Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

Lily_The_Legend

CRANKY40 wrote: »

Buy the flowers to stay in the good books, then be ill and miss the party outing. It is possible to have an allergy to your inlaws, I have one to my emotional blackmailing MIL. Which raises another question, how come now I am a widow I still have to have a MIL, sigh?

Well we are getting the flowers now. When I say we, I mean DH. :rotfl: We buy for our own families, so it'll be coming out of his money. I figure it's the easiest thing to do to keep the peace!!! After this month, we won't have any hassle (hopefully) until Mother's Day and Easter. But I've told DH we won't be pushed around by her then! I've just remembered a meal we had out with them once and SIL tried to order everyone's starters! :eek: Even her husband objected to that. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Talking of bad delivery people, DH had a jumper ordered before Christmas to find it had been lobbed over the back fence and it was in the middle of the garden! :eek::rotfl:

DH has agreed to let me help him draw up a budget for his money next month. He has no savings and is losing his job later in the year! :eek: He still owes his mum some money from the car we bought last year (we each paid half). It aggravates me because I don't know what he spends his money on plus he gets paid more than me!!!

Hoping for a NSD today.

summertea

Morning

Slightly odd question but does anyone know if the orange supermarket have reduced goods early in the morning ? i know my local smaller supermarket does.

I'm on a new temporary assignment and i have to work 2-7.30pm so no reduced goods shopping for me in the evenings. Was hoping to fill it in with a morning round.

Kiwisaver_2

It didn't take long before I broke my duck and had the first spend of the year. Being the first official working day of the year (boo sucks) the direct debits for phone and internet have hit the bank account. I couldn't resist a wander round the supermarket to see if they had any Xmas remains on special. They didn't but I still managed to spend $40 on veg, eggs and a few other bits.

On the frugal front, I picked two courgettes from the garden tonight which I grated and sauteed with some garlic and herbs mixed with leftover cream to make a pasta sauce. Was yum too!!

Kazsaver

NSD for me today only spent 1.40 on bread yesterday. Just Put containers of chille in freezer for later on in month made last night and now started a huge pan of veg soup using all the veg past its best this is great for helping to loose some weight as well. tomorrow need to go shopping for fresh stuff and then can do some baking for the freezer.

lovely and quiet here today as everyone else back at school and work.

Have a great day every one
Kaz x

alec_eiffel

NSD for us yesterday, I'm cooking for the freezer this week - chestnut stew, tagine, curry, leek and butterbeans, chickpeas with rosemary, lentil bol and chilli. DH is being more amazing than usual with this challenge. He is a great frugal chap but I don't know, he just seems super motivated - that can't be bad!

lily288

Wow this thread is moving so fast didnt come onto computer yesterday and ive missed loads.
Well so far everything is going well NSD today and yesterday and I dont think i'll have to get any shopping this week just milk later on and then I can make a extra payment from that to my cc.
From Monday there is an 11 litre Halogen oven in Netto for £25 thought that was a bargain ours broke a few months ago and was gutted we used ours all the time and saved a lot on electricity.

NualaBuala

Morning everyone :wave:

Erme wrote: »

Hope Nuala isn't too sick today btw? Anyone seen her yet or has she not emerged?

E

Am lurking away Erme - thanks, you're a sweetheart to ask. :A Tis a full-time job keeping up with this thread so I'm doing more reading than posting these days. Am pretty well but did loads yesterday (by my standards) so will try to rest more today.

Kiwisaver wrote: »

Kia Ora, just popping in to wish you all a Happy and Frugal New Year and a big welcome to the newbies. :j

I've nothing much to report really and have to do some catching up with this thread later today as it's already running away from me. So far so good, 4 days into the new year and I haven't been near a shop since NYE. My meal planning this week is all around the Christmas and New Year leftovers as I seem to still have a fridge full of food, so I'm not planning on spending very much other than basic essentials over the next week or so.

Thanks Cheryl for the new thread, please add me to the list.

Kia kaha!!

Kiwi, you inspired me to look up the Maori words, I always thought Kia Ora was just an orange drink I couldn't get enough of one childhood summer! So it was really nice to learn the proper meaning, thank you for prompting that ... and wishing the same to you!

EFC - glad your cat is on the mend and hope the vet bill isn't too massive. Have fun with your slow cooker, I love new toys!

Lynz aw, hope your dog will be ok and again that the bill won't be too bad. And good luck studying - is it next week you said your exams are?


Today is my first spending day of 2011 as the direct debits for some bills have hit my account. But it's a lot easer for me not to spend cos I'm at home most of the time. If I were in work or college it woud be so much harder as I'd be surrounded by temptation! Am planning a frugal dinner today - probably something made with the some of the pasta mountain I have stored.

Am cheering on everyone else ... keep up the good (frugal) work! :T

elly68

how quickley do you feeze your soup i like it second day but the batch i made ast night looks like its turning already ty elly

cw18

When I make soup I normally put it into old marge containers (in portions sizes) and allow it to cool to room temp, then put in the fridge overnight.
The following morning I put it into the freezer.
Once frozen (48 hours min) I knock it out of the tubs and put it into freezer bags, which go straight back into the freezer (but take less space as the tubs are never full with a 1-person portion - and it frees the tubs up for another batch cooking session).

I do the same with bolognese, chilli, mince and veg, stews and casseroles.

lynzpower

Lynz aw, hope your dog will be ok and again that the bill won't be too bad. And good luck studying - is it next week you said your exams are?

Yes it is, next monday and tuesday :eek:

I have done a lot of work but I am so scared now! I have to do a proper plan as to what I need to have learned er by Monday? Bit late for revision planning now! :eek:

sadly vets bill was 75.00- she has a throat infection and an ear infection and claws done, its impossible for us to do it without hurting her. OH agreed not bad vfm, she had an injection and 2 rounds of tablets to take. As she was so good I bought her a ham bone and a snack for her first food spend of the year. She doesn't seem that interested in them though, so 1.20possibly wasted! Bad news is we have to go back next week and I imagine we will be spending yet again.

I have been ultra organised and found out the address/ form etc to organise for my tax rebate a task that has been hanging about for ages. OH is bringing the form back tonight. I have no idea what it is, but I was off on sick for quite a period with my hand last year, so Im hoping it to be 100 or maybe more. No clue tho!

Nuala definately do some resting, it costs nothing to read Did I see you are moving house? When is that? That is tiring in itself we are still recovering from our move in October!