2014 Frugal Living Challenge

Mint1955

Wow it's taken days to get to read all the entries so far. Well done everyone. I use a money app on the iPad which tracks everything I spend. Just had to set up all accounts including a purse account so every time I spend on credit card or pay a bill or transfer money (cash out of machine) to my purse it shows. Then when I spend the cash I log it and it then does reports on every category like food, petrol, clothes, gifts etc etc all the accounts can be crossed checked to my real accounts. DD's can be set up as in real bank as well as wages going in etc so I can see ahead what the balance is going to be come the end of the month.

Aldi is the way I have saved so much grocery budget.

If I walk not bus then the bus money is put in a pot, if I walk and don't use car then parking money is put in pot.

Free kindle books or library.

Bulk cook saves time and means we are eating better.

Turn of fan oven at wall when finished cooking as it was carrying on fanning for ages which in turn was costing me in electric.

Emptied and switched of spare fridge freezer.

Trying to encourage household to only turn the bathroom fans on when showering otherwise every time anyone wen to the loo the fans come on and stay on for a while costing electric.

Opened online savings accounts with nationwide to transfer money each month to the correct budgets..... One for Yearly bills like insurance and car tax and mot dentist, glasses.
One for gifts, one for clothes, one for charges for rental property, one for leisure allowance etc worked out what would be needed then divided by 12 which should stop panics when bills come in. Have had to shuffle about between them at first but after the first year it will settle down. These accounts mirror the app for accounting.every penny is accounted for no matter how small. I take out cash for shopping and my weekly allowance.

List all birthdays etc so I can buy cards in advance at best prices rather than rush in and buy very expensive cards as I am late etc.

I will be following this thread as it great to hear everyone's tips.
Sheila

TM6

Wahoo - 3 NSDs in a row :dance:

thepennyfarthings

Evening all,

I have just about caught up with this thread:j
I have lost my way this week:eek::eek::eek:
School admissions called to say there are two places at our preferred school. So much dashing around buying new uniform, completing forms and making sure they get to the right places
Had to buy sweets and gifts for LOs classmates. Many tears shed:( but we are staying in contact with them:j
OH booked Sun holiday, booked wrong date (term time:eek:) He emailed them yesterday but they have not replied yet. I'm starting to feel panicky, it has been a full on week . Hopefully this will be sorted out quickly and easily:).

Anyway start again tomorrow with a NSD.

I love the ideas and recipes being posted on here:T:T:T

Stay safe everyone,
tpf.

macwah97

Good and bad week for various reasons.

Spends ok on food, electric is way up there, somewhere and had to have a Domino's tonight.

had a u sound scan yesterday which showed a 4cm cyst on my last ovary and DS has been referred for further medical and mental assessment......Ah Well .. onwards and upwards.

Plan for tomorrow (subject to change LOL)

Everyone up and breakfast at home tomorrow
Slice bread for soup lunch - DD gets a school dinner tomorrow
Do veg for tomorrows dinner - ( I'm at work from 2pm to 9.30) taking last night's HM lasagne with me.....nom nom
Prepare paperwork for job application registration on Friday. Killing two birds.....tax car and register for another job......with any luck I'll get it - closer to home better hours but less money. At the minute - family comes first.

sorry for being waffley

Macwah

Buffythedebtslayer

kb_soma wrote: »

You will need to pick out the good bits, I keep the meat from the bones, throw away the jellyish stuff, chicken skin and cartilage. also, skim as the stock boils as you will get brown scum on the top of the stock - sounds so appealing, doesn't it?

You're better off waiting for the carcass to cool a bit before picking the meat off.

The fox may have got the bits of chicken out of the bin.....


I did remove the scum thank you

miss_empty_piggy wrote: »

I've not read ahead so sorry if this has already been said. I usually shove the carcass into the slow cooker and leave it on overnight/all day. Then fish out the bones peeling off any meat then add the veg and stock and whatever else you want in there and leave it for another few hours depending on how crunchy you like your veg.

hope that helps x

I think I might do that next time, I have to be honest am not keen on the smell!!

skintygerlinky wrote: »

Well done on the soup, Buffy! Ive been eating homemade curried parsnip soup for the last couple of days which was gorgeous - however it stank to high heaven, could've slayed any Buffy style demon!! But cost nowt to make, was all from leftovers and bits hanging around the fridge. Feels good to be eating nice food that hasn't cost a rip-off amount of cash

Yeah, I am a bit disappointed today tho, I blended it and to be honest it is not very tasty. Bit watery and thin - which ok, it was a clear ish soup but it has no body to it, not like when I make stew type vegetable soup.


So I do ditch it? or do add something to it? and if so what?


sorry I haven't read I have the most dreadful headache and am so shattered.
XXX

skintygerlinky

Glad you can post on here to share whats happening macwah xx

Tempted to get chips at work tonight but said no!! Wasn't hungry, wasn't Frugal '14, wasn't the healthiest thing and just NO! As I and many others on here have said, am feeling better 'cos I'm eating better at the mo so no chips, ta!

Sandwiches and soup for uni tomorrow from home. Still got a lot of work to do over the weekend so glad I don't need to do any food shopping.

mum2one

not a frugal day went to Boots 75% sale - spent £145 (only £10 of that was vouchers) but on the plus side with the items I got in 50% sale (£140 vouchers) and bits and pieces

I have done
All birthdays - 19 presents
All mothers day presents (4 sets)
Fathers Days ( 4 sets of presents) 2 1/2done
Leaving presents when DD goes up school - 5 presents - 4 done
Christmas - 55 presents - 42 done and 4 are 1/ done

Back to being skint now for rest of month and Feb xx

Just_be_2

Hello great advice on swag bucks- I joined last night and after what seemed like hours fiddling around on there I was mentally exhausted and only had 32 points! I had completely written it off but a few comments re it being a slow burner at first and I'm considering giving it another shot. I would be overjoyed with £5 amazoon card a week so I would need to be averaging 150 points a day. The main thing that puts me off is when you are brought to an external site to sign up to a membership on THEIR site. I signed up to about 3 extra things last night and didn't feel very safe as I hadn't intended or really wanted to! Is this the name of the game so I will have to except it or was I barking up the wrong tree and choosing the wrong links? Another NSD today!

Cantfindafreeuserid

So I do ditch it? or do add something to it? and if so what?


sorry I haven't read I have the most dreadful headache and am so shattered.
XXX[/QUOTE]

I add lentils and pearl barly to mine when I do it. The lentils kind of disolve and thicken it and you would never know they are there. The pearl barley bulks out the soup and makes it stretch further (but my son doesn't like it!)

I basically strip the carcas of all meat then boil the carcas with a carrot, Parsnip and celery. I also add herbs and chicken stock cube/s.

I boil all of that for a good couple of hours then I strain it and add chopped carrot, parsnip, potatoe, herbs, Pearl barley, lentils and more stock cubes if needed to the stock oh and not forgetting the chicken :-)

Boil until your happy with the taste and consistancy etc adding more of anything you think it needs as you go.

Hope this helps

Cantfindafreeuserid

Just_be wrote: »

Hello great advice on swag bucks- I joined last night and after what seemed like hours fiddling around on there I was mentally exhausted and only had 32 points! I had completely written it off but a few comments re it being a slow burner at first and I'm considering giving it another shot. I would be overjoyed with £5 amazoon card a week so I would need to be averaging 150 points a day. The main thing that puts me off is when you are brought to an external site to sign up to a membership on THEIR site. I signed up to about 3 extra things last night and didn't feel very safe as I hadn't intended or really wanted to! Is this the name of the game so I will have to except it or was I barking up the wrong tree and choosing the wrong links? Another NSD today!

I very rarely sign up to anything else. I have opened 2 catalogue accounts through swagbucks for the bonus bucks. It also helped with xmas :-)

I generally only do surveys and watch videos some days it is hard going today for instance I have had no qualifying surveys and have only managed 17 swagbucks but tomorrow I could get a few good paying surveys to make up for it. I also try to watch videos to boost my bucks but today I just can't face it

Hope this helps