2014 Frugal Living Challenge

kb_soma

BMG wrote: »

The shopping centre where I spend my day doesn't have any supermarkets unfortunately for a cheap lunch. It is all takeaways or restaurants.


I hadn't really thought about taking a packed lunch. I could still sit in the food court and eat it, so that I still have the atmosphere and can sit and people watch. I could treat myself to a small portion of fries to go with my sandwich


We don't really have Waitrose up here.

I find that home made sandwiches are much nicer than shop bought ones and you can choose what you put in them.

Maybe you could get a little flask to take with you too? Good idea to eat in the food hall so that you get the atmosphere. If you do need to buy a coffee, maybe find a smaller cafe that would charge less, rather than the big named ones that would charge more for a coffee, or go for an americano (filter coffee) rather than cappuccino to save a few pennies?

quidsy

Or invest in a travel coffee mug (abt 2-4 quid in asda etc), make the coffee at work just before you go out & take it with you to lunch.

ellie-g

Florenceem wrote: »

I put a couple of handfuls of porridge in the last Shepherd's pie I made - couldn't tell it was there.

Yes just add small amounts until you get a bit more confident.

happycrafter_2

Morning everyone (just)

Lunches all from home though mines not as interesting as it was yesterday
Homemade beef and potato curry for tea tonight made a while a go and frozen.

Didn't do any of my cardigan last night as helped OH bottle 38 home brews. Tonight's plan is bottle the apple pie cider sort the wine out and knit cardigan if I can just speed up the swagbucks as its seems to take me a while to get a daily total

happybird71

mummy2threeboys wrote: »

Lol yes i had that for months..wow i didnt realise you actually had a baby in there..humm lumpy moving bags are hardly a fashion trend are they?:p

Ha ha :rotfl: brilliant! I just bought a baby wearing coat from eBay & DH says I look like I'm pregnant with quads!

Cantfindafreeuserid

Right I got to page 29 and gave up trying to read the whole thread it's just too long. I was reading it until 3.30 this morning and started again at 10 so another 2 1/2 hours and still just over half way through :-)

I would like to join the challenge but I already buy the budget brands on alot of food, toiletries and washing up liquid so not sure how I can do more there. I also buy from the reduced section whenever I can and am now in need of lamb mince recipes as I have 3 packs and have never cooked lamb mince in my life! I use beef for cottage pie so want something different to do with the lamb. Any suggestions? I am trying to stop the food waste as I know this is an area I need to hugely improve on. I am ignoring 'best before' and 'use by' dates as I think they are a load of rubbish as long as your sensible!

So I am trying to think of ways I can stretch a low and already stretched income! I do not have anything to fall back on and this worries me ALOT I would like to build up some kind of emergency fund as well as save for next christmas and clear my debts.

I shop in charity shops and rarely pay full price for clothes as I only go to the sale rail. I am also due to move house at some point so with comes huge expenses as it will need carpeting throughout! This said I have been waiting to move for a year and no sign yet but I have to be ready. In light of this I have packed most of what I can live without and cleared 'stuff' to charity or the dump.

I have medical problems so have to have a car for travelling anywhere.

As you can see from my signature I have joined lots of challenges but need ways of making them possible because I really really do NOT want my debt increasing or me having to remove money from pots of savings!

Sorry if I have rambled :-)

nannygladys

Hi everyone, just clocking in whilst waiting for lunch to cook, its just a load of chopped up veggies from fridge, stock cube, some cannelloni beans and bit or pearl barley, I made this primarily for my lunch break at work for tomorrow and Friday, but theres plenty so Ill take some out in a bit.


Clocked another NSD yesterday so that's 6 this month, and Im really watching the pennies - its getting a bit of an obsession and I keep trying to come up with cheap dinners, walking everywhere and trying to cut down on everything!!


Started some spring cleaning today with a couple of kitchen cupboards and drawers, its amazing what cr*p you keep, so that will go down to the CS at some point along with a lot more I hope. (its only cra* to me by the way)


Anyway off to see if lunch is done
Nannyg

kb_soma

I also buy from the reduced section whenever I can and am now in need of lamb mince recipes as I have 3 packs and have never cooked lamb mince in my life! I use beef for cottage pie so want something different to do with the lamb. Any suggestions?

Could you make curries and stews with the mince? Also try bolognese sauces, burgers, meatballs and freeze these?

One thing that I do with meat if I can't bulk cook it all is to portion it and freeze in smaller portions to use as and when I fancy it.

I have, from today left all of my cards at home and have an emergency £5 in my pocket in case I need to buy anything, I am trying to keep this intact!

I have started using value brand everything, I have found that the quality of the veg is the same and use it for all sorts including stir frys!

Frugaldom

Frugalsod wrote: »

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.

We have a whole thread somewhere about the homemade paper bricks, it was one of our previous challenges a few years ago and there's another one this year involving paper and wood shavings for eco-fuel. Perhaps you haven't had the chance to read through the thousands of pages - can't blame you, it's a bit like reading 'War and Peace' after having been going for so long. See post 1 and 'handy links' section.


Co-op voucher now safely in my homemade purse and it is valid until 28th January. We have no shops here so a trip to Co-op is a special occasion whenever I can hitch a lift with a friend.

happycrafter_2

http://slimmingworld-recipes.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/greek-doner-kebab-gyro.html?m=1

Would recommend this everyone on our house loves it and I make my own wraps with flour and water dough dry fry in a pan/griddle