Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

23rdspiral

cw18 wrote: »

I won't pay full price for any bread other than a very basic white sliced (but do prefer seeded, mutli-grains and a few of the more 'unusual' ones we sell from the bakery - so I always keep an eye on the reduced to clear sections here), and I never pay full price for bread rolls

ditto your whole post! :rotfl:

i work near Mr M and dont think i've bought full price bread this year at all! i nearly did yesterday from Mr A as there wasnt any so bought a 47p white loaf. it'd do...

..BUT on my way out there was a trolley stacked with woopsied bread ect... so i sucked up my pride, thought of my SoW, grabbed an armful and went to customer services. I asked if i could return my plastic white in favour of a Hovis Grannary, Mulitseed Bagles, a Maderia cake, and Onion rolls. She looked at me like i was mad . I have to admit i then said i had to watch the pennies as i was being made redundant. she asked where from... i said... she said her sister was at risk from local govt too! instantly she was lovely and i happily paid the 3p extra all that cost me. pride vs pennies??? The Pennies won! :money:

mooomin

23rdspiral wrote: »

i work near Mr M and dont think i've bought full price bread this year at all!

I got a sesame bloomer today for 39p instead of £1.20 - really chuffed with that

23rdspiral

i'm sorry i dont have the energy to read over everything tonight. i'm shattered. it was my last maths class today, exam next week. i am so pleased to be rid of some of my fear that i bought Poundland Oreo cookies for everyone to celebrate us sticking with the classes. so a LSD for me.:T

Also, and quite a surprise really, we exchanged on the house today. :j i'm so relieved it's all gone through finally. we offered in Oct so it's been so long and frought that i dared only hope it'd work out ok really. yes being made redundant and buying a house is quite daft/unfortunate but it's taken so long to sort things out, and we really really need to leave this house now, and we've done our maths again and again.

23rdspiral

rubytuesday wrote: »

Another hoarder!

Also can't often have people just drop by as it's too embarrassing!

ditto!


Hugs for Sandra too.

inspirespirit

I know, compared to most, this probably isn't the most frugal of meals, but it was for me. Tonight, I made chicken chow mein, my style, lol. I got some reduced skinless chicken and cut them into cubes. Packet of beansprouts, 50p and a packet of fresh noodles £1. i made a marinade out of storecuupboard stuff. 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (you could use cider vinegar), 1 tablespoon soy sauce and a tablespoon of honey. Mixed it together and marinated chicken for a couple of hours. Shoved the chicken and marinade into a wok and cooked until the marinade and the chicken became sticky (bit like sticky ribs). Then I added the noodles, then the beansprouts with a little bit more soy. 3 minutes later and voila. A huge pan of chicken chow mein. Enough for 2 huge appetites and myself. Cost about 3.50.
Was that frugal or am I kidding myself.

mooomin

inspirespirit wrote: »

Was that frugal or am I kidding myself.

Well chicken chow mein at my local takeaway is about £4.70 per portion, so if you can feed 2 for £3.50 then that sounds frugal to me

inspirespirit

It fed 3. 2 huge portions for my adult sons and a good portion for me too.

mooomin

inspirespirit wrote: »

It fed 3. 2 huge portions for my adult sons and a good portion for me too.

Well then I christen thee Frugalella, queen of budget cooking

Well done

rubytuesday

Well it certainly sounds good inspirespirit!

tumptyteapot

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Tumpty - are they close together?

Neither of them are far from where I live. I can do a round trip easily.