Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - Part 3.

natnat13

Morning all, I'm with you PIC, I feel fed up, broke and depressed but then I read everyone else's posts and think what am I moaning about?!

I have just rung up about another job, a few hours a week being a counter assistant in a chinese, my hope is I might get free food too :rotfl:Although I left a message and they haven't rung me back so the job has probably gone.

:grouphug: group hug!

rubytuesday

Don't worry Paidin we need to moan sometimes.

I'm certainly saying the same old same old day after day at the moment.

I've not long got up still tired despite an early night again! (see)

I'm sure I'm more tired since I've started going to bed early than when I was staying up half the night.

Would you be able to get out in the fresh air for some exercise that may lift your mood.

I am going to make sure I get to my walking group this afternoon tired or not.

I'll pop in to Lidl after for a few bits - pitta bread pizza's tonight.

I went to Mr T last night and noticed the money really doesn't go far these days!

rubytuesday

Good luck Natnat hopefully if it's gone something else will come along.

Aril

Hello fellow frugallers:j
Yum that cake looks lush and with a virtual slice no calories woo hoo:jThe small person made a lovely tasting batch of cheese scones on Sunday- it's the first time I've ever let him completely loose in the kitchen without supervision and he was so proud of himself!
I have a little news- after various interviews and getting down to the last 2 out of 400 and still not getting the job I was heartily sick of the whole business by the end of last week. However, I'm happy to announce that I have accepted a part time post as of yesterday- it's only 10hpw but it's a start. Shall need to find something else to run alongside it but that could take time- the interview I had on Friday which I've yet to hear back from had 80 applicants:eek:
I'll be perfectly honest there hasn't been a great deal of frugalling here at GBT here of late- I have been so stressed at times and my days have just been continously changing. However, I don't think it's been a total disaster either as a lot of its so ingrained that I do it quite subconsciously now. Made amends today by rummaging around in the whoopsie fridge at Mr T and emerged triumphant with 3 packs of butter and some sausages- all now safely frozen. Was pleased last week because went out for a frugal girl's day out with my best chum who's also been made redundant- we rummaged around in the charity shops and found some stonking bargains. For £8 I now have a lovely skirt and matching top to wear on my birthday on Thursday- on the way back from hers I also benefitted from a box of free apples and pears left outside somebody's house. What a lovely gesture [I did leave lots in the box for others I hasten to add!]
Beyond that I have finally finished my folk art style owl cushion- all made from fabrics from my stash and mounted on an old flannel sheet that I dyed with tea. Even the buttons came from the CS!
Arilx

Fishcake_Random

Hello all,
I have been MIA for ages and ages but I really need to get back it things. I am now an official married woman, but has started to feel the post wedding blues as after months of organizing I now have nothing to do lol.
To start with I have gone over our last 3 months of bank statements with a careful eye. I was pretty shocked that we were still paying 2 dd's to companys we are no longer with after moving home earlier in the year! So two quick phonecalls this morning and I have £230 ish winging its way to our savings! I'm feeling pretty chuffed with myself
I've also just been given a huge bunch of celery, a handful of carrots and a small tub of mushrooms from a friend. She got them in her fortnightly veggie box but they don't eat them in their household. So tonights dinner will be mushroom and cheese omellettes (or scrambled egg if they go wonky) and tomorrow a nice cottage pie with carrots. Just need some ideas for the celery if anyone has any recipes or ideas? It's sooooo boring raw lol
x x x

sophsnan

Fishcake_Random wrote: »

Hello all,
I have been MIA for ages and ages but I really need to get back it things. I am now an official married woman, but has started to feel the post wedding blues as after months of organizing I now have nothing to do lol.
To start with I have gone over our last 3 months of bank statements with a careful eye. I was pretty shocked that we were still paying 2 dd's to companys we are no longer with after moving home earlier in the year! So two quick phonecalls this morning and I have £230 ish winging its way to our savings! I'm feeling pretty chuffed with myself
I've also just been given a huge bunch of celery, a handful of carrots and a small tub of mushrooms from a friend. She got them in her fortnightly veggie box but they don't eat them in their household. So tonights dinner will be mushroom and cheese omellettes (or scrambled egg if they go wonky) and tomorrow a nice cottage pie with carrots. Just need some ideas for the celery if anyone has any recipes or ideas? It's sooooo boring raw lol
x x x

pop some celery in with the cottage pie it lovely

rising_from_the_ashes

Just had some great news - pc is fixable!:D Hopefully will have it back at the end of the week:j

What's the 1st thing I'll be doing? Backing everything up!

I really must get into the habit of doing this.... whenever it goes wrong & is fixed, I do it and promise to do regularly but then get out of the habit:( - really must do better from now on as it's a fair age and not worth spending huge amounts on to fix (and can't justify replacing when I have the laptop).

So, off to e*bay to try to get some cheap memory sticks!


Cleared out a couple of kitchen cupboards this morning:) (after my drawers) and have just had a big Mr T delivery (don't normally shop there but had a £10 off £50 spend + £5 cashback) so cupboards and freezers full again:D - really need to reduce from now on (mortgage goes up £50 from Nov) :eek: so glad I did it now.


ETA - the clearing out wiped me out (although still on pretty strong painkillers too which doesn't help) and I slept for about 3 hours afterwards ...... maybe a sign winter's on it's way that we're all so tired

natnat13

Fishcake_Random wrote: »

Hello all,
I have been MIA for ages and ages but I really need to get back it things. I am now an official married woman, but has started to feel the post wedding blues as after months of organizing I now have nothing to do lol.
To start with I have gone over our last 3 months of bank statements with a careful eye. I was pretty shocked that we were still paying 2 dd's to companys we are no longer with after moving home earlier in the year! So two quick phonecalls this morning and I have £230 ish winging its way to our savings! I'm feeling pretty chuffed with myself
I've also just been given a huge bunch of celery, a handful of carrots and a small tub of mushrooms from a friend. She got them in her fortnightly veggie box but they don't eat them in their household. So tonights dinner will be mushroom and cheese omellettes (or scrambled egg if they go wonky) and tomorrow a nice cottage pie with carrots. Just need some ideas for the celery if anyone has any recipes or ideas? It's sooooo boring raw lol
x x x

I put celery in stew and it's great at bulking it up x

dizzy_lizzie

Aril wrote: »

Beyond that I have finally finished my folk art style owl cushion- all made from fabrics from my stash and mounted on an old flannel sheet that I dyed with tea. Even the buttons came from the CS!
Arilx

Ooh please put a pic up Aril. I love folk art style.

tumptyteapot wrote: »

Ohh Dizzy, do you have a recipe please, my sister is vegan and she is visiting soon

tumpty the recipe is sooooo simple.

300g SR flour
200g demerara sugar
60g walnuts. I crushed mine with a rolling pin.
1 tsp cinnamon
2tsp baking powder
1 cup coffee 4 times stronger than normal, topped up to half a pint with water
6 fl oz oil

1/ Sift dry ingredients and ensure they're mixed thoroughly. Add nuts.
2/ Pour on wet ingredients and mix well, then pour into a greased rectangular cake tin (I use two sandwich tins)
3/ Leave to cool in tin, then turn out and ice.
Sandwich together with coffe icing, using icing sugar, small amount of coffee, diluted with small amount of water and if you wish add butter, to make the icing coffee buttercream
4/ Put the kettle on and enjoy........

Tumpty the recipe is from 'The Cake Scoffer' produced at Animal Aid. It's worth its weight in gold and all for the amazing price of....£1.50!!!!! I've also got The Breakfast Scoffer and I'm going to order The Veggie Scoffer one. There's also an amazing chocolate cake recipe in there and a vegan mars bar version recipe. Your sister would love the book I'm sure...Christmas is coming and that really is a good frugal price
Here's the link...http://www.animalaidshop.org.uk/books-dvds/cookbooks

x

Oops had to edit, the Cake Book is £1.25...it's The Cake Scoffer part 2' that's £1.50 :-)

tumptyteapot

wow DIzzie that is amazing, thank you so much! I'll post it on my (vegan) mum's facebook wall in hope that she will make it next time I visit too :-)

I bet I could use some grated apple instead of sugar too - I have a lot of apples!

Spent £1 today on a brilliant, very heavy based stainless steel pan that fits my steamer pans - my ex burnt the copper base off my old one. dur!