NST; January Challenge- The Money Saving Game

traveller

Fmess, so sorry to hear your sad news

Another here that gets the kids involved. It's funny though, when I was young I had to fend for myself pretty early and I envied all my friends who were clueless around the kitchen, but always had the most delicious meals waiting for them. So, I kind of do that now,but I still believe it's so important kids know what's what.

It's funny someone mentioned before that you find the most roadkill near teenagers. I keep finding pennies around the house,particularly on the stairs! Lazy lot,lol. I've found none outside, but plenty at home:D

Calling14

Boberella - totally agree with you. Over the last few years I have lot of student lodgers who whilst bright, totally clueless in a kitchen, if it wasn't a pizza or went in the microwave they would starve. Managed to educate a few of them. PLUS they moan they were broke and still buy takeaways or convenience foods. Grrr.

Calling14

Fmess sorry to hear sad news hugs xx

shyspender

Hiya Turtles,

I have a question for you please?

Those of you that batch cook sauces and soups. When you freeze them in tubs do you freeze them in bags in the tubs, so that then you can stack them and re-use the tubs?

Does that make sense. I want to freeze more portions of my soup but when I do it in bags they get stuck to the bars of the drawers etc, and each other. But I don't want loads of tubs in the freezer, or to have to take a tub to work everyday. I currently take the frozen soup and it defrosts by lunchtime and the bag is recyled.

shy

apple_muncher

Fmess - sending you and your friend hugs xx

LoveaDove

:j:jHappy Friday, everyone!! :j:j

Really enjoying reading everyone's 3+ positives! :T

My OH was laid off his work Wednesday evening, I have tried to encourage him to join us on this 3 things challenge. He's the sort of person who would try his hand at any job to get by, and he has been lucky enough to get work in a slightly different area of work, but for quite a bit less money than what he was getting. It is not permanent work, but I think it is only just hitting him that he has lost his job. We do not live together at the moment, he is at his parents, so fortunately he is not having to find too much money for rent or a mortgage. It does concern me though about us one day moving in and I think it has shaken him up a bit realising that, without becoming more skilled in his trade, the same thing could happen again if he went to work for another contractor.

We are looking to have a super duper cheap weekend, our zoo gold cards run out in a weeks time (we have used them at least 8 times in the last year, so saving £120 each), so we will be paying one last visit to our local zoo over the weekend, especially to see the wolves and the red pandas (our favourite animals), we'll pack a lunch and I'll take a flask of hot drink. I am really keen to start up geocaching again, such a fun activity which can be done so cheaply (potential fuel spends if discovering somewhere a little out of the way).

Bob - great savings with the cycle to work progress and money road kill continuous finds! :T

Calling- what lovely reflections regarding your sister. Hope you enjoy rocking out in your kermit onsie with your glass of vino this eve!

thrifty- Super news regarding your job!! :j My OH does the same regarding a 'quick drink out' when he has 'no money.'

shyspender- great refund!

Welshkitty85 and applemuncher- Glad your littlies are getting better!

Philae - It's great that your OH is getting back on board the moneysaving wagon! :T

stewby- Your Dad's unreceived joke is hilarious! :rotfl: Next month sounds like it is going to be pretty good financially! :j

cupcake-queen - It's funny, as with my siblings it has worked out the opposite way round. I am the youngest of the 4 and very good at putting meals together with what I have got and the older one's are useless. :rotfl:

sazzlebgood- How prepared are you with your Christmas gift purchases already! :T Hope you have somewhere to stash them!

Fmess- Sorry to hear your sad news *hugs to you and your friends.* Love your positive spin on next pay day, great way to look at it and a HUGE achievement!

Synonymous - Wow, fantastic mortgage payments over the last 4.5 years! Well done you! It must be so satisfying to see what you have cleared! :T

OK, so my positives for today are:

1. My colleague returning to work after several weeks. I have been having to work twice as hard over the last few weeks!
2. Helping up an elderly man who fell over and ensuring he got safely onto his bus.
3. Captain Morgan, diet pepsi and Friday night in wearing my fluffiest of socks and feeling warm and cozy.

Catch you all over the weekend! Keep reflecting, celebrate the smallest of wins, those little things that make you smile, make you feel safe and content, make you want to keep on keeping on. You are all doing so fantastically, I am so proud of your progress in such little time!

Keep saving! :money:

Samiszel

apple - yep, still managing without the boiler. Got one fan heater and I basically stay in my office room with it on all evening.

Fmess - sorry to hear about your news. Sending you hugs.

I left home at 24 hardly being able to cook. My brother left at 19 and moved abroad for uni, literally not being able to cook a single thing- not even make toast. We went over to visit him after a couple of months and found him so thin and ill-looking. Within a year, however, he became a master chef and now even makes his own homemade curries, pizzas, croissants, cakes... all from scratch! (He's still at uni). My mother never allowed us in the kitchen. Where she comes from you just didn't have children, and certainly no males, in the kitchen. So I don't blame her, and in a way throwing us (esp. my bro) in the deep end has worked out well.

Today I am grateful for:
1. Finding out that I will actually be around for a couple of days when my brother comes home to visit in Feb :j
2. DH buying me dinner to make up for being away all week
3. Milky Way chocolate milk for my sugar fix this eve. Yum!

liltdiddylilt

Shyspender re your question on stacking homemade stuff... I do the same with everything; I've always saved the plastic containers from takeaways etc, and I just pour one portion worth or enough for 2 people into these with no bag etc. Pop in the freezer and once it has frozen solid, take it out, pop the container with the lid off upside down on the kitchen counter and press gently in the middle until the solid soup/stew/sauce block plops out. I then bag the block and stack them which saves a lot of space. Him sometimes complains my freezer is like jenga.

:rotfl:

Synonymous

Hello again, my posts are like buses and today is your two at once

Just wanted to say thanks to all you lovely turtles. After feeling a bit sorry for myself posting on here made me feel a bit better (a problem shared...?) and I peeled off the PJs, had a shower ,and tried on all the clothes I couldn't decided whether to keep whilst the heating was on - didn't fancy exposing any skin before then! So the wardrobe and a few drawers are looking a lot better, with some more to tackle over the weekend.

Ok, so I've got my PJs on again now, but they are clean and fluffy, and I've got a smile on my face, so thanks! :beer:

PS. Re: freezing soup. I put the soup in zip-loc type freezer bags, fold the top half over and lay them down on their sides (like they would be with a sandwich in). Then I stack these on top of each other in a container to freeze, so they keep their shape, and they come out like 'sheets' of soup, it that makes sense? I also initially pour the soup into the bag whilst it is sitting in a soup bowl, so that I get the portions right as I'm rubbish at that!

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for dd managing a whole day and school - and enjoying it, for dh not going away until thurs, for getting the downstairs tidy and ready for tomorrow's party, for discovering I now have 10x £2 coins so can bank them and pay them off the mortgage, for finishing the birthday cake to dd's exacting standards.