Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

mooomin

Yikes 23rdspiral, that was a bit of an adventure Well done on the cheapie trip to France though, v. exciting!

Erme, I have to admit the rats aren't my ideal pet (I have cats myself) but a friend did have rats as pets for ages and she loved them. They're pretty cute all in all

never_too_old

23rdspiral
it sounds like you had a fantastic time. ( apart from the puncture)im looking forward to doing this kind of thing again.
x

rubytuesday

Erme the rats are goregeous!
]\8u - that is a message from one of my cats!
23rdspiral you had a great adventure!
I slept until 7.30 so saved on the central heating!
Made spicy rice and beans with the leftover roast chicken so nice and frugal.

enjoyfinancialchallenges

Hi everyone, I've had a lovely day ,the only unfrugal part was that I had to buy a new charger for my mobile...the old one had just disappeared which is strange because I live alone and do all the tidying myself, I suppose it may well turn up but I've looked everywhere and there is no sign of it. I also bought some Asparagus crowns, I havn't grown them before but thought I would like to try. I took some home made biscuits round to my neighbor and told him I was going in to buy some seed compost and he said he had extra so ended up buying a bag from him which saved me from having to cope with it on the bus. He even brought it round for me and asked me if I needed help to put another water butt in place, I said no thanks, its an old one that leaks and that I intended cutting it in half and planting it up. Anyway to cut a long story short he took it into his garden and cut it in half for me, I shall plant two asparagus crowns in each one tomorrow. I then noticed that my front hedge had been cut by the local farm manager who I had asked yesterday, I will bake some scones for him and his wife or take them some marmalade. Then the day got even better and when I went on the bus the opposite way found a bag of cauliflower leaves at the local Co-op marked as animal feed for 20p so have bought them and will make soup tomorrow and the free-cycler who was offering some net curtains contacted me and am going to collect then in the morning, they will do to cover my fruit, I'm delighted with my day as so much has happened frugally. IYKWIM. I also had a phone call from an ex colleague who had just returned from Ghana and wanted to say hi, so lovely to hear expectantly from friends.

Regarding the free book web site I now look daily and am buying appropriate ones as presents for friends and family. So thanks to who ever told us about it.

My meal tonight was spag bol with all ingredients either from my freezer or larder as usual. I now only have 12 tins of tomatoes left! Oh I'm just loving this challenge.

Hope you are all OK and had good day also, if it wasn't as good as mine I hope it will be better tomorrow. Erme your rats sound fun and I looked to see your pictures but no not for me thanks, I'm afraid my lovely cat Poppy brings them in for me frequently as a gift but they don't run around by that time fortunately.

When I phoned my daughter to tell her what a lovely day I've had she said "There you are Mum you don't need a John to make you happy", some of you may remember my ex live out lover John who dumped me about three months ago, and yes time does heal. even if at times I miss him terribly.

Anyway everyone have a lovely frugal day tomorrow and if you fell off today well have another try tomorrow, this isn't a competition its your life and you are in charge of it.

youngmummy

has anyone else lost track or is it just me ? was going too rebudget starting today till 1st jan 2012 but dont know weather this is alllowed. im really anoyyed with myself. also could anyone reccommend a good family cookbook with cheap and easy recipes. including making bread, cakes ect. many thanks

mooomin

enjoyfinancialchallenges wrote: »

Regarding the free book web site I now look daily and am buying appropriate ones as presents for friends and family. So thanks to who ever told us about it.

I think that was me. I've used it for ages and have had some great bargains from there

It's now part of my routine to check it every morning.

youngmummy wrote: »

also could anyone reccommend a good family cookbook with cheap and easy recipes. including making bread, cakes ect. many thanks

I have this one and really like it.

cw18

youngmummy wrote: »

has anyone else lost track or is it just me ? was going too rebudget starting today till 1st jan 2012 but dont know weather this is alllowed.

but of course it's allowed
10 months of budgetting is 10 months better than none

never_too_old

youngmummy wrote: »

has anyone else lost track or is it just me ? was going too rebudget starting today till 1st jan 2012 but dont know weather this is alllowed. im really anoyyed with myself. also could anyone reccommend a good family cookbook with cheap and easy recipes. including making bread, cakes ect. many thanks

100's of recipes at the start of this thread all in catergories:D

Erme

flying_fresian wrote: »

Yikes 23rdspiral, that was a bit of an adventure Well done on the cheapie trip to France though, v. exciting!

Erme, I have to admit the rats aren't my ideal pet (I have cats myself) but a friend did have rats as pets for ages and she loved them. They're pretty cute all in all

Until they decide it's time to gas you on your lap @ 7am just before you get breakfast LOL...Bob did that this am...fortunately his tail looks
a little better but it's only 1 day on the salt water treatment (though he takes it pretty well)

enjoyfinancialchallenges wrote: »

Hi everyone, I've had a lovely day ,the only unfrugal part was that I had to buy a new charger for my mobile...the old one had just disappeared which is strange because I live alone and do all the tidying myself, I suppose it may well turn up but I've looked everywhere and there is no sign of it. I also bought some Asparagus crowns, I havn't grown them before but thought I would like to try. I took some home made biscuits round to my neighbor and told him I was going in to buy some seed compost and he said he had extra so ended up buying a bag from him which saved me from having to cope with it on the bus. He even brought it round for me and asked me if I needed help to put another water butt in place, I said no thanks, its an old one that leaks and that I intended cutting it in half and planting it up. Anyway to cut a long story short he took it into his garden and cut it in half for me, I shall plant two asparagus crowns in each one tomorrow. I then noticed that my front hedge had been cut by the local farm manager who I had asked yesterday, I will bake some scones for him and his wife or take them some marmalade. Then the day got even better and when I went on the bus the opposite way found a bag of cauliflower leaves at the local Co-op marked as animal feed for 20p so have bought them and will make soup tomorrow and the free-cycler who was offering some net curtains contacted me and am going to collect then in the morning, they will do to cover my fruit, I'm delighted with my day as so much has happened frugally. IYKWIM. I also had a phone call from an ex colleague who had just returned from Ghana and wanted to say hi, so lovely to hear expectantly from friends.

Regarding the free book web site I now look daily and am buying appropriate ones as presents for friends and family. So thanks to who ever told us about it.

My meal tonight was spag bol with all ingredients either from my freezer or larder as usual. I now only have 12 tins of tomatoes left! Oh I'm just loving this challenge.

Hope you are all OK and had good day also, if it wasn't as good as mine I hope it will be better tomorrow. Erme your rats sound fun and I looked to see your pictures but no not for me thanks, I'm afraid my lovely cat Poppy brings them in for me frequently as a gift but they don't run around by that time fortunately.

When I phoned my daughter to tell her what a lovely day I've had she said "There you are Mum you don't need a John to make you happy", some of you may remember my ex live out lover John who dumped me about three months ago, and yes time does heal. even if at times I miss him terribly.

Anyway everyone have a lovely frugal day tomorrow and if you fell off today well have another try tomorrow, this isn't a competition its your life and you are in charge of it.

Yeah but the rats your wee puss brings in are probably more infected than I don't know what...and anyway they could be mice...

Kind of DV frugal day today. I'm praying I can get this cage cheap but it's a long bus journey and i don't want to waste energy going all the way there if no cage - though the wifey promised me it yesterday and I think charity shops are pretty good about these things...

If no cage it could be a very unfrugal trip to the pet store :eek:.I'm going there to get a ladder for 99p for the two levels. I'm thinking of getting a sharp knife from the pound store and cutting plastic chopping boards for the flooring of the new cage (it will go on top of their current one so two levels and they desperately need it cos sure Milo is treading on Bob and that's what's caused the sore)...

Anyhow first things first - pancake then find my HB/CTB form for PDSA...

Tomorrow I'm off to a charity sale for wool

E

wornoutmumoftwo

cw18 wrote: »

but of course it's allowed
10 months of budgetting is 10 months better than none

I'm budgeting as I go along . Trying to spend less than I did the month before.

I only have £20 left to spend on food this month, (aiming for a £250 spend).