Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 2

cw18

STRIKE !!!

Following all my fears of going bowling tonight (2nd time in life, and some 30+ years since the disaster that was my first time) I got a strike with my very first ball.....

Boy - you should have his face :rotfl:

But I followed it up with a zero frame, and had two or three more of those during the game - loving the gutters again!!! He did offer to put the buffer rails up for me, but I declined the offer - if the kids in the next lane didn't need them, then neither did I

Found a pub afterwards that did good (and very reasonably priced) meals, and the service was better than I've encountered in dearer establishments.


Planning to do it again next week

miss_empty_piggy

Happy birthday rising from the ashes, sounds like you've got some nice folk around xx

Rubytuesday sorry to hear about the gas etc... hope things start looking up for you.

CW18 Glad to hear that you had a good night.

My bones are also creaking. I've just come in from digging up 1/2 of my strawberry patch to make way for the potatoes, carrots and onions etc. Am shattered. I think I'm going to feel it tomorrow.

Have a great night everyone. xx

tumptyteapot

made bread, made scones, got soil out of last years grow bags to start peas and beans off, looked up how to make plant pots from newspaper all ready for tomorrow.
It's the holidays now, can't see it being that frugal with a 7 year old, cinema tomorrow which is a big spend but I don't need anything else. Got a trip planned with a friend and her daughter (http://www.wwt.org.uk/visit-us/slimbridge) and that is going to be a pricey day we can go as a family but that is still £15 each for admission, plus petrol to get there, and I really want to do the canoe trip which is another fiver. We will take a picnic! It's going to be tough sticking to budget for the next 2 weeks.
I've added a couple of simple maths bits to the SOW so it tells me how much money I have left in the budget for the remaining weeks of the month - I find it difficult to think and budget over a month and I need it broken down.

LolaLemon

Happy Birthday everyone.
Late update tonight, was working in the pub, on my own VERY BUSY, upstairs had a 21st party on, but was empty, think max of 30 peeps, they where done at midnight, and the 2 staff stayed upstairs instead of coming down and helping me out, - major rage! as every week after i finish my shift and kick drunk bums out (all myself) i then go upstairs and help them mostly kick those drunken bums out and help clear up. Never again. they even had bouncers on (only on when its an 18th or 21st) and im assuming they just left at 12 even though they are paid till 1am. so sould have came down stairs to finish up. ah well, i wont let it spoil my week.
cant remember if ive posted this week or not, but the owls went down well at the party, couldnt do the egg hunt as the outside area was being painted n stuff. took my son swimming on his birthday (wed) on thursday my sis took us up to xscape and we went bowling (i paid) and she paid for dinner in nandos, friday my son went to his dads who had a wee surprise party for him (not allowed to take his presents home - grr they really bug me!!!) and it was my brothers 18th birthday, he wanted to go out for a meal, so away to xscape we went, as he wanted to go to braehead for trainers too, frankie and bennies - its not tht great as what i have bn led to believe. My parents paid for dinner.
best news is from today; we went to pick a kitten!! soo excited, son picked the tabby, which the lady thinks is a girl. i fell in love with a wee ginger n white one... soo tempted to call her tomorrow and take tht too, but at £60 each im very reluctant. (as im saving up for a chicken coop too)
girl in the pub asked me to bring in samples of my crochet, as she is very keen for me to make her some clothing, im a bit reluctant as im really slow with projects (i get bored too easily) and im unsure of how to price things.

miss_empty_piggy

Goodness me we have some early risers (or late to beds)...

Just had a scout round my handywork from yesterday, feeling really pleased with myself as I have been intending to plant things for years and have never actually gotten around to it. Today is the day (after the car boot sale visit). Was looking at wine recipes last night and really can't wait to get started with this. Lesley you inspired me with "At 11p a bottle, who needs to go to the offey!!!!". Plus I just think it would be fun.

I also need to paint the shed and chicken coop (currently blue, very worn and faded in places). Shop was £20 down to £19 yesterday which is a no go, there was some for £11 and £5 but unfortunately no blue. I have loads of blue emulsion and am thinking I might then varnish over the top. Or would I be better off just coughing up the money to get the blue weatherproof paint??? I wonder if I could mix the varnish in with the emulsion - or is that dangerous???

have a great day everyone. x

Puddleglum

Good morning all!
I have just caught up on the past week's news - what a week.

Yesterday I renewed all my library books on line which, although it does not count in the official statistics as a library visit, gives me another 3 weeks to find the missing book. Fortunately two weeks and a day of that is holiday! So it's Flylady every day at Puddleglum Mansion and if it has not been found at the end of that, fingers crossed that the £44 replacement will still be available on Amazon.

The sun is shining here again today. The tomato plants have reached that point where they have enough green leaf to really get going and there are a good few other seedlings that my black thumbs haven't killed off yet.

Hope that everyone has a great day.

Puddleglum

tumptyteapot

Trallwm_Farm wrote: »

I dont know if they still do it but I thought cinemas have a half price monday ? Great if you are home on a monday. I used to foster and one boy would go missing all day. He got his half price ticket and just kept nipping into different films all day !!!! Nerves of steel some kids

not round here they don't, they sometimes do a kids screening which is just £1 each but today's kids film is Justin Beiber and I'd rather eat my own flesh than watch that, I think my son feels the same :-)

mooomin

tumptyteapot wrote: »

today's kids film is Justin Beiber and I'd rather eat my own flesh than watch that, I think my son feels the same :-)

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

At least you're bringing him up right

rising_from_the_ashes

Puddleglum wrote: »

Yesterday I renewed all my library books on line which, although it does not count in the official statistics as a library visit, gives me another 3 weeks to find the missing book. Fortunately two weeks and a day of that is holiday! So it's Flylady every day at Puddleglum Mansion and if it has not been found at the end of that, fingers crossed that the £44 replacement will still be available on Amazon.
Puddleglum

I was thinking about you earlier as I dug a library book out the bag to read and have realised I'm one short too! I try hard to keep them in the "library" bag but this one must be lying around somewhere so will need to have a hunt too. Fingers crossed you find yours.

cw18 wrote: »

STRIKE !!!

Following all my fears of going bowling tonight (2nd time in life, and some 30+ years since the disaster that was my first time) I got a strike with my very first ball.....

Boy - you should have his face :rotfl:

But I followed it up with a zero frame, and had two or three more of those during the game - loving the gutters again!!! He did offer to put the buffer rails up for me, but I declined the offer - if the kids in the next lane didn't need them, then neither did I

Found a pub afterwards that did good (and very reasonably priced) meals, and the service was better than I've encountered in dearer establishments.


Planning to do it again next week

Wow, that's fantastic Cheryl! Glad to hear it went so well and that you're having a "repeat" next week.

LolaLemon wrote: »

best news is from today; we went to pick a kitten!! soo excited, son picked the tabby, which the lady thinks is a girl. i fell in love with a wee ginger n white one... soo tempted to call her tomorrow and take tht too, but at £60 each im very reluctant. (as im saving up for a chicken coop too).

Aww Lola, that's great - I did pop into the pets board last night to see if you'd posted on there! £60 each oh my! I remember the days when they were just given away but they seem to be long past, when I got Miss M (nearly 3 years ago) it was just the same but I refuse to pay that much - her owners ended up taking £25 off each person which was to neuter the mother which I didn't mind paying at all.


Quick question - does anyone know if I can fit a king size 4.5 tog duvet into a 7kg washing machine?

Would like to avoid taking it to the laundrette it at all possible - it's another beautiful day here so sure it would dry.

Have a great day everyone.:D

rising_from_the_ashes

Trallwm_Farm wrote: »

This is a problem I come across regularly and as it would cost as much in fuel to get to a launderette as to use one Ive found this method works.
Its the actual soaking thoroughly thats the problem so when you have a bath,throw the quilt in afterwards and trample about on it. (especially good if you have small child labour ) top it up after with hot water and add a capful of bleach. Empty bath after an hour and drag quilt up one end so the water all but drains away then the following morning squish it down and it will be small enough and wet enough already to go in a hot wash cycle or lower cycle as the bleach will have killed off anything unpleasant.

Thanks Lesley, I totally agree with you re the cost of getting to the launderette (and then actually washing the duvet) - I was going to do my winter one a few months ago and the cost of using the machines was £2 less than I could actually buy a new one. When fuel was added on, I decided it wasn't worth it and I'm ashamed to say that I did actually just buy a new one (which I hate). However, the old one is currently in use as a dog's bed.:)

I've tried washing them in the bath before and have found them just too heavy to "manhandle" (have arthritis) - tried to get it in the machine and, lets say, it went but there was no room for it to move.

Guess I'll have to try the launderette again and hope it's cheaper with it being thinner.:(