Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

cw18

apple_mint wrote: »

OH has taken up the challenge with relish. I asked him if he could down grade from his luxury ice-cream treat, thinking that he would go for a tub of plain vanilla ice-cream. He went for Tesco's Value Vanilla Ice Cream. Now, I'm all for giving things a try, and we regularly buy value items such as porridge oats, flour etc. However, I think we've gone a step too far with the value ice cream.

I've never bought premium ice-creams (well, once or twice for special days - but they were flavoured ones rather than vanilla), but DS got through loads of normal ice-cream. I didn't even like the look of the value stuff (yes, I lifted a lid in store to take a peek), so we've never tried that one. But the vanilla ice-cream from A!di isn't bad - and DS could get through a tub in just a few days, so he clearly didn't mind it either

cw18

NualaBuala wrote: »

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!

I've never seen it in action, but have to say it's never appealed to me.

And to that I'd have to throw into the equation that he's a self-confessed techno-phobe (not the phrase he chose, but he agreed with that one ) plus runs internet on a rather unreliable dongle.

dizzy_lizzie

Fishcake_Random wrote: »

Hello Frugallers,
I'm having an absolutely shockingly bad day so been reading on here trying to chill out.
NSD due to not being out due to horrible weather which doesn't make today better lol. I've been watching 4od mostly and bbc iplayer on OH's PS3 this afternoon and watched an awsome film type thing called Enid, it was all about Enid Blyton's life and I was pretty shocked! I read loads of her works when I was little and had this really sweet homely image of her and she wasn't like that at all. Weird.
Hope we are all doing okay, comisseration where they are due.
x x x

Aw big hugz. Hope you feel cheerier soon. Not seen the film but I had heard she wasn't as you imagine her to be.
DD and I are having a girly night in. We're going to watch 'It's complicated' with Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin. Looks funny and it's a frugal night in. Mind you she's fast asleep on the sofa at the moment. Will have to give her a nudge later
Luvz Dizzy x

cw18

NualaBuala wrote: »

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!

I record the price I paid in the 'Cost Each' column, as that way the 'Totals' page shows how much cash I actually parted with. The original value of the item (pre-Whoopsie price) goes into the 'Value' column right after the 'W?' one.

If you put an 'n' into the 'W?' column it transfers across the 'Cost Each' price, but if you put a 'y' it puts in 999 (which probably shows on your screen as a series of hashes as the column isn't actually wide enough to display the '999.00' it's trying to put in) and you then just over-type that

** The value to put in is the original cost of each, so if you buy (eg) 2 packs of sausages which should have been 1.99 each, then put 1.99 and not 3.98. The 'Real Val' column will then show 3.98 as it multiplies the 'Value' by the 'Qty' **

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?

I don't put Whoopsie savings away, they're just a way of reducing my budgets to a level I can afford. But by recording them it does give me an idea of what my budgets would have to be if I lost access to them - which is mega-scarey when it comes to my groceries :eek:

NualaBuala

cw18 wrote: »

I've never seen it in action, but have to say it's never appealed to me.

And to that I'd have to throw into the equation that he's a self-confessed techno-phobe (not the phrase he chose, but he agreed with that one ) plus runs internet on a rather unreliable dongle.

Fair enough! Here's hoping for more frugal get-togethers - they may be cheaper than phone calls!

Thanks for the spreadsheet info. I'm adapting my existing one by copying some of yours into it so now I know what I'm doing, thank you so much! I reckon your spreadsheet deserves a mention in Martin's newsletter - it's up there with Twinks for being an MSE legend! :T

As for the rest of you ... well you are all making me hungry and I am trying to eat healthily! :rotfl: So if anyone has recipes for fatburning chocolate cakes, please share! Actually I really must go and search out some every day lunch and dinner ideas that are healthy and filling. If anyone has any recipes (veggie or that could be adapted to being veggie) that might fit the bill then I'd love to hear them!

23rdspiral

CW18 - has anyone told you today how awesome you are? :T :T :T

i'm a bit grumpy today and finding it hard to concentrate on anything - the computer is taking hours to 'defrag' so i stupidly keep popping on to it to check...which means i pop on fb and mse. i dont feel good for being so useless today. but dinner will be under 1 quid each which is good (far better than our usual fri night takeway).

and i left my spreadsheet saved at work - forgot to transfer it to my memory stick :mad:

cw18

NualaBuala wrote: »

Fair enough! Here's hoping for more frugal get-togethers - they may be cheaper than phone calls!

Not so sure about that - the cost of petrol will soon add up on the 80 mile round trips !!! In fact, one round trip costs me considerably more than the add-on to my phone contract :eek:

grandma247

23rdspiral wrote: »

grandma - i have friends who live on a SSSI (so no impact to the earth allowed) and they've used a double composting toilet for 20 years! (use one side for 6mths, switch, then before going back to the other side shovel out the compost from the hatch.) apart from remembering the tourch and the handful of sawdust after, it's fine. it never smells or attracts flies. i'm very inpressed. I've also used ones at a green festival (shambala) that were made using an old green wheelie bin, some scaffold poles and planks - brilliant tempoary option as i'm not sure how you'd empty them easily!

Umm How high was this wheelie toilet?:rotfl:I have visions of having to climb up to it.
When we were in Aus we had to use a bush toilet which was a box thing with a toilet seat fitted on it and I made the mistake of looking down. It was the deepest hole I have ever seen:eek:

lily288

Hi guys,
Had a nice NSD today but didnt fair so well yesterday spent £28.00 on food and £4.58 on stationary for DS for school, he kept getting told off for not having a ruler, I found 3 toaday in the house:mad: just as well he needed the othe stuff that I bought him.
My first bills of the month have gone out too so the spending has started but im watching every penny a lot more carefully and its been snowing here so im happy.

apple_mint

lynzpower wrote: »

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?

Brilliant, thank you lynzpower. :T OH is muttering and rebelling about finishing the ice-cream, but he loves peanut butter and this may encourage him to finish the tub (note that I've not said anything about me helping him :rotfl:)

dizzy_lizzie wrote: »

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?
Luvz Dizzy x

This is a good idea dizzy lizzie, I've got all this in so could make this tomorrow. Thank you :T

lynzpower wrote: »

Actually in chocolate sauce, golden syrupis often used for viscosity as well :drool:

OK lynzpower, now this is spoiling him! :rotfl: