2014 Frugal Living Challenge

nannygladys

Hello everyone

Just been crafting today using stuff I already have in. It's taken me all day and I've really enjoyed myself, I don't do it often enough.

I must start clearing my front garden up this year the hedge is ok but the grass is disgusting, it's so long and is more moss than grass, not sure what to do with it I will have to get some gardening books out of the library.

Suppose I'd better go to bed
Nanny g

Frugalsod

abby1234519 wrote: »

Oh In my attempt to cook the weeks meals I've had a disaster. I've just made a pie filling from some frozen pork, left over leek, gravy and thyme. I reckon I can fit that in the freezer. However....I've just made so much bolognese that I really don't know what I can do with it.There just isn't the room for it in the freezer. It wasn't mean to be so big it was only a small packet of mince however I might have chopped a lot of onion, carrot and a bit of brocolli. Two cartons of passata and some water later and there is a few litres of the stuff. No idea how long it will keep in the fridge.

I hate to see food go to waste so my other half will be having bolognese EVERY day when he comes home for lunch

If you put in in the fridge it should be fine. I occasionally have such a problem but I try and avoid making the mince in the slow cooker too often because I end up with enough to fill an entire freezer tray.

A week of the same food for lunch could be not be worse than throwing it away.

[Deleted User]

I am having a frugal treat tonight - I have booked a facial at local salon but using a £15 off gift card. Its not that frugal but I do love having a monthly treat like a massage or facial.

metrochick15

abby1234519 wrote: »

Oh In my attempt to cook the weeks meals I've had a disaster. I've just made a pie filling from some frozen pork, left over leek, gravy and thyme. I reckon I can fit that in the freezer. However....I've just made so much bolognese that I really don't know what I can do with it.There just isn't the room for it in the freezer. It wasn't mean to be so big it was only a small packet of mince however I might have chopped a lot of onion, carrot and a bit of brocolli. Two cartons of passata and some water later and there is a few litres of the stuff. No idea how long it will keep in the fridge.

I hate to see food go to waste so my other half will be having bolognese EVERY day when he comes home for lunch

It will last for a few days in the fridge. You can add some kidney beans & chilli powder and make some into chilli if you want to vary the meals, or use the bolognase in lasagna. It's also nice on jacket potatoes! HTH

mum2one

[Deleted User] wrote:

I am having a frugal treat tonight - I have booked a facial at local salon but using a £15 off gift card. Its not that frugal but I do love having a monthly treat like a massage or facial.

good for u, we all deserve a treat, hope you dont think I am being cheeky, byt if you have a college near you a lot of them have beauty salons for the students to learn the prices are a fraction of high street etc, may take a bit longer as there supervised, but a lot of colleges do evenings as well for the mature . part time students. Our college does all hair dressing, massages facials, waxing etc. xx

Mint1955

Can you take out the next few days meals out of the freezer to get to bolognaise in?

Or adapt it daily,
Lasagne
As it it
Chilli

kb_soma

abby1234519 wrote: »

Oh In my attempt to cook the weeks meals I've had a disaster. I've just made a pie filling from some frozen pork, left over leek, gravy and thyme. I reckon I can fit that in the freezer. However....I've just made so much bolognese that I really don't know what I can do with it.There just isn't the room for it in the freezer. It wasn't mean to be so big it was only a small packet of mince however I might have chopped a lot of onion, carrot and a bit of brocolli. Two cartons of passata and some water later and there is a few litres of the stuff. No idea how long it will keep in the fridge.

I hate to see food go to waste so my other half will be having bolognese EVERY day when he comes home for lunch

I made a quick chilli with some leftover bolognese, by adding a can of kidney beans, cumin, chilli powder and paprika, not authentic, but the flavours were there. Have this with rice for dinner one evening?

Another evening, make a lasagne? or a bolognese Pasta bake?

Frugalsod

I was expecting to need to get milk and cream tomorrow but am doing well so may get through to the weekend without incident.

his_missus

abby - I agree with the others who say adapt it to make a chilli or pasta bake.

Also do you freeze food in tupperware boxes? I freeze food in freezer bags in plastic containers then once frozen take out of box so you have a brick. It takes up less room than in a half full tupperware box.

abby1234519

Frugalsod wrote: »

If you put in in the fridge it should be fine.

I usually throw things away after 4 days, how long do you think I can stretch it for?

Tonight is left over Mexican stew, there is a lot of this left as well. I might nip to asda and get some ziploc bags. I usually have a load of big ones from costco but ran out, cheap ones don't cut it with me!

metrochick15 wrote: »

It will last for a few days in the fridge. You can add some kidney beans & chilli powder and make some into chilli if you want to vary the meals, or use the bolognase in lasagna. It's also nice on jacket potatoes! HTH

I do know what I can do with it, I was going to make a spaghetti lasagne (ie run out of sheets but spaghetti works) or a chili, its just the vast quantity of it for 2 adults and a toddler!

Mint1955 wrote: »

Can you take out the next few days meals out of the freezer to get to bolognaise in?

I might try to juggle it, that could work. I know you are meant to freeze things straight away but if I leave it two days it won't hurt. That could buy me extra time as it takes a day or so to defrost some meat so in that time I could have eaten some more mince.

his_missus wrote: »

abby - I agree with the others who say adapt it to make a chilli or pasta bake.

Also do you freeze food in tupperware boxes? I freeze food in freezer bags in plastic containers then once frozen take out of box so you have a brick. It takes up less room than in a half full tupperware box.

I freeze in takeaway size containers right to the brim sometimes. however generally I use good quality ziploc bags. Problem is at the moment my freezers are both full (they really shouldn't be I have no excuse for this food hoarding). Because my other half works for the Co-Op AND manages the meat section I always know about when meat is just about to be reduced to 75% off. So I get a half an hour warning and I'm off like a shot collecting all of the severely reduced meat! Anyway I have broken the habit. I've got a huge shoulder of lamb in the freezer that cost me practically nothing. I also get 10% off and then the saturday after payday I get 20% off. So I end up with very cheap meat.