Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

rictus123

Way too much too soon. Too frugal id say!!!

I dont know what i can do as far as getting more frugal is concerned!!
Think im stuck with my budget for a few months until pay goes up in July!!!

silvasava

23rdspiral wrote: »

But i know i've not spent much on food this week or last... i've been freezer & pantry diving instead... tonight we're having something with mushrooms and woospied stilton, with a packet of strawberry blamange(sp?) that i bought on a whim about 4 years ago:o i hope it's still ok and works with soya milk! (at least it'll be soft!)

Glad to hear your house news 23rd - I'm just trying to imagine a trifle of mushrooms, stilton & strawberry blancmange:rotfl: Reminds me of my sons fish finger omlettes when he & his mate were in a flat together

rising_from_the_ashes

I was disappointed too - it reminded me of shows like Spendaholics & Bank of M&D (both of which I love) when they did the "shock tactic" and "no money" week.

I'd say a huge well done to the nettle lady (and she was a lady) but IMHO for the vast majority of people - who are unlikely to own 30 acres of land - and also have to work - this is totally unrealistic and actually very off putting for people.


Forgot to say earlier - 23rd congrats on finally being in your new home!

Blairweech

Hi everyone, haven't caught up yet. Did not think the superscrimpers show was much cop tbh, especially for 'newbies' as it were. Did remind me about 're-purposing/re-using', which I often forget to do. I laughed at the idea of dying your underwares to make a matching set when they look a bit tired - usually the elastic goes on mine long before that happens! On eof the ladies - the one who was poking about in the charity shops - had a really lovely house from what I could see of it

Am on easter hols atm, working (voluntarily) on a beef/sheep/dairy farm. Really interesting - dehorned my first calf yesterday which was v. scary :eek: Still, I managed it and I have to learn at some point. Also have to cram in some revision and apply for summer work experience - busy busy.

The handbrake cable on my car has snapped Only £27 for a new one but am reluctant to drive until its fitted (cause you just know that will be the time when I hit a traffic jam on a hill). I have started planting my seeds - put in some beans and some foxgloves in pots and put them in the conservatory :T Love this time of year

Hope you are all well and frugalising into the next quarter :cool:

23rdspiral

silvasava wrote: »

Glad to hear your house news 23rd - I'm just trying to imagine a trifle of mushrooms, stilton & strawberry blancmange:rotfl: Reminds me of my sons fish finger omlettes when he & his mate were in a flat together

:rotfl:well it was a little more appetising than that silva! (though i guess it always ends up like that in your tummy anyway!):rotfl:

~ i sauted onion, leftover luncheaon meat, woopsied mushrooms & woopsied stilton bits and then used it as a filling for pancakes (woopsied eggs needing eating)... and it was very yum!:D
~ and BB4 2008 blacmange with soya milk turned out very nice indeed. though was a bit sweet for me so i've some for tomorow too, though my OH hasn't!
~ and both were soft so easy to eat

Blairweech - wow! sounds like you're having an amazing time. good luck with it all!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I only just saw Superscrimpers on 4 OD as we were over at the new house checking they'd taken everything they'd not managed yesterday (they left the wood pile, a few KG of coal and a pallet! woopiee!!!!:j), but they took the paint they said they'd be leaving (needed to make good after the re-wire) and picked up mail - we'd got mail already?!?

humm, i'm also not convinced starting with landed gentry making 'mad' pasta (though what a good idea!), and a dotty old lady dying her smalls purple were the best ways to start the show. and then the simplistic 'eat less takeaways, buy a new (more efficient) car' mantra seemed somewhat out of sorts... like 2 different programmes not one. i'll watch for amusement value, and to see what the crafty lady has to say. oh, and i'd really like one of those huge pink piggy banks!

miss_empty_piggy

Am in total agreement - nothing much new although I will watch for the little tips, loved the sock/jumper thing and it also inspired me to make pasta and wine. Really wanting to learn how to make wine. Shop at the top of my street sells all the stuff but will probably wait for car boot sale this weekend to scour for the things needed e.g. demi-john's etc. M&D used to make it when I was a kid and I thought it was fantastic (from a 'science-experiment' point of view) now I just think it's fantastic from a moneysaving point of view. My favourite wine is £5.00 on half price offer so it really is a treat, but I figure if I make my own I can finally realise my mother's dream of me becoming the lush she's always been. Also, I did realise that I had finally growed up when I admitted that I now like wine and olives where I used to like crisps and pop!!! Darn it.

Big hugs everyone. x

Kerry_Woman

Went to the Ideal Home last Friday with my Mum. Was good, did not spend any money. Did look at some magazine offer for £5. Had craft book from last year, so never brought. Had brought our own lunch with us. Did stay for 2 hours, had to find places to seat down for my Mum, stayed with her. She did find it a bit of a struggle with the walking.

On Saturday went to UK Aware. Went to 3 free talks. The lady who did the downshifting talk was talking about getting clothes from charity shops, using eco balls and soap nuts for laundry and a few other things. Was different to what I expected. They were alright. Spent £5 on eco friendly/green stationary items, but some of the money went to a charity. Brought my lunch with me.

On Sunday went to the Vitality Show with my friend. Spent £7.14. That was good for me. Brought tea and coffee for my friend and I, my lunch(went to Victoria after the show) and a top up for my Oyster card- thought I would have enough money on it, but when I got to the station before I got the bus home it was minus 60p. Paid the 60p. Resisted the goody bags from different stalls, looked at the contents and thought the better of not paying £2 for it. My friend did buy some magazine subscriptions. She does a lot of keep fit it and is hoping to do the London Marathron this year. She had a problem with her foot and is getting it checked out.

Had a dental check up this week. Was told I might have to get a crown in the future. Was shocked at how much it costs. Nearly £200. Have to keep an eye on what the dentist says as he tried also to have my Mum have expensive work also - nearly £400 worth. My Mum refused as she is not having problems with her front tooth and dentures.

Had to get a new fridge/freezer this week. My Mum kindly paid for it. The shop tried to sell the 5 year extended insurance at £165, and £19.95 delivery charge which we refused. Managed to get the free delivery for next Tuesday. My sister is kindly taking the food from the freezer on Monday night and storing it in their freezer. So using up what we have got. The freezer storage is smaller. It should help with my food shopping and only getting what is needed each week.

Hugs to those in need of them.

23rdspiral - Hope goes well in your new home.

alec_eiffel

Re: Super Scrimpers.

I quite enjoyed it, wish it had been on for an hour though. There was nothing really new to frugal types but for "normal" people I think it might have raised an eyebrow and a chuckle. The thing is though, how out there would a tip have to be for frugal types to go "well I'd never thought of that"? And going more in depth about the hairshirty angle of things wouldn't have made it stand out from Martin/Maitland's Tonight shows or things like Spendaholics, it must be hard to do this type of show and make it stand out a bit. I kind of enjoyed the tongue in cheek delivery of the tips too. It would have been good to see more of the daughters, they seemed to be totally unphased by it and enjoyed the eating at home rather than take outs, I think that would have inspired lots of people who think they have to do certain things for the other members of the family.

My favourite shows ever about finance are "Your Money Or Your Life" - Alvin Hall, Bank of Mum and Dad and the Canadian Show with Gail Val Oxlade, Til Debt Do Us Part (something like that).

Lesley_Gaye

tumptyteapot wrote: »

ahh pants, am over budget this month and am going to see my folks this weekend so that will be £30 on petrol plus food on the way down - I go to the Sainsburies cafe cos it is a whole lot cheaper than services and we will probably have tea there on the way down and dinner there on the way back - usually costs about £8 for me and my son to eat and drink so it is not a lot of money but it means that I start the month on an overspend :-( I'm starting to worry that £60 a week is just too difficult but it shouldn't be - a lot of you manage on a lot less.

if you wanted to avoid the overspend on the food part, could you maybe take something to eat with you, and just stretch your legs at the stop rather than buy a meal?

soup in a flask is nice, with maybe a crusty roll to go with, and a slice of cake or some fruit after. Or a crunchy salad in a box, or cold frittata, sliced up. A chicken leg and salad or potato salad, lots of yummy things to choose from

tumptyteapot

Lesley_Gaye wrote: »

if you wanted to avoid the overspend on the food part, could you maybe take something to eat with you, and just stretch your legs at the stop rather than buy a meal?

soup in a flask is nice, with maybe a crusty roll to go with, and a slice of cake or some fruit after. Or a crunchy salad in a box, or cold frittata, sliced up. A chicken leg and salad or potato salad, lots of yummy things to choose from

those are all good ideas, but I know from past experience that if I take a packed lunch I just sit in the car and eat it, and it's a long drive for me so I really need to get out and look at something that isn't a steering wheel.
I think I might be able to put off a big shop next week - apart from cat food, cat litter and soya milk we should be ok, I bought loads of 2 for 1's in the last 2 shops. Maybe that is the way to think of it, big shops every other week?