Fabulously Frugal and Free at 50!

beanielou

All sounding good indeed

Cheery_Daff

Progress indeed! :j :j

Thought of you today while butchering our giant gifted courgette Sadly didn't cook it long enough and it was rather more solid and squash-like than I'd realised but disn't want to waste it so are it anyway and have leftovers for dinner tomorrow

Back on the case with meal plans this week! :j

Pippilongstocking

Hey Cheery - we're not quite at the giant squash stages here but I do have two tiddly courgettes in the fridge. One had bottom end rot - which is as desperate as it sounds - so we lost half of it - I gifted it to the birds, who didn't seem remotely interested I must get chickens sorted out - they were always delighted with my old tatt from the kitchen. Glad you've another dinner out of it.

Beanie, L and HI thank you - amazing what a bit of motivation and some focus does eh. Many thanks for cheering from the sidelines.

Yesterdays progress was to chop my own height in logs and pallets the patch looks tidier now. I gifted some cat mint to a neighbour and cut back some of the weeds at the front - amazing how the work garden looks lush my own patch is rather neglected.

Coup spends were 2.50 for an organic reduced whole chicken (result), 1.13 for chicken breasts x 2 and some rather sad looking lettuce for 29p - add some rice to that and spends were £7.30. Happy with the snagged chook and its all in the freezer.

Tea was a rather lush sweet and sour recipe from a chum which we did with pork (reduced) in the most fragile of batter coatings and lots of crunchy veg - twas just delish, one portion left over for himself for lunch today. One extra full tea sized portion of rice also in freezer. Always handy to have.

Got steps to 20k again yesterday but man it was a struggle. And, I've lost one more lb so I'm clearing making progress there, slowly.

Meal plan later - did a complete thorough fridge audit - everything in there is safe and sound - added a half tin of pineapples in there - so perhaps tonight it can be f/b pizza? Although I don't think we've any tomatoes - might see whats ready at work and buy some from there.

Trying to hatch a plan to go 'south' this week - will see if I can rearrange something at work.

And, its raining dear hearts - not great as I yanked me onions last night so instead of drying they're getting a wee free shower. Guess they'll be clean. Also harvested gooseberries (all 14 of them!) tiny red wee jewels - I guess can't complain as the plant was £1 in mr A.

Pippilongstocking

Wee lovely wet day. Good progress made and did a huge bunch of flowers for a chum over lunch selling house with a viewing. Fingers crossed. Saved her £30

HM chicken for him and courgette for me curry. Both halves frozen for later. Other half chook cooked up for lunch.

Wee 2mile walk after work. Tired now.

Nsd

All good.

Pippilongstocking

£73.37 in the grub budget - slowly depleting. But fridge and freezer full.

Chicken curry last night for tea instead of HM Pizza as lack of tomaotes - but just picked a pile today so all good. Will make sauce later.
Decided to use work 'box' stores for lunch and save the chook for topping pizza.

Harvest day today at work too so we'll see what spoils there might be or nice things to buy.

Need petrol - and dug fud. Could use the coop card to get the dug fud and not spend anything else aside petrol - ponders ponders. Wouldn't be a bad idea.

Found a coop receipt with money to claim if member - whilst its only 10p its better claimed and the street was tidier for it.

Not much to say really aside still doing my fitnesspal and I'm under 10st now - lost 5 lbs in 4 weeks so that's progress too.

Planning a trip sooth so much check toil and holidays after book off for xmas trip.

Right best skiddaddle - have a great MSE day folks.

XOXOXO

Kantankrus_Mare

Just dropping by to say I've subscribed to your thread. Really interesting reading.
I have a fitbit and we do weekly challenges with others which is a real motivator as no one wants to come bottom!! lol

A girl I work with has really got the walking bug and can sometimes do 30,000 in on day!! She is also following a weight watchers plan and has lost nearly 3 stone. It has been weird watching her shrink before my eyes.

I also have an allotment which is what attracted me to your thread. Different ways of using produce is always welcome. Like the look of that plum sauce . I have a basket full of plums and wasnt sure what to do with them. Does the sauce freeze? I thought I might have a go at pulled pork and use the sauce for that.

Anyway I'm rambling. Good luck with the debt busting and frugality. Will be watching with interest. (None of my smiley faces are working)

in_need_of_direction

Smiley faces may not be working but the wine keeps apouring. Priorities sorted.

rtandon27

Pips - well done with dropping the lbs!!!:j:j:j

Back on your last thread you'd asked about cheese stores in them here parts & I'd forgotten to give you an update...

We are slowly depleting the cheese stores - freezer drawer down to the last of the Xmas buys - still three wedges of Stilton, several pieces of wensleydale with assorted 'stuff' in it, a round of reblochon for tartiflette when it gets colder and a brie inherited from work after a fancy meeting - other than that we keep a bag of shredded general purpose cheddar for cooking & melting...

...as we avoid the shops as much as possible these days, our spends tend to be on no-name brands & just the basics delivered once a week... helps to avoid impulse spending and keeps the budget in check! (I live vicariously through your bargain buys!)

Meals are also a lot simpler these days, as he who is now retired does most of the cooking - mostly consists of a protein, a starch and half a plate of something of the green variety :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Kantankrus_Mare

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

Smiley faces may not be working but the wine keeps apouring. Priorities sorted.

Oh yes.........but in MSE style I am currently making some homemade bramble wine and really must dig out the freezer for some long forgotten elderberries to do the same with.

Ah smiley faces back.

starnac

Pippi I got to 30k steps yesterday but I had to run 12 miles to do it! I really don't see how you do it on a regular basis! :eek:

Great news about the holidays. Well done to the lady who worked hard for bargains for you. You are going to have a fab time