Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - Part 3.

silvasava

Hi All

Congratulations to SF Well Done to Paidin & keep your chin up Tumpty

NSD for me today. DH walked to the Coop for some milk so I asked him to get 2 packs of 9 toilet rolls if they were still on offer for £3.00 each. He came back with the milk, a pack of multi grain rolls ( i've got loads in the freezer), 2 packs of toilet rolls that were on offer at 6.99 for 2 & a box of Thorntons for me - what will I do with him - he shouldn't be allowed out on his own
Picked 2nd lot of green beans yesterday & 2 more cucumbers - still no toms
Weather report gives rain down here tonight & tomorrow morning we could do with some - seems like Scotlands been getting far more that their fair share lately.
Have a good weekend & hope lots of you have a successful forage!

dizzy_lizzie

Quoted lots but somehow cocked it up so.........
Brilliant news seriouslyfrugal :beer: congratulations.
And to risingfromtheashes, how great did that feel when your shiny certificate was in your hands? Like this...:j:j:j:jHope it won't be long before we're congratulating you on your degree.

ruby I'm really pleased your appointment went well.

And a virtual cheers from me too paidinchickens :beer: with the support you gave your friend.

silvasava that was very sweet of him though to bring you chocolates, you gotta love 'em, haven't you?

tumpty that really is so sad to read. I truly hope your luck changes and you settle somewhere that's just right for you and your little man.

And welcome to zaksmum.

phew...hope I didn't leave anything out.

Nights are getting darker earlier now and I'm still hankering after a Summer...come on, own up, who's hiding the Sunshine????

Love dizzy x

rubytuesday

Ooh my goodness where is everyone today?! X

dizzy_lizzie

I thought that too ruby. Bit spooky isn't it? x

Edited to add...didn't do any crochet or crafting like I said I wanted to do the other day.
At the moment I seem to be doing a lot of thinking about doing things but because there's sooooo much I want to do, I end up doing none. Anyway went into Waterstones today to buy a book for a friends birthday and happened to pick up this book. Read a few pages and thought...hmmmm that could be interesting. Bought it, picked OH up from home because he wanted to pop to B & Q so drove there. Anyway after looking at taps and plumbing things I said I was waiting in the car. Got the book from the bag, put my feet on the dashboard and read a few pages. Arrived home and................................
stripped the loo. Something I'd been wanting to do for months but spent more time procrastinating about it!
I honestly don't think for one moment I'd have done it if I hadn't read the start of this book. Goodness knows what I'll be up to when I've read it all
Anyway just thought I'd share that...
Hope everyone is safe and well.
Love Dizzy x

rubytuesday

Well done Dizzy.

I've got that book too it's good!

I was really pleased - girlie came home from a from a week away filled with the cleaning bug. She cleaned a corner on the landing in total disarray after the sanding in no time - I'd spent days dithering over it and getting myself in a muddle.

I just sort of twirl around aimless and confused when it comes to tidying up!:rotfl:

rising_from_the_ashes

Hello everyone, was wondering what's going on too! (maybe everyone's on hols).

I've discovered the "preparing for winter" thread on the OS board so have been working may way through 200+ pages of that:eek:.

I've picked up some really useful tips and am feeling quite happy as I now have a "proper" list of things to do/get rather than haphazardly getting bits and forgetting things as in previous years. (Got down to 3 days of dogs medication last year - had ordered it but no post for over 3 weeks, also ran out of cat litter, didn't have a snow shovel etc).

Good(ish) news on the cat tree front - have managed to sell it on Gum*tree for what I paid for it, going to drop it off shortly (they said they'd pay my fuel as don't have transport) so at least I'm not out of pocket - still really disappointed that it's nowhere near the dimensions stated on the add though:mad:.

Having a "cooky" weekend - got 3 x 1kg (2x500g) packs of mince at Mr A yesterday so made a huge pot of Chilli with one yesterday (one portion eaten last night & 8 in freezer) another of Mince today (one for tonight & 6 for freezer once they cool) and hoping to do another of Spag Bol sauce tomorrow!:D Hoping they'll keep me going post-op with some pasta/sauces etc thrown into the mix.

Also picked a huge amount of runner beans yesterday and these have been blanched & frozen too - quite successful!

Hope you're all having a good weekend.

Attempting to go to the Fringe with DM again tomorrow, keep your fingers crossed we make it this time!;)

dizzy_lizzie

rubytuesday wrote: »

Well done Dizzy.

I've got that book too it's good!

I was really pleased - girlie came home from a from a week away filled with the cleaning bug. She cleaned a corner on the landing in total disarray after the sanding in no time - I'd spent days dithering over it and getting myself in a muddle.

I just sort of twirl around aimless and confused when it comes to tidying up!:rotfl:

Aw ruby that just reminded me of this
I set myself little targets now and get all comfy before I begin. Example if I'm doing the bedroom I'll make a brew and put on Planet Rock Radio, Alice Cooper is the dj in the evenings and he's excellent, with little bits of rock trivia thrown in, and then it feels a bit like 'me time' but productive as well.
As for the book, well, great minds think alike ruby. I think it's going to be money well spent and one I'll definately keep dipping into once I've read it all

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Hello everyone, was wondering what's going on too! (maybe everyone's on hols).

I've discovered the "preparing for winter" thread on the OS board so have been working may way through 200+ pages of that:eek:.

I've picked up some really useful tips and am feeling quite happy as I now have a "proper" list of things to do/get rather than haphazardly getting bits and forgetting things as in previous years. (Got down to 3 days of dogs medication last year - had ordered it but no post for over 3 weeks, also ran out of cat litter, didn't have a snow shovel etc).

Good(ish) news on the cat tree front - have managed to sell it on Gum*tree for what I paid for it, going to drop it off shortly (they said they'd pay my fuel as don't have transport) so at least I'm not out of pocket - still really disappointed that it's nowhere near the dimensions stated on the add though:mad:.

Having a "cooky" weekend - got 3 x 1kg (2x500g) packs of mince at Mr A yesterday so made a huge pot of Chilli with one yesterday (one portion eaten last night & 8 in freezer) another of Mince today (one for tonight & 6 for freezer once they cool) and hoping to do another of Spag Bol sauce tomorrow!:D Hoping they'll keep me going post-op with some pasta/sauces etc thrown into the mix.

Also picked a huge amount of runner beans yesterday and these have been blanched & frozen too - quite successful!

Hope you're all having a good weekend.

Attempting to go to the Fringe with DM again tomorrow, keep your fingers crossed we make it this time!;)

Remembered this quote when I read your post rising
***failure to prepare is preparing to fail*** and it's so true isn't it.
All the advanced cooking you're doing will help towards you having a less stress free recovery. Also the book that me and ruby have mentioned lists, like you say you've done. Writing things down gives them substance, something to work from, rather than things being kept in heads, which I tend to do, so I'll be making lists galore and working through them.
That's good of the buyers saying they'll pay for petrol and you managed to sell it too. A box ticked
Will be crossing fingers for you for tomorrow

I'm going to be carrying on in the loo...what does that sound like
Oh I've just remembered I need to get to Hobbycraft to take back some faulty craft pens. I wouldn't mind if it was round the corner but takes about 20/25 minutes ish to drive there. Then back, so that's over an hour wasted. And I just know I'll spend money in there! Hmmmmm, let's see if I can do it without spending anything. Will have to wait till OH gets in. He's back to B & Q again. Putting new taps on and nothing is ever as straight forward as it seems...
Hope everyone is ok

Love to all
Dizzy x

cw18

I've been busy decorating my bedroom on and off since Saturday of last weekend. Still a few patches on the ceiling that need touching up and the carpet to wash (and some repair work to a couple of chests of drawers that didn't take kindly to being moved out of the way), but other than that it's all done now

Or almost all done - I'm in the middle of sewing the first of two king sized quilt covers at the moment

Just couldn't find what I wanted in the colour scheme I was working in at any of the shops, and after buying and returning no less than 4 (!!!) lots of duvets covers I finally gave up last weekend. The closest was from Mr A but the darker colour of the cover didn't 'quite' match the colour of the sheets and pillowcases I also got from there, the pale side (it was a reversible one) was way off the mark, and it was totally plain which wasn't what I'd wanted and I knew I'd not be able to live with it for more than a couple of months. So I bought king sized flat sheets which I'm stitching together in pairs to make covers, having first sewn 5 strips of ribbon across one of each pair....... just grateful I have a sewing machine that works

It's taking me aaaaggggggeeeesss to make the covers and I don't want to figure out the cost (certainly on a par with the ones I tried from J0hn Lew!s), but at least I know I'm getting what I want - and more importantly should be able to live with it for a long time (previous set up lasted 9 years, and has only gone for of my main 'chase away the ghosts' feelings about the house - mentally needed to make it my room and forget I selected the colour scheme/style of everything taking into account my late hubby's likes/dislikes - although the 'old' stuff will become spares for the second bedroom which was done out in matching colours when we got the house..... I'm not needing to get rid of it out of there as well, and I've only ever had one set of anything for that room as I've rarely had overnight guests).

The other rooms in the house (other than the family bathroom, en-suite and cloakroom which have already been done in the last couple of months) all need a major clear-out and freshen up as well, but these were the main ones I needed to get done for me to be able to start feeling that the house is "mine" rather than "ours" (the 'wet' rooms needing to lose the carpets I hated in them but he wouldn't consider replacing with vinyl tiles)

23rdspiral

hi everyone, we've had a cheap weekend, we went to community fayre in the next town, and drove friends so saved them 20quid. we bought a couple of books and i got a top for 1quid and a pair of New Rock boots for 4.00! (they are very worn but still worth it!)

today my OH and I had a chilled out afternoon turning 2 buckets of apples into 1.5 gallons of apple juice... which will hopefully turn itself into cider!! (using a freecycled very old juicer for first jucing, then teatowles and brute strength to get the juice from the pulp!) wooo!

tumptyteapot

thanks for your kind words, I think I need to learn how to tactfully ask if we will fit in without sounding snobby - we are really not but after it was pointed out to me by a headteacher that we are middle class and woudln't fit in I'm worried about it.

anyway..... we got the train to see my folks today - it is the frugal way forward, it saved at least £15 on petrol, plus money that I would have spent on food on the way down (I don't like long drives so we always break it with a trip to Mr Sains cafe half way. and the best bit is I am not going to buy anything now we are here because we would have to carry it home! we had a packed lunch which used up time, my son had an activity book and I bought a sunday paper to read. Brill!