2016 Frugal Living Challenge

bmma

spends today = £21.66-next shopping Thursday x

cw18

Trying to pull together a £40 Mr T shopping list, and struggling !!

Last year DS2 was sent some codes to give to people, which entitled them to half-price delivery schemes making the mid-week one £15. For each one used he got a heap of points, which he could get more than £15 for when he boosted them for using at the store he gets all his cycling stuff from. So I bought one, and the points he got were counted as his birthday present.

The scheme also states that at the end of the year they'll refund you anything the scheme cost over and above individual delivery charges for that period - so if I'd used 15 x £1 delivery slots I'd have had nothing to come back. I didn't use it at all, so they've given me back the whole £15.

Only snag is that the refund is in the form of an e-voucher I can only use for an on-line grocery shop. So I've booked a £1 slot for next Tuesday evening (I'm off work all week so don't need to be in bed as early), but I need to get the order to £40 otherwise I'll be charged another £4 for delivery :eek: When I took out the scheme the minimum order was £25, and I reckoned I could probably make that - but DS1 moved out in January so I'm now only feeding me, and the extra on the minimum spend is making it super tough

So far I'm on just under £13 - some dried beans, some eye drops, and some spaghetti (the only pasta I need) Plan to check prices for marmalade, vinegar and mature cheddar at A1di (items I need), and will add those if they're the same or cheaper at Mr T so that's possibly another £5-£6.

I've no freezer space, and don't use much fridge stuff. I also prefer to pick my own fruit and veg. So the order needs to be almost all store cupboard stuff. I don't need baked beans, tinned tomatoes or any herbs or spices. I've got a load of packet soups and packet casserole mixes, and don't use tins / jars of these.

What would you be looking to add?

Savvy_sewing

cw18 wrote: »

Trying to pull together a £40 Mr T shopping list, and struggling !!

Last year DS2 was sent some codes to give to people, which entitled them to half-price delivery schemes making the mid-week one £15. For each one used he got a heap of points, which he could get more than £15 for when he boosted them for using at the store he gets all his cycling stuff from. So I bought one, and the points he got were counted as his birthday present.

The scheme also states that at the end of the year they'll refund you anything the scheme cost over and above individual delivery charges for that period - so if I'd used 15 x £1 delivery slots I'd have had nothing to come back. I didn't use it at all, so they've given me back the whole £15.

Only snag is that the refund is in the form of an e-voucher I can only use for an on-line grocery shop. So I've booked a £1 slot for next Tuesday evening (I'm off work all week so don't need to be in bed as early), but I need to get the order to £40 otherwise I'll be charged another £4 for delivery :eek: When I took out the scheme the minimum order was £25, and I reckoned I could probably make that - but DS1 moved out in January so I'm now only feeding me, and the extra on the minimum spend is making it super tough

So far I'm on just under £13 - some dried beans, some eye drops, and some spaghetti (the only pasta I need) Plan to check prices for marmalade, vinegar and mature cheddar at A1di (items I need), and will add those if they're the same or cheaper at Mr T so that's possibly another £5-£6.

I've no freezer space, and don't use much fridge stuff. I also prefer to pick my own fruit and veg. So the order needs to be almost all store cupboard stuff. I don't need baked beans, tinned tomatoes or any herbs or spices. I've got a load of packet soups and packet casserole mixes, and don't use tins / jars of these.

What would you be looking to add?

Why don't you ask a close friend or neighbor and see if they want to share your shopping delivery with you?
I often buy Approved Food, Muscle Foods and Asda like that and get family shopping. Good luck.

Or you could invest in loo rolls, toothpaste, shampoo and washing powder that won't go off and are always needed.

lynnejk

cw18 wrote: »

Trying to pull together a £40 Mr T shopping list, and struggling !!.........

.........I've no freezer space, and don't use much fridge stuff. I also prefer to pick my own fruit and veg. So the order needs to be almost all store cupboard stuff. I don't need baked beans, tinned tomatoes or any herbs or spices. I've got a load of packet soups and packet casserole mixes, and don't use tins / jars of these.

What would you be looking to add?

Baking stuff, flour, dried fruit, brown sugar etc

Laundry products

Easter eggs or chocolates

How about some drink or wine - either for yourself, cooking or as presents

Could you future buy some birthday or christmas presents

Do you need anything like towels, glasses or cooking equipment

Clothing - outer, undies, nightwear
HTH
Lx

cw18

Don't really know any of my neighbours well enough to ask, though DS1 has said he'll have a think over the next couple of days to see if he can think of anything he needs.

Toiletries and cleaning items are non-starters as I already have more than enough for this year (and next, and probably 2018 as well). Been using stocks for the last 18 months, and barely scratched the surface :eek: Toilet rolls are the only thing I've needed to buy, but I'm a label snob with those and stock up when Costc0 have the ones I like on offer which makes them cheaper than stores own label (have about 9 months worth in my airing cupboard now).

lynnejk

Haha


Cross posted :laugh:
Lx

cw18

I'm starting to see why I'm finding this so hard.....

lynnejk wrote: »

Baking stuff, flour, dried fruit, brown sugar etc

Don't really have time to bake, and shouldn't be eating cakes / biscuits etc anyway (high risk of type 2 diabetes, so meant to be on low sugar diet)

Laundry products

see previous post

Easter eggs or chocolates

thought about eggs for GDs, but taking one heck of risk they have in stock (availability seems to change on a daily basis)

How about some drink or wine - either for yourself, cooking or as presents

I don't drink, and don't like buying for others

Could you future buy some birthday or christmas presents

Not really anything suitable on the grocery website, and can't use the voucher on Tesc0 direct

Do you need anything like towels, glasses or cooking equipment

was hoping to add on some clip seal boxes for freezing meal portions, but they're no longer available on-line And when they were it was only limited sizes, and often didn't include the two I'd want.

Clothing - outer, undies, nightwear

Something else I have far too much of, and can't from the grocery site anyway.

Frugaldom

WHFM00001 - could the fruit pulp be boiled into a jam, jelly or frozen into ice lollies?


CW - I'd ask a neighbour to share an order if you're adamant that you don't want or need anything long shelf life to have in store. If nothing else, it will be an ice-breaker with your new neighbours and it could be fun trying to pull together an order over a cuppa.

FunBrum

Hi folks. :hello:

I haven't checked in for few days, what with mothers day and then Sunday night coming down with a bout of Dehli belly,I've been totally knocked off my feet!
Still, I'm on the mend although not 100%.

Hasn't the months flown by? Now I find that the dd are trotting out of my bank account once again! :eek:
I hate paying even just the little normal bills and often dream of being 'off grid'.:)
I was staring into my back garden the other day thinking,' I wonder if I could attach something to my miniature windmill to generate electricity'? :cool:
Or, if I attached a belt from my bike, to an alternator, that was attached to a battery, could I peddle my way off the 'grid'?
I have looked into the latter, on YouTube, and I'm sure I could knock something up. That may be my next project! :rotfl:
I used my chiminea to burn some paper and cardboard, and I think that when I next do a bit if burning, I might throw a baked potato on...wrapped in tinfoil....and save on the gas! :rotfl:

I'm still waiting to here from EDF about my refund and ive sold some more books online so when that's completed I shall be looking forward to another cheque! :T

Keep frugalling along!:j:D

cw18

Frugaldom wrote: »

CW - I'd ask a neighbour to share an order if you're adamant that you don't want or need anything long shelf life to have in store. If nothing else, it will be an ice-breaker with your new neighbours and it could be fun trying to pull together an order over a cuppa.

They're not new neighbours. A couple of houses (back onto side of my garden) moved in same time as me (May 2002). On shared drive they moved in about a year and 2 years later. The people across the drive moved in a couple of years ago. We say hello and look out for each other, we just don't socialise.

I'm trying to pad the order out with long-life foods - I just can't for the life of me figure out what I need / am likely to use before even I look at the dates on it and throw it away Checked prices of honey, maramalade and vinegar at A1di today, and they're all that much cheaper there that if I filled my Mr T order with those I'd be overpaying by more than the additional £4 delivery charge - so they're non-starters in my eyes.