Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

wornoutmumoftwo

OK, found the problem. I didn't even save the spreadsheet, I saved the blank one instead so going to re-input my figures and I've saved it this time before I started.

I was going to have a NSD but there are just too many good offers on in Mr T at the minute to let them pass, so I guess I'm stock piling instead and it'll pay off over the year.

Got a load of veg to make soup, some yeast to yet again attempt bread in the panasonic, I'd love it if anyone can tell me how to make rolls that are soft and light like the shop ones. I make dough in the breadmaker, rise them overnight as I don't have a nice warm place and they still taste heavy.

Got BOGOF cereal, (is that like a whoopsie - I think it is), it's the only time I buy cereal.

Off to do spreadsheet/soup/housework now.

And decided not to include petrol/car costs in this as that's the OH department. I never know when he fills up. Also I am recorded the cash I take out but not what it's spent on as I think that put me off in earlier years trying to account for every penny. I get a tenner out now and again and it's really just for the odd bus fare/sweets/paper.

lynzpower

HelenPie wrote: »

kittie i love your idea of being cash-poor but family-rich. Sounds like a good way to live, imho

OH's car has gone into the garage this morning with suspected water pump failure Thankfully, we have an account with money set aside for the cars but it was supposed to do my MOT next month :mad:

I've got two 10+ mile trips to the same place today for appointments, 5 hours appart, which is a wate of fuel (unfortunately, couldn't get them at better times)

I'm really keen on the idea of starting a business selling cupcakes. I absolutely love to bake but haven't the foggiest idea about setting up a company, and would have to fit it around my current job (am away from home at least 12 hours Mon-Fri). We have a tradition in our office that you take cakes in on your birthday (strange, I know), but I've had some lovely feedback in the past and so am hoping I can get a few referrals from colleagues, just to test the water, so to speak. My birthday is next week and I think that it will cost about £14 to make enough. Big spend, but hopefully a worthwhile investment...

On the same subject, I could do with a few tools for the decorations so might splash out there today (as I'm doing so well with the grocery budget!)

Sorry to ramble, but one last point! I found out on Tuesday that I'd past an exam for work (had pretty much forgotten I'd taken it, tbh!) :j However, it is a two part qualification, and the second part is going to cost approx £400, including books :eek: I completely forgot to include this in my budget so will have to re-jig a few bits

I hope you're all expecting more frugal days than me today! Take care all.

H x

hi helen:

Heres the info you need about settng up a small business through the FSA. http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/startingup.pdf

lynzpower

Got a load of veg to make soup, some yeast to yet again attempt bread in the panasonic, I'd love it if anyone can tell me how to make rolls that are soft and light like the shop ones. I make dough in the breadmaker, rise them overnight as I don't have a nice warm place and they still taste heavy.

Hi are you usuing strong flour? We use standard plain now and the bread and rolls we make are a lot lighter - cheaper too!

wornoutmumoftwo

I'm really keen on the idea of starting a business selling cupcakes. I absolutely love to bake but haven't the foggiest idea about setting up a company, and would have to fit it around my current job (am away from home at least 12 hours Mon-Fri). We have a tradition in our office that you take cakes in on your birthday (strange, I know), but I've had some lovely feedback in the past and so am hoping I can get a few referrals from colleagues, just to test the water, so to speak. My birthday is next week and I think that it will cost about £14 to make enough. Big spend, but hopefully a worthwhile investment...

This is what I want to do, but with biscuits too as I have some unique cutters. You have to get licensed, I got as far as phoning enviromental services at my council for a registration form and that really is as far as I've got. There's a thread on here 'Cash from baking', have a read through, some of the cakes are out of this world.

wornoutmumoftwo

lynzpower wrote: »

Hi are you usuing strong flour? We use standard plain now and the bread and rolls we make are a lot lighter - cheaper too!

I do yes, I'll try some with plain then and see how I get on. Thank you.

grandma247

I have been reading this article and thought of those in Ireland without water.It may be a useful thing to save for a future time. I also read that a black bin bag and some cat litter in the normal toilet works. bags can be stored in a bin outside till they can be burnt or disposed of some other way.

minnie2

cw18 wrote: »

I sympathise with anyone trying to get onto the housing ladder at the moment (and in the last few years). You've done well to manage that, 'cos even if I'd still been in my IT job I know I'd have struggled to step onto the first rung now!! But since losing that job it would have been an impossibility - even with my new job in a supermarket

I can't honestly see any way my children will ever make it - certainly not the elder two. The youngest is much better with money in general, and if he can get the kind of job he'd like after finishing Uni (currently in his first year, but wants a year work experience during it which makes it a 4 year course) there's a vague glimmer of hope for him.

It was so expensive! and although there were incentives and we could not have done it without the incentives - we then got stuck with a particular mortgage with extremely high get out fees and high interest rate, which happened to go up 2% the next week when we went ahead!!- and then the general house buying fees kept going up and up, so although it seems like they are helping, they are taking it back in the next breath!

we are stuck at 6.9% for 5years - get out fees of 5k mortgage £641 a month and actually our mortgage is only 100k. i have found better mortgages but we have to wait till fees go down before we can apply.

i am hoping hubby will get the idea now - and my fault partially too for not reigning in sooner.

We were living in my parents second property a one bed flat rent free (hubby gve a little) though we did pay for everything else tax and bills etc but we were on solow rate for water etc tx was less and it was run on storage heaters..........................................

Now weve bought a 3 bedroom house have a big mortgage bigger council tax, cant go on a water meter or solow rate as two different companies running the water and sewerage and weve got central heating.

our water bill use to be £200 a year (before hubby i only paid £80 a year) - now we got a bill just for sewerage alone for £240 a year and we dont flush at night and i have bottles of water in the cistern etc but we are judged on an old fashion system bsed on the house.

Anyway hoping this month has been hte wake up call my hubby needed and now i can be the frugal person ive always been!!! ( although i do like to eat out, vouchers permitting ofcourse)


im assuming everyone on here knows about all the discount and voucher sites?

if not i am happy to put them on here!!

minnie2

oh and HelenPie - i too am into cake making and cakes as gifts

for this christmas everyone got cakes for christmas and they loved it!! still have one sister left to bake a coffee and walnut cake for but she is far away so she can have it when i see her.


i worked out in july that i spent well over £50 on end of term gifts for colleagues/friends so decided cakes are wanted gifts - personal and takes time and care nd they were very much appreciated. They were large cakes and ctually got shared around their friends and family too so the joy was widely spread!! hehe!! I managed to make 5 carrot cakes for £7.21 they were massive and usually those presents would have cost atleast £30.

doing mother in law a birthday in a couple of weeks as her pressie!!

cakes are the way to go!!

wornoutmumoftwo

I bake for all the teachers/family...I think I have a 'thing' about cellophane and ribbon. This year I'm planning on getting hold of some nice cheap mugs and doing 'snowman soup'. (Hot chocolate mix)

midwinter

Ebay have a free listing weekend, this weekend. Conditions apply, but might be useful for a few people