2014 Frugal Living Challenge

mummy2threeboys

Thanks for the cheese suggestion.. i have the same one..its just odd as cheese lol. Cake it is!

Frugalsod

Judi wrote: »

Hi by the way, I'm mainly a lurker on this thread. Trying to cut the cost of living without it hurting too much and trying not to let standards slip.:wave:

I think everyone is in that situation. I am using it as a way to simplify my life. In time I am looking into getting a food dehydrator to make meals for going away but possibly for making my own breakfast cereals and crisp breads. I do not think I will save too much but will have a much better idea of what actually is in my food.

Frugaldom

Good grief! Over 1000 posts and we're only up to the 7th of the first month! :eek: It's great to see so many posters here again, though!

Miss Empty Piggy - thank you for replying.

Pinecones make great kindling, we collect and dry them every year and the biggest/best ones get kept for Christmas decorations.

More power cuts here, so more reliance on the stove for heat, hot water and cooking means less spent on electricity but more logs needed. A lovely neighbour is keeping us going in kindling by way of offcuts from their joinery workshop, which is brilliant, as I get to exchange for home made and home grown produce. I far prefer trading to buying and selling.

I offer to recycle papers for neighbours, I'll cook/use up anything then don't want and I am now the first stop for many before they send anything to the tip. Frugal living is good living in my book.

Baby rabbits are growing at an alarming rate, one now much bigger than frugal puss cat!

***URGENT***UPDATED
Found the info on Co-op website, vouchers last until 28th Jan 2014

Heading into town first thing tomorrow to do a small Co-op shop - does anyone know how long the £5 off £20 spend vouchers last if I get one? Please private message me so I don't miss the reply, thanks.

happycrafter_2

[Deleted User] wrote:

That sounds like a really good lunch. I think I may have something similar to use up odds and ends for lunch tomorrow.

it was one of the best lunches I had in ages!!

KazLA wrote: »

Have also just ordered one about square foot gardening, as determined to spend more time out there as a family this year, and let 7 yr old DD have her own space too.

going to look this up online first as interested in growing in small spaces.

came home whipped up some s/c pastry, why is it the times you make it in a hurry its the best pastry you make! made homemade sausage rolls had with beans and chips. with left over pastry made 12 jam tarts and 6 mini quiches with onion chutney at the bottom, left over stilton and topped up with left over egg from glazing the sausage rolls.

was going to be nsd but had to buy some bottle caps so we can bottle the home brew (borrowed a bottle capper from someone at work) so spent £1.60 on 100 caps from wilko's

Frugalsod

Frugaldom wrote: »

I offer to recycle papers for neighbours, I'll cook/use up anything then don't want and I am now the first stop for many before they send anything to the tip. Frugal living is good living in my book.

Baby rabbits are growing at an alarming rate, one now much bigger than frugal puss cat!

***URGENT***
Heading into town first thing tomorrow to do a small Co-op shop - does anyone know how long the £5 off £20 spend vouchers last if I get one? Please private message me so I don't miss the reply, thanks.

Have you tried making your own briquettes from the paper? great for a fire.

The Co-op vouchers only last a matter of days, usually less than a week. I get them regularly when I shop but never get to use most of them because I only shop once a week.

pm2326

ellie-g wrote: »

Got some mince out of the freezer for tonight. Will add equal parts of porridge oats ( I have a massive stock of them) and a can of the bulk purchased bargain black eyed beans that cost 10p a tin. If I add some yellow sticker carrots it will stretch it out to 2 meals, will also be healthier and just as tasty. Ready, steady, cook as usual here!

Hi

I've seen people mention adding porridge oats to meals on a few threads now, but never tried it....silly questions but how do you know how much to add? Do they disappear and do they soak up any liquids in the food??

I have a huge box to use up that my mum gave me and while I like porridge I have to be in the mood to eat it so it'll just sit there for months!

Off to make my tea using up leftover boiled potatoes and some salmon out of the freezer.

Frugalsod

pm2326 wrote: »

Off to make my tea using up leftover boiled potatoes and some salmon out of the freezer.

And don't forget to use some porridge.

afoolwithmoney

Was suppose to have been a NSD but ending up taking MIL to supermarket. Ended up doing a shop which cost £48 but as its the first time Ive done a food shop since before xmas & normally I would have spent double that amount Im quiet proud of myself! Cant at the moment get my head around menu planning. But only bought two convenience meals (reduced) & made sure that everything else would actually get used or help to use up whats already in the cupboards. Drove MIL mad by picking up items that I always buy only to return them to the shelf on the next isle. We normally shop weekly but Im hoping that I don't have to take her again until at least the end of the month.... If so what a reduction on the food bill! Please someone tell me they also have been known to buy something every week only to chuck it away because its never eaten...mine is salad! always in the fridge but never eaten is it because Im always meaning to start that diet???
Have had a long think about next xmas & have decided that all presents will be homemade. Having joined the giving up alcohol thread my time without a glass in my hand has been spent rediscovering the spare room!! So many projects so much stash if I start now I will have more than enough as presents & maybe something's over to sell at the xmas craft fair, also plan to put by a £1 week to cover any extras. Ok that doesn't sound like a lot but my hours have been cut to three days a week plus a very poor Avon round & my partner whos unfortunately out of work more often than hes in it something has to give

DawnW

I wouldn't personally add too much porridge oats to main meal recipes, as you can end up with something a bit like savoury porridge :eek:

Porridge on its own is of course fine - I had mine with a teaspoon of brown sugar and a sliced banana this morning I know the Scottish contingent would have an issue with that though :rotfl:

I don't know what others think, but I find chopped or grated veg (carrots, celery etc), lentils or other pulses, or pearl barley better for bulking out meat dishes, just one or any combination

DawnW

Penny2myName wrote: »

After just discovering youngest DS has ran up a £385 phone bill in a week, I definatly need to live as frugal as I can for this month so I can get as much together as possible to pay the bill when it comes in at end of month. His outgoing calls are now blocked.

Can't you change him to PAYG? I personally wouldn't allow a child to have a contract phone, as these things tend to happen. They simply don't think about the consequences, or even necessarily understand how the charges can mount up. They are only young, and plenty of much older and wiser people get into a pickle after all

PAYG makes them think, and there is something available I think that allows them to call home even if there is no credit. And to be honest, my own personal phone is payg. I also have a work phone on contract, but I don't have to worry about that!