2012 Frugal Living Challenge (Part 1)

gien

Wow, this thread is clipping along isn't it?
I'm back off my christmas holidays so can start the challenge in earnest! My Brother and SIL and niece are staying for a week and then everything will be back to normal.
I'll be doing the budget this week sometime, not really sure how it'll all turnout, probably terrifying! I need to sell a load of stuff too if I'm to reach our savings target.

Erme

letsdothis wrote: »

for those of us who are also dieting in the new year (again !) there is a FAB site myfitnesspal.com (sorry not allowed to post links with being a newbie) its FREE works out your calories log exercise etc loads of support on there - like here you are never alone - I Love it !

There's also sparkpeople and the daily plate

paidinchickens wrote: »

Hello peeps

After spending the past 4 1/2 years cutting back the biggest things I can do now are

Stop smoking

Cut back on the amount of food we eat

Only drink home made wine

I need to lose a stone before I give up smoking though as I always put weight on :(

So big diet month coming and please put any fabulous desert recipes in teeny weeny writing so I can't see them please :rotfl::rotfl:


Got no kids tomorrow night but DH and I are unsure what to do with our new found freedom. I don't want to spend any money but feels a waste not going out............decisions decisions :rotfl::rotfl:


PIC xx

Have you tried the e-cig? There's a guy on the stop smoking thread a few pages behind today with the links for info though you can pm me? Just don't Overdose on the e-liquid

anyhow for folk on benefits who want a simple spreadsheet here is one....

Pretty straightforward...just enter your figures and your DD's and the date and what week they come out....

Also don't forget the months are at the bottom on the tabs and there's an extra one in case you have (like me) 13 months in the year....

And change it as you need to....I've included an old week 1 as an example...please delete this..yours may well be different with your own codes etc...

e

pavlovs_dog

*skulking in the background - loads of fab ideas here to pinch :j*

rising_from_the_ashes

LolaLemon wrote: »

Argh!
Why does my cheese sauce never work!?
It always comes out wrong; too runny, lumpy, etc etc... well tonights was thick, too thick, so put more milk in, til it was a good flowing consistency, added the tuna and pasta, mixed it all put in oven topped with more cheese.... looks good.. tastes ok, but it was a bit doughy at the bottom... still edible. Well it needs to be, as I made enough for tomorrows lunch and enough to freeze til another day.

Awwww (((hugs))) Lola - I can totally sympathise .... I'm not a bad cook and can produce some reasonably complicated things if I put my mind to it but cheese sauce is always a disaster for me too!:(

I know how to do it ... have been shown how to do it (many times) .... but it just never works

rictus123

For my entertainment budget i am not going to be specific with the pennies. I withdrew £40 and spent about £36ish, the rest will go in a tin and it will be logged as £40 out my budget, this surplus will be saved all year and i will buy myself something at xmas with it
So £40 spent out of a total £6,000 budget. Its only day 2. Looking forward to better weather already,more work = less opportunity to spend = more money + more money = Lots of money haha

Carolyn12

Hi all :wave:

Happy new year! Hope 2012 is a lovely frugal year for everyone.

So far I have had 2 NSDs, but going to pay the rent, take out the bill money for this month and pay the car insurance tomorrow, so that should be all essentials except food and a birthday meal this month (I said I would go on a spur of the moment..hopefully it'll be somewhere cheap..plus I can always use some Christmas money).

I'm also going to pay my phone bill (£10.10 ) with survey earnings from last month, and hope that I can complete another two this month to pay Feb's phone bill every little helps right?

I have started comping, so far I've entered three, woop!

I am inspired to make some of those delicious looking truffles for a birthday this month, all I need is a thin cardboard box to put them in...and I know that poundland sell packs of coloured tissue paper.

Thanks for all the inspiration guys. Good luck all.

ASG_2

Tumpty - thanks for the link to the revolution page.
My positive thoughts were dashed this morning when my denture broke! I've struggled with it most of the day, but it's impossible to eat with it in. (hmmmm........ maybe the diet will work after all ) However, I've found out this afternoon that I can get it repaired at a dental laboratory in town, should be cheaper than going back to the dentist - watch this space.
On a lighter note, I made a packed lunch for today instead of buying one, carbonara for tea with catering offcuts of bacon from the freezer,and have already made sandwiches for myself and DS for tomorrow.

elly68

LolaLemon wrote: »

Argh!
Why does my cheese sauce never work!?
It always comes out wrong; too runny, lumpy, etc etc... well tonights was thick, too thick, so put more milk in, til it was a good flowing consistency, added the tuna and pasta, mixed it all put in oven topped with more cheese.... looks good.. tastes ok, but it was a bit doughy at the bottom... still edible. Well it needs to be, as I made enough for tomorrows lunch and enough to freeze til another day.

i always use cornflour might be worth buying a small packet

natnat13

LolaLemon wrote: »

Argh!
Why does my cheese sauce never work!?
It always comes out wrong; too runny, lumpy, etc etc... well tonights was thick, too thick, so put more milk in, til it was a good flowing consistency, added the tuna and pasta, mixed it all put in oven topped with more cheese.... looks good.. tastes ok, but it was a bit doughy at the bottom... still edible. Well it needs to be, as I made enough for tomorrows lunch and enough to freeze til another day.

I used to have nightmares with cheese sauce. After much practice it seems ok now, I have the heat quite high and use a whisk. Melt butter and flour together, add milk a little at a time making sure it's really think and almost boiling before adding some more, but you have to whisk constantly until it feels your arms going to fall off (else it burns)!! Then I add cheese and a tsp of mustard powder for flavour.
Another option is cornflour and milk instead of butter and plain flour, beware it thinkens really quickly, so you don't need the heat so high. This is good for slimmers.
By coincidence, I made cheese sauce tonight with lidls gammon (v good) mash and peas. Made enough mash to go over shepherds pie tomorrow and mixed in leftover cheese sauce so it will be nice and creamy, yum! As you can tell I love my food and my tight waistbands show it!
Must go for a run tomorrow!!! Lots of exercise classes springing up everywhere round here but they all cost money!

rising_from_the_ashes

natnat13 wrote: »

Made a decision whilst out, I go to a nice hair salon for my highlights and cut and it costs £68 every 6/7 weeks, I know, but pretty standard salon prices. Now we're being strict with the pennies I just can't justify it though so I bought a home highlighting kit for £6.99 and have texted the hairdresser who comes to the house to do DH and DS's cuts to cut mine, I could get her to colour it too but I'm sure it will be more than £6.99!!!

Nat - could you maybe get her to do it the 1st time so you can see how it's done with that particular product?