path of letting go of attachment to 'stuff'. The less stuff I want in my house, the less stuff I will buy. That's the plan anyway .

Well done on your clearing out! :T I'm trying to do the same here and it's slow going because I don't want to bin things, am trying to freecycle or give stuff to the charity shops. I used to be very attached to my belongings but am not so bad now. The main problem is I hate waste and I keep thinking ... will this come in handy some day? Erm, no ... probably not! :rotfl:
And I agree about the less stuff you want in your house, the less you buy. When I am tempted by anything I remind myself I don't want to be trying to declutter it in a few months time!