Fiscal Fast

TM6

Fiscal Fast 119

We are still doing REALLY well with our food shopping, it is low, low, low!

With wonderful sunshine, a BBQ was a must so we popped into Morrison's to pick up some burger buns and Sainsburys for a few bits we had Nectar points for. That was it

The boot sale brought in another raft of items to sell and out of 11 items, only 2 were for personal use at the exorbitant cost of £1.50 :eek:

That will do nicely

TM6

Fiscal Fast 120

A super NSD, a bit rare at the moment especially as the car boot sales are in full swing and yielding brilliant bargains and healthy ebay profits.

TM6

Fiscal Fast 121

A small Booker's shop of four items all reduced, my favourite was a MAHOOSIVE pork shoulder which we are going to use in a variety of ways and should last at least 8 meals

JackieO, do you have a favourite recipe?

TM6

Fiscal Fast 122

Happy Wednesday - Happy Car Boot Sale.

Once again an AMAZING amount of booty for home and to sell but mainly to sell.

We just need to spend an awful lot of time listing but it will be worth it in the end.

Come October when the weather gets SO bad that the sales finish, I will be really pleased that we outlaid so much now (some items will sell better at Christmas)

How is everyone else doing?

[Deleted User]

As I live alone I rarely buy much pork, but when I did I would portion it into suitable size pieces and freeze. My freezer is definitely my friend when it comes to bargains ,probably why I find it takes me months to 'eat it down' for defrosting.

Any odds and end I can that are left over I will pop into the freezer for another day .

Last week when playing freezer tetris I found a y/s cooked sausage at the bottom of my freezer thats been there since before Christmas .I dug it out and defrosted it and sliced it up and cooked it with some pasta and peas all tossed together.Lovely filling meal that literally cost me pennies I think I only paid 10p for the sausage and it was one of those almost horseshoe shaped ones that they cook in Tesco's on their ready-to-eat counter. I had bought it later on a sunday afternoon just before closing and left it to cool down ,wrapped it in foil, and froze and forgot it. It was really nice once defrosted and the pasta meal was definitely enhanced with the addition of chopped up banger :):) I added an handful of frozen peas as the veg part of the meal :):) I think if I costed it out the whole meal came to about 25p and I had some left over which I ate next day for lunch I really do not waste any scrap of food at all

I so enjoy making something out of nothing and its how I can make my budget streeeetch and have cash left over at the end of the month. Its now 17th of the month so 14 days left of those 14 days I will be out three times to dinner at DDs twice to the pub where I get fed included with the quiz so that leaves me with 12 dinners to find from my freezer.Lunches are usually soup and crackers and fruit, breakfast is either bran flakes or porridge on an omelette

I can easily find 12 dinners from the freezer, so the rest of this months shopping will be mainly for things I have runout of, or really need

On my shopping list at the moment is paper towels and cheese, neither are urgently needed but by the end of next week I shall probably have a few more bits on there to buy.
Not a great deal though as I am going away for a weeks holiday on the 1st June so hopefully I will be running down my fresh food stocks from the end of next week as well.

There are not many boot sales around where I live perhaps one a month at most, and I rarely go to them as they seem to be full of market traders and not real 'booters' IYSWIM.

Now and again perhaps I go but the last couple of times there was absolutely nothing worth buying ,even the fruit and veg stall looked a bit tatty.

I am hoping when I go to Stratford-upon-Avon next month for my weeks holiday, there maybe a few more interesting ones.


You are doing very well TM6 though, and squirrelling stuff away for later in the year cashwise is great . My stash cash goes towards my holiday and the main family holiday in August with my DD and DGS and her OH

Right tme to get the kettle on as the teapot is calling me

Onwards and upwards chums

JackieO xx

[Deleted User]

For you long term FF ladies how do you keep your motivation going to constantly be in the lookout for bargains / deals and not spending on anything other than essentials.


I have tried to be Frugal and for a short while I have been ok but then it wanes and I just want a spluge. As an example in Jackie's thread that lone sausage would have been in my dog not a pasta meal for me. I have been trying to make better use of my money rather than being Frugal due to necessity so maybe some hints / tips to keep going would be helpful ie do you give yourselves ' treat ' money or allow yourselves a splurge but only every 6 months, is it down to nothing more than good planning etc etc


Some of you have been doing amazingly well and I'd love to know how you keep it going.

[Deleted User]

BBH123 yes I have a set amount in my food purse per month, which is used only for food or other things that are needed indoors ,but in my handbag purse I keep an amount that I call my 'Happy Cash Stash its normally around £10-15, sometimes more if I haven't had the urge to splash the cash.

My late Mum always had a wee bit tucked away and called it her happy cash.Its for those times when you may just feel like a cream doughnut ,or you see a small treat for yourself.

Mine usually ends up in something for one of my grandchildren ,or now my new great granddaughter .


I keep the money separate so it doesn't get spent in the supermarket.

Last month as I hadn't had a 'splurge for ages I bought myself some perfume (my weakness ,but I only like really nice stuff) and a tiny bottle of Jo Malone cost me a good deal of my Happy Cash ,but as I don't smoke and rarely drink (I drive almost daily ) it,along with the odd packet of ginger nuts, are my only 'vices ' :):)


I only actually go food shopping if I can around twice a month, I live less than five minutes walk from a small shopping precinct and it would be very easy to walk across their daily, but then I know I would possibly be tempted to buy stuff I really don't need I have no animals or pets (but I do have 7 grandchildren, three of whom I see daily, as I keep an eye on them after school)

But the three boys are brilliant and if I knock up some HM biscuits for them or a cake they are pretty pleased with that when they get home from school I think they all have hollow legs

I certainly don't deprive myself of the occassional treat though as that would make life far too grim :):)

JackieO xx

TM6

JackieO wrote: »

As I live alone I rarely buy much pork, but when I did I would portion it into suitable size pieces and freeze. My freezer is definitely my friend when it comes to bargains ,probably why I find it takes me months to 'eat it down' for defrosting.

Any odds and end I can that are left over I will pop into the freezer for another day .

Last week when playing freezer tetris I found a y/s cooked sausage at the bottom of my freezer thats been there since before Christmas .I dug it out and defrosted it and sliced it up and cooked it with some pasta and peas all tossed together.Lovely filling meal that literally cost me pennies I think I only paid 10p for the sausage and it was one of those almost horseshoe shaped ones that they cook in Tesco's on their ready-to-eat counter. I had bought it later on a sunday afternoon just before closing and left it to cool down ,wrapped it in foil, and froze and forgot it. It was really nice once defrosted and the pasta meal was definitely enhanced with the addition of chopped up banger :):) I added an handful of frozen peas as the veg part of the meal :):) I think if I costed it out the whole meal came to about 25p and I had some left over which I ate next day for lunch I really do not waste any scrap of food at all

I so enjoy making something out of nothing and its how I can make my budget streeeetch and have cash left over at the end of the month. Its now 17th of the month so 14 days left of those 14 days I will be out three times to dinner at DDs twice to the pub where I get fed included with the quiz so that leaves me with 12 dinners to find from my freezer.Lunches are usually soup and crackers and fruit, breakfast is either bran flakes or porridge on an omelette

I can easily find 12 dinners from the freezer, so the rest of this months shopping will be mainly for things I have runout of, or really need

On my shopping list at the moment is paper towels and cheese, neither are urgently needed but by the end of next week I shall probably have a few more bits on there to buy.
Not a great deal though as I am going away for a weeks holiday on the 1st June so hopefully I will be running down my fresh food stocks from the end of next week as well.

There are not many boot sales around where I live perhaps one a month at most, and I rarely go to them as they seem to be full of market traders and not real 'booters' IYSWIM.

Now and again perhaps I go but the last couple of times there was absolutely nothing worth buying ,even the fruit and veg stall looked a bit tatty.

I am hoping when I go to Stratford-upon-Avon next month for my weeks holiday, there maybe a few more interesting ones.


You are doing very well TM6 though, and squirrelling stuff away for later in the year cashwise is great . My stash cash goes towards my holiday and the main family holiday in August with my DD and DGS and her OH

Right tme to get the kettle on as the teapot is calling me

Onwards and upwards chums

JackieO xx

You are such a scream JackieO, playing freezer Tetris :rotfl:

When I started my fast, we didn't have a freezer so we have spent money filling it up rather than running it down but it has been an absolute Godsend. It was a gift from a friend who couldn't house it in her new home so there was no financial outlay for it and it has saved us an absolute fortune.

As you say, onwards and upwards

TM6

BBH123 wrote: »

For you long term FF ladies how do you keep your motivation going to constantly be in the lookout for bargains / deals and not spending on anything other than essentials.


I have tried to be Frugal and for a short while I have been ok but then it wanes and I just want a spluge. As an example in Jackie's thread that lone sausage would have been in my dog not a pasta meal for me. I have been trying to make better use of my money rather than being Frugal due to necessity so maybe some hints / tips to keep going would be helpful ie do you give yourselves ' treat ' money or allow yourselves a splurge but only every 6 months, is it down to nothing more than good planning etc etc


Some of you have been doing amazingly well and I'd love to know how you keep it going.

For me, bargain hunting is in my blood but at the start of the fast, I was a certified shopaholic

I have a very clear goal, our daughter's wedding in the US. This fast is going to pay for our luxuries whilst we are out there so when I am temped to go a bit mad on the spending front, I stop myself and remember why I am doing it.

Also I have turned my spending addiction into buying at car boot sales and selling on ebay and this is showing a very healthy return in my savings pot.

What is your goal BBH123?

Are you a list maker? I found that writing EVERYTHING down that we had in the food cupboards has given me a very clear idea/ strategy for future shopping expeditions. I have also taken on JackieO's suggestion of making a list of what you have run out of.

Our list has 2 columns - Running Out and Completely Out and weekly we will update it.

Yes I do still treat myself (usually to stationery if I see it at the cbs) but my main treat will be in October and so that is my focus.

Finally I can not thank everyone on here for your support whether written or silent

I helps enormously have to write daily about how I am doing - it spurs me on to save rather than spend. You all hold me to account and there are times when I have wanted to splurge but I have stopped myself knowing that I am accountable for my actions on here :rotfl:

TM6

Fiscal Fast 123

:dance: Wahoo - another super NSD :dance: