2019 Frugal Living Challenge

sinkorswim2018

Last of the Xmas decs down today, away in the loft. My daughter helped with the loft bit as I'm under the weather. Have inputed my budget on the ynab app to keep track this month. I'd been keeping records from 10th of December and it's made me realise I spend more than I thought on groceries. I'm going to have to be more careful.
Struggling to find vegetarian recipes to batch cook and freeze. Everything seems to have quorn in which doesn't make it as economical. I'll need some meals ready to take to work. I have got a lot of tins of jackfuit though so I can do something with that.
I was reading the posts about hand soap vs liquid. SO much cheaper and less plastic waste. As long as you wash you hands thoroughly and dry well it's very hygienic. I was getting through loads of liqiud soap when I used to use it... bars of soap seem to last for ever. I must stop buying them for a while, I seem to have loads. I find bars of soap work really well on fabric stains too, I used to buy the vanish bar, just use everyday bathroom soap now.
Another alternative I am thinking of... and I haven't yet tried yet is to use old bits of cut up flannel folded in my toilet duck 'brush' rather than buying refills. Environmentally I should then wash at 60 + degrees and reuse, but it does sound a bit gross. I have been using toilet paper folded up to save buying the refills which I can then flush away. Ah well, I've moved a long way from getting my sheets laundered at ironed. 😄

System

sinkorswim2018 wrote: »

Last of the Xmas decs down today, away in the loft. My daughter helped with the loft bit as I'm under the weather. Have inputed my budget on the ynab app to keep track this month. I'd been keeping records from 10th of December and it's made me realise I spend more than I thought on groceries. I'm going to have to be more careful.
Struggling to find vegetarian recipes to batch cook and freeze. Everything seems to have quorn in which doesn't make it as economical. I'll need some meals ready to take to work. I have got a lot of tins of jackfuit though so I can do something with that.
I was reading the posts about hand soap vs liquid. SO much cheaper and less plastic waste. As long as you wash you hands thoroughly and dry well it's very hygienic. I was getting through loads of liqiud soap when I used to use it... bars of soap seem to last for ever. I must stop buying them for a while, I seem to have loads. I find bars of soap work really well on fabric stains too, I used to buy the vanish bar, just use everyday bathroom soap now.
Another alternative I am thinking of... and I haven't yet tried yet is to use old bits of cut up flannel folded in my toilet duck 'brush' rather than buying refills. Environmentally I should then wash at 60 + degrees and reuse, but it does sound a bit gross. I have been using toilet paper folded up to save buying the refills which I can then flush away. Ah well, I've moved a long way from getting my sheets laundered at ironed. 😄

I agree it is horrible to think of putting cloths in the machine that you have cleaned the loo with. Thinking of buying a galvanised bucket and boiling them on top the cooker, like my mum used to. TBH, I used to wash nappies that way as well, as didn't have a machine when I first got married and disposables didn't exist.


I might try soap on the hand basins once I have used up my supply of hand wash. I just worry that you are actually putting germs back onto the soap.....lol .Love soap in the bath and shower though.

Living_proof

I get all my soaps at car boot sales. I think people get them as presents but only use gels so get rid of them. One or two of the bars are about £10 to buy but they are usually about 50p max. at the car boots. I have a few years' supply tucked away now.

Maisie_M

NSD for us today


DH made a huge pot of spag bol today with three quarters of the mince we got at Costco yesterday. I then made cottage pie mix in the slow cooker with the remaining quarter adding carrots, lentils and peas to eek it out.


It will all get portioned out and frozen when cool.


Tomorrow we are making goulash and then steak pie filling from the diced beef, but need to get sausages to add to the steak pie filling first.

CapricornLass

1st real shop of the year - £37.33. Ok, maybe the lamb for tonights tea was expensive, but I couldn't face chicken after having eaten turkey for a week, pork won't work and we've got beef stew from the freezer for Sunday lunch. Also includes £5 of goods for the local Crisis Centre, and £3 for non-bio Fairy for my mum, but otherwise seems to consist largely of veg!
Couldn't get any milk, though. The ravening hoards had been in before me and there was none left!

DawnW

Evening all
If anyone is interested and has a store near them, Iceland have a 'sale' on atm, and not just reduced leftover Christmas stuff. They had huge 3kg bags of an Italian brand of pasta for £2.50. Needless to say, I bought one of those! Managed to pay for all of my shopping today using L2S vouchers from surveys

Dinner tonight was cauliflower cheese using cauli from the market that were 3 for £1. I used one cauliflower, and added pasta to bulk it out a bit. The others will make a cauliflower and potato curry tomorrow. We aren't vegetarians but don't eat meat every day by any means - but always try to have at least 2 veggie dinners each week

Kerry_Woman

Managed to put the order in for the carpet/lino. Did find an extra 10% off code on the website and gave that to the branch manager. Already got carpet/lino in the sale so the extra off was a bonus. Just have to wait for date for it to be fitted. That is the last of the major jobs to be done in the flat. Only have to get curtains, hopefully can do that tomorrow. Will be really glad when the flat is finally done.

At least I have some temp work next week so that will keep me busy. Already have things in for lunches. Will hopefully be doing some baking the weekend. Hoping to be baking scones.

Something I ordered earlier this week came today, so at least I can do more things tomorrow, as it was meant to come tomorrow.

RebeccaAnn

I haven't spent a penny this year but we are going shopping tomorrow. That should come in under £40, I hope!

sinkorswim2018 have you looked at vegan recipes? I make mixed bean stews, vegetable curries, soups and saag aloo, all of this freeze well and work out at pennies per portion. I am starting to take pasta to work with sun dried tomatoes and olives or pesto. I used to take salad but it never keeps well in our fridge so until I can grow it I am not eating it. Let me know if you find any good recipes I am always looking for new cheap things to try.

Living proof I have not been to car boot for a while now and never thought of looking for posh soaps. Do they keep their scent well? We had some reduced from boots that I left in the cupboard and forgot about for a year. On opening they smelt of nothing, we still used them but they were a massive disappointment especially as the packaging was beautiful.

skint_chick

miss_empty_piggy wrote: »

We don't use paper towels or facial or anti-bacterial disposable wipes.Instead we use dishcloths and cut up towels with "wiping up" in the kitchen. I bought some 'green' face flannels which effectively remove make up but I use tinned vaseline to help with waterproof mascara.

I'm the same - I use unpaper towels in the kitchen - I got some for Christmas in rainbow colours but you can just buy ones in the pound shop, and I use muslin cloths for removing my makeup. Like the fancy Eve Lom ones that cost a fortune but they're just baby muslins from the supermarket. My skin is baby soft :rotfl:

I have a cutlery set in a pouch that lives in my handbag with my stainless steel straw and I have reusable bags for everything. I got a 'wet bag' version for swimming and it's fab to put my swimsuit in and avoid getting the rest of my gym kit soggy. Hubby even has a messenger 'man bag' that squishes up into a little pouch from Decathlon for carrying things in a more masculine way whatever it takes to get him carrying something!

Still haven't spent any money - although we're eating from the freezer and it's getting quite boring and I'm craving fresh veggies so will have to give in and get a small shop done tomorrow. I plan to finish off some freelance work over the weekend and OH is working so won't be spending any money:T

Ladykernow

miss_empty_piggy wrote: »

Ladykernow - darning socks is SUPER impressive.

I wish! They will get holes in them again. :rotfl: