2014 Frugal Living Challenge

LisaJane

Hi Frugalites,

I am looking for some advice. I am really keen to try and grow food this year...but only have a small back yard, so am confined to growing in pots or perhaps bags??

In the past I have successfully grown herbs and lettuce...but am keen to try something new. I was thinking about trying potatoes? Does anyone else have any other ideas and/or know when is a good time to start planting?

MallyGirl

although you can grow potatoes in bags it is really only worth it for the earliest new ones which taste lovely when straight from soil via sink to pan. The cost of compost and space required just aren't worth it for ordinary spuds.
In a small space I would carry on with herbs and do cut and come again lettuce (I like the spicy mixes), strawberries, cherry tomatoes, chillis if you like them.

LisaJane

Thank you mallygirl!

Frugalsod

Having another NSD but planning a visit to the butcher to top up the freezer for a few months supplies.

carebabe

tatabubbly wrote: »

Hey guys!

Its difficult to have NSD when your invited out to so many social functions! Tonight, I'm invited round to friends house for a takeaway and to see her new baby. My OH is dying to go round and met the new addition and I'm sitting here in a state cos I don't want to spend money on a takeaway!

you could suggest to her that you come round to see new baby but just have coffee and cake which you can take round. should be less than the takeaways.

Goldiegirl

LisaJane wrote: »

Hi Frugalites,

I am looking for some advice. I am really keen to try and grow food this year...but only have a small back yard, so am confined to growing in pots or perhaps bags??

In the past I have successfully grown herbs and lettuce...but am keen to try something new. I was thinking about trying potatoes? Does anyone else have any other ideas and/or know when is a good time to start planting?

We grow things in pots on the patio. As MallyGirl said, we've done cherry tomatoes and strawberries, and last year we were successful with dwarf green beans. We did try rocket, which I love, but it wasn't very successful and got eaten up be insects.


On Saturday we nipped out and got some vegetables, which I'll be using tomorrow for my next batch cooking day. Yesterday was NSD, and I was planning for today to be as well. But one of the Kindle books of the day is a book I've wanted to read for years, so I'm going to download it. At least it'll be a LSD.

Quite a good weekend on eBay, with quite a few sales, so that was pleasing.

Today I've dashed around doing all the housework, and this afternoon I'm going to write up some descriptions for some things I'll be eBaying over the next few weeks. Also got a load of jigsaws to list this week. We both enjoy doing jigsaws. I sell them when we've done them and use the proceeds to buy more. So it could be said we are 'jigsaw neutral'!

We have chilli con carne for dinner, which is the last thing remaining from my previous batch cook. The bread maker is kneading away, so all in all I feel happily frugal today!

his_missus

Hi all,

Picklepot, personally I would put £200 or so aside as an emergency fund in another bank account for those unexpected bills (mine were always vets bills) I replenished it as I used it so I didn't feel tempted to use my CC and to break the habit of using my CC too. You have to go with what suits you though.

Lisajane, I've tried growing veg in pots with little success. I did grow peas but I never really harvested enough for a portion, Hubby just liked picking the pods and eating fresh peas I tend to stick to salad leaves and herbs.

Shortie

Afternoon all, frugal so far today (the benefit of being stuck behind a desk :-P)

So, budgetting spread sheet updated following the weekend kitchen spend, and removing the allocated Paris travel costs. Have asked Mr Shortie to try and book the plumber for a date to start changing and moving the boiler. I'm getting horribly impatient with everything now - it's like... now we've got some form of plan together, I want to see things progressing asap. I suspect I'm just being a bit of a diva about this, whoops

El cheapo hm instant porridge munched for breakfast, and just munching on a Mr T Value tomato soup I woke up too late to make a chicken mayo sandwich (from leftovers) but hoping there will be some left for me to make one tomorrow (yum). I also have a Mug Shot with me from Home Bargains in case I get hungry again in a bit (I have no bread with my soup to help keep me full)


Oh, and I arranged to increase my pension contributions through work today too. The extra payments will come out as of April but at least it's out of the way and I won't forget to do it later.

Nargleblast

Another one jumping off the lurkers bus for a moment.....

My monthly grocery budget is £400. Quite a lot, you may think, for a household of 3 people, but when I tell you my OH loves food and we have a mid-teen DS with hollow legs, plus 2 cats, get the picture? It has always been a struggle to keep to that budget, usually I end up spending £420 - £440.

However, (fanfare!) for the past 2 months the budget has come in at just under £400! How? Well, I have been meal planning for a long time, cooking food from scratch and using up leftovers, but the last couple of months we initially had Christmas stuff to use up, and I have also focussed more on budgeting and stretching the ingredients.

I do an online supermarket shop for payday, which costs anywhere from £110 to £140, depending on which supermarket I choose ( can be Mr T, Mr S or Mr A ). That does not include meat, fruit or veg, it is mainly storecupboard, fridge, some freezer, and pet and household essentials. The same day I go to a wholesale butcher and greengrocer and spend about £80 or so. I plan all the month's meals from that, just topping up with fresh fruit, veg, eggs, milk, bread etc as required through the month. For the top ups I use Mr T or Ald1/HomeBarg. Very occasionally I use the village C00p - very occasionally, but they can be pricey.

I make white bread in a breadmaker, and bake cakes etc, also make yoghourt using a starter pot of yoghourt plus UHT milk, and it comes out fine. A favourite dessert is sugar free jelly blended with home made yoghourt to make a jelly cream dessert.

I am hoping to grow lettuces again this year, and try my hand at other veg plants. We also have a couple of chickens, one of whom still lays a few eggs a week, so that helps.

Our luxuries are a takeaway meal on the day I get paid, and a fortnightly visit from the Ringtons tea man. I get the odd £5 voucher towards a small hamper of goodies for Christmas.

During the year I make marmalade using those tins of prepared oranges (very nice marmalade, and very reasonable), crab apple jelly from the fruits of our tree, elderberry syrup and jam from bushes near our house, and I make mincemeat and Christmas cake towards the end of the year.

I am trying to build up an emergency fund, have only started this month. It has the princely sum of £20 in it - but you have to start somewhere!

I will keep on lurking to pick up any useful tips, I find it shocking how prices have risen over the past year or two.

(Jumps back on the bus.)

Just_be_2

Hello all. I haven't posted since the beginning of February and have read back a few pages. I had the car MOT the middle of this month and it cleared out the fund I had saved to pay back my final debt (which is an overpayment. I know the request is coming so have been saving ahead- but the official letter hasn't arrived yet so I'm just waiting for that!) basically I was half way to the total amount of the debt- now I have £50 left in that account. It was very disheartening. Although I now have an MOT for another year. Not all doom and gloom as I did well with the shopping budget for feb and have some areas in which I can still save slightly. I have started March with a reinvigorated enthusiasm. Something that has save me money which may also help others- I bought a few of those reusable tray liners 2 for 99p, just clean with soapy warm water and reuse- I use so much less tin foil!