2014 Frugal Living Challenge

sparrer

Mrs_Cheshire wrote: »

Sparrer, I'm starting a module with the Open University on Saturday and one of the units is about COPD, I've not got any experience of it so do you mind if I ask you some questions once I get to that bit?

Hi Mrs C yes no problem, always happy to help those still studying .

his_missus

Hi all,

Next week I shall mostly be eating ham as MIL gave me a 625g piece of frozen cooked ham she said she won't use as she has more than enough of it in her freezer. Ham butties, ham and chips, ham pasta... does anyone have any other more exciting ideas?

I already have rice, pasta and spuds in, I could have a really frugal week, foodwise

The bathroom leak was fixed by FIL with a £5 pipe yesterday but now I need someone to look at my boiler as the pressure's dropped and I can't find a tap/valve to turn to increase it We have hot water but no heating! I usually only have it set to 16C anyway but last night the temperature in our house dropped to 11, brr!!!

summertea

Really looking forward to doing my January round-up, i have no idea where the month went but i'm feeling very positive about the money saving/making this year also i have my holland and barrett rewards voucher to spend at lunchtime just need to decide if i want to treat myself to nut butter or licorice snax

mooomin

his_missus wrote: »

Next week I shall mostly be eating ham as MIL gave me a 625g piece of frozen cooked ham she said she won't use as she has more than enough of it in her freezer. Ham butties, ham and chips, ham pasta... does anyone have any other more exciting ideas?

If you search leftover gammon recipes there's a recipe on the Tesco food site for gammon and red pepper frittata which is yummy. I also made a chicken and ham pie last time we had a lot of gammon

abby1234519

I am so annoyed. Just before Xmas I got £4 worth of kelloggs vouchers as I complained that there new porridge was disgusting and I'd stocked up on it as it was on offer for breakfast at work. (Ie I assumed it would taste the same) ANYWAY I went to redeem them yesterday. Ie I especially went to Asda to buy cornflakes with them and I didn't notice they had expired. So should I write to Kellogs? I think its cheeky to only have a month on the expiry date

Shortie

Afternoon all

Nowt much exciting happening here (actually, I'm gald of that) - I have my lunch with me at work and am planning a 'treat' tomorrow of microwaved poached egg sarni. Hoping this time I don't explode them :rotfl: But I already have an audience for when I do make them as the guys who saw the explosion last time know I'm trying again and they want to come and watch the second part of the experiment

I'm going to nip out in a mo to get a tenner for the rest of the crochet class on Saturday and that's then me pretty much done for the month in planned spends. I have taken out the month's petrol money and Mr Shortie also adds to this as we now share one car, I have food money budgetted in my tracking spread sheet for the reat of the month (soooo hoping to make it under £200 this month) and my monthly travel card payment is due out any day.

If the weather can hold off for me on Saturday (so no rain dances please anyone, lol) then it's shaping out to be a lovely day - I want to crack on with the chook run in the morning, then I have the crochet class in the afternoon which will be a nice break / new faces / a new crochet stitch skill, and Mr Shortie has invited our friends (2 doors away, lol) over for a homemade-takeout-sytle-curry. Even if they don't come over we'll have the food anyway - Mr Shortie's hm chicken curry, alongside 2 packs of Mr T reduced curry (forget the name of it Pathia I'm trying to say..??) and I'll make some pakra chan and rotis. I'd make Naans to go with it but Saturday is hopefully super busy so I won't have time to get the dough ready or shape and cook it. Unless I make them tonight / tomorrow night but let's see how energetic I feel!

Oohh. I need to work out a shopping list too for the next two weeks. We still have tonnes in from the big online shop but we definately have no bread or fruit for next week, and I want to check out our tinned stuff vs menu plan (not yet made)

Gotta dash, my boos is about to appear at my desk (short lunch for me then!)

kb_soma

abby1234519 wrote: »

Ie I especially went to Asda to buy cornflakes with them and I didn't notice they had expired. So should I write to Kellogs? I think its cheeky to only have a month on the expiry date

I'd write to them, it won't hurt, or email them, then you're not paying for a stamp.

DawnW

Shattered and not feeling great after a long and stressful day yesterday, so off work today. Hope I am not going down with something - lots of horrible bugs about

Sent OH for some bits of shopping, some eggs and some perfume for DD1's birthday (with strict instructions on which kind :rotfl:)

I am awaiting a refund from W*itrose for missing online shopping,must keep my eye open for that.

Must also do online banking. Nearly the end of the month so really looking forward to totalling up my spending (small things ). Come to think of it, it is payday today :j

I will make a big pan of bolognese sauce in a bit, for dinner tonight with pasta and tomorrow with jacket potatoes and a bit of salad.

Next door neighbours gave me a bag with some lettuce outside leaves and the end of a cucumber for my chickens, which they love, but inside the bag, there were also half a dozen potatoes which had started to sprout a little bit. Now the chickens won't eat those (no teeth :rotfl:), so I rescued them, scrubbed them and peeled and boiled them for fried potatoes for breakfast at the weekend . Well, the bag was a clean supermarket one, and there were only a few lettuce leaves in it, so I thought why not

nat21luv

I was doing so well....and then the exhaust on my 6yr old car fell off No warning at all, just driving to my college course and it made an awful din and started banging against the car. After ringing around the average quote is £120. A good friend works in a Honda garage as a parts manager and has secured me a part for £35!! Whats even better is that he will fit it for me on Saturday for the price of staying at mine and a cooked dinner Chuffed! At least I cant drive until then so saving on fuel but the boy is disappointed he cant make it to scouts tonight. Oh well.


Im pretty much at the end of my food supply at home, I have 5 tins of various things left, flour, a bit or rice, no meat, frozen veg and that's about it! Ive made all I can so I think that's about it, I may actually have to go shopping now!!

Florenceem

abby1234519 wrote: »

I am so annoyed. Just before Xmas I got £4 worth of kelloggs vouchers as I complained that there new porridge was disgusting and I'd stocked up on it as it was on offer for breakfast at work. (Ie I assumed it would taste the same) ANYWAY I went to redeem them yesterday. Ie I especially went to Asda to buy cornflakes with them and I didn't notice they had expired. So should I write to Kellogs? I think its cheeky to only have a month on the expiry date

Of course you should contact them - look for an email addy or freephone number so it doesn't cost you. I have had out of date vouchers replaced - tell them - it is good customer service to do so.