2014 Frugal Living Challenge

quidsy

This is granaria branded fusilli, added bonus the Iceland is 2 mins walk from home vs 30min drive to local Mr T

[Deleted User]

Frugaldom wrote: »

To clear up any questions regarding what the £4,000 includes and doesn't include.

It covers everything related to running a household

It does not include rent or mortgage payments
It does not include Council Tax


Hope this helps

Thanks very much for that, Frugaldom. I intend to re-read through the whole of your threads as soon as I can. I used to be a lurker on them years ago but never actually participated in any of the yearly challenges. The situation is a lot more crucial now and desperate measures are called for:eek:

I know I could never manage on £4000 a year:o but I intend to sit down with all my paperwork, statements and budgets and work out exactly what I can exist on. If I get into some sort of routine for the rest of this year I'll be all set to start 2015 in the way I hope to go on.

I've been over to the Frugal Forums and have subscribed. What a mine of information and help there is:T. Your menu ideas are an eye-opener and I can take a lot of inspiration from them but having to feed a carnivore with a very healthy appetite (i.e. greedy) I know that my food budget could never be anywhere near as low as yours:(

Frugalsod

quidsy wrote: »

Just popped into iceland to get some pasta and they have 3kg bags of pasta twists for £2.50. Which is a pretty good price imo. The bag is massive.

I now make my own pasta, it works out as slightly more expensive but still a lot less than they sell fresh pasta in the stores. Though every now and then I find dried pasta is handy.

quidsy

The fresh stuff is better but for an easy life I can live with 2.50

Frugaldom

Carbootcrazy, there are no vegetarians or vegans in this household, I need to buy chicken in bulk, so I use https://www.musclefood.com/SK5873 for a freezer order. Code SK5873 at checkout will get you extra free chicken fillets (and referral points for me). Register for their newsletter emails for fab offers. My last order included 10 x 400g premium minced beef at only 99p per pack and my chocken fillets at £4.85 per kilo. Share order with friends or neighbours to get free delivery or split the costs.

Word of warning - the above site sells 'exotic' meats as well as the more traditional beef and chicken.

cw18

Frugaldom wrote: »

Word of warning - the above site sells 'exotic' meats as well as the more traditional beef and chicken.

Just been for a nosey, and they have some that OH and I have been trying to get hold of with no luck elsewhere (unless we want to pay more for delivery than the meat costs!). Can see me placing an order when I manage to make freezer space, but that could be a while as I'm currently trying to make space for something else - a task that's being hindered due to DS1 having requested ready meals to take to work instead of eating before he goes, which means that when I batch cook I'm now freezing the carbs along with the protein which takes a lot more space !!

COOLTRIKERCHICK

coming back our of lurking lol..


I know tinned Toms are relatively cheap in the grand scale of things, BUT next year I want to grow my own Plum toms and do my own chopped toms etc.. which would be the best way to get a similar chop toms in sauce? cook them in the oven? or put them in a saucepan, ? also apart from then freezing in useable batches, Is there another way of storing them? I am worried about bottling it up, as I don't know how long it would last for, without using vinegar etc

Frugaldom

Cooltrikerchick - I am still picking tomatoes and just stewing them down as I need them, which is fine for now, but freezing them seems like the best way to me, as I'm too wary of bottling them (and it costs a bit more to prepare them that way). I haven't managed to grow enough to be self sufficient in them, as we use quite a lot over the year, but they're cheap to grow as long as you don't need to keep buying compost for growing them in each year. This year's are in the plastic greenhouse growing straight out the ground where last year's seeds were spilled, so it's an odd mix of types. If you want any seeds, message me and I'll send you a pack as I have quite a few leftover.

his_missus

Hi all,


Still reading but not posted in a long time. I'm finding it difficult to get Hubby to live a frugal lifestyle these days. When we were in debt and trying to get out of it, he was happy to cut back on expenses because he had a target to work to - being debt free by xx/xx/xxxx.


However, now we're trying to save up he seems less keen to be frugal because we can afford little luxuries so why not have them? He doesn't seem to realise we still have something to work towards. He can't see that we have a new target to work to - to save £xxxx by xx/xxxx


So frustrating!


Sorry for the random rant, I shall go back to lurkdom.

blueneleh

optimistic-mummy wrote: »

im hoping argos will have another 3 for 2 before xmas and i can get them then along with ds1's birthday present.

I've got a friend who works in Argos and she told me that they will be having another 2 for 1 on all toys in November but no date set at the moment so keep your eyes open