Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 2

kittiej

Hi Everyone

I've had a day off work today and the boys are in school so it's been DH and myself (huray no kids, a very rare treat).

We went shopping and called into B&M and I bought the fattest, pinkest little piggy. It's sooo cute, cost me £2.99 but it will hold so much more than my jar on the window sill. They also had some teramundi type pots if anyone is after one of those.

Then we went to a pet shop and there was the sweetest little kitten in there, the last one left, quite long haired and black and white. It loved having some fuss made of it. I was tempted but then I wouldn't want to risk getting a kitten because I don't know how the dog Silly Millie Moo would act towards it. She might not do anything intentionally but she's a Springer and is really bouncy and I would be too worried she'd crush a little kitten.

I will just have to be contented with my new fat little piggy

Hope everyone's OK, Mean May is almost over :j what shall we call June - any ideas anyone?

tumptyteapot

23rdspiral wrote: »

w

"you're looking at 1000 for a new one, or if i can find one to fit 500-750 reconditioned" :eek:

Mine cost me £50 but that was about 20 years ago :-) It heats one room very well and keeps the upstairs needing less heat, but my house is a wind tunnel. MIne looks like this - http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/potbelly-cast-iron-stove/path/cast-iron-wood-burning-stoves-2. The negatives are that it only takes small bits of wood but my last boyfriend was a blacksmith and he made a stand at the front so longer bits of wood would stay in the burner.

There are a few gas bottle burners on ebay, you should be able to get something for under a hundred easily and if you have the chimeny pipes allready that will save you some money.
http://home-garden.shop.ebay.co.uk/Home-Garden-/11700/i.html?_nkw=gas+bottle+woodburner

SandraScarlett

Hi all. Have been computer-less for a week or thereabouts, so it was great to come back on here, though sad to read some of the posts. May I add my thanks to the posters who replied to Erme, for putting their points of view so well.

I haven't been very frugal of late, apart from my fantasmagorical deals at 10 seconds past midnight yesterday, when I managed to get the following:

London Victoria to Brighton for 2 adults in July £2 return total
London Victoria to Brighton for 2 adults and one child in August £2.50 return total :j :j :j

So I can treat a dear friend in July and DD and DGD in August, for the price of a couple of Costa coffees! Southern Railway were doing a 24 hour 90% discount yesterday (thank you Martin ) so I'm thrilled with that!

I must admit that after 5 months my enthusiasm for 24/7 frugalism has waned, but I'm still ahead of last year. I nearly groped the meter reader this week, when he gave me the results. Not only are my heating bills for this quarter not King Williams, they're not even bills, but Little Willies!!!:T :T :T

So my dear friends, even though we may have not been as frugal as we could be, any saving, however small, is a personal achievement, and should be celebrated. :beer:

xx

paidinchickens

pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaase don't give up I need like minded people to keep me going!!! This is the only place I can talk to people who are on the same mind track as me. All my friends spend ooooooooooodles of money of take the mick out of how tight I am.

Monday spurred me on even more when I saw my mortgage was down to £64 000 which is fab when only five years ago I had to buy my ex out and re mortgage for £79 000. (moved in with new hubby and have two mortgages)

After all the big things sorted I am now searching for the little things and need some inspiration......

We would love to have a wood burning stove but we live in a legoland house (new build with no chimneys) and it would cost far more than we could ever save.

Please don't give up xxx

tumptyteapot

paidinchickens wrote: »

We would love to have a wood burning stove but we live in a legoland house (new build with no chimneys) and it would cost far more than we could ever save.

my dad who knows everything says you can put a chimeny on the outside and it doesnt cost that much

paidinchickens

hi tumpty,

Would love to meet your dad!!!

The only outside wall in the front room has a big window in it. The kitchen is the size of a matchbox and was planning on putting on a porch. The outside walls to kitchen has a back door and bit of a wall on one side and a window and boiler on the other external door.

If it can be done cheap I would be interested xxx

meg72

cw18 wrote: »

IMO, not for making tea.


yep
I've got this one, which I bought early in 2007 (as best I recall - certainly while I was off work with my back problems).

I like that it's a push-along one, as that means I'm not twisting as I pull it and risking knocking my back out again. And it holds loads of shopping too, with no risk of it tipping over if I put loads of heavy stuff in it (or if it's empty and there's a wind, which I've also found the 'pull along on 2 wheels' type have a tendency to do )

The only thing I don't like about it is that the top blows up if there's a bit of a wind - and as such I'm looking at fastening a ribbon/string to the front of the lid, which I could then fasten around the metal outer frame to keep it in place

I have this one too and just love it,I got it cheap about2years ago on a carboot,fiver .I think and its been a god send.

Know what you mean about the top flying/off inthe wind.I find a
few pieces of blutack stuck under the flap helps but also since this is my only means of transport I have a couple of those aeroelastic things with hooks which have helped me carry many a bargain fromthe carboot, computer, table, electric fire, carpet etc. I now
just leave them attached and that really solves it.

kittiej

This thread will pick up again, a year is a long time for most people and it is the holiday season. I didn't post for ages and have found myself on here quite regularly, but that's not to say my mind might be taken over by something else next week and you won't here from me for three months ( OK don't all hurray at once lol).

I am on the charity committee at work and have decided that writing a murder mystery script would be a good way to raise money, you know, like guess who did it and the reason why - prize for the best entrant. I don't half make life difficult for myself as my brain is on overdrive now, but at least it's something for me to get my teeth into and it doesn't cost me money and it's for a good cause (CIN).

I wondered what others out there do which takes a lot of time but is free, free, free

tumptyteapot

paidinchickens wrote: »

hi tumpty,

Would love to meet your dad!!!

The only outside wall in the front room has a big window in it. The kitchen is the size of a matchbox and was planning on putting on a porch. The outside walls to kitchen has a back door and bit of a wall on one side and a window and boiler on the other external door.

If it can be done cheap I would be interested xxx

I think he means a bit like this - http://img.youtube.com/vi/xCd-RgzKV5s/0.jpg

CRANKY40

23rdspiral wrote: »

we had a friend/professional round yesterday to spruce up the wood buring stove in the new house dining room. and to pull it out 6 inches for safety and so i can get a pot of soup on top of it. messy but easy. well, that's what we thought.

what we were told about the stove by the sellers: "it heats the whole downstairs" "it doesnt use much wood really" "it was installed 2 years ago" "we brought it up from a reclamation yard in london, but its under 20 years old"

what we were told about the stove from the professional: "humm, i can see daylight..." "its a wonder the back hasnt fallen off as it's cracked into 5 pieces" "it's been badly repaired in the last few years" "it must of filled the house with smoke and Co2". "i've gotta condemn it." :mad:

"you're looking at 1000 for a new one, or if i can find one to fit 500-750 reconditioned" :eek:

Our new next door neighbours claimed a large sum of money from the people they bought the house off due to certain economies with the truth. It may be worth you having a good look around the rest of the house in case there are any other problems. Our ex neighbours told the new people that the wood burning stove in their kitchen was used all the time. It wasn't as whenever it was lit it filled MY kitchen with smoke due to the feathers in the chimney failing. The ex neighbours had to pay for a flue liner amongst other things.