Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

NualaBuala

23rdspiral wrote: »

sorry, this is a bit off topic....
~ sorry i forgot to write the real words out.. SSSI (said "tripple S I") is a Site of Special Scientific Interest - often applies to ancient woodland or moreland ect. So my friends live in an ancient wood doing coppicing and selling charcoal and have to leave no long term impact - hense the above ground composting toilet. a lovely but hard way of life.
~ i've other friends that live on a 'commune' farm in wales. it's a low impact community - trying to be green and the like. they are applying to put up wind power. it's not your typical eco community as they can be expensive to live in. these brilliant people are all about thrift, re-use, and the joy of living your life. i've learnt good lessons from them about the difference between need and want. if my life ever went very very wrong, i'd run away to there.
~ I met a chap who lived at Findhorn once, he was very nice. he said the way of life there was relaxing and satisfying - he'd started out on a retreat and just stayed there!

Sounds wonderful - thanks for explaining!

redglass wrote: »

NualaBuala, have you tried the Diggers & Dreamers website? Lots of communities, plus links.

Thanks a mill Redglass - will bookmark it and have a bit of a read!

Cheryl, have you considered Skype for the longer chats with your <ahem> friend? I'd be lost without it now. I use a headset plugged into my laptop and it means I can settle down for a good old chinwag for FREE!

Inspired by all of you and by Cheryl's Spreadsheet of Wonder, I am going to record whoopsies, I think. Does that mean the groceries (or whatever item) total shoes what would have been spent or the the actual spend? Am unsure what will work best for me - most of the reduced stuff I buy is only bought cos it's cheaper - couldn't afford full price!

And then I know some of you have a kitty for recording extra money you get from surveys etc, does that include savings from whoopsies too?

Sorry for the barage of questions - this is something of an afterthought for me, have been using the same system for 2 years and will have to figure out how this will fit in.

dizzy_lizzie

23rdspiral wrote: »

Hi dizzy - i'm totally lacking motivation to clean and tidy today (and i have to today!), so looked up your link above and my angel card said "Intention". yup. totally right, i'm all intention, but no action today... maybe i'll write a lot of lists and plan ahead for things instead of battling with lack of action instead... you never know, i might feel more motivated after that.

(i'm also debugging/defragging the computer so keep wandering back to check, hoping i can turn it off... but it's still not done... so i pop back on here to make more use of the electric! oh dear me.)

:T Oh I'm really pleased you had a look. If it gives you a bit of inspiration then that's brilliant. You can click on it everyday for a 'card a day' inspiration.
Luvz Dizzy x

midwinter

applemint: lemon curd is rather nice gently folded into vanilla ice-cream

Lily_The_Legend

Some sort of hot dessert with ice cream? Mince pies would be nice if you have any left over from Christmas!

apple_mint

Lily_The_Legend wrote: »

It is probably the synthetic taste you don't like! How about adding a little chocolate sauce and chopped nuts? I can't think of anything else at the moment!

I think you are right, Lily the Legend. We make most things from scratch but OH is partial to a bit of ice-cream. We have an ice-cream maker we picked up from a car-boot sale and love the plain vanilla cream recipe but it is rather calorific and expensive to make, so we've been getting branded luxury ice-cream on the special offers.

I love the chopped nuts and chocolate sauce idea. We have some nuts in the baking cupboard. I just need to find a chocolate sauce recipe :T

midwinter wrote: »

applemint: lemon curd is rather nice gently folded into vanilla ice-cream

Midwinter, OH absolutely adores HM lemon curd ... so this has lots of potential:T

Thank you to both of you. I knew that someone on here would have some good ideas

Lily_The_Legend

My tummy's rumbling now. :rotfl: I'll have to eat my apple and raisins. I fancy a nice dessert with ice cream! :D

apple_mint

Lily_The_Legend wrote: »

Some sort of hot dessert with ice cream? Mince pies would be nice if you have any left over from Christmas!

We were frugal and didn't buy any mince pies this Christmas ... I made a Whiskey Tea Loaf though (which is great with butter):D

The hot dessert recipe is a good idea :T I have a freezer full of rhubarb so I think I'll stew some with some orange juice and service it hot with cold ice-cream.

OH will think all his birthday's have come at once with these great ideas The idea of getting some plain vanilla ice-cream was to have a very cheap simple dessert, now he's going to get all sorts of nice "experiments" :rotfl:

apple_mint

Lily_The_Legend wrote: »

My tummy's rumbling now. :rotfl: I'll have to eat my apple and raisins. I fancy a nice dessert with ice cream! :D

You know, I think I put weight on just reading these threads :rotfl:

lynzpower

APPLE MINT, iwas thinking about a chocolate and peanut butter hot sauce ( bit of broken chocolate, bit of p butter, but of milk or cream to add viscosity? bain marier style?

Not doing too badly:

I went out to get potatoes and found a new place doing them for 80p- tesco wanted 1.60 for thier cheapest which is outrageous tesco is so expensive in any case but PLEASE!

I tried on a couple of pairs of trousers in the charity shop but alas they didnt fit but will keep trying. they were only 2.40 a pair but they were just the wrong shape for me, shame they were really nice order as well.

I realised in the pouring rain that I have a hole thing in the sole of my boots, so I shall have to get the superglue out as I cant afford any more- full stop! not sure where it is exactly.

OH is out tonight for a couple of beers ( wonder if this might come out of the alcohol at home budget? as we don't have a going out? er, er)

I got a few bits today - milk from iceland, I got one of the semis to water it down but Im guessing if I do water it down I will only end up with half the nutrients? Doesn't sound too healthy to me, so I will see.

Also got a few pot noodles, jam and a few incidentals from £ stretcher - v cheap in there. I cant make a lunch or less than 35p really and these pot noodles were that cheap, a good thing to have in for my new job/placement as I cant afford at all any eating out. It is in one of those places as well where the temptation to spend is massive ( lovely shops and cafes etc) spent 4.00 and had 2 bags full of "stuff" maybe Ill be happy with my pot noodle! Ill have to be

Have been looking for my new mobile and still perusing, there might be one with virgin that will work for me,I need to pop in adn see them in the local shop.

I have to go to town to take library books back to uni tomorrow ( fines, no doubt) and to take a top back to debenhams, sadly im going to have to use prepay- as OH hasnt bought as weekly travelcard ( annoying)

If I go early early then i wont be tempted to eat or buy any snacks when Im out. I have M&S voucher for food as well, so I might be tempted to get meat form there as with the voucher it will end up cheaper than other options im sure.

I have had a brainwave about this defunct sky dish that is in the garden (was in the shedwhen we moved in) im going to try to grow spring onions in it Ive also been saving the toilet roll tubes and the plastic trays that mushrooms come in for raising seedlings in again this year.

Have a bag of stuff ready for ebay, and I might handwrite the descriptions out in a bit.

Had a 30 quid underspend on groceries this week ( we budget 50) so I am happy. but I know that is because we have food in the house, and that will diminish a we go along.

Anyway, better get back to revision!

dizzy_lizzie

apple_mint how about warming up some strawberry jam and pouring it over. What if you made it into a knickerbocker glory by adding fruit in layers then add the jam and a sprinkle of nuts?
Talking of desserts just taken the recipe from itsallinthemind out of the oven. No muesli so used cornflakes, no pecans so used walnuts and almonds. Whizzed in the food processor and baked. 5 slices gone already! It is absolutely gorgeous. Are we ok posting pics 'cos I've done one already? Well here it is just in case we are before we all grabbed a slice


Luvz Dizzy x