What small moneysaving things will you be doing this CHRISTMAS week? W/C 25/12

FatVonD

Morning LPP and DNMS, I'm not so much ch up early as awake late, I fell asleep yesterday afternoon and didn't wake up until 11pm. I will try to stay awake now until about 9pm as I have work on Saturday.

Today I plan to:

Return some stuff to Sainsbugs

Pop to Homebase to stock up on glue sticks as they are having a closing down sale, I also want to pick up a large bin for DS's room.

I still need an accounts book and I've seen one in a discount shop for just £2 so I will make a point of passing there.

I want to stock up on stamps prior to opening eBay store.

I'm going to retake all my product pics in the same light as it's currently annoying me that they are all different.

I'm plucking up the courage to cut myself a heavier fringe.

I have potatoes that need using so may cook a roast using a YS beef joint I have in the freezer.

That's all I can think of for now, have a good day all!

little_pink_purse

Morning DNMS

i like to batch cooking but need to be in the zone as it takes most of the day

i do mince beef and chick made in to curry stew etc
and soups

well worth it xxx

1SmallStep

Morning all! Still on leave here, have come to visit a pal so my house is not being heated for a few days! We are headed out to a half day spa today, a combined birthday / Xmas gift (to her). Original plan involved sales shopping too (I hate shopping) but luckily plans are now for a morning at home with her little ones before we go for a grown up splurge this afternoon. It's snowy here so can't wait for the hot tub!
One debt to builders 3/4 paid off, last payment goes out in a few days. Then a very tight January follows!
My friend and I do a big batch cook together about three times a year DNMS! We make cottage pie,lasagne, chilli, soup, veggie bakes, extra portions of mashed potatoes and stuffed JPs... Usually around 60 or so portions between us! It's a full afternoon or evening but we use it as catch up time and chat through all the prep. Then she stores most of it as she has a huge freezer and I borrow from it periodically as my freezer is smaller. Our kids write the labels and these raise a smile when we pull them out of the freezer as they usually convey memories of the day they were made rather than just the contents!! We must diary another date in soon!

DawnW

Morning all
Pouring with rain here this morning I suppose at least the roads / pavements won't be icy though. I hate winter

I managed to drop the coffee jar all over the cooker, not all of it came out, but enough to make a mess :mad: So I have just hoovered off the loose stuff, and will need to clean the cooker top properly later

Will prep casserole for tonight's dinner before I do that!
Also need to:
Fold clean / dryish washing from airer and put into airing cupboard (done, it was all dry except for a brushed cotton duvet cover which can hang in the airing cupboard to finish off ) Done
Walk dog if / when it stops raining Done x 2
Wrap a parcel for ebay, maybe trek to post office, or maybe it can wait till another day! Didn't get to the post office today
Leftover turkey soup for lunch (I am now officially fed up with turkey :rotfl:). Might put some beans in it to vary it a bit. I think we will have something different for Christmas dinner next year! Only 1 small portion of soup left, which I have frozen, as I can't face it again atm!
Prepared upcoming RM surveys items
And did outstanding paperwork and filing for my small biz

Not planning any spends, but if I do make it to the post office I might have a look in nearby shops for reduced Christmas cards for next year, as I have now used my stash.

OH is having a lot of pain again, not sure what to do there. He will probably have to go back to the docs Left him in bed for now. See if he feels like getting up later.

And my brother will be here till Tuesday, he informs me :whistle:

Hopefully the day will improve as it goes on :rotfl::rotfl:Well, it did stop raining!

Baileys_Babe

1SmallStep I like your way of batch cooking. Socialising and diary keeping all at the same time.

DNMS I have been thinking about looking into and maybe trying having a cooking day once a fortnight or once a month. Currently when I cook certain meals I cook extra and freeze so we can have an easy meal at some point.
Meals include:
Bolognese
Cottage pie filling
Risotto
Soup
Chili
Stew/casserole
Tomato sauce

Today our first set of guests leave. So I'll need to strip and remake the bed and clean the spare room.

I also want to tidy and clean hall/landing/stairs, bathroom & down stairs toilet.

We are going to a Home Ed social today, hoping lots of our friends can make it. This subs for this will be our only spends today. We are having a bring and share lunch. Our contribution will include HM bread, fruit, carrots and cucumber sticks, butter and either cheese or sliced meat, thinking about it we will probably take some ham as I seem to remember that there is still plenty on the ham we cooked the other day. I will have to ask OH as he is responsible for the fridge and freezer as he was born with the super power of being able to make best use of the space, he honed these skills playing tetris when younger.

I'm going to have a quick look at the bank accounts today, to make sure everything is as it should be.

I need to return a present I bought my Mum. I bought 2 of the item in different sizes as we weren't sure what size she was, now I need to return the other one. I decided before Christmas this way would be less stressful.

All meals from stores, including our contribution for lunch.

I need to read this week's email.

Set dw & wm to run over night.

determined_new_ms

1SmallStep wrote: »

My friend and I do a big batch cook together about three times a year DNMS! We make cottage pie,lasagne, chilli, soup, veggie bakes, extra portions of mashed potatoes and stuffed JPs... Usually around 60 or so portions between us! It's a full afternoon or evening but we use it as catch up time and chat through all the prep. Then she stores most of it as she has a huge freezer and I borrow from it periodically as my freezer is smaller. Our kids write the labels and these raise a smile when we pull them out of the freezer as they usually convey memories of the day they were made rather than just the contents!! We must diary another date in soon!

That sounds so lovely! I might suggest this to a friend and see if she's up for it!

1SmallStep

We started when we lived together briefly, but have now been doing it for over a decade. Theres a lot of love and laughter baked in, and it stops the meals getting too repetitive as you get the economy of scale without the 20 portions of x to wade through! The kids used to be involved in the prep as well..that era involved a lot of singing along to songs from musicals.

carrielovesfanta

1smallstep - that sounds like a great idea. Esp if you have a chest freezer.


I went over to cooking/prepping once a week back in October. It's been amazing. We're eating much better.

My way of doing involves the following.

I set aside Saturday for batch cooking. This is non-negotiable. I treat it like a work day. I plan out meals on Wed night, do the shop online for click and collect on Thursday, and get OH to pick it up on Friday.

We like to have different things but I try to make a few things that can be eaten for tea and then lunch the next day.

Meal wise, I pre-cook and pre-prep as much as possible. Even things that you think are quick, are even better when prepped ahead.

So a typical week might look like

Sat: Egg butties, Pasta bake
Sun: Pasta Bake, chilli
Mon: Chicken salad, risotto
Tues: Chilli, stir fry
Wed: Risotto, chicken roast
Thus: Chicken sarnies, tuna and egg pie
Fri: Cheese butties, tuna and egg pie

So my prep would be to:

• Boil the eggs
• Make, slice and freeze 2 loaves of bread
• Make chilli and freeze
• Make risotto and freeze
• Put pasta bake together and cook
• Prep a "dump bag" of veg for stir fry. Freeze.
• Prep tuna and egg pies. Freeze.
• Roast chicken and strip. Freeze.
• Cook portions of rice for chilli. freeze.

This way, on the day, I never heat/cook for more than about 20 mins from start to finish. I find that having pre-chopped/prepped veg is a godsend. I can make things like chilli just by bunging bags of stuff in from the freezer. It even works for OH. He helps with the prep when he can, so sometimes we can whizz through it all in about 3 hours. If I'm making several things that have say, fried onions in, I'll fry all the onions, then split them. I def save time than cooking separately each day.

HTH

carrielovesfanta

Hey folks

Feeling much more myself today. Almost chipper, and also a tad epic after listening to Stevie nicks on repeat last night

Today's mission:

• Sort meals for next few days out - done
• B/L from stores
• Strip and remake the bed
• Bedding in the wash - done
• Nice meal out with hubs. Won't eat and drink too much.
• Nice long sleep
• Charge phone in work - done

Not much today, but never can on a work day

Have a good one all

clf x

PurpleFairy26

Happy Friday peeps!

Loving the communal batch cooking 1SS
I'm WFH for a 3rd day Am going to pop out later with the smalls and DH to treat then to a film. Spends from the fun pot, will smuggle in some contraband Other things:

washing on rads
Blanket over me now heating is off
LO for tea
Take the decs down, we have more visitors tomorrow and the space will help, plus we're away next week and I want to be straight before then. Pack them away safely for next year
Go though cards and keep ones I can use for my tags next year, recycle the rest
Quick vacuum round after decs are down
Meal plan for next week whilst we are away, will take food with us so we don't have to buy anything whilst away (apart from maybe a couple of pints of milk as the fridge is quite small). Hoping we will have lots of ingredients already in freezer. Ask mum to make a cake.
Message friend about NYE

Think that's about all. Must do some work