2018 Frugal Living Challenge

Frugaldom

Moll, I find my downfall is procrastination instead of direct action. Having the dog to walk must be a bonus when it comes to getting you out the door to walk and having beans t pick is a definite plus, as it shows you planted something in the garden to begin with, so you're doing well!

Kerry Woman, I'm kind of hoping that September can be a no spend month, aside from the absolute essentials. We alsi need to do some decorating and I want to rejig the kitchen so I can finally get a proper cooker, rather than the worktop mini over & hot plates that were bought as a temporary measure about 5 years ago.

The meal planning is still something I am really, really bad at doing, I just adapt to eat whatever is available. With the prospect of continuing increases in food prices, cue the onslaught of Brexit being blamed. I'm going to make a whole new garden but sill haven't managed to find something (other than fruit & herbs) that I can grow that will sustain us for any length of time. Perpeual spinach, perhaps? I'm going to have to learn to love the stuff, aren't I?! _pale_ :doh:

Nonnadiluca

Perpetual spinach is great, spinach tart is one of our favourite meals, lovely with some homegrown salad. I add it to loads of things - today we had meatballs from the freezer, made with free range pork mince which was reduced in Waitrose, and had it with my take on patatas bravas - softened onions, red pepper, a bit of chorizo for flavour and colour, and cooked, diced potatoes, and I threw in a couple of handfuls of spinach at the end, delicious!

Moll

Ive had a sort of frugal day , as i treated me and DH to a meal at Brewers Fayre , It was the last day of a BOGOF offer on main meals so we went for a big one and had the mixed grill
Had some freebies and bartering going on too today , I had eggs. apples and plums given me , and swapped some for a home made pot of jam i needed as id run out , so its all good , Im finding i spend less each week on food because of the growing season which is a bonus ,
I also tend to meal plan around whats available Frugaldom . It works for me ,
What do people generally use thier Tesco points on ??? i dont have a lot but i do have a few ££ worth. Cant see anything at all that i want to use them with a double up for meals out etc , and yet i feel its a waste just to use them on face value for shopping . do you know what i mean ?? and then again i think , i can save money by using them on shopping that i NEED to economise ??????? a dilema

Frugaldom

Moll wrote: »

What do people generally use thier Tesco points on ??? i dont have a lot but i do have a few ££ worth. Cant see anything at all that i want to use them with a double up for meals out etc , and yet i feel its a waste just to use them on face value for shopping . do you know what i mean ?? and then again i think , i can save money by using them on shopping that i NEED to economise ??????? a dilema

No dilemma for me, I use the points to stock up on little extras for holiday meals at Christmas. My Tesco points are virtually down to nothing, as I'm so seldom there, but I have about £13 in Nectar points that will cover the cost of a bottle of something for new year or else something like a year's supply of something useful, like pasta.

Edited in: I used to save points then swap them for vouchers but the offers got fewer and points values fell.

FrankieM

I also just use my Tesco points at face value mol I'd have to add real money to any 'deal' as I no longer earn enough points, so I tend to use the vouchers as if they were cash and then transfer the cash to a savings pot.

Only 3 work days left, I'm really looking forward to this weekend. I have nothing on but I'm going to have the house to myself and I need the rest. I also need to get some meals cooked and in the freezer.

I did not want to cook last night! Unhelped by a Chinese takeaway flyer that came through the door, but I remembered I had some chilli in the freezer and so we had that with oven chips. Not optimal food wise, but much better than a Chinese takeaway (for the scales and my purse)

I'm out with DS and DD2 for tea tonight, which hopefully won't cost the earth. I'm very lucky in that, my children don't expect me to pay for them when we go out and we all chip in our share. They realise that things are just as tight for me as a 'normal' person and I appreciate that.

I'm going to risk putting some washing on the line while I'm at work. It says no rain, but it's certainly starting to get colder. I'm going to have to start getting myself ready for winter and what I need to do to try to keep the house warm. It hasn't got double glazing and you really notice it when the cold weather arrives.

DawnW

I use points towards shopping as well. We very rarely go out for meals and are not interested in the other 'experiences' on offer. As was pointed out, you have to put actual money towards these as well!


Another vote for perpetual spinach here, but what about Swiss chard and black Tuscan kale? Sowed all 3 this week for spring leaves, along with some salads. I appreciate that I am in the South as opposed to Scotland, but surely if spinach will grow, chard and kale will too? And what about leeks?

FrankieM

aww, you guys are making me feel that I've given up on the veggie growing a little too early...lol

Went for dinner with DD2 and DS last night. Saw my grandsons beforehand, but it was lovely to have some adult company and conversation. And my DD2 appreciated it too.
It only cost me £20! omg...actually that was my budget and the meal was lovely, I just can't afford to do that too regularly.

Eggs are boiling for lunch and I'll get some chicken out of the freezer before I leave for work for tea tonight.

My payments for September are all starting to leave my account, including the first payment of the month to my car loan, which is always exciting to see reduced.

I've just been looking to see what else is out there for house renting at the moment. I don't know if rents have gone up generally but I can no longer find anything 2 bedroom around here for under £500. It looks like I'll be sitting tight until I look to buy.

Moll

Thanks everyone , I think ill save my Tesco points for Christmas , maybe ill buy the big tins of chocolates to give as gifts, or use the chocolates to make into a number of gifts somehow , Its a shame that Tesco stopped letting us use money off coupons on our shopping, i know we can still use them if we buy the product, but they used to let us use them on any product they sold , I saved £££££££££££££ s . I was amazed how many family members wouldnt use a coupon ???? Got some bargains today outside the Sally Army , they was selling fruit and veg, ( Apples/ Pears/ Redcurrants / Green Beans etc etc ) a carrier bag full for 50p a bag .
and a friend dropped more Victoria plums in for us tonight , I love them
Did i tell you i bought some curtains last week from a local car boot sale ? They are VERY good quality, I have 2 windows in my living room , so have to buy 2 sets of matching curtains , we had all the windows altered many years ago as they were all higgledy piggledy , so now ALL my windows are the same size , so i can use any curtain to any window , but i need 2 lots of the same for the living room , These were £5 each window , and they are massive , There is a woman who will alter them to my size for a small fee, and with the left over will make me either a cloth / cushion covers anything really to match . so im going to put stuff on the bidding site to raise the money for the alterations

Kerry_Woman

Walked through the park to and from my gp. Had a good appointment as he is very understanding and supportive.
Had a very much chilled out day.
My brother has brought me 2 dvd's which have been delivered.
Have been sorting out my spending/budget book. Just wrote months and categories in it for 2019 and 2020. No budget set as yet. Just trying to do something positive today. Also thinking about my goals for over the next couple of years.

cw18

At the back end of last year I converted some of my Tesc0 points into a Two Together railcard. That meant that OH and I could travel to London and back (for the Marathon) for a touch over £61 each return - first class, which includes food and drinks. My legs were very pleased about having the extra space coming home!


We're back in London at the end of October (I won a pair of tickets to an NFL game), and we're going 1st class again.


Early October we're over to Liverpool to see the giant puppets (we went to the two previous visits), but we're doing that standard class as it's only a short hop (and we also have his niece to pay for). Still get a third off his and mine for having the railcard.

And we get money off buses to/from trains at my end on the day(s) of travel as well - already discounted, then extra with the railcard.




In previous years I've exchanged them for day out vouchers (at 4x rate), and taken my grand-daughters & his niece on the Ullswater Steamer and the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway. Cheap days out when we took them on holiday



Since I cancelled my mobile contract with them a couple of years ago I'm another who hardly earns any points - even though I get almost all my petrol from their filling stations (that equates to around 25 points a month - wow!).