2014 Frugal Living Challenge

mummy2threeboys

Lovde the idea of the wine bottles, i have a few preety shaped ones i keep and think ill do something with them, but never know what, think i need to see a picture to visulaise it x


TM6 ..im slowly working on him to convert..i think everyone should be a supermarket tart lol who can afford to not shop about these days ?

Just bid on a breadmaker thats close to me ends in 30 mins currently £5.50 fingers crossed. I had one before but it was massive and i only have a small kitchen. Tommorrows job is to go through my freezer and store cupboard and meal plan with what ever there is odd. Then another approved food order when money hits bank account..hate 5 week pay months.

Also just made some soup using all my veg peelings (apart from the pototoes..found out im allergic to just potatoe peelings lol) pulled all the peelings out and left in the end of the broccoli stalk that whould have been cooked , one oxo cube and made a lovely soup

COOLTRIKERCHICK

Hi All,


sorry I haven't posted for the last few days...


Over on the food board, someone asked about just ordering the value stuff from mr T for home delivery. and worked out there was a fair bit of savings between supermarkets on their value ranges... Plus if there is no stock, mr T will replace it with a more expensive substitute..


Again seems a bit silly to have a home delivery when I have an A$da within a few steps of our house, and a mr T 5 mins up the road... BUT I am going to have a proper look at their value range.. as I sooooo need to practically live on fresh air the next few months, if I want to get the money to get things done ...


The thing is value fruit and veg is a no brainer really, as its more or less down to what it looks like, rather than taste etc..I only buy the cheapest beans...


So does anyone else buy value stuff, and what stuff is ok??


The cheapest delivery cost is £3.


The A$da by us is only a small one so does not have a full range of value items..same as our Mr T

ginnyknit

Mummytothree, check if any of the motels have a family room. we did a last minute booking recently and got a suite of rooms, for the same price as a normal. Just an idea x

Florenceem

DawnW wrote: »

I think that the expensive home shops and the glossy home magazines are great, if you think about them as sources of ideas for your own projects, whether small craft ones, or big home renovation ones, instead of spending loads of money on what they sell or advertise

I treated myself to a subscription of a home mag - the cheap one! Great for ideas as I was planning house renovations. I have always done crafts and looked at items in shops and thought - can I make that? For years - I have been known to get out my notebook and travel tape measure in a shop to record details. Of course now with mobiles - a photo is an even better help to making.

cottage_retreatist

Hello!!! Dropping in for the first time since the start of the challenge!!!!

Just had to mention-if looking for home ideas I haven't bought a magazine since I discovered Pinterest!!!!!! It's got so many amazing ideas and it is completely free!!!! And you can save all the images in virtual binders and they link to interesting websites!!!!! Just to throw the idea out there!!!

I'm afraid there is far too much to catch up on as the thread moves so fast but for coleslaw (haha) I make it using white cabbage, carrot and some times savoy if we have it and make a dressing with Mayo which I add extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice to taste too make it less of a thick sauce!!!!

Also-i make my own tomato sauce which goes with ANYTHING-and I'm going to make a batch this afternoon to use to add to some homemade pizzas IM going to Put in the freezer to stop us calling the papa for a takeaway!!!!

It is 2 tins chopped toms, packet of passata, white wine-I find lambrini actually works best, sugar, onion carrot and celery, cooking on hob together then whizz in a blender and a tomato sauce for anything!!!!! We've even put it on fish fillets before and it's very nice!!!!!!

I'm very excited about our frugal 2014 and am already looking at what I need too in our old curtains to make them useable rather than leaving them in the cupboard!!!!!

I will keep reading now-lots to catch up on!!
c-r xx

cottage_retreatist

Cooltrikerchick- I'm sure there is a thread somewhere with people discussing the good vs bad of the value ranges but i get quite. A lot of value and for me it all tastes fine and sometimes nicer e.g:
Tescimos tea bags (been buying for years even though OH says he doesn't like them, just put them in a clear bag and he has no idea!!!! )
Wafer bars - 40p for 5- can't go wrong
Their custard creams and other biscuits are nice and have less dodgy ingredients in than other 'better' brands
Flour-plain and self raising is great but I do get better brands if they are on offer and comparable
Cream cleaner-beats the cif ones hands down and 20% the price
Kitty litter - can't bear the cost of the others!!!!

Will try to think of more-don't know about a$da I'm afraid as I don't shop there!!!

Hope that helps?
X

DawnW

cottage_retreatist wrote: »

Cooltrikerchick- I'm sure there is a thread somewhere with people discussing the good vs bad of the value ranges but i get quite. A lot of value and for me it all tastes fine and sometimes nicer e.g:
Tescimos tea bags (been buying for years even though OH says he doesn't like them, just put them in a clear bag and he has no idea!!!! )
Wafer bars - 40p for 5- can't go wrong
Their custard creams and other biscuits are nice and have less dodgy ingredients in than other 'better' brands
Flour-plain and self raising is great but I do get better brands if they are on offer and comparable

I put teabags, biscuits etc in pretty tins in the cupboard(sometimes you see tea in presentation tins in gift packs.... and the tins end up in charity shops, likewise biscuit tins which are everywhere, especially at this time of the year ) Vintage tupperware looks good, too (also from charity / junk shops). It looks nice on your shelf, and nobody bothers that they are basics brand, because they don't know

alja

Today is a NSD day for me usually go to do a pub quiz with friends on Sunday evenings, but a few of us have some work to do so we'll be giving it a miss today.

It's about 6/7 miles from me, so depending on who drives I've potentially saved some petrol, the £1 quiz entry fee, at least £2 for a drink and any extra money for anything we may eat (e.g. £4/£5 snack or dessert).

Managed to get £1 for a survey I did last night, so I was pleased with that as that's a lot more than what the other surveys usually pay out!

millionaire_in_training

I buy value biscuits from ASDA. We like the jaffa cakes. They're a bit crisper than the real ones but they are yummy. Bourbon and custard creams are fine too. I am trying to downshift from Heinz for tins as well but kids are not overjoyed at it. DS had Branston spag bol last week though and said it was okay so high praise indeed.

I don't like the bread though. Totally disgusting,doesn't seem fresh and just eew!!

COOLTRIKERCHICK

thanks for your thoughts on the value range..i have been cutting right back on the biswits I buy, as I found I would eat them for the sake of eating them, rather than have one or two as a treat.. I use to buy the value ones, unless the really nice ones were on offer...


Are the Tesco value frozen peas still like bullets?? lol..


Even before I stopped buying sliced bread, I never used to buy the value stuff, as it is like eating cardboard..