2012 Frugal Living Challenge (Part 1)

rubytuesday

Yes it must be a worry Twiglet - poor old drake! I like the thought of keeping chickens but it wouldn't be a good idea with all the urban foxes here - anyway I am too lazy.

So the foxes are very welcome to have my garden as a home.

enjoyfinancialchallenges

Hi everyone, I read every so often but to be honest I'm finding my day is so full that I never seem to post. I did write a message a week or so ago and told you all I'm up to then lost it, when that happens I loose the will to write it all again.

I'm back doing my cooking and selling at the local Sunday market and just love it, its also helping the finances. Tbh I dont make a lot but just doing it is the light of my week, sad really !

Somebody mentioned how quiet the board is I think its because making money go round these days takes a lot of concentration, prices are going up and up.

Most of you seem to be doing well and quietly working in the background. SF congratulations your wedding seems to have gone well and here's wishing you every happiness.

I will keep in contact in the background and I am still trying to be frugal but as I explained once before I seem to get addicted to this site and waste a lot of time on it so the best thing I can do is just cold turkey it, iyswim!

Happy frugal days to you all, keep on keeping on.

mcculloch29

I enjoyed the Moneyless Man too - got that from my local library, as I did How I Lived on a Pound a Day for a Year. Two to avoid are the pretentious and largely unreadable Not Buying It (it's also written in American psychobabble, enough to put anyone off) and the horrifically condescending The Thrift Book, by India Knight. India's a good writer, but a spendthrift who has never had to save, she doesn't live in the real world sadly.

seriouslyfrugal

silvasava wrote: »

Guilty of lurking over the past few weeks & not posting so Hi everyone!
seriouslyfrugal - what did you think of Salmon Fishing? I fancied going to see it but was put off by the review in the Sunday paper - although IMHO critics are there just to criticise!!

I really enjoyed it the fishing is more in the background its more about the people involved in the project and thier lives it is actually quite a laugh to especially the press officer for the government I would recommend a watch & its a brit film - thats not even mentioning its got ewan mcgregor in it :rotfl: :rotfl:

twiglet98

rubytuesday wrote: »

Yes it must be a worry Twiglet - poor old drake! I like the thought of keeping chickens but it wouldn't be a good idea with all the urban foxes here - anyway I am too lazy.

So the foxes are very welcome to have my garden as a home.

And they probably have a more interesting diet in town anyway, no feathers to spoil the meal

I'd like to put food out for the badgers but of course that would just encourage the foxes too, and besides, I spend far more than I can really justify feeding wild birds as it is, not at all MSE but they give me so much pleasure - we're lucky to have wildlife visitors, when they co-exist with my menagerie and not eat my lovely pets!

Out on deliveries for work today and stopped at a Tesc0 for a necessary break - got a half price Frijj milkshake, a hot cheese and onion pasty using the 50p coupon in the current leaflet, together with a Price Check coupon for 27p, so a very frugal lunch (I had taken a banana, apple and clementines, cherry tomatoes and a hard boiled egg too, plus a flask of coffee, it sounds a lot but I like to have something to pick at when on the road all day). Just home and DD has cooked, so off to walk the dog round the field and then into the shower before doing it all again tomorrow. Lots of overtime, every little helps.

rubytuesday

Saw the tiny tiniest little one today when I was planting out in the garden and then this evening when I was serving up the dinner saw Mum and Dad and Mum feeding her young.

Won't be very pleased if they squashed the tayberries I just planted.

Frugality seems to have gone completely out the window for me the last few days.

I bought myself a garden bench from Acicha but justified as a fiftieth birthday present to myself!

Need to rein in again now!

I bought a load of lovely plants from the 99p shop - pansies and violas which looked very sad in there but perked right up, a hibiscus, mock orange and the tayberries.

rising_from_the_ashes

I'm here & reading ...... keeping the SOW up to date (dreading posting this month's totals - as it's all gone a bit to pot - although several things now paid for the year).

Need to get the planters sorted out for my peas & beans (great success this year so will be trying a few extra plants this year) and, apart from that .... really just plodding along, trying to get deals as things come up (house ins due in May so need to do some comparisons on that) - without doing anything that would really interest anyone IYKWIM (rather embarrassing to admit to that!).

Really looking forward to the summer months - everyone just seems happier when it's light in the morning / evenings.

Have my left handed crochet course this Sat so will update when I've been!

SandraScarlett

I haven't posted of late, because I am so busy with my one-woman decorating business! I have now completed 2 bedrooms, the bathroom, the kitchen and hall. :j

All my paper is anaglypta, so only needed emulsion, and I am now on the cusp, so to speak, of The Last Hurdle - decorating my through lounge. :eek: One of my friends has asked me if I will help her paint her ceilings, with my trusty Paint Pod.;)

I've already painted the 3 lounge doors, and am planning on doing the ceilings over the weekend, the walls next week, and finishing the gloss over May Day weekend.

Then, I'm going to have a go at recovering the box cushions, on my sofa and an armchair!! I purchased a staple gun (thank you for all the advice) and am going fabric searching once my decorating is finished.

All this whilst still looking after DGC, DH, DD and umpteen hospital appointments for DH and me, plus the garden. So I may not post much, but I have been Very Frugal with my decorating costs!

xx

Thrifty_Sister

Been really busy the last few days with family stuff but thought I would give another very quick, filling and frugal soup recipe - especially now that the weather is quite wintery.

Put a tin of chopped tomatoes in a pan, 500ml water, stock cube and a tin of butter beans, heat up, simmer for 5 minutes and voila! Serve with a couple of chunks of nice bread. One of my favourites and sooo cheap.:T

SandraScarlett

Been super thrifty, as tonight I bought on ebay, 9 metres of 54" wide cream chenille, for the jaw dropping price of £11!:j:j:j:j At just over £1 a metre, that's a bargain!

xx