2014 Frugal Living Challenge

abby1234519

Frugalsod wrote: »

I go with my family for birthdays and luckily they are all spread out through the year so actually gives me a few months to save for the next one. The last birthday (last wednesday) cost just under £100 for 4 of us. We go to a local Thai restaurant and we actually leave the entire order to the restaurant owner to decide. We just say what we do not like and he picks what will go well together and it works. It might help in that we are semi regulars so he knows not to sting us, and we keep returning.

£100 for the four of you?!!? I couldn't ever spend that much!



I've dug a 1.758kg lamb of shoulder out of the freezer ,should defrost hopefully by sunday. We plan to have a roast with mash pots etc, stuffing and yorkshires. Now I need to work out how much to serve per person (2 and a toddler). A website said 2225g per person. I really want to stretch it out for 4 days or more!

cw18

abby1234519 wrote: »

£100 for the four of you?!!? I couldn't ever spend that much!

Me neither.

I don't even like spending £10-£15 a head for a meal out.... I sit there mentally calculating how many days/weeks groceries that works out at!

OH's also stopped his semi-regular suggestions that we get a take-away. He did suggest it a couple of weeks ago as he was bringing his niece over for the weekend (so we could take her out) but wasn't sure what time they'd get here to give me a target time to cook. Before he left home he got a text telling him I'd got stuffed pasta and sauce in that would only take minutes to sort, and all talk of take-away stopped

nat21luv

£25 quid each is pretty reasonable when you factor in drinks too...and possibly dessert

Frugalsod

abby1234519 wrote: »

£100 for the four of you?!!? I couldn't ever spend that much!



I've dug a 1.758kg lamb of shoulder out of the freezer ,should defrost hopefully by sunday. We plan to have a roast with mash pots etc, stuffing and yorkshires. Now I need to work out how much to serve per person (2 and a toddler). A website said 2225g per person. I really want to stretch it out for 4 days or more!

That also included 2 bottles of wine, coffees and three courses for each.

Frugalsod

cw18 wrote: »

Me neither.

I don't even like spending £10-£15 a head for a meal out.... I sit there mentally calculating how many days/weeks groceries that works out at!

OH's also stopped his semi-regular suggestions that we get a take-away. He did suggest it a couple of weeks ago as he was bringing his niece over for the weekend (so we could take her out) but wasn't sure what time they'd get here to give me a target time to cook. Before he left home he got a text telling him I'd got stuffed pasta and sauce in that would only take minutes to sort, and all talk of take-away stopped

Actually for a meal out at lunch time I look for something closer to a tenner each, for three courses.

Yes when I was staying at a hotel recently breakfast was £15! That for me was over the top.

Frugalsod

kb_soma wrote: »

I love Thai food, our family used to have a Thai restaurant, so I'm lucky enough to know cooking it very well! this website has some very authentic recipes and great videos: http://importfood.com/recipes.html

It's always good to know the owners too, and even better if they know what you like!

My downfall is Chinese food, I love it and have to eat out if I'm going to have it, but I have been good and not been out for it for a while.

While I can do a simple Thai curry it is nowhere as good as the one in the restaurant. The same applies to my cooking of Chinese. I would happily go out and treat myself to a proper authentic meal as a treat for doing so well being frugal.

calleyw

lovefullshelves wrote: »

p
abby - my OH puts things in the trolley too, storage boxes and a torch, biscuits and cakes (even though I bake from scratch). He hasn't done it for two weeks as when he put the storage boxes in and said 'I'll give you the money for those when we get home' I reminded him and he grudgingly handed over a fiver!!
Roll on feb!
x

Don't take this the wrong way. But unless you don't drive why do you take your OH shopping.

When my husband became disabled that put a stop to him coming with me and was my little escape in to normality.

strange I know LOL!!!


Yours

Calley

sax11

abby1234519 wrote: »

. A website said 2225g per person.

That's a lot of meat

abby1234519

cw18 wrote: »

Me neither.

I don't even like spending £10-£15 a head for a meal out.... I sit there mentally calculating how many days/weeks groceries that works out at!

OH's also stopped his semi-regular suggestions that we get a take-away. He did suggest it a couple of weeks ago as he was bringing his niece over for the weekend (so we could take her out) but wasn't sure what time they'd get here to give me a target time to cook. Before he left home he got a text telling him I'd got stuffed pasta and sauce in that would only take minutes to sort, and all talk of take-away stopped

Exactly! I am the same with takeaways. £20 for a couple of pizzas....we probably had about 3 takeaways or even more a month last year. Mainly my OH suggesting it, I am determined we will have no more. Perhaps if we underspend on our budget I might say to my other half, takeaway or pay off debt. I'd rather pay off debt personally.

nat21luv wrote: »

£25 quid each is pretty reasonable when you factor in drinks too...and possibly dessert

Ah see, we don't drink (not an active choice it just doesn't bother us) and we never have room for dessert.

Frugalsod wrote: »

That also included 2 bottles of wine, coffees and three courses for each.

Oh well thats better, I mean wine in a restaurant has an extortionate mark up. Sukhothai in Harrogate sells a £3 (from Majestic) bottle of wine for £15.

Frugalsod wrote: »

Actually for a meal out at lunch time I look for something closer to a tenner each, for three courses.

Yes when I was staying at a hotel recently breakfast was £15! That for me was over the top.

If we do go out I try to use vouchers, ie pizza express offers

calleyw wrote: »

Don't take this the wrong way. But unless you don't drive why do you take your OH shopping.

Because I like to have him involved but I probably shouldn't. I only usually take him as I can't be trusted in Asda. They sell peanut butter cups and I have an addiction. I mean the sort of addiction that can cost £10 in one binge.....

sax11 wrote: »

That's a lot of meat

I thought that. Going by 225 that means the whole portion would do 3 meals. I think 4 or 5 is more feasible, especially as if I made a lamb risotto you wouldn't use a "normal" sized portion of lamb as you fill it out with rice and veg!

Goldiegirl

Today and yesterday were NSD's as I was at work


Didn't enjoy work at all today - there are certain people who are wilfully blind when it comes to noticing things that need to be done. so everyone was accidently avoiding something that had to be done today, so I ended up doing it, which meant I couldn't do the things I needed to do. As I'm not in until next Thursday I had to stay late trying to sort things out


I don't like causing bother in the workplace, but I think I'll have to mention this to the manager, it's just not fair


At least it makes me keener to be frugal - working towards that early retirement, possibly 18 months away now