2013 Frugal Living Challenge

joedenise

You can just add pureed fruit to the natural yoghurt to make it sweeter for your boys. My girls used to love HM yoghurt with fruit in it.

Denise

[Deleted User]

Wow, mummy2threeboys, sounds like you are well organised. I like to make my own jam and jelly. Am waiting for the blackcurrant bush in the garden to provide fruit and I usually forage for my raspberries and brambles.

I have bought a couple of Christmas gifts too - a dolls cot for my 5yo niece and an babywalker/dolls pram for my 1yo niece. I plan to crochet/sew some bedding to go with them. My other Christmas plans, like you, is to go handmade. I am planning food hampers containing jams, jellies, chutneys, blackcurrant wine, Christmas cake etc for both sets of parents and for OHs brother & family. Haven't started on the jam making yet but you have inspired me to get going.

LolaLemon

Anyone watched Kirstys fill ur home for free... its Fab, and way better than her homemade, but only if u have a fortune to spare for very little amounts of crafts...

natnat13

Hi all
I'm still here but have totally gone off the boil!
Not been spending loads but at the same time not watching what I spend.
I am moving house next week, beautiful cottage but more expensive, within budget but even so I'm going to tighten my belt.
I need some furniture so determined to get it all 2nd hand, I probaby should have watched the Kirsty programme!
I am busy packing and sorting atm, I am trying to sell stuff I don't need as I go along too, less to move and will make some pennies.
I do need to get back on the blogs regularly, they do inspire, I have literally been working so much I never get chance!
Anyway, hope everyone is good, new house, new budget for me :-)

[Deleted User]

Best of luck on your move natnat13. I would love to live in a beautiful cottage so I am quite envious!

Lola, I did watch the Kirsty programme. Lots of great ideas. I loved her vintage series and actually re-did one of my rooms in a vintage style. It inspired me to get online and to visit local antique centres. Now I love a wee day out visiting the antique centres.

mummy2threeboys

no lola ..but i will be now lol! Sounds ace, i knwo shes never really practical when it comes to sourcing things for free and i think that can put people off sometimes homemade doesnt have to cost the earth..i kind of thought that was the point?

LolaLemon

I wish I had known about the shop in Glasgow, I could have gotten inspiriation/help with the bedroom. I loved the bathtub chair... when done looked great.

I did like the first homemade series, it did have some great ideas, but some of them where not that great for the average person, money-wise.

miss_empty_piggy

After a very lovely but incredibly not-frugal-weekend in the capital with DOH I am back home and DDs 1and2 are away on their holidays. The house is very quiet but I have umpteen frugalling projects on the go, lets see how many I actually get done.

I have one wardrobe curtain half up, the other is laying on the kitchen table waiting to be sewn. I have a roman blind to make (never made one before), I have a unit I got out of a skip to finish painting and varnishing, a toy-box to finish painting and make a cushion for the top and a garden to dig over and sort out including picking all the fruit and taking down climbing frames etc!

Have started the garden this morning, by picking cherries. I've cut down half of the tree in order to reach a couple of cherries so that counts as gardening in my book. Also I've eaten nearly all of the cherries I've picked so have been healthy and not spent any money either.

Hope everyone has a lovely frugalling day, it's gorgeous here I hope it is where you are too.

I totally agree LolaLemon, not always practical but a great inspiration non the less.

Becky_2

The frugal living challenge is going well for us at the moment.

I have finally got a permanent job after doing temp or fixed term posts for several years. My annual pay is going up slightly with a couple of hundred pounds extra per year but at least I can finally feel settled and can make plans for the future.

The other thing that is saving us money, is that OH & I only share one bottle of wine on Saturday nights now compared to most nights previously. We can really see a difference on our food bill.

We have been given loads of free wood for the winter that should last us most of the winter. Last year we spent over £200 on logs so this is a considerable saving. I am currently making paper logs and collecting cones for the log burner.

Good luck to you all with this challenge.

Kerry_Woman

Becky 2 - Congratulations on the permanent job.