2014 Frugal Living Challenge

kb_soma

julz224 wrote: »

thanks..testing the signature now. anyone got any tips for a tasty chicken dinner tonight? i have frozen veg in and frozen chicken pieces and fresh potatoes. no microwave, no slow cooker xxx

For a quick 'roast' I put a little oil in a small frying pan, add the chicken with herbs and black pepper, put a lid over the pan and cook for about 20mins (or until chicken cooked), turning the chicken occasionally. You can use the juices to make gravy - Take chicken out of juices first, allow juices to cool, add some flour and mix, then add cold water at first, bringing to the boil add a stock cube and some of the veg water until the gravy is the thickness you require.

Cook the veg as normal.

Or, you could do a mini casserole type thingy by putting it all in a tray in the oven, adding chopped garlic, stock cube, onions, herbs a cup or two of water with a tablespoon of flour mixed in and cover, cook covered for 40mins to an hour. at around 180 degrees C?

sweetpea26

Frugalsod wrote: »

I got through a tough winter with one of these

http://www.amazon.co.uk/MusucBag-Classic-Black-XL/dp/B005R0DNR0

I used the principle of heating myself, rather than the house. After putting the sleeping bag on I would also stick a hot water bottle in as well, I was then able to sit at my desk for as long as necessary. You might need to wear a woolie hat and mittens for your hands. You can still do quite a bit and walk around if you need to do things. My gas bill for the winter was 50p.

At night I would jump into bed with an extra duvet and hot water bottles and be fine all night.

If you are spending £10 a day it will have paid for itself within two weeks plus you will always have a backup if the heating fails.

Ah Frugalsod I had a good giggle imagining you with the hot water bottles tucked in.

Saying that what an amazing item!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Would love to open the door to a delivery man or postman with that on I would be the talk of the village.

I have just seen one on ebay £45

Are the feet detatchable?

Frugalsod

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

Shortie, was it you that said they had a MrT £15 OFF A £50 Spend on line? I had one too, so I am trying to get the max amount I can for my money... After reading a thread over on the food board, where people just only order the value stuff on-line. and some times if they are out of stock they will send you a higher priced replacement...


Our Very local Mr T haven't got the full range of Value items, and our Bigger Mr T's are 8 - 10 miles plus away, So not worth it as the fuel cost out weighs the savings..... sooooooo with this money off code.. I am def going to use it to bulk buy value baked beans etc...


I know I will have to take a trip to Mozzers next week (approx. 15 miles away ) to bulk buy their value range of tinned cat food tray of 6 for £2. which is a saving of 71p per tray compared to the next cheapest. So it is well worth the petrol cost...

Yes Mt T substitution policy make it worth while. I do not not buy just value items from there, but it does make a lot more sense than at As** who charge you the higher price. I usually do my order on MSM and then find the best prices for each store and split the delivery. So even a second delivery charge is better than buying from one store. Remember some stores have items that are cheaper than elsewhere and if you select those from the relevant stores even the additional delivery charges can be recovered via the extra savings.

ginnyknit

Knew today was going to be a spendy day but had budgetted for it. Free parking, bonus, new yoga pants £0 (swagbucks M&S voucher) and a long sleeved T shirt from Cs £1.30 :j Then Hubby took me for lunch as we rarely get out of the house but our favourite restaurant had closed down so the smell of fish and chips dragged us across the road. Ordered meal but asked for small protions of chips, thats fine she said you can have the £5 option - pensioners lunch :eek: oh well it was much cheaper and perfect size, tasty too.

Did splurge on some sticky back plastic in the Works and its chalkboard so thats set to be used for next Christmas.

Also we were filling up the car and got 5p a litre off as we had bought drinks that we would have bought anyway so we didnt go in a cafe just for a coffee. Not a bad day all in all.

cydney65

So have had a NSD today and, so far, a non-smoking day Put £10 in Billy-Can for next lot of tobacco and if I feel the need for a fag I will take out said note and see if I can burn it (I won't Lol). OH is going to keep me on track so we shall see how it goes.

Started putting stickers up in the nursery. I've made a loose sort of border with them. I can't believe how good they look so I'm well chuffed with the £3 I spent on them.

Found a carrot and some potatoes lurking in the back of the fridge so have turned them into a vegetable casserole. I added frozen peas, frozen value cauliflower and 2 mushrooms (again at the back of the fridge), whacked them in a pyrex dish with some stock and it's happily bubbling away. Put some potatoes on to bake as well. Dinner sorted!

Frugalsod

sweetpea26 wrote: »

Ah Frugalsod I had a good giggle imagining you with the hot water bottles tucked in.

Saying that what an amazing item!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Would love to open the door to a delivery man or postman with that on I would be the talk of the village.

I have just seen one on ebay £45

Are the feet detatchable?

The feet are not detachable. If you can get one cheap get one. The hands can be closed off completely if you want. Then you can take the mittens off. It is possible to sleep in though you need to be aware that you are sipped in and need to be careful when you need to go to the toilet, if you jam the zip when you are in and desperate then it might not turn out so well. I never had that problem but I did get jammed in once or twice.

The one trick with the hot water bottle was that I had bought one with the store hook so they can hang them on the rails. I kept that attached and used that hook to hang the hot water bottle on the opening inside my sleeping bag. So I could walk around with the hot water bottle on my chest in the bag.

It is not really glamour wear but very practical and mine paid for itself within that one winter. In my case half the cost was paid for by the dual fuel discount. I had a £100 dual fuel discount and as my gas bill was only 50p half the cost was paid for by the discount. If you can get one for £50 and then get a dual fuel discount you could effectively get it for free.

TM6

Frugaldom wrote: »

Keeping it frugal here, as always, and now getting ready to start emptying boxes of old paperwork to declutter.

Not managing to keep up on here but I am trying to read the daily email updates, so best wishes to all, good luck and long may you be frugal.

Signed up for Nectar Adpoints to try and boost those so I can transfer them to eBay and cashed out another Amazon voucher from topcashback.

We are doing the interest beater money maker challenge with the Billy cans again this year but that's being run on my frugalforums.co.uk along with this and other challenges.

Have a good day, everyone!

Can you please tell us what the Billy Can challenge is please or put up a link

Money_Tree_Faerie

Frugalsod wrote: »

I got through a tough winter with one of these

http://www.amazon.co.uk/MusucBag-Classic-Black-XL/dp/B005R0DNR0

I used the principle of heating myself, rather than the house. After putting the sleeping bag on I would also stick a hot water bottle in as well, I was then able to sit at my desk for as long as necessary. You might need to wear a woolie hat and mittens for your hands. You can still do quite a bit and walk around if you need to do things. My gas bill for the winter was 50p.

At night I would jump into bed with an extra duvet and hot water bottles and be fine all night.

If you are spending £10 a day it will have paid for itself within two weeks plus you will always have a backup if the heating fails.

That's a great idea. Do they have them for dogs?

Unfortunately I have to heat the living-room because I have a piano.

Shortie

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

Shortie, was it you that said they had a MrT £15 OFF A £50 Spend on line? I had one too, so I am trying to get the max amount I can for my money... After reading a thread over on the food board, where people just only order the value stuff on-line. and some times if they are out of stock they will send you a higher priced replacement...

Hiya, yep that was me. I was placing an order for over £50 anyway (as some thungs we're stocking up for the month) but definatemy agree that it's wotth making an order up to get the discount.. We've had sone good and some odd substitutions before, and there are a few things that I'vr marked as 'no substitution' likr Mr Shortie's coffee as he's very particular on that.

We buy quite a bit of value stuff anyway but I knkw I woukdn't order a value thibg I don't like in the hope of a more expensive substitution in case it's in stock and I get it lol

Urgh, sorry for typos, am typing on my phonr and this train is super jolty...

dizzy_lizzie

Catching up with the posts!
Wrote a menu last week and shopped for just what I needed.
Had to buy the odd loaf but this definitely saves me money otherwise I'm shopping willy-nilly and throwing all sorts in my trolley then you get home and wonder what you've got to make a meal! A lot easier knowing what's for tea too after a day at work.
I've also taken my lunches in all week and saved £10.40 there
OH and I have also joined the gym. I get a discount and we will definitely make the most of it.
I know it's not frugal but it's something I've wanted to do for a while and I'll cut back in other areas.