2014 Frugal Living Challenge

judi24

just a quick question - I am going to sort my fridge today and prep and freeze any leftovers I can - what would the best way to freeze cooked meat - I did roasts for new year and have pork ham and beef left over - at the moment it is in a chunk but wondererd if I should slice it and freeze or freeze as chunks - the other thing is I have some sprouts - do i cook and freeze or freeze raw?


going to look for a parsnip soup recipe and make that, also notices I have some leeks left in the garden that look like they could be pulled and used for potato and leek soup - I like the idea of freezing soup in bags in tubs to make room - my freezers are rammed!

Shortie

Hi all, quick check in from me with frugal attempts:

- Lunch in from work - first part muched, about to go and microwave the second part. Looking forward to the cookie I brought in with me too a bit later
- Mr Shortie is making curry for dinner tonight from a frozen bag of leftover chicken and vegs from Christmas dinner and spices from the store cupboard
- I'll make up the YS rolls tonight (took them out of the freezer last night) for us to munch at the softplay tomorrow along with their own chips and juice to help keep the food costs down tomorrow but still have some cheeky chips
- I'll pull together the cinema snacks and squashes for tomorrow when I get in tonight, making the £1 cinema actually stay at £1 each
- List made of bits to buy while out tomorrow. I think I'm going to add a tenner to the shopping purse as other needed but forgotten bits were added to the shop last night, leaving only £6 for f&v and no chance of stocking up on spices, lentils and chapati flour. We're a 30 min drive from this town o I'd like to make the most of the trip in if possible

Buffythedebtslayer

So, not well, fed up. sulky !


Budget wise,


This is the plan, 100 a week to cover me, food, petrol, dogs, guinea pigs, gerbils and possible foster rabbit and the fish.


It is a LOT of money.


However I am aiming to not spend it all and save and be Frugal as much as I can.


so my yearly budget is £5200 pounds.


But hopefully it won't be that much. We have a lot of food stockpiled and Mum goes on holiday soon so I should be able to batch cook and maybe even bake!


xxxx

tiller_girl

I've just had the best frugal lunch! Cream of broccoli soup (made with leftover broccoli from last night's dinner,some of the water I cooked the broccoli in last night, chicken stock I made last week, some cream leftover from making potatoes dauphinoise on new years eve), followed by banana and chocolate cake (made yesterday with some very ripe bananas). Yum!

mummybearx

happycrafter wrote: »

I need to get my head round swag bucks do you have any tips? I try to make my daily target usually from the videos but could do with a check list of daily things on there

happycrafter, there is a thread on the Up Your Income board about Swagbucks, giving lots of hints and advise. I generally stick to doing surveys and watching videos to get my goals. Another thing I'm adding to my list, Do more swagging!!

cydney65

Bread in the bread maker so no need to go out for a loaf even if we could!

Where we are in Cumbria has flooded, although we are not personally affected, and the winds are blowing a hoolie so no popping to the shops.

We haven't spent for 6 days now and are hoping not to have to buy any groceries until Tuesday :j:

his_missus

judi24 wrote: »

just a quick question - I am going to sort my fridge today and prep and freeze any leftovers I can - what would the best way to freeze cooked meat - I did roasts for new year and have pork ham and beef left over - at the moment it is in a chunk but wondererd if I should slice it and freeze or freeze as chunks - the other thing is I have some sprouts - do i cook and freeze or freeze raw?

With cooked meat I freeze it as I intend to use it. So if I plan on eating the meat sliced (for butties or reheated for a roast dinner) I slice and freeze in meal sized portions. If I plan to use it in a curry, piza topping etc. I cut it into suitably sized chunks, just because it saves time when I come to use it really.

With veg, people recommend boiingl in water for a couple of mins, run under cold water to cool, pat dry (prevents sticking together when frozen) and freeze. You can freeze raw but I think it makes veg turn soggy when it's cooked.

:oNot a frugal day. Spent £15 on a onesie as a pressie for BIL but I'm justifying it as I bought DS and BIL a joint xmas pressie using vouchers I'd earned (so it felt like it was free)
:oBought lunch out as I really couldn't be bothered making lunch last night - 2 pasties for £1 from £1 bakery (cheapest option in town;))

LolaLemon

3 days in already and opn page 19 or 20!! wow, hope this keeps for most of the year

1st check of the bank today and its not looking too bad.
also 1st day back at work really need to get my finger out and get requesting for less hours.
STILL lookingat washing machines. dont know why i wont just pick one and get on with it, think i might be scared i'll find a better one for less money later!
really need a new fridge too, this one is horrendousley broke. As much as i have been drooling over an american style fridge freezer, none of them have great freezers, and i would LOVE a chest style freezer, then i seen u can get tall larder type freezers, so i am now debating on eitehr one of those with a small fridge - i dont have a lot in the fridge apart from the cartons of goats milk, some cheap plonk, veg and a few other random things like tomato sauce, and the butcher meat when it is defrosting.. means i can then keep to my (in my head) pantry that is going to be built this year.
Only reason i can actually contempalte buying the new fridge and freezer is that i won a load of vouchers at my works christmas lunch -£80 and as i took the option of vouchers over a bottle of drink, i got another £15. so £95 to go towards the kitchen essentials.


I done a clothes clearout just before christmas, 2 bags to go. think i will take them to the 'rag man' shop.

Off to check out these washing machines, looking forward to catching up with everyone

*waves to all the 'old' faces:hello::hello:



p.s. nearly forgot; I will declare my yearly budget once i have a min to sit and work it out

ellie-g

Dollydaydream wrote: »

Hi, I will be joining with you because I have got to get used to living on a low (£600 a month[FONT=&quot]) budget when I retire in July. I live very frugally now but ho[/FONT][FONT=&quot]pe that this thread will hel[/FONT][FONT=&quot]p to kee[/FONT][FONT=&quot]p me on track. Intend to stay in today, a[/FONT][FONT=&quot]part from walking the dog. Like Miss Em[/FONT][FONT=&quot]pty [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Piggy I have [/FONT][FONT=&quot]planning for school to finish and will be batch cooking for the half term. Living alone I batch cook u[/FONT][FONT=&quot]p as much as I can so that I can have a home cooked 'convenience' meal each night when I get home. Today I ho[/FONT][FONT=&quot]pe to cook 4 [/FONT][FONT=&quot]portions of roast veg lasagne, mousakka, and a big batch of carrot and lentil sou[/FONT][FONT=&quot]p. [/FONT]

Hi Dollydaydream, I was very intrigued to see your post, I too want to retire this year (in Spring). Do you feel confident that you will be able to make it work on £600 per month? Are you taking early retirement? Hope you don't mind me asking-I am just very interested... Thanks

Frugalsod

Yesterday I managed to get some cheap clearance veg and have made some cauliflower cheese and some cream of tomato soup. I think that I should make some cabbage and lentil soups to finish off the rest of the cheap veg for the freezer.

Am being taken to a certain german discounter tomorrow but I am really well stocked up so really can avoid spending much at all. So will have to prepare a shopping list of what I am getting low on. If I do well I can put off a mega shop for another couple of months.