2014 Frugal Living Challenge

happybird71

Went to Card Factor and caused a queue by buying my year's worth of cards! I've been frustrated that every time I have to buy a card it's at least £1 or £1.50 for an okish one from our local Asda or Clinton's. Took the opportunity to go out childless & ran!

Got a few things to stick on eBay. Is Sunday night the best time to list? Any other tips? Thank you

Just_be_2

Hoping for a NSD today- have got a child's birthday party but have stockpiled gifts and cards so won't be spending on that. And it will give us something to do this afternoon. Have ran out of coffee and its one thing I totally begrudge buying! I won't be buying any today that's for sure. I'm going to put a big batch of Bolognese in the slow cooker this morning, bulked out with veg and beans- then split it between lasagnes and bagged and frozen for spaghetti Bol. Will do chicken soup big batch to freeze tomorrow then. And will spent the rest of the morning home tidying and veg prep. Hoping for a NSD tomorrow too. That would make a NSweekend!! Fingers crossed!

paidinchickens

Hello everyone

Can I jump back in? I need some butt kickin to get me back on track!

PiC x

sparrer

nsd/npd 6/8
Needed milk but remembered the 2 cartons of long life in the larder, one of which will do til I shop tomorrow.
Read somewhere on the forums that leaving the mobile charging overnight is unnecessary, a couple of hours is enough so have tried it and the charge lasts just as long, so won't be doing it overnight in future.
I was going to join the Cineworld 'club' on line which gives a discount for members, but on reading the small print I discovered that people over a certain age get a bigger discount anyway. It's always worth checking cinemas/theatres/shops etc for concessions - I was embarrassed to state my age at first but it's saved me quite a few £'s in the last 18 months.

abby1234519

lhead123 wrote: »

Don't get a pifco! we had one and it only lasted 6 months before OH broke it - the handle is so flimsy its unbelievable! Don't get an H2O mop either, they are flimsy as anything and way overpriced.

We now have a Morphy Richards 9in1 and its brilliant, and really sturdy. If you can, go to somewhere like the range and try them out to see which one you like. No matter what the adverts say you need to push quite hard to get off dried in dirt sometimes, so really need one with a sturdy handle x

I got a steam mop ages ago from Groupon and I have realised recently it was a bladdy scaaam. The fabric steam pad thing no longer grips onto the bottom so its useless. It also feels rickety. I should have saved for a proper one. So I am going to swave up my swagbucks and get one from amazon in a few months. we have lino/woodbutbotreallywood floors downstairs so its useful. Having said that my kitchen floor just needs ripping up. But as its not my house I will put up with it and one day I'll buy my own house and have a easily to clean floor!

abby1234519

Also today I plan to have a LSD. I was really naughty yesterday, went to Morrisons with friends to get girlie night supplies (cost £2.40 each so not bad) but whilst I was there I saw a dinosaur jumper DS would love. He thinks its a dragon mind you. I can probably justify it on the grounds that DS hates jumpers with buttons near the neck so we struggle getting him to wear them. He looooves this one. Just hope it doesn't shrink.

I need to go to Lidl to buy Chorizo, swedish meatballs and there is something else but not sure what it is. Plan to make butternut squash risotto for tea tonight. Have taken a gammon joint out of chest freezer, thinking gammon in coke? OH hates the saltiness though so need to try to wash as much off as possible

Busymumofthreeplusdog

abby1234519 wrote: »

I need to go to Lidl to buy Chorizo, swedish meatballs and there is something else but not sure what it is. Plan to make butternut squash risotto for tea tonight. Have taken a gammon joint out of chest freezer, thinking gammon in coke? OH hates the saltiness though so need to try to wash as much off as possible

Hi Abby, just sit the gammon joint in a big pot plain water for a couple of hrs, the salt will seep out into the water resulting in a much less salty joint.;)

Frugalsod

I looked at my noddle credit report. I seem to have dropped a grade even though my finances are no worse than usual. It has given me more of an incentive to stop buying anything and everything until it has improved. Last 12 months on my loan to go so will be able to boost credit card payments then.

pm2326

Evening all

Was at work again today I know the extra money will help clear my debts quicker but I'm sooooooo fed up with working overtime...have another 3 weeks to go and think it's going to be the longest 3 weeks ever.

I did however manage to get my washing dried outside today, even though it meant putting it on the line while it was still dark (I have to leave for work by 6.30am). So that's all ironed and put away so I don't need to do it tomorrow.

Called into as*a on way home and bought 3 boxes of PG Tips as they're on special offer of £3 for 240 box, can't buy them any cheaper around here. I don't like cheaper brands so this is a good deal for me. One box lasts 3 months so going back on Monday to buy another box and then will have a year's supply. Couldn't carry it today as also bought 4 pint milk.

Tomorrow will be shopping at Al*i. My fridge is empty so need to top up the fresh foods for the next few weeks. Hoping not to spend too much though as want to try and come in under last month's spend on groceries.

DawnW

Shortie wrote: »

I no longer have a credit card but I believe there is a higher level of protection on them for online payments?

Thanks, I knew there was some reason for having one I will still get rid of the others though!

lovefullshelves wrote: »

Scone pizza and chips for tea..delightfully cheap and stodgy!

I have lost the recipe for the scone base - can you share please?

abby1234519 wrote: »

Having said that my kitchen floor just needs ripping up. But as its not my house I will put up with it and one day I'll buy my own house and have a easily to clean floor!

I remember saying that, when my kids were small, and we had a similar level of debt to that in your signature (the first crossed out figure, that is). OH laughed, as we were totally skint, but guess what, once the debt was paid off we kept on being frugal, eventually got saving for a deposit and did just that

Well, it WAS going to be a NSD, popped to my unit and restocked and tidied up, got the vacuum cleaner out and started cleaning the lounge, as it looked really grotty in the sunlight. All of a sudden it stopped sucking. I looked down and the hose thingy had split and totally come apart :mad: So I had to order a new one from Vax. Now we have two vacuums - one upstairs and one down. This sounds extravagant but the upstairs one is an ancient Dyson I have had for at least seven or eight years, and the downstairs Vax one was given to me. It saves lugging them up and down stairs (our stairs are steep with narrow treads, and there are 2 flights of them, which we are used to, but it is no fun carrying heavy things up and down them ). But anyway, I had to drag the Dyson downstairs to finish off, and the pipe on that has split as well :mad: It is not as bad yet as the other one and I managed to finish the cleaning I was doing, but how annoying is that? So, I will have to look for a Dyson hose thingy in a minute as well :(What a boring thing to have to buy - especially two of them :eek:

Apart from that, I made a beef stew for supper, which DD and her OH helped us to eat, though I managed to salvage a small portion for lunch at work on Monday.

Hope it is nice again tomorrow, as I would like to put my shallots, garlic and broad beans in the veg plot