Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - Part 3.

Aril

Hello fellow frugallers:j
Hugs Lola.

I've racked up some small spends here at GBT today. Mr GB and I strolled into town and dropped off some bits at the local CS. Invested 50 pennies in a cushion pad and have now dyed the cloth with tea so should be all systems go on the owl cushion. Might post a picture if I'm feeling brave of my frugal craft.

If anyone lives near a Wilko- ours had a 50% off its gardening stock. We picked up some border edging for our proposed veggie borders for £3.48. When we priced it up at Homebase [same stuff but deeper] it would have cost us £13.

Mr GB is busy bottling the strawberry vino and its chocolate chilli in the SC for tea. Woo hoo:j:rotfl:
Aril

dizzy_lizzie

Lola sorry to hear things have been rubbish. Sometimes it's like the three steps forward and two back anology! Hope you and 'new guy' work it out if that's what you want to do. Big hugs.
As for the house tidying, I know we've talked about 'flylady' on here before but even if you don't want to take it all on, why not just set yourself a 15 minute timer and see what you can get done in that time. You'd be amazed! Then reward yourself with a cup of tea and put your feet up. Here's a hug from us...

Save Dosh you're very welcome re the link, and thanks for your link too We will be hiccuping our way into Christmas!

Aril the strawberry vino sounds delicious. Off to google

Have been out on a couple of trips with OH. Went to Grange Over Sands on Thursday. Oh my word, what a beautiful little town. Helped that the sun was out. Stood and looked out over the bay, the sea was in and it was so eerily quiet. I actually became tearful at the scene and I can only describe the view as hauntingly beautiful. Everyone was really friendly too.
Went to Hebden Bridge today. Wasn't going to let the rain stop us. Have been before and we had a wander aroung the village. Picked a couple of books up in the charity shop and stopped and thought 'do I really need these books' and yay I put them back.
I did buy link book though in Manchester yesterday. Read some of the book last night in bed and listened to the cd. As usual with his cds I was asleep before the end
Have also managed to do some cross stitch on my Christmas cards towards my four month challenge :j
So even though we've had a few days out I was more mindful of what I was spending and thought twice before parting with my money, which must be a good thing.
Love and hugs to everyone.
x

SandraScarlett

Lola, so sorry to read about your rotten day. You just rant away, sweetie, as much as you like. I think it's great that you can just sit here, and type away, opening up your feelings - and the most marvellous thing is, nobody's gonna say anything, but nice things!

I met a friend today in London, and she spent half an hour, over coffe, that I'd paid for, telling me it was alright for me, cos I didn't have to pay fares to get there, but she'd paid £4.40!

How I wish I could have just pressed the thanks button, and moved on to the next table! But if I'd have had a day like yours, I would have either said something I regretted, or cry, and you've just got it all off your chest. Good for you.

Wish I could say something meaningful, but just want you to know, we're here for you.:)

xx

tumptyteapot

not very frugal because we don't really need it but it was reduced from £30 to £10 - it's a popcorn maker! and I got quidco on it as well

redglass_2

Lola, sorry to hear about your awful evening. Sometimes it can feel as if there's nobody there for you, and those are the times when you have to take good care of yourself...I hope you feel better soon.

paidinchickens wrote: »

Does anyone else have friends that frustrate them when it comes to money or is it just me??? Luv to all PIC

Yes, PIC, and I'd better not give too many details in case she ever stumbles across here...but I had a friend who insisted on always buying expensive Xmas and birthday gifts, despite knowing my income and that I was trying to be frugal. I used to struggle to keep up, and not to look mean. I did try telling her clearly that it would be easier for me if we just got small things, and or nothing at all, and she took not a blind bit of notice. :mad: And I have another friend who cries poverty but can't say 'no' to anything in a shop. Like you, I have to bite my tongue.

gien wrote: »

Unfortunately the plums are a bit mealy so not too nice raw - do you think they'll improve with stewing? Otherwise it's jam I think..

I don't know if this will work, Gien, but you could try cutting them in half, sprinkling with cinnamon and sugar and baking them on a bit of buttered bread. It works with nice plums and may improve mealy ones.

Thanks for the link, Seriouslyfrugal! Some useful stuff very near me.

I'm having no end of foraging luck recently: a load of firewood in the shape of some plain unvarnished wooden furniture thrown away outside a nearby house (I did check and make sure it was rubbish!) and some slate tiles, again freebies, that are perfect for the back garden. Then a friend brought some windfalls...I have more apples in the house than I've ever had in my life! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: It's a nice safe groaning-shelves-and-well-stocked-cupboards sort of feeling
OTOH I don't know what's gone wrong with my allotment peppers and raspberries, they seem to have done nothing much at all....

tumptyteapot

tomorrow is my proper starting being frugal and dieting day, I have it planned so I go for a run after I drop my son off at school then it's home to shower and work work work. I'll menu plan tonight so that will be one less thing to think about. We have load of food in, and like a lot of others heaps of apples! If anyone has good things to do with apples please share! They store for a reasonable time, I've made chutney, jam, jelly, wine and crumble out of them in the past but I'm always looking for new ideas.

Aril

Hello fellow frugaller:j
It was chucking it down so took the opportunity to do some frugal domestic engineering here at GBT - the oven is much shinier and all the dusters have been soaked in some hm laundry gloop. Pegged them out so the rain would rinse them through- free water:rotfl:It's been sunny here this afternoon so Mr GB has dug the new veggie borders- we're leaving them for a month in the hope that the rain forecast for this week will soften the earth a bit. I meanwhile have made a batch of flapjacks to fill the oven whilst tea was cooking- a fairly frugalish recipe. Packet of puff pastry, tin tuna, handful of peas [I precooked some of our runner beans] half an onion, tbsp nat yog and 1 tsp curry powder. Fry onion, add tuna curry powder, peas and natural yog. Heat through gently. Roll pastry into squarish sizes [4 in total] place some of the filling in middle, bring pastry edges together and seal with water. Bake 20 mins 200C. We had one portion of pastry left which we filled with cooked apple and had for our pud.

With regards to a glut of apples Tumpty- there's lots of info on the OS board. I've cooked up mine and frozen them in batches. One veggie recipe I do is fry a red onion, slice potatos and a cooking apple thinly. Layer up one potato, one apple, one red onion, one finely diced parsnip in a casserole dish and then repeat the layers. Cover with veggie stock and grate cheese on top. Bake at 200C for an hour. So long as you choose the cheese carefully it would be fine as a veggie meal

Arilx

Frugaldom

On the surplus apples subject, I've now turned mine into pectin for future jam making.

How to details can be found here

I've now got a couple of lots frozen in ice cub bags - saves spending extra money on sugar with added pectin.

tumptyteapot

Aril, sorry to be dense but what is the OS board?

paidinchickens

tumpty you are not as "dense" as me who thought you wrote Denise and scrolled up to see what "denise" had written :rotfl::rotfl:

lola I am sorry your having such a bad time. If I was nearer I would drag you out to drown your sorrows Men are a bit useless when your really down.

Having a bad day. DH back at work. The MEGA BEAST is back on his case and DH, MB and the next boss up have been in a meeting all morning. All I can do is sit and wait. DH is still very ill and had improved quite a bit before MB arrived. Today is his first day back after six weeks off sick. Why is it so hard to watch your loved ones go through so much pressure??? I would find it easier to be going through it myself and would swap places with him in a blink of an eye. The day is just dragging.

On the upside the house is nearly clean top to bottom and must be a good day for the half a stone challenge as I am too worked up to eat.

I have saved money today by hanging the washing out three times (kept raining) instead of giving up and using the dryer.

I can't remember the last time I wore normal clothes. I have either been wearing my gardening stuff or my scruffy covered in bleach housework stuff. So tomorrow I am going to put a frock on, put some slap on and go for coffee with a friend. May even push the boat out and wear some heels :eek:

PIC XX