Fiscal Fast – 7 days no spending (at all)

Winchelsea

Enjoyed your post JackieO. I think you and I must be about the same age and in similar circumstances, so I take you as my inspiration! (I can add RIP Bill 1931-2012 as another common factor.) And our mothers sound just the same! (No, I'm not a stalker, just appreciate what you say!)

I have bread rising at the moment, and have just picked the last of the apples and pears from my little trees. Have had 14 Cox's Orange Pippin, and 13 Concord pears this year.


My breakfast was very early today, and was porridge with sultanas, milk and brown sugar. Mid-morning snack was the last piece of the last lot of HM bread with a thin slice of cheese, and a pear and a cup of coffee. Lunch will be thawed out HM soup I think.


Will be sewing this afternoon. I'm finishing a little quilt for a present, doing the hand quilting, which is the slowest part. This has cost me nothing. The fabrics are from some of my late DH's shirts and pyjamas, and the threads, wadding and lining are all bits I found in my sewing stash.


I'll need a card.....thinking cap on!

[Deleted User]

Hi Winchelsea, nice to know I'm not the only TOG on here (from the Terry Wogan radio show )I think the youngsters today do expect probably more from life than we did as when I was growing up everyone was in the same boat (stoney broke) now with the recession in the past few years its coming home to a lot of people that the good times have gone for awhile and Frugalling becomes almost a way of life now.
I have just been to my U3A coffee morning and we were talking about how much stuff is wasted today since the arrival of the BBFD on food stuff.As a child in the late 1940s early 1950s if it didn't actually 'walk' off the plate you ate it :)I am a great one for not only not liking waste, but also recycling almost everything I have just popped into DDs to strip her lamb joint for her so she can use the meat for her tonights dinner for the family.I bagged the bone and its going into my slow cooker shortly to make me some 'free' stock for making soup with tomorrow. a few herbs and lentils and a diced onion and it will be perfect.
The old adage 'waste not ,want not' is so true :)I had a bag of pears given to me from a lady at the coffee morning as she had lots on her tree.I shall peel them and poach in a little water and a dollop of honey.Mixed with some natural yoghurt it will make a nice change for a pudding, and fairly healthy one as well.

Great that you are recycling your late OHs shirts, I do similar things (although not quilting) with left over bits of stuff.Worn out towels get cut down for face flannels or dusters.I took a frill off a fitted sheet and cut it up into lots of cleaning cloths last year.The middle bit of the sheet which had worn too thin I used as an ironing board cover with a few bits of tape sewed on to tie underneath.I always try to think of what I can do to recycle bits if possible as it means less landfill.Every little helps as they say :):)

EricaDawnCali

Fiscal Fast: Day 5
Wow! I'm already on Day 5?!?! It seems like I just started. Anyway, I plan on having my eggs and squash on a flour tortilla with shredded cheese for lunch. I will have to look and see what needs to be used up ASAP and plan my dinner for tonight. It's 9:30 AM here, and I am back from Morning Prayer and Mass.
Winchelsea, I have always wanted to make a quilt. Is it possible to do it all by hand? I have the backing,muslin, fabric, thread etc...I also have a quilt my Great Grandma made and a stuffed dog, she made out of patches of fabric. Hence his name: Patches.
Yes I still have a stuffed animal, but my thinking is: how often do you find a handmade toy/stuffed animal or hand made clothes anymore? Although I have knit myself some clothes. Slippers, Scarves, Hat's, fingerless mitts/gloves... I guess I am an old soul as people think it is neat that someone my age (32) likes to knit.
I learned when I was 24 and have loved it ever since. It's a cheap hobby too as I have found yarn at the local thrift shop for pennies. I always ask for yarn for Christmas because it keeps me busy for months!! I can also find free knitting patterns online!!
Anyway, I am going to spend the day, looking through my cubboards and meal planning as well as knitting my cotton towel.
Happy Fiscal Fasting!!!

mam_of_five

well i did it day 2 and no spending, i am just taking one day at a time and hoping for the best, will be really chuffed if i can do the 7 days

parsniphead

Day 5 and no spending.

Everyone is doing very well.

I like to knit to be seem to be very slow:o. I love to sew and have recently learnt to crochet (sort of) and the garden and veg patch is a true pleasure. Never was one for clubbing anyway so another old soul.

Have a lovely day tomorrow all.

Winchelsea

EricaDawnCali - Yes it's totally possible to make a quilt all by hand - I've made many in my time. But, these days I use the machine for large quilts, as it all takes so long.

The first one I made (1970s) was the hexagons pieced over papers type. I used a lot of Laura Ashley remnants, which you could get little bags of in their shops, also dressmaking remnants (as I used to make most of our clothes). I still have that quilt by the way - many memories when I see the fabrics, even a piece of my own school dress, c.1953!


Then I moved on to American style block patchwork, also log cabin (which I still love best). Have not done an applique quilt though.


I love the actual quilting - all those tiny stitches holding your three layers (patchwork top, the wadding and the lining or backing) together, but, as I said, it does take ages, so I've taken to cheating and doing it by machine. The one I'm doing at the moment is hand quilted, and to be honest I do prefer the finished article done that way.


I haven't looked, but I wouldn't be surprised to find lots of advice on the forum on how to do all this - or G**gle, there will be masses!

I'm not a good customer of the patchwork and quilting shops, as I prefer recycling fabrics - it's why patchwork was invented after all.

Good luck!

Secretstasher

Hi all, was so tired yesterday and finishing prepping for returning to work today that I didn't even get online yesterday.
Back to work today, and I have to report I still haven't spent anything at all. Oh even went out in my car yesterday and said noticed you about out of fuel so put you some in..... He must have a temperature or something lol ). Although I do have a separate fuel budget so I am not including that in fiscal,fast, but any extra I can save is a bonus.
I have to admit that I was tempted to drive onto our local retail park on the way home though but was only a police car with sirens blaring that stopped me...not for me but it was a good distraction so made it home.
I am also really pleased with the fact that I have not thrown any food away this week. I can't remember the last time that happened. I have also been going trough my store cupboards and baking different types of cakes just so that I am using up things. If I get to Friday and complete a full week, I am going to push on and see how many more days I can go, would be great if I can get to the 25th which is my next pay day.
I have caught up on the posts from you all yesterday, I am so jealous of your crafting, I am going to learn to use a sewing machine before the end of the year , maybe I could save up and buy a 2nd hand one, my daughter has taken hers to uni with her , she is also very crafty and up cycles/recycles and creates all the time.
I did have to sew a button onto the trousers I was going to be wearing for work today, and I have to confess it took me an hour and a half to thread the needle, in fact I didn't my oh did and it took him 20 mins too, maybe sHould stick to baking and cooking in general.

Hope you all have a good evening and day tomorrow. Night

EricaDawnCali

Secretstasher: I am doing the Fiscal Fast untill the 25th as well. So we are in this together: the same amount of days!! You can do it!! You can do it!! ((HUGS))

[Deleted User]

Wednesday and day 9.
I swapped my dinners around as I had forgotten that last night was pub quiz night, so out of my 'Happy Stash' money (a separate account where I put cash for the months for entertainment) I took out £3.00 .
£2.00 for the quiz and a pound for a soda and lime drink.I go every week and its a great night out,plus we get a hot meal included.So tonight it will be 'bubble and squeak' for dinner with a poached egg on top.Last night at the quiz we had a large jacket potato with some baked beans and grated cheese on top.Very nice plus our team came third
I slow cooked the lamb bone yesterday from my DD and today will turn the stock into some tasty soup for lunches.
Free pears have been poached in water and honey and are in the fridge ready to add to some natural yoghurt for pudding.On my shopping list at the moment all I have run out of is lettuce and tomato's but they can wait until the weekend rather than just shop for two items.Well done EDC & Secretstasher only 9 more days to go, you can do it ladies I'm sure.
Right time to get the kettle on for a cup of tea
Cheers everyone
JackieO xxx

thifty

Reading your posts JackieO is like listening to my late mum:A

I'm afraid I have caved a bit.:mad: If I hadn't taken my DD shopping on Sat and forgotten the milk I think I could have made it but I had to go for milk yesterday so I bought bananas, coffee, biscuits, celery, cucumbers and 2 bars of choc too:o Not very :money: but I suppose I have had a step in the right direction.
But I have been visiting my Dad in hospital all week and have been taking travel mugs of coffee in so I don't spend at Costapacket and I start a new job in 3 weeks and I had 2 induction days where I took a packed lunch and didn't enquire about canteen arrangements! That should save me lots and the staffroom does have a microwave so I will be using that too.
No work today so I have been cleaning. Last night's tea was HM spag bol from the freezer and night before was beef stew which DH raved about - trouble was he went back for seconds so no freezer leftovers there:rotfl:

Nice to hear other people with similar tastes, I'm 39 and love baking, gardening on my allotment, sewing , knitting and crochet. I'm off to a crochet club later which I have never been to before. I may have to buy a coffee , not sure. Wish I liked tea, it's cheaper!