2014 Frugal Living Challenge

COOLTRIKERCHICK

Hi All,


funny enough DawnW There is a farm auction that we go to, on today, BUT If I went today it would mean me going on my own..PLUS .. I would spend money lol..


I do want chickens again, as people are now asking for eggs... typical, when I had a load of chickens I couldn't flipping give them away, now people want to buy them, maybe the pork sales are prompting them to ask for eggs lol..


I am slowly getting there.. and I think it will take me a few weeks to try and adjust to the new food budget figure I want to try and achieve..


I have now downgraded our orange juice ( buy one now and again) from the 'not made from consentrate' to the value 65p carton on, which is made from concentrate.. means must..


I have also gone back to if I buying value custard creams (35p) and value digestives...


making a lot more cawl ( stew) the last week, which I use the min amount of meat in it, and put loads more carrots and potatoes in it ..

supersaver1000

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

I do want chickens again, as people are now asking for eggs... typical, when I had a load of chickens I couldn't flipping give them away, now people want to buy them, ......

DD brings me a tray home from a friend at school whenever I need them. £3 for 30 eggs. Free range and delicious. We have been doing lots of baking, carrot cakes, biscuits, omelettes, fried egg and chips.

I got put off eggs because of all the cruelty and then the happy eggs controversy where the chickens were far from happy - it's nice to know for sure the chickens are looked after.

sparrer

Mint it takes a while to learn to relax when you retire, I felt guilty at first for not rushing round doing everything I thought I should in the house but soon realised I hadn't got anyone to feel guilt towards, iyswim! When I'm not out and about having coffee, window shopping, searching for and visiting (free) new places, going to fellowship meetings etc, I'm quite happy to sit and read a book, something I never seemed to have time for when I had a career. Work has a lot to answer for! I do have a garden which I thought I'd hate but since being single I've come to love being out in my little patch. Now the warmer weather is almost here I'll take a book and a flask and sit by a river pretending to read while I watch the world go by - I could do that for hours, and still have the book when I get home

I've had to remember the :money: mantra's this week, I've been stuck indoors with a cold so was tempted by some bits I saw on the bay of e. Could have pressed 'buy' so many times but came to my senses just in time so my only spend has been a bouquet of flowers and a balloon and card for DM as she lives a long way away and I can't get to see her this weekend. However it does mean I get to go to my DD, it will be the first time we've spent Mothering Sunday together as adults in over 20 years . One of the difficulties of sorting out family when there are four/five generations to please but I count my blessings that we still have so many!

Happy weekend

DawnW

Hmmm where is everybody?

Enjoying the lovely weather I expect
I managed to do most of the tasks I set myself yesterday

For today:

Give the chickens a bit more straw in their run, and clean the nestbox.

Visitors later, so need to flick a duster around and clean the loos.

Coleslaw to make - when family visit en masse, we tend to do roasted meat in rolls (hog roast style) with salad, as I would rather be spending time with them than in the kitchen, everybody gets well fed (and if a couple of extras turn up there is still enough for everybody ), and washing up is kept to a minimum OH used to have an occasional sideline working for a butcher who did hog roasts for functions, and is much better at cooking the meat than I am :D We decided against going to the butchers and buying a large pork joint,which is what we generally do, as we have some smaller joints already in the freezer, so, we are using what we have - 1 small pork and 1 beef joint, to serve hot in rolls with sauces, jacket potatoes and coleslaw. Now the only trouble is that the pork has to be cooked long and slow, and the beef will need cooking quicker and rare or it will be tough. Good job I have 2 ovens :rotfl:

Potter in the garden later if I get time

Happy Sunday everyone :j

[Deleted User]

Morning All, Happy Mothers Day and first day of British summertime. Its cold and foggy here today but hoping the sun comes out later on.

Due to cooker breakdown we had a few takeaways last week. The new cooker is now fully installed and working well, thankfully. We do normally have a takeaway at the weekend and I am really pleased that we did not have one on Friday or Saturday night. I am going to set myself the challenge of ZERO takeaways for April.

I would also like to set myself some more small challenges for April and will be back later once I have thought of them.

Goldiegirl

Mint1955 wrote: »

Sparer and mrs invincible, I am 58 and now not working but no pension now until 66!! Luckily oh is 48 ;-) and still working but looking to retire in 7 years.

I have worked hard all my life and now I don't know how to fill my days. I can't seem to find the enthusiasm for much. Never had a hobby so no passion for anything.

I go to the gym mon to thurs am with a friend and volunteer at hospice fri am. Housework and cooking etc gets done as before when I worked but then I am at a loss.

No garden to do although that wouldn't be a pleasure anyway lol
Sheila

I was made redundant from a full time job in 2009 - I'd worked full time from age 16. My new job was part time 2 days a week.


Things that have kept me occupied since then include eBay ( I've de-cluttered lots of things, and help my friend de-clutter her things too), family history research ( that can take up hours, especially when you discover something new) and doing jigsaws - you can really lose a few hours if you get involved.




Not much new to report here. My grocery spending for March came in at 78% of my average monthly spend last year. My target in this area was to just reduce expenditure, rather than have an actual figure in mind, so this is a good result for March.


Also, had the Council Tax bill in for the coming year - up £3 per month, so not too bad

pm2326

Evening all

Have another week of overtime planned at work starting tomorrow....the deadline got extended. At the stage now where I could really do without this as I'm tired and irritable all the time, have said I will do it until Friday but no more

Went to mums this afternoon, walked the 2 miles there and back, called into Aldi on the way to buy milk and shower gel as i forgot them yesterday.

Made veg soup in the slow cooker for work lunches, added a small handful of barley & spaghetti to thicken it, and a small pork steak for flavour. Took the steak out and had it for tea with a small tin of macaroni cheese that needed using up, bloomin lovely! I've used a stick blender on the soup and its a bit thick (maybe adding spaghetti wasn't such a good idea) so will need to add a bit of water when I reheat it at work.

I've noticed my freezer is looking a bit iced up so I'm going to try and not go shopping for 2 weeks and use up as much as possible so I can defrost it. Also want to empty the fridge so I can give it a good clean. Should save me a bit of money aswell :T

Planning to go out for tea with good friends one night during the week but that should be a cheap night, don't think I have any other planned spends until 18th April (mums birthday)!

Have a question, my washing machine seems to have a foisty smell coming from the drum, bit like dirty socks smell I think I need to run through a wash cycle on empty to clean it but what can I put in the drawer to help kill the smell? I'm thinking something along the lines of soda crystals? Bicarb?

sparrer

pm I'd use soda crystals or vinegar, either will get rid of the musty smell, and always leave the door ajar (when you're not using the machine of course ) so the air circulates

Nsd and hoping for the same tomorrow, should be a couple of npd's also as I don't plan to go until mid week.

Went to DD's for the day, she took great pride in telling me what she's bought in Aldi and how much she's saved. And I didn't think she was listening . Even DSiL, who is the fussiest person you'll ever meet when it comes to food, was impressed with the quality of their veg. They're getting there

lynnejk

Hiya. I've been lurking for a little while and wonder if I could join on 1st April -- or is it too late for this year ??


Need to cut back a bit here and there, trim the edges so as to speak, as DH job feeling a bit wobbly :eek: and need to put a bit in the savings account.
Lx

Ches

We have been away for the weekend with nothing planned for dinner when we got back so rustled up jacket potatoes,beans and cheese. After the meal and wine we had Saturday evening it was nice to have something simple. Nothing spent by me over the weekend except for the cost of the hotel but that came from the holiday budget so no guilty feelings about that. I was hoping for a cheap month in April as I am away for a long weekend with a friend and then OH and me are away for 5 days in Holland later in the month but DS and his OH have decided to use our house for a holiday while we are away (we are on the coast) so it won't be as cheap as I expected although they will mainly cater for themselves.