2012 Frugal Living Challenge (Part 1)

twiglet98

Catching up with this thread, not going so well keeping the SoW updated but am spending less at the supermarket, probably because I stockpiled so much when I managed a few successful evening visits when the 90% reductions were being done. We ran out of bread this week and my home-made efforts are so awful, I eat it but none of the family will touch it, I don't know why but it's just so heavy, dense and chewy. Made it to Ald! yesterday when their lovely 89p multigrain loaves were half price so the freezer is full again.

((( Lola ))) thinking of you.

Hope everyone has a nice long weekend, I'm looking forward to having Monday off, usually work 12-14 hours and get home too wired, and too tired, for supper, and just stuff myself on hot chocolate and biscuits - Creme Eggs are calling me now...!

Blairweech

Hi everyone,

Hugs to you Lola, my thoughts are with you

Twiglet - I must have tried making bread 20 times and not once have I made anything edible...such a waste but even 'foolproof' recipes turn out like bricks I struggle to get the dough past the sticks to everything, mess everywhere stage...obviously my technique needs some work!

Sandra - Yay to frugal decorating We are slowly decorating our house, I think by the time we are finished we will have to start again it is taking so long!

Repainting our garden table/chairs today, keep them going for another year :money:. Off down to Cornwall tonight for the second part of my placement - a dairy goat farm. Really excited about it, should be very interesting.

Frugal endeavours...I took some new clothes back to the shop the other day, do not need them so that kept £21 in my pocket. Was also on the lookout for a new bag, the clasp has broken on mine so its a pain to open...found one at the carboot for 50p . Also got a lovely down filled jacket for £4 (RRP: £70). Been putting bits and pieces on Ebay, hopefully they will sell and I will make some room! And I finally remembered to buy some rechargeable batteries for my camera - £12 but as normal batteries are £4 a pack so don't think it will be too long before they pay for themselves!

Erme

Och I love A* multigrain loaves....

Whoopsied the last of the flour on shortbread last week (I've yet to finish) so must buy more flour this week (from a* cos it's the best)

Made mince and tatties on Saturday and can now do mashed tatties in the Kenwood :j (did I say this before)...don't know about anyone else but when I boil the tatties for mashed tatties I add about 1tbsp of oil to the water....seems to make them softer...maybe it's me? Sometimes you don't even need marg after doing them that way....

Though didn't like the quorn mince. Bitty and like big bits but bitty and hard to prepare........

Need to get more plastic containers for seed loaf. Would have made it this weekend but had no containers...:eek: Trip to chinese supermarket tomorrow am

Budget not going well (when is it ever?) but so long as I manage to get debt free my mid may I'm happy.....10 days and the OD should be clear...

Think the eb* free listings is till tonight if anyone wants to do them? Find the best day to finish an auction is like Sat/Sabbath (but I don't pay for stuff/finish an auction on the Lord's Day/Sabbath) so you can put stuff on tonight for a 5 day listing and have fun:)

Sold my juicer for the same price I paid for it ...so pleased about that. Just have coffee machine and like the Magimix to go though might take the coffee machine down as already miss using it

E

SAVVYJADE

Hi all

Had a few extra pounds in account at end of pay month (get paid tomorrow) so paid extra off CC, need to get into doing this more often!

Hope everyone's had a good Easter! X

SandraScarlett

I am on the verge of advertising myself as a one-woman decorating and soft furnishing business.:) I'd hoped to spend Sunday in the garden, mowing the lawn etc, but Mr Rain put a stop to that - so I reupholstered an old easy chair. :j

I had some cream tweedy fabric, that I bought yonks ago, and by very careful cutting, I managed to get whole pieces for the parts that show - but the back is a bit like Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colours! All the tiny snippets have been sewn together to make one piece big enough for the back, but as it's pushed up against a wall, it won't be seen. It took me hours, but it's great to get something for nothing. :T:T

Has anyone ever made roller blinds? Those in my kitchen are manky, so I thought I'd get some new ones. I found a design on several "buy online" websites, called Mojo Jazz, swirls and funky flowers in blue, on a white background. Then I started costing. The blind over the window is twice as wide as the one over the door, and prices, for the 2, ranged from £85 to ....... £220!! :eek:

So I Googled make-your-own sites, and apparently you just use ordinary material, and soak it in a diluted PVA glue solution, to stiffen it. I wondered if anyone had tried this. And I must invest in a staple gun. I nearly bashed my fingers with the hammer when I recovered the chair, using nails, and I'm sure a staple gun would be easier! Does anyone have any recommendations for those please?

xx

Kerfuffle

SandraScarlett wrote: »

I am on the verge of advertising myself as a one-woman decorating and soft furnishing business.:) I'd hoped to spend Sunday in the garden, mowing the lawn etc, but Mr Rain put a stop to that - so I reupholstered an old easy chair. :j

I had some cream tweedy fabric, that I bought yonks ago, and by very careful cutting, I managed to get whole pieces for the parts that show - but the back is a bit like Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colours! All the tiny snippets have been sewn together to make one piece big enough for the back, but as it's pushed up against a wall, it won't be seen. It took me hours, but it's great to get something for nothing. :T:T

Has anyone ever made roller blinds? Those in my kitchen are manky, so I thought I'd get some new ones. I found a design on several "buy online" websites, called Mojo Jazz, swirls and funky flowers in blue, on a white background. Then I started costing. The blind over the window is twice as wide as the one over the door, and prices, for the 2, ranged from £85 to ....... £220!! :eek:

So I Googled make-your-own sites, and apparently you just use ordinary material, and soak it in a diluted PVA glue solution, to stiffen it. I wondered if anyone had tried this. And I must invest in a staple gun. I nearly bashed my fingers with the hammer when I recovered the chair, using nails, and I'm sure a staple gun would be easier! Does anyone have any recommendations for those please?

xx

I haven't a suggestion for a staple gun, sorry, but when I reupholstered our dining room chairs I held the tack in place with the pliers so that I didn't hit my fingers. Another thought is to use an ordinary office stapler, flip it open and use that to tack material in place before using tacks or nails. I suppose that depends on the thickness of the material and the hardness of the wood though.

LolaLemon

Thrifty_Sister wrote: »

Catching up again as been busy with 'stuff' but been trying to lurk when poss. Hope evryone ok - Lola ((hugs)) - kinda puts everything in perspective doesn't it? You can become so bogged down with your own problems and then realise things like this happen. Hope the little girl is still recovering well.

Yep, it really does. Before the accident, I had barely seen any of my friends for around a year, due to being severely skint, at Uni, studying, stuck on trains and then work at the weekends. Since the accident, I make time for friends, I'm making a go of this relationship (even tho I have/had trust issues) , and the main thing I have realised is that money equals nothing, people mean everything.
I am still saving every week, pay off a little of my debt, and work towards our future, but Today is what is important. So i try to make the most of every day, do at least one thing that makes my son n me happy, and I try and not worry abt the little things.

Hannah is a typical 3 year old, tries to wrap her dad round her finger, manages to wrap all her mums family round her finger (makes life a little hard for her dad sometimes, especially if they have her for more than one night lol little madam, that she is :-) )
She is very clingy of her dad, but that is only to be expected, and he handles it all fantastically.


I got the cuts pair of animal print shoes today for £3, last pair, in my size, I couldn't resist (I have recently donated around 25 pairs of shoes, some that i bought at least 10 years ago, all in fantastic condition) so my collection was looking bare with only 2 pairs of trainers, an old pair of flats, boots and shoes for work. Both the trainers are at least 3 years old, 1 pair are *nearly* for the bin, but will get til abt the end of the year from them. Anyways, also bought pair of black heels for £8 for the funeral. I think that lot should see me for a long time.


Sandra, it sounds like you have put a lot of hard work into upholstering your chair, giving it a whole new lease of life :-)

Thrifty_Sister

Hey Lola don't beat yourself up about your little spend - the things you have learned over recent events will have taught you that you're only here once and while we have to learn to be frugal its all about balance ing everything. we all make slip ups from time to time - give yourself a pat on the back for what you have/are achieving x.:T

Sandra - have you set any rates yet for your one woman decorating/upholstering service etc? I for one could use you lol:)

HappyTorty

I had a really bad month of spending, but have been managed to keep £50 in my bank for the last week and a half? How is that possible?! only another 10 days until payday

Igamogam

Played Hokey Cokey with the washing and the April Showers today - in out in out shake it all about - anyway all dry now:rotfl: