Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

Kerfuffle

dizzy_lizzie wrote: »

*snip
Kerfuffle I reuse my teabag again. I pop it on my teabag holder dish as I find one tea bag too strong for me and reuse when I have another cup. Daren't do this for anyone else's brew though, they'd go daft.

The first time I did it it totally grossed me out, but now 'who cares?'

dizzy_lizzie wrote: »

*snip

**Can I just say as well this is one of my favourite threads**

Luvz Dizzy x

You can indeed say, and I totally echo you. This and the Sealed Pot are my favorites.


Forgot to mention another frugal thing, carried over from yesterday is that my heating is still set at 16 degrees.

Toodles

never_too_old

Forgot to mention another frugal thing, carried over from yesterday is that my heating is still set at 16 degrees.

Toodles[/QUOTE]

Havent managed to get mine below 19 degrees, my dh moans like mad about it being cold.

still making everything from scratch and sticking to my meal plans, so plowing through my weekly shop, which is a miracle for me ( i used to shop daily on way to school to pick up dd)

midwinter

OK, got my "top line" figure now, excludes mandatory council tax etc etc.

So now know the hard work begins to keep well under that top line figure!

elly68

hi guys well cornbeef stovies tonight another cupboard find ,i'm having turnip with mine .now as long as i defrost my meat on time we should have no spends till sunday ,might need milk before then?
might treat my mum and neice to bingo tomorrow from my xmas money will see
thanks for this thread keeping me thrifty

chika

Blairweech wrote: »

I am trying to knit a mug cosy, but I keep splitting the ply of the wool as I bring the needle through - does anyone know why this might be happening? It did not happen on previous projects

Are you using different yarn to last time? I find that 100% wool yarns split a lot, I'm knitting a cushion cover at the moment and it does it all the time. I also got some cheapish bamboo needles which are causing issues too I think. It will probably just be the yarn, some are more prone to splitting than others.

apple_mint

A spending day but managed a few frugal spends.

Shopped in Lidl and Tesco. Had set my budget to £29 but ended up spending £36 - in my defence I did pick up some store cupboard items at a good price, so I'll knock the overspend off next month's budget White bread flour was 50p in Lidl, whilst Tesco's own white bread flour was £1.60:eek: OH was horrified. It was a useful demonstration as to why I'm doing my homework before going shopping and keeping an eye on prices

OH got a pair of shoes for £12 in the local shoe shop sale and I picked up some lined, quality curtains for £6 in the charity shop. Very pleased

Figures have all gone into my spreadsheets. It's an expensive week this week as the council tax, rent, BT, and TV licence payments all go out the first week of the month.

Thank you everyone for all your great ideas. This thread is giving me the motivation to carefully track our spends and to think carefully before I open my purse.

Tomorrow I plan to make a quiche. I have some pastry left over from making a pie, some eggs that need using up and I have just taken some bacon pieces out of the freezer. I buy cooking bacon and cut it up and bag into into useful amounts for using in meals, pop these into the freezer and use them through the month.

My discovery this week has been just how far a tin of new potatoes can be stretched. Having run out of potatoes, I opened a 26p tin (Lidl) from my emergency stock. 1/3 rd of a tin was used in a lamb curry (rough chopped) along with some left over veggies, 1/3rd was rough chopped and added to lamb, onion and mint sauce for a lamb pie and I still have 1/3rd of tin (which may just end up that quiche :rotfl:). These were all meals for two people.

lingojingo

wornoutmumoftwo wrote: »

I downloaded the spreasheet today, filled it in, saved it and LOST it! Frantically searching the laptop for it now.

I did the same a couple of days ago :rotfl:- can't find it anywhere, have downloaded and filled it in again today, and put a reminder in my notebook of exactly where it's filed now.

dizzy_lizzie

apple_mint wrote: »

My discovery this week has been just how far a tin of new potatoes can be stretched. Having run out of potatoes, I opened a 26p tin (Lidl) from my emergency stock. 1/3 rd of a tin was used in a lamb curry (rough chopped) along with some left over veggies, 1/3rd was rough chopped and added to lamb, onion and mint sauce for a lamb pie and I still have 1/3rd of tin (which may just end up that quiche :rotfl:). These were all meals for two people.

Wow that is good :T
It definately helps for me to look at 'frugality' as a challenge rather than a drudge. Like we've said before how good does it feel when we can make meals from what we have in, rather than going to the shops all the time. Just shows how ingenious we are
Luvz Dizzy x

romylou_2

Well tomorrow I'm going to make a batch of lasagne. I got a large packet of mince reduced at £2.99 and from this I can make 6 portions of lasagne. Hubby and I usually have a portion each fresh (yummy) and the other 4 I freeze for quick meals after work.

As Im writing this I have just realised I need to get some cheese!! Oh well, I may as well get some diesel while I'm out. Ive been putting it off for as long as possible:o

Aril

Evening :j
NSD and found another penny:D
We have friends coming over for dinner on Saturday but have made the pud tonight to take advantage of the reduced cream in the supermarket yesterday. I've whipped it all and split it 3 ways- one lot I've flavoured with some rum flavouring and the leftover coffee I had made for the pud. It's been sweetened with icing sugar and I will present it as icecream:D All of it has been frozen.
Aril

PS Free coffee this coming Mon [10th] in Starbucks link here
http://wish.starbuckscard.co.uk/filtercoffee/voucher.html