Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 2

tumptyteapot

What a glorious day! spent £3 at the market on 12 cartons of branded apple juice, £1 on a very long net curtain and £1 on a summer jacket for my son. £3 on nice seeds and nuts, pumpkin, pine nuts etc and some lavender to make lavender shortbread which I haven't tried before. £1 on a pair of hemp trousers - it is like a very heavy linen, lovely but they need a new zip and £1.50 on a construction toy - a bag of bits that fit together to keep my son amused over the holiday.
Off out tonight £4 to see a band but I am driving so not drinking so that will be a frugal night. Hope parking is free!

LauraM65

tumptyteapot wrote: »

What a glorious day! spent £3 at the market on 12 cartons of branded apple juice, £1 on a very long net curtain and £1 on a summer jacket for my son. £3 on nice seeds and nuts, pumpkin, pine nuts etc and some lavender to make lavender shortbread which I haven't tried before. £1 on a pair of hemp trousers - it is like a very heavy linen, lovely but they need a new zip and £1.50 on a construction toy - a bag of bits that fit together to keep my son amused over the holiday.
Off out tonight £4 to see a band but I am driving so not drinking so that will be a frugal night. Hope parking is free!

Hi Tumptyteapot the lavender shortbread sounds nice, let me know what its like and the recipe if possible. You sound like you had a really good day getting lots for your money. What do you use your nuts and seeds for? Not this weekend as my son is getting engaged but the next, I think I will go somewhere a bit more up market and have a look around some charity shops to see if I can get some bargains, could do with some new tops for work.:T

tumptyteapot

LauraM65 wrote: »

Hi Tumptyteapot the lavender shortbread sounds nice, let me know what its like and the recipe if possible. You sound like you had a really good day getting lots for your money. What do you use your nuts and seeds for?

I haven't made it yet but I was going to use this recipe
http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/513765

This one looks nicer but 350g butter!
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/6993/lavender-shortbread-biscuits.aspx

I sprinkle seeds onto green salads, usually a mix of pumpkin and sesame, if I have something like a mackerel and potato salad I'll use them then as well. The pine nuts are really expensive and I'll toast them first to bring the flavour out and use them on top of stuffed pancakes or something.

rubytuesday

Winchelsea wrote: »

Last line of above - I meant 'curve' of course.

By the way, does anyone have experience of using what I call "crazy colour"? I'm thinking of maybe going purple! (At my age?!)

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: I was just laughing at that and was thinking of making a joke but didn't want to appear rude! I upset someone in the arms once when I made a joke about a typo. Very funny it was too!:rotfl:

SandraScarlett

Winnie_in_Pooh wrote: »

Hi guys!

Just wondering if anyone has any tips for cutting your own hair? I already home colour and usually nip to the hairdressers on a student night for a wet cut every couple of months but its still a tenner I don't really want to spend!

Win xx

Hi Winnie in Pooh (great name!!). I find it best to have a "proper" expensive hair cut to start with, because then you have the "lines" to follow. I never cut mine wet, always dry, because my hair looks a certain length when it's wet, but is much shorter dry - but not every hair, or tress, is the same shortness IYKWIM!!

So I start with my professional cut, and then every few weeks or so, I comb sections through, look at what is poking over the top of the comb, and then snip the surplus. Then I get an adjacent section, and take a little bit of the hair I've just cut, plus the uncut section, which I then cut to equal the cut bit. :j

I went 3 years without a professional cut, but now treat myself yearly. And I've cut DHs for over 40 years! I do use good products though, as these hide a multitude of sins. HTH

xx

PS Hi to Lady Lesley. We would welcome any of your super-frugal tips.

rubytuesday

Happy Birthday Rising from the ashes!

Marvel1

cjdavies wrote: »

My food budget for a month is £100, after tweaking it better, I went over In November 2010 and January 2011 BUT over the last 5 months it averages £73.53 per month, s not bad.

An update, today I spent £59.01 on Groceries today!!

I went on a mad morning, first it was Tesco, I went at 7am for the following offers (on top of my usual weekly bits):
* Buy 1 Get 2 free on Adidas Shower Gel, I had 6 in total (paid for 2)
* Buy 1 get 2 free on Adidas B/Spray, had the last 6 on shelf (paid for 2).
* I usually buy the normal Colgate toothpaste but the Colgate Advanced White was 1/2 price at £1.12 so only 12p more bought 2 of them.
* Paid for 2 Right Guard anti-perspirant's as they were buy 1 get 1 free.

Then it was off to the gym.

After it was Farmfoods for the 3 Chicken Breast Fillets 1kg for £10, bought 6.

Last stop was Lidl, was hoping to get the XXL Pork Medalions 2 for £10, but couldn't find them, so I bought 2 Parazone's 1.5L bleach for £0.99 each as they were 1/2 price.

May have gone a bit mad made but at least I wouldn't have to worry about the toiletries for a while.

Frugaldom

cw18 wrote: »

Even I'm a "tad" distracted at the moment...... was out for a 'meet' yesterday (went well), have another (someone different) lined up for next Saturday, and someone else hinting about the possibility !!!

Aside from filling your ISA - most impressed by that, as mine has now been completely emptied to pay for the house -how have the meets been going and what does the dog think so far? :beer:

Getting keys to new place next week and have met the new tenant waiting to get into this place. Feels very weird to be forced out of our current home only to be replaced by one of the neighbours, but there you go - you live and you learn. I just need to learn not to let things shock me.

Will get around to catching up at some point, now about to embark on the great switching of telephones & broadband so we're hooked up at new address sooner rather than later.

Enjoy the good weather if you have it and keep on frugaling.

Savvy_sewing

Frugaldom wrote: »

Aside from filling your ISA - most impressed by that, as mine has now been completely emptied to pay for the house -how have the meets been going and what does the dog think so far? :beer:

Getting keys to new place next week and have met the new tenant waiting to get into this place. Feels very weird to be forced out of our current home only to be replaced by one of the neighbours, but there you go - you live and you learn. I just need to learn not to let things shock me.

Will get around to catching up at some point, now about to embark on the great switching of telephones & broadband so we're hooked up at new address sooner rather than later.

Enjoy the good weather if you have it and keep on frugaling.

Oh dear, I have not been about to hear about your having to move? What a nuisance for you. I hope that the new place works out well for you. I must try and find time to go back over the thread and have a good read! (Just to be nosey you understand:rotfl:).
But just now I have managed to make a loaf of bread in the breadmaker, that looks like its risen. For a change! Havent made one since I moved here.! Time has gone so fast, and i am still surrounded by boxes. Least if this bread works then I will not have to go out to the shops today. That will save me money on magazines, and sweets, and anything else that I decide i need! I am trying to use what i have before the holiday next week.
We are selfcatering and sharing a holiday. so we are trying to still be frugal. Although we need to take two cars to get there!. Oh well cannot have it all.

cw18

Frugaldom wrote: »

Aside from filling your ISA - most impressed by that, as mine has now been completely emptied to pay for the house

I impressed myself by even thinking of it in time.... the money so nearly ended up in a normal (low) interest savngs account :eek:

how have the meets been going and what does the dog think so far? :beer:

Once he's been assured of some attention, he tends to ignore whoever - and the chap we met last Sunday gave him enough attention to be ignored Have spoken on the phone (and exchanged texts) several times since then

Was supposed to be meeting the second today, but got a message a few days ago saying he needed to take a rain check as something unavoidable had come up. Only problem is he works shifts with most of his time off falling midweek when I'm at work, so finding a long enough slot where we're both available (to allow driving out, walking around a park with the mutt, and then driving home in time for work) is actually proving incredibly difficult..... have a feeling it may well not happen if it's this hard to do.

But the third had asked for a meet just before that, and it turns out tonight works better for both of us than the other couple of options this week. The dog won't be coming tonight though, as we're going ten-pin bowling. It's only my second time ever, and it's about 32 years since my one and only total disaster at it Warned him that I'd probably make a total fool of myself (based on that experience), and he offered to come up with other suggestions - but I assured him I was game to try again as long as he doesn't laugh at me too much....... I guess it'll be an ice-breaker if nothing else :rotfl:

Getting keys to new place next week

Best of luck with the move - hope it all goes smoothly for you :beer: