Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - Part 3.

natnat13

Morning all, after reading your posts I think my electric is really expensive, so I am just about to do a comparison and also want to get a monitor, how do you get a free one? Or can anyone reccommend one to buy?
I have started reading a book called Live More, Spend Less bySarah Flower, she is very much on my wave length, it's interesting.
Also, can anyone point me towards a link for the SoW please? I did start writing it all down in a book at the begining but lost my way!!
Thanks very much Nat x

natnat13

Well, I did a comparison and nothing cheaper came up. Guess it's us being greedy electricity guzzlers!!!

Cherryjack

dizzy_lizzie wrote: »

That was interesting from Martin seriouslyfrugal. Thanks for that.
Clicked on one of the links on there and came across this, which I haven't seen before on here. Some great cheapie thoughtful handmade Christmas ideas all for a fiver and under link

Ruby love the term 'lilly livered.' Haven't heard that for 'yonks'

Cherryjack glad the link was useful. I love the one with the clothes pegs and using the paint sample cards from B & who Actually I loved all of them
Have you thought about learning to crochet or basic knitting. You could crochet up some gorgeous scarves, gloves, baby blankets toys etc all for the cost of a ball of wool and they make wonderful gifts for folk. If you go on you tube and add beginners crochet there are some excellent tutorials on there. I've got a few crochet hooks the same size, for some reason, I would gladly post one off to you with a ball of wool and a little crochet instruction leaflet. Anyway if you decide to have a go drop me a pm with your address

I've started a new money challenge which will be updated in my sig. Did so well in the original. But now of course I've used most of the contents of fridge and freezer and though I've still resisted a 'big' shop I can see I'm spending a lot more now as I've no food to use up. So just going to carry on as I am and buying it daily but I might end up buying for a few days ahead.
Called at the Co *p on the way home to get a few bits in and had a look through a Christmas craft edition of Prima. Oooh it was lovely, lots of gorgeous things to make and loads of ideas and then I thought...........I can get most of these crafts off google and if I'm honest I probably wouldn't have made anything from it! So saved the £3 odd. Now not that long ago I would have bought that and not thought twice. It felt good putting it back on the shelf :j
Hope everyone is well and keeping warm
Hugs x

Just seen the other posts. Slowlyfading wish there was something more I could do than offering just words.
Take care lovely x

FlyingFresian do you think the monitor will help you reduce how much electricity you're using, now you're more aware of it?
x

Thank you lizzie , you are so sweet :-) ive always loved the thought of being able to make things.. i must have a look at the youtube videos to see if its something i would be able to do. I have a whole year off on maternity leave next year and this could be something relaxing for me to do.. use them towards gifts and keep me occupied
Well done with your food shopping.. im gettin lower on supplies now and was feeling that i should go out and do another big shop.. not sure if i should just use up what i have .. im so scared of getting the snow and being stuck to get food lol..
will have a look for your link xx:j

2wildthing2

Thanks everyone for getting back to me with your gas & electric use, I guess we should get a monitor and ensure that everything is switched off at night.

I also did the comparison and cannot get it any cheaper with Eon Fixed until June 2013 so when this ends I guess it will go up.

On a positive note at least its not as cold as last year.

Cheers

slowlyfading

Thanks for all of the well wishes, I am feeling slightly better today

It's been another NSD in the SF household, and OH had a frugal omlette for tea, so all is good.

Hope everyone has a good evening

tumptyteapot

Spent a tenner on a warehouse dress I have been stalking for ages. It was 50 originally. Still on ww2 rations. Scales said 10st this morning! 9.12 is my goal so I'm pleased.

rubytuesday

Very pleased with my cobbled dinner which saved a trip to Tesco.

Fried an onion, carrot and bit of red pepper, added a jar of arrabaita pasta sauce lurking in the cupboard, chick peas and black eyed beans and a bit of sweet chilli sauce cooked it up and served with a bag of rice onion sweetcorn and peas that I'd never tried before that was lurking in the freezer.

Really tasty!

purpleorchid

eveing all

sf glad to hear you are feeling a bit better today.

pic you sound like you have it all sorted out with e & g. i must say i was impressed with my bills last time. i have both of mine with scottish power and it came to just under £55, although i do live alone.

hope everyone else i ok

spent 3 hrs in the kitchen today, made fruit cake, bread n butter pudding, chicken chasseur x 5 portions and chicken curry x 5 portions. not bad out of 6 chicken breasts that cost £2.99

today food n drinks
4 coffee x 2 sugar
glass milk
2 tea x 3 sweetners
bowl of shreddies n milk
chicken chasseur with boiled potatoes
fruit cake
packet of hula hoops
bread and butter pudding


will add more later if i have anymore. am so tired hoping to sleep tonight.xx

dizzy_lizzie

rubytuesday wrote: »

Swam a kilometre today so very pleased.

Have a swim tag card which involves wearing a monitor and it updates lengths, speed, rests, calories burned etc went to update it when I got home when I realised I was still wearing the monitor which should have been handed back to the pool!

Ruby you weren't wearing it round your ankle were you!
Well done on the swim :T

paidinchickens wrote: »

Finally (and then I promise I will shut up boring you )
PICx

Paidinchix your posts don't bore at all. You're always up to something and it all makes interesting reading

tumptyteapot wrote: »

Still on ww2 rations. Scales said 10st this morning! 9.12 is my goal so I'm pleased.

Wow tumpty sounds like you're going to reach that goal :beer:
I'm feeling tired again today. Think tomorrow will be a bit of a lie-in.
Birds have the right idea don't they...oh it's cold now lets migrate to a warmer climate for a few months...and off they fly. Yep those birds know what they're doing
Not much planned for this evening except to finish a wristwarmer off.
Warm hugs
x

rubytuesday

Ha ha Dizzy no round my wrist!

Unfortunately that is the best swim I've done time wise and rest wise but I will probably loose the data!