Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 2

JIL

Can I ask what difference does mashed potato make to the bread? I would be interested in trying it as I always have a bit of left over mash. Also as I am a bit lazy could you add it to a breadmaker loaf or is it just a hand kneaded one? Thanks

miss_empty_piggy

Have just updated my spreadsheet and was £48.00 over income so not a good start to this quarter.

Have just made a new spreadsheet for this month. Budgetted statement says I'll be 12pence over at the end of the month, but I plan on keeping within budget AND making some extra cash somehow during my two week easter break.

Am doing a revision session in the easter holiday so should make some extra money threre, although that won't come through until next month's wages, plus after easter my hours are being increased as colleague is going on maternity leave, so wages will go up. I am so pleased as I have found it really difficult lately, with reduced hours, tax credits being dramatically reduced, prices going up, massive and unexpected gas and electricity bill, chimney needing lining etc etc. It has just felt like one thing after another for a while there, but hopefully things will start looking up for us here, and I hope it is for you all too.

Night night. x

Kiwisaver_2

JIL wrote: »

Can I ask what difference does mashed potato make to the bread? I would be interested in trying it as I always have a bit of left over mash. Also as I am a bit lazy could you add it to a breadmaker loaf or is it just a hand kneaded one? Thanks

Ooh potato bread is yum, can't describe it really slightly different texture and flavour. If you Google Potato bread there's tons of recipes and plenty for breadmakers, I am sure you'll find one with measurements etc to suit you and your machine size.

mooomin

This is a pretty shameless C&P from my own thread, but I need to get to work!!

I had a pretty good weekend moneywise. Yesterday was nearly a NSD but as Mr Fresian was going to put £10 of diesel in the Scrapsmobile I decided to match that. That way we should have enough diesel to keep us pootering about until we go on holiday at the end of the month.

I did spend in Morrisons on Saturday, but only £25 and according to the Spreadsheet of Wonder I got £32 value out of it :money:

My other big spend of the weekend was joining MFlow and putting £10 into my account with them. They're a download site and are doing a massive selection of albums for £1 as a promotion at the moment. I've not even spent my full £10 yet and have over 200 tracks! I can refer people so if anyone wants to investigate please PM me - I won't be able to respond until after work tonight though. I got Aretha Franklin, Queen, Rolling Stones and Michael Jackson's Greatest Hits for £1 each, and the newest Glee album

We went up to see Mr F's new nephew yesterday. He's pretty cute for a less-than-24-hour-old. Normally they look like wee raisins at that age. He's got some set of lungs on him though - :eek:.

***

That was pretty much all my frugal news. I made a card yesterday which is in my usual corner of the internet. I'm pretty pleased with it. I really need to start crafting in bulk so I can try and get some things sold at craft fairs too.

Have a good Monday all!

CRANKY40

I'm off to buy my sister's birthday present today. She likes face creams and things like that, so hopefully I will have enough points on my Boots reward card to cover the cost. I haven't used any of the point on it for ages. We don't do Christmas, only birthdays, so I like to get her something nice. Take care all of you.

landregistrylass

Morning all. Havent been commenting here recently - been a busy bee. Last weekend took a lovely 3 piece suite from SIL to DD so a mega frugal gain for DD - not for us as we had to put fuel in the borrowed van, but my evilbay sales have covered that, so she got it for (sort of) free. This weekend was free listing, so have been adding things like a mad woman. SIL has a caravan in the New Forest and I am taking DD and DGS x 3 there for a week in the summer so my sales MUST pay for that. Good start.... some Laura Ashley fabric went for £30 meaning a £24 profit. I dont think the tax man will be able to repay our deficit with my contribution, but as they say, every little helps. Its the little steps which all add up. Off to work now, so hope you all have a good day.

miss_empty_piggy

Not feeling great this morning so am off work today. Just been looking at the petrol diet in order to cut costs. I have put a note ton my dashboard to remind me of how much fuel I use when I accelerate or break hard. Need to check tyre pressure also. Wanted to put some carpet remnants in as car mats but will do when feeling better. Another cup of tea beckons...have a great day everyone. x

23rdspiral

hi everyone, what a nice shiney new thread... it feels good to leave behind some of the negative things of the last quarter, both personally and financially. Nice to start afresh.

ooh, you know i planted some 99pStores seeds on friday, well 3 lettuce shoots appeard on Sunday!!! wow!!!

despite being unable to do anything in the house, we were good this wknd and transfered the contents of our shed to the new house's shed... and cleaned out the shed there... gosh what a lot of dust and evicted spiders! and found they'd left quite a bit of wood! (Thank you soo much to 2 totally amazing friends too!) OH was happy as we can use it in the burner, but i looked closely and found some was shelving, some was skirting board (which we'll need!) and some was floor boards..:D so i went removed those bits from the wood pile and put htem back neatly in the shed!:money:

we had a portion of chips to celebrate.. so a LSD for OH and a NSD wknd for me!

~ my puter has been playing up and dad took it away to see what was wrong, so i have no SoW at the moment as i didnt think to memory stick it. doh!

23rdspiral

dizzy_lizzie wrote: »

Spiral was it you I did the yo yo link for but it didn't work? They are also called 'suffolk puffs' and made of round material. Traditionally sewn together for making blankets. Was a bit naughty and ordered the extra large and jumbo size yo yo makers today. But who knows I might start a blanket project going.

yes it was me. ahh, they're suffolk puffs are they? all is now clear!! sounds fun, and good to use up leftover bits of fabric, and old shirts ect.

SandraScarlett wrote: »

Credit cards used to be my downfall, but I now use an A5 envelope, and put all my receipts in that, and keep an approximate total on the front, updated weekly. That way, I have a rough idea whether I'm going to be asked for £200 or if it's likely to be nearer £1200!! Happy to say it's been nearer £400 a month for some time now. All my mates have solemnly promised to use envelopes from now on, and, if possible, to pay their bills in full!!

:T well done you on broaching what can be such a difficult subject with such success. i put all reciepts in date order in an envelope now (thanks to this challenge!), but i really like your idea of a seperate envelope of CC spends to help keep track... i've been too afraid to use my CC this year, which i guess isnt a bad thing... but i will have to for our new house spends for the protection it offers apart from anything else. thank you for the good idea! :T

Savvy_sewing

Oh dear, 1st quarter gone, and I am failing dysmally. The spending has gone out of control, not keeping up with the spreadsheet etc and being far too soft on the kids, and ebaying (buying) too much!
So its time to make a dent in the problems, pull the horns in and get my self back on track.
However I am having terrible trouble with my spreadsheet, and for some reason although I am putting things in the correct? line, its coming out on the wrong one on the totals, so now my totals dont make sense. I have spent all morning fiddling around and am exaspereated at myself not being able to do a spreadsheet!! grrr.
cheryl I may need to ask you for some help! I am going a bit mad with it. Serves me right for not updating as I was going along. I might have noticed at the beginning of March instead of now!.