Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

itsallinthemind

Oh I forgot, I am so very happy!

I no longer have an issue with my rubbish kneading due to my tendons, because my amazing parents got me a breadmaker for my birthday(and new knives!).

My father was not sold on the idea, but luckily my mother convinced him that it would be a fantastic present for me. Apparently he kept complaining that I am not normal as they always buy me kitchen things. I was most impressed my mother thought of it, I was shocked as they are not cheap! I've only used it to knead though, the gas oven, whilst hideous with a grill on top, is great for baking. My children got me a new ironing board(through their Dad-was stupidly exensive!!!), boring to some, but I spend a LOT of time ironing.

So, any great tips for bread makers, please shout!

cw18

inspirespirit wrote: »

Could I please join in this thread, or are you too far down the line for newbies?

Never too late for another name on the list

itsallinthemind wrote: »

Cheryl will no doubt come along later and add you to the list

She will indeed

mooomin

Frugal adventure of the day was making fried rice for the first time. I used the leftover pork, some peas and lashings of soy sauce and it was very tasty indeed, and a new recipe for me. My friend emailed me the instructions which featured steps such as "stirry stirry" and "if you want no more soy, it's nom-time"!! She should write a cookbook

dizzy_lizzie

itsallinthemind wrote: »

Oh I forgot, I am so very happy!

I no longer have an issue with my rubbish kneading due to my tendons, because my amazing parents got me a breadmaker for my birthday(and new knives!).

My father was not sold on the idea, but luckily my mother convinced him that it would be a fantastic present for me. Apparently he kept complaining that I am not normal as they always buy me kitchen things. I was most impressed my mother thought of it, I was shocked as they are not cheap! I've only used it to knead though, the gas oven, whilst hideous with a grill on top, is great for baking. My children got me a new ironing board(through their Dad-was stupidly exensive!!!), boring to some, but I spend a LOT of time ironing.

So, any great tips for bread makers, please shout!

http:

http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2007/06/an_artisan_baker_who_loves_the.html

Was looking on this site last night, and I don't even have a breadmaker Hope it helps.
Luv dizzy x

cw18

I got my latest water bill on Saturday (I'm on a meter).

I called them with readings back in November and December expecting my monthly payment to come down (was paying £14.20), but they put it up to £16.67 !!! But with this latest bill came a notification they're dropping it to £10.41 :T

However, I was horrified to discover how much of my bill is standing charges - so I don't think I'm actually going to be able to bring it down any further

The estimated bill for the next 12 months is £149.59, and of that the standing charges come to £109 :mad:

Over the 98 days the bill covers they say I used 4 cubic metres (their reading wasn't right the last bill they used their own reading, so I need to check my meter tomorrow and see how close to right it looks given they supposedly read it on 9th). That equates to 4,000 litres, so just under 41 litres a day, or 286 litres a week. Of those 286 litres my washing machine could be using around 180 (according to the manual), which means around 100 litres for absolutely everything else. The dog and I drink about 3 litres a day 'as it comes' (2 litres for him, 1 for me), and I use about another 1.5-2 litres to make mugs of tea - so that's about 30-35 litres a week. So I'm only using 65-70 litres a week for washing, cleaning, cooking and toilet flushing, which sounds pretty minimal to me

I also need to allow for the fact my younger DS was home for 7 days over Christmas, so would have used more that week......

silvasava

Managed a NSD today - yipee!! Tea was DH's favourite Baked Spud, Cheese & Beans, probably cost about 50p - I had a BS too but with the leftover Lamb Tagine from yesterday - was really tasty & so frugal
Taking my friend out tomorrow as her daughter has taken her car to Uni so we're going into town - I am going to do my very best not to spend but she wants to go to a fabric shop...... and I know I'm sure to weaken

slowlyfading

Evening everyone

Not a NSD for me today - had to fill the car up with petrol and get some food in. I hate filling the car up now, it's so expensive every time it cost me 128.9 a litre today, which isn't as bad as some places, but still, it adds up very quickly. Got lots of yummy food from Mr T's so we're sorted for the week. Got a meal plan done so I know what we're having and when - it really does help to not buy anything unnecessary in the supermarket.

Hope everyone else is doing well x

Winchelsea

Hoped for a NSD today, but I picked DS up from the station and the petrol gauge started bleeping at me. So I put £20 worth in, and will make it last as long as possible.

Otherwise spent nothing. Cooked us a lovely lunch of mushroom omelette (with loads of mushroom) with salad and HM bread, followed by a fat slice of HM fruit loaf each.

DS and I went to see DH, and we wrapped him up and put him in a wheelchair and took him out in the nursing home garden. Sat and looked at the lovely view down over the Roman city, but it was a bit cold in the wind, so moved to a more sheltered sunny spot. One of the staff brought out tea and cakes for us all, and we could tell DH really enjoyed his little 'outing'.

DS went home to Bristol as he has to work tonight, and I went home and made myself some cauli cheese with veg. So, a cheap and cheerful day!

tumptyteapot

Only £1.20 spent today, I don't need to buy anything tomorrow, on Wednesday I am volunteering at school so I get a free school dinner (they haven't improved much but it is free food), Thursday is too hectic to go near a shop so I can't go to the supermarket 'til Friday anyway.

My meal planner keeps changing as I try to work out the best way to use up the veg that needs eating before the new veg box arrives on Thursday but I am writing a list of what I need to get at the shop on the top of it so that is helpful. So far it is not much!

Had I not been on the Frugal Living Challenge today I would have got a cake from the bakers, it feels a bit like old me, new me :-) I'm enjoying it so far but then I always have cupboards stuffed full of staples so I'm not going to go hungry. I am wondering if I can cut down the £60 a week budget to much less.

I'm wondering why my sig isn't showing up.

rubytuesday

Spent a bit today - stocked up on nearly ten pounds worth of second class stamps before they go up, some Billingtons sugar and dessicated coconut from the health food shop. Then a lady brought round some collection pots for me to put in the local shops for the Saving The Market campaign - they were a bit awful so I went to a local pound shop and bought a few sealed pots, whilst I was in there I paid towards some hairbands a bloke was buying as he reckoned he'd lost his pound. I am probably a mug!:rotfl:

Dinner was made from leftover roast chicken and a bread and butter type pudding made with leftover panetonne.

Still feeling very tired at the moment.