2018 Frugal Living Challenge

Frugaldom

Hope you feel better soon, Pennygrabber!

Here's an extract from a post I added in 2011 re laundry gloop

I made my first batch in 2009 after having used *soapnuts for the previous year or so.
I haven't bought any laundry detergent in a long time! It now amounts to a saving of around £1 per week for this household, an extra £50+ into the savings pot for other things - anything except spending it on laundry detergent.

  Frugal Laundry Detergent

1 Bar of soap, grated (or 8 tblsp soap flakes)
1 cup of washing soda
2 litres water
few drops of essential oil

I'm a little bit extravagant with my recipes, as I prefer to use Natural Extracts soap, which is already infused with tea tree and lavender. I keep a small stock of it - it's available from Sainsbury's at around 38p per bar - and it's also great for adding into gift baskets. Sheer luxury for the frugal living!

Boil the water in a big stock pot or similar, dissolve the soda crystals and soap in it, add the essential oil and then dilute to at least 5 litres. (I make mine up to 7 litres.) It takes a bit of time to fully dissolve the soap, but make sure it's all gone before you dilute, cool and decant the liquid. I store mine in 7 litre lidded buckets, after finding out it was too thick to pour from a 5 litre container. I use a ladel to fill a plastic laundry ball and then that goes in the machine.

As with all washing machines, you'll still need to give your machine a boil wash cycle every few months to ensure all the hoses stay clear of soap residue.

Frugaldom

grandma247 wrote: »

It is really easy to bottle (can) apple. You don't need a special pan, just one deep enough to hold enough water to come 2 inches above the top of the jars plus boiling room.

Would this work using smaller jars so they fitted into something like a small stock pot?

Pipsmum

Great news about your Dad Moll, that must be a hug relief.


Thank you Frugaldom for including your recipe for Laundry Gloop. I have been using your recipes from the Frugaldom Blog, but just realised that I have no idea how to add a link to a post for LittleGingerFox, so you have saved me a struggle - I'm off to do some homework and learn now!


Wishing everyone a fantastically frugal day.

debtaghh

Great news Moll.

I’ve had quite a few nsd, the positive of feeling unwell.
This month so far I’ve spent £250 on food which I’m pleased with. It’s great logging everything down as you really see where your money is going.

shabbychic12

Would love to join this challenge if you will hv me. I have been lurking on the sidelines but think to actually share my ups and downs on Frugal living might help me. I stated at the beginning of the year with following the Japanese Art of Saving Money. KAKEBO. Using this l personally have found it eye opening as to how much l really waste/spend compared to what l though l did.

cw18

Always space for another, but you may need to bring your own chair and mug

spudsmum

Hi all,

Thanks for the lovely welcome. Hope you're all having a good day

So, status at the moment is: it's pay day tomorrow and I have £11.20 left in my purse :j yay!

However not becoming complacent - frugality starts here with an "official" NSD - a new and novel concept for me. I say "official" as I've bought a sandwich and a bus ticket but as I'm on training for work I can claim it all on expenses so not coming out of my budget - that still counts right?

I have also managed to accrue £1.20 from skimming my bank accounts and interest from an old (empty:() savings account and £2 from selling a pair of my eldest son's old school trousers. This will go into my debt fund I think. Small steps and all that

Will try to sit down and do a proper budget at weekend if the kids will let me.

Aruba

Great news about your Dad Moll!!


Today is a great day. My final payment for my car finance so the zafira is all mine now and I get to save what I dont have to pay now. I cannot actually believe its finished. Wow. Original loan of €12k

Next pay packet in 2 weeks time I will finally have my credit union loan finished. Well this has been the absolute bane of my life. From an early teenage stage my mother who I always had a troubled relationship with insisted I had this account and any time I fell short I was to top up the loan. Sure I never knew any better and just followed her lead. What a fool I was. I finally broke free from her poisonous grip last year and took a hold of everything in my life and can you believe it I am at the end. Another debt gone. She woudl say to me over the years...dont be so ridiculous, you'll never have that paid off/youll always need it to fall back on. She made me feel awful. I really hadnt a clue and was so lead by her. Looking back she encouraged awful debt with the credit union, and then credit cards. She encouraged me to get into debt. I was very young and impressionable.

That woman is now gone. I finally made the decision to walk away after she verbally and emotionally abused my 12 year old autistic boy in exactly the same way she would have done to me forever. the improvements in my life are just amazing. My head is clear. She has been so toxic in my life.

Well guess what mother 2 big loans totalling over €35000 and in 2 weeks they will be gone forever. So liberating.

On another note, the slow cooker is really come to life in my practice to being more frugal. The meat and other meals stretch so far.

How are you all doing other wise. Just read a funny thing on facebook..
"We are no entering the 3rd month of January"
It has been a very long month.

PennyGrabber

Well done Aruba - you should be very proud of yourself.

Today was a spendy day, but planned and budgeted stuff - childcare payment for next month and gift card for brother's birthday. No other spends as not left the house.

Will be back at the dr tomorrow to see what they say. Hopefully they'll sign me off again as I'm nowhere near better!

PG x

FrankieM

Morning All

I'm terrible at staying in touch with this thread!

So love, hugs and congratulations to everyone who needs them. xxx

Payday...finally...loved that comment 'we are now entering the third month of January' It certainly has felt like the longest month in history for me.

I did my Tesco shop last night so that will be delivered tonight. I've filled in all my budgeting bits and moved money around for the month ahead.

There's been 4 day holiday booked in Majorca with the children and grandchildren so I need to start paying that off...but I'm very excited about spending that time with them.

I've seen some areas where I can cut spending and other areas like groceries, where apparently I'm on target (not sure I believe that!) and fuel, where apparently I'm under budget (I definitely don't believe that!) that I'll be keeping an eye on this month.

I'm also going to eat more veggie meals so anyone with recipes and/or ideas please put them this way. I can easily get stuck in a veggie meal rut.