Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

slowlyfading

miss empty piggy - I love CK stuff - I am really good normally and haven't bought anything from there in ages, but have got my eye on a new apron at the moment. Now just need to persuade OH that I need it...

I'm not doing much today; currently waiting for my mum to arrive as we are off out for sunday dinner!

Frugaldom

enjoyfinancialchallenges wrote: »

Have just read Cheryls post and a big thank you for carrying on and coping with us all and wondered if NYK is still around and watching to see how well we are all doing as a result of her original thread. A BIG thank you and as you can see we are all still managing our budgets and new people are joining each day. How about posting and telling us how you are doing. XX

I completely overlooked this, so I'm just adding my apology for not responding. I am a dyed-in-the-wool frugaler, so it'll come as no surprise that I am still in pursuit of frugaldom and the good life. I do pop on here now and again tjust to see how things are going and I do still run frugal living challenges - I just don't have the time needed to keep up with all of the MSE threads.

Things here going not too badly. At least we're mobile now, after having the last car scrapped. Saving an extra £100 per year on tax & insurance with the 'new' one and we naturally went via cashback for as much as we could.

House plans are still not 100% complete but we're expecting to get the keys to the fixy up on 15th April. Much belt-tightening to be done as we'll need to renovate the whole place, so you'll know what's happened if I disappear for a month as we try to organise electricity, water, plumbing and phoneline. :rotfl:

Appropriate responses to all and wishing everyone the best with their challenges. Frugal living is simple once you've finally cracked it, it's spending money that becomes the most difficult thing to do after that. The budget doesn't seem to have helped anything but I'm assured the big supermarkets have manafed to get in some cheap pasta, so that's good - just need to try to get someone who lives near one to get me some.

Hope the weather's being good to everyone this weekend, it's been great here, so we're 'un-gardening' in preparation for the next move.

Can someone email or PM me any big news that I may have missed? Thanks.

tumptyteapot

NSD today, not going out of the house today :-) And I have lots of veg left so I can defer the veg box until the week after - saving £15!
Hot cross buns for breakfast but proper pasties (made with rainbow trout from a neighbour) for dinner, supper is toad in the hole with quorn sausages for my son and more leftover fish and veg for me. I've never made it with fish before, should be interesting!

SandraScarlett

Just finished filling in the Census. Some of the questions are so a*rse about face! There are a raft of them asking if you've looked for a job, been offered a job, not bothered about a job, and then the next one asks if you're retired!!!

Only a few days left till the end of the quarter, and I'm delighted that no-one in the family is in hospital, or worse-than-expected, all my bills have been paid, and though I haven't made the frugal changes of some, I've spent less than this time last year.

The garden is looking lovely, and I've cleared away loads of leaves, weeds, and nasties. We have a make-do-and-mend stir fry tonight, with lots of vegetables, the washing bin is empty, and the skating final is on tonight.

Keep going frugalistas - we've nearly completed 3 months. :j

xx

redglass_2

rubytuesday wrote: »

Wow did she send them the poem? - she really must love them.

I keep trying to send this and my PC won't play... Glad your foot is starting to become less swollen, Rubytuesday.

Years ago, my mum used to go mad for TJ's (she's now too old to travel there regularly) and when she came to visit me in the West Country she kept pointing at stuff in the shops and telling me (VERY LOUDLY) that everything was cheaper in T J Hughes. She would even glare at the shop assistants as if it was their fault. :eek: In the end I asked if she could stop because a) there was no point, I couldn't shop there and b) it wasn't doing anything for our popularity. In fact I said I never wanted to hear any more about being able to buy a sofa for a penny at TJ's. So Mum stopped going on about it and went home but then retaliated by sending me a card and inside the card was a long poem about the marvels of T J Hughes. And she wonders where I get my 'attitude' from. :rotfl:

Winchelsea

Just been trying to do a quick catch-up read through, as was away for a week. Had a brilliant time, a conservation holiday with BTCV, beach cleaning in Cornwall. Good weather, great group of people, great satisfaction from doing a useful job, and LOTS of laughs!

So, back on the frugalista bandwagon. Came back on Friday pm, and have managed to eat without going shopping, apart from getting some milk. Had enough veg surviving in the fridge bottom to make a big hearty soup, had a couple of bits of cheese and some eggs, and made a lovely sourdough loaf (my best yet). Was a bit worried that the starter might suffer from a week of neglect, but it was absolutely fine. And, have fruit in the bowl, and enough porridge oats and other cereals in stock, also tins and packets galore, all bought when on BOGOF etc, so am fine.

Only snag is that I skidded on a tomato slice (dropped by late night revellers?) on the pavement this morning, and crashed to the ground on to my hip, so am a bit sore now, but nothing worse than a big bruise. Have been advised to sit on a packet of frozen veg. MMMMMm......we'll see!!

All the best to everyone!

slowlyfading

Winchelsea - ouch to the hip! hope it gets better soon x

silvasava

Ooooh - managed another NSD today ('cos DH bought my Sunday Paper, Bless) Lovely day here today and our 'Bee Man' came round to check on the 2 hives he put in for us last year. I was a bit concerned as there had been no signs of any activity & when he opened the hives they were all dead - I was quite choked to lose all my 'girlies' He thinks its down to the cold snaps we had cos they had plenty to eat & there were no signs of any disease. He did reckon that he'd lost 60pct of his hives but he'll try & get us another swarm. So no honey this year, although that wasn't why we had them. Sounds really daft but I shall miss them Just keep my fingers crossed for some more. Sorry if I've gone off thread.
Tea tonight from the freezer - Chicken breasts rolled in some Tandoori Spice mix & fried with the last knockings of the salad drawer. Pud is fresh pineapple that DH bought the other day
Also noticed that I need to pull up the Leeks to make room for other veg so I'll have to get cracking on some soup

inspirespirit

Anyone been shopping today? Well i started off in Ald!, the onto Lid! and eventually ended up in Mr T's. gotta be honest (and I realise I'm fairly new to the frugalista lifestyle), I am wondering if it is worth the drudge of doing each supermarket. T's had some major deals on today (maybe they are trying to outdo Asda because of the DTD). Everything I bought from Ald!, i checked in Asda and could have got there at the same price or less. kidney beans, 19 Ald1 which i was well excited about, but 18p for Tesco blue cheapies. Creme caramel 39 p for 4 which i almost danced on the ceiling for in Ald!, only to find 38p in T's blue cheapies.
I have bought, for the first time in more than 2 decades, tomato ketchup and beans from Ald! that aren't made by MrHe!nz, so will see how those go down. lol.
I cannot believe how much I am enjoying trying to be frugal and the thrill of buying cheap. Just bought a pine bed frame off ebay for £6.55 (I've been sleeping on sofa cos of not hving a bed). I'm bidding on a mattress, still in its polythene wrapping, someone bought and didn't require, for £5.00 !!! Hope I get it. lol.

seriouslyfrugal

Hi Everyone


Just a note to say that on channel 4 on wednesday (30.03.11) at 20.30pm there is a programme called superscrimpers waste not want not its about being thrifty thought it might be worth a watch

have a good week