2019 Frugal Living Challenge

stirchleygirl

Dave Saver
Well done to you!!!!

stirchleygirl

Hettyhound
glad your pet is ok now.
yeah TC and benefits calculators are confusing.
I usually end up getting a small lump sum each year from TC when they finally tally up my wages and benefits as they have usually slightly under-paid me but it is a welcome bonus.
Paying off your mortgage will be an achievement.

stirchleygirl

cross-posting with apologies to those who have seen this on the zero waste board but it fit with my frugal living challenge as well and I have changed it slightly.

OK so the yoghurt making was a fail :-) it was a risky venture as the sachet of yoghurt mix expired in 2012 (I did say I'd bought it a long time ago) - so the disgusting tasting runny end product went down the sink - not very ZW or MS. I'll be trying the next load using some Greek yoghurt with live active cultures - I'll let you know how that goes.

So an update on my food inventory and the write on wipe off is absolutely brilliant for this purpose.
Wow I have an awful lot of packets of different veggie sausages!
So as I'm back at work this week I thought I'd need to do a food shop to have food for my PA to make salads for my packed lunch. After starting an online shop (I'm unable to go shopping) I realised it was stupid to be buying more food when I already had lots. So I studied my inventory to have a think about what meals and work lunches my PA could make out of what I already have - instead of the usual ones as I would need to do a shop to get those items - so for the 2 days that I leave the house to work 'on-site' (I work from home for some of the time) I came up with:
2 x fruit smoothies using up fresh bananas some frozen fruit and soya milk.
2 x Pasta salad (dried pasta; mixed with the remainder of some vegan garlic soft cheese left over from Xmas; the remainder of the mushrooms which were 'starting to turn'; and the remainder of a bunch of spring onions. 2 x individual fruit yoghurts (not home made).
2 x satsumas - I still have more left.
I discovered via the inventory that I have quite a few (again - years old but PA said they have worked) packets of veggie quick set jelly powder (the type up put over fruit flans) so I asked my PA to make some up and pour over tinned pineapple chunks and satsumas segments as both tins of fruit had been there for over a year.
For evening meals after going to work on Thurs & Fri she has pre-made 2 portions of cous-cous (today) which and she will top with a tin of veg tagine on one day and a tin of chickpea dahl on the other day (both of which I've had for months.
For this weekend and Mon & Tues next week (days my PA does not come) she has made me a pasta bake (dried pasta, 1 jar of tomato/bol cooking sauce - rinse out to get last bits and then casserole dish was topped up with water, a mixture of some of the many frozen veg that lurk in my freezer, and some of the copious amounts of veggie sausages - also from my freezer.
I am well pleased that I was able to create (with a bit of thought and consulting my food inventory) a whole week's worth of meals without having to do an online shop.
Yay I'm so proud of myself (and my PA for making them) as tackling my waste was one of my goals for this year.
I've still got loads of food left - but apart from a few satsumas (which I'll be eating as snacks throughout the week so they don't go off and end up in the bin as previously happens) and 3 special cheeses left over from Xmas which will keep - all the fresh stuff has been used and nothing ended up in the bin!!!! Double Yay!!! :-)
I'll be planning over this weekend what meals she can make next Weds from existing stocks - though I might need her to pop to the little shop at the end of the road for some fresh fruit. I have a feeling that veggie sausage pasta bake will be featuring quite frequently for a while. It's a good job I like repetition in my food :-)

sinkorswim2018

I might do an inventory. It will save me opening every cupboard and freezer draw and help focus on what is getting near date.
I confess to some clothes shopping today... within budget. Some great charity shop finds. Two dresses (one for work and one for home) and a superdry t-shirt. All like new, the per una dress still had price tags on from the store. Total was £17. Removing 2 dresses from the wardrobe to donate ( that aren't worn).

FrankieM

I find meal planning one of the most helpful things for zero waste and cutting costs.

I now pretty much eat the fridge empty of fresh food by the time I get to my next weekly shop and always have leftovers frozen and frozen veg that gets rotated regularly.

Dave_Saver

I wanted to save/ reduce debt by £1000 a month and things are going well. I think I can achieve £14,000 for 2019 if I continue to save at this rate.

Have just calculated my reduction in debt and my savings year to date. Quite proud of myself as I've reached £4000 YTD and I estimate I will add another £1000 by the end of April. I haven't Max'ed out my regular saver account for April so I intend selling of some possessions to achieve this, I don't own much stuff as I left all expensive goods for my ex and her kids when we split last year, today Im listing a few Xbox games and bits & pieces on ebay, hope to generate an extra £100 this month to max out regular saver.

Crafty_Lisa_Hampshire

I am so impressed with how everyone is doing. I have a long way to go to be able to achieve quite as much as you guys but I am pleased with what I have managed so far since I started this journey.


I have spent a bit of money this week. I do dancing and gym classes in the evenings for exercise and I really struggle to ensure everything is washed in time (without doing a wasteful half load in the machine) and also I noticed some of my leggings are starting to get a bit stretched and saggy. I went into TK Max and found some leggings for £12.99 (which is a lot cheaper than any of the other stores). I did have a look in the charity shops but they don't seem to have much in the way of gym gear. However, I did manage to get some kilner jars from a charity shop which I have been needing for storing sugar and that in. I bought two for virtually the price of one brand new. That is the discovery I have been impressed with the most this year, how many useful things you can get in charity shops to save you paying premium prices.


Better go now - need to get back to work.

sistercas

Just updating for the end of March , slightly late lol
Doing well with my retirement savings I’m hoping to retire a year early at 59 instead of 60 so I am squirrelling away as much as possible , which actually isn’t much but every bit helps. DD2 is home from uni revising for exams and it’s surprising how much more it is costing us in food , electricity and toilet roll :eek:
I need to look at the food bill because it has increased a lot not just because DD2 is home but generally, I think we have taken our eye off the ball and I’m sure if I meal plan carefully I can reduce it again

earthgirl

Toilet roll - lol - I'm teaching my two boys how to do it - how much to use etc. For a while there I think they thought you used a whole roll every visit! Youngest is 6 though..

I am back from a really cheap holiday and although we didn't get the weather it was great to get away. I have over a week left off work and I plan to use this to cut my grocery spend by £10/week, get the veg garden planted and organised, and sell as much clutter as I can.

greenbee

Crafty_Lisa_Hampshire wrote: »

I did have a look in the charity shops but they don't seem to have much in the way of gym gear.

My local CS warehouse (which may well be local to you) don't take exercise clothing or equipment unless new and sealed. I have an unused yoga mat and boxing gloves that they won't take as they're not sealed. But they didn't come in sealed packaging!