Getting my Old Style mojo back

Tink_04

Well having a big budget tighten and working really hard to eat cheaply - ys chicken roasted and portioned up is seeing us well this week, chicken & ham with ys salad & potatoes for tea tonight & some chicken & tomato pasta bake for tomorrow then some for sandwiches for DH lunch.

Caterina

Good evening,

I had a really nice outing with DH today, on a fairly frugal budget. First, after lunch at home with mum, we left and went to have a nice cup of (free) tea in w8rose. Then to the cinema using the meerkat code, paid £4.50 for two. Then free whisky and soda for both of us as it was a promotion run by the cinema.

Dinner was in a pizza restaurant using the t£sco clubcard voucher, £5 of vouchers converted into £20 worth of restaurant vouchers. 2 large speciality pizzas and a large beer cost us £12 (inc. tip).

Grand total £16.50 for 2 people, cinema, tea, drink, pizza and beer. Very satisfied with this result.

One could argue that it's cheaper to stay home and watch a dvd eating homemade pizza, which we do, but for a treat outing we could not have done much better!

Good night.

pollys

Your outing sounds fab Caterina. It's all a matter of balance isn't it. We don't always take the cheaper option, we take the option which suits us. Make savings where we can so that we can do the things we want to do.
I've just made breadcrumbs with a couple of crusts and t cakes which are on the stale side. We prefer homemade breadcrumbs to shop bought and I have saved money in the process. Look after the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves - as they say.

Polly

Tink_04

Sounds great considering that the cinema and lunch out can be very expensive! Pasta bake fore tea tonight made with whatever veg I had in, a tin of tomatoes and chickpeas and the last of my rubber chicken, it did us 3 meals and sandwiches too so for a ys whole chicken we have done well!

Didn't go to the shops today as I usually would have, I thought as we are out most of the weekend and the kids are with my mam we can make do with what we have in. I've joined the September GC as I have followed the August one and would like to give it a go. I'm hoping it will help keep track of my spends and with a meal plan too reduce any waste.

Caterina

Hi all,

A reasonably frugal day today, just a bit of shopping, but a fair amount of free allotment produce too, it is really starting producing now and we are not going to be short of courgettes for a while! I love them so not complaining at all!

I would really love to follow the GC, I did for a little in the past, but in September we are away and in October my mum will come back and I will have enough on my hands without having to think of another challenge! So it means I will have to try and be careful on a day to day basis on my own.

I had a talk with DH and we decided that very soon we ought to sit down with pen and paper and list all the ways that we can reduce and what we can eliminate, then decide what we really want that we would be really unhappy to give up (so far, me: the ironing service, him: the newspaper, beer) and then decide what we can let go without too much suffering. I look forward to it.

Good night.

pollys

Courgettes are something that I have grown to like.
A busy day today, I've shopped, and remembered to use my vouchers and coupons this week. I'm off to the farm shop in the morning. We have had our back to school haircuts this afternoon. I've got some washing dried outside so I'll iron it tonight. I really need to keep up with the ironing.
I'm going to look at the receipts and add up what I've spent. I'd like to join the GC but I find it a little tricky - if I see something on offer which we use a lot of I buy it, this obviously increases my spending and may mean I overspend but it's does save me money over time. Hope that makes sense.
Have a lovely evening.

Polly

pollys

Good morning
I had a lovely trip out to the farm shop. I managed to find it okay, it's definitely a farm shop it's way out in the countryside up and down little roads. DH drove last time but this time I was alone, I was relieved when I finally spotted it.
I set off early as it opens at 8am. This meant I was able to browse and take in the cost of things as it was quietish.
I bought brisket, sausages (in freezer) burgers (in freezer) Turkey mince which has now been made into burgers and frozen. I also bought ginger, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, red and white onions, cauliflower, local cheese and homemade coleslaw.
I had a lovely chat with the lady on the till about coleslaw and different recipes.
We are off to a local food festival today. It's free entry with music and stalls selling local produce, should be good.
The washing machine has just finished so I will hang it out and get the next load in. Have a lovely Sunday.
Polly

Caterina

Good morning,

pollys if you do the GC there is a system to account for the bulk buys, the expert challengers there do it all the time. In my experience it's a friendly bunch and always happy to help, so if you feel like, take the plunge and do it. I have done it for a while and hope to start again after my hols, in October. It is a very effective way to manage one's budget!

Today is my mum's last day here as she leaves tomorrow early in the morning (but she will be back in late October/early November). She does not want to go on an outing as she prefer to rest before a journey, so DH and I will probably do something quite low key and local, as we want to soend some time at home with her.

We will probably walk to the farmers market and back, after a leisurely breakfast, then might pop into the allotment for a bit of weeding, but nothing rushed. I look forward to a really chilled day, after so much rushing. Mum really ought to go and say bye to a couple of people who have come to meet and visit her, so I might drive her around in the afternoon. Or not, depending if she wants to just stay home and rest. If this is the case it will be up to me to call people and explain that she has been a bit frail and her bad knee has played up, which is true, and she sends regards, hopes to see them on her return etc....I find it exhausting to have to run her social life but if she is to stay with us longer and longer periods of time I want her to have some social relationships with people, so she won't feel too lonely if I am busy and not spending all day with her.

Have a good Sunday!

HOWMUCH

I was given quite a lot of courgettes this summer, they have been used either fried in butter with onion and mushrooms. Added to pad out lasagna, chilli and curry.

amandaatnumber7

Hi everyone

Can you believe we've all been sick again it been less than a month since we all had colds. DS3 had 24 hrs of very high temps and I was stating to get a little concerned but fortunately his fever broke on Saturday while I was at work. So yet again extra spending on easy meals so we didn't buy take away.
Spent a fortune on vitamins and probiotics to build our immune systems up

Today is going to be a nsd, partly because theres no money in my purse :rotfl: with the exception of paying for parking at the hospital - DS2 has his annual heart check up today

I thought I'd posted the other day but its not there I must of not pressed the submit button