2019 Frugal Living Challenge

chocolatelover93

Hello eveveryone,

stirchly - well done on the food inventory and saving a shop! I like to do this now and then as well it really does help and you can make some new and different meals too. I need to make a meal plan for this week.

cw - sorry to hear about the combi and hope it gets fixed soon!

Snow - welcome

Hetty - how do you make stock with the carcass?

DS got over his infection and then a few days later he had another one so not really had chance to come on here. His dad is taking up the hospital today while I am at work to have his ear cleaned.

Went to see a nutritionist last week to help with weight loss and other issues but I've not stuck to the plan 100% I feel like my head is not in the right place right now so will see how that goes.
Spent a lot of money on my food shop (double what I normally would) but have kept the "naughty" food in the freezer so that'll work it's way into the meal plan at some point.

I also bought a second hand barely used soup maker for £20 off FB that I am planning on using as I love soups but cba to make them :o so this does it in 21 mins and a great way of using up left over veg

C xx

stirchleygirl

cw That's so frustrating when the unexpected happens especially on things you use daily I hope you manage to get a new one soon

stirchleygirl

Welcome SNOW we are a friendly bunch and all have our own circumstances and priorities but we share ideas some are basic (I read some and think that's so obvious but it wasn't obvious as I hadn't thought of it) and some are down right ingenious. We share achievements (however small or large) and we have a moan or a laugh depending upon what's happening in our lives. So keep on with what ever goals you have for yourself and share the journey with us :-)

stirchleygirl

chocolatelover93 soup makers are wonderful I was given one for my 50th birthday last year and my PA uses it and says it's so easy as she can just put all the stuff in it and let it cook while she gets on with other jobs. She has made me some wonderful soup in it.

chocolatelover93

stirchleygirl wrote: »

chocolatelover93 soup makers are wonderful I was given one for my 50th birthday last year and my PA uses it and says it's so easy as she can just put all the stuff in it and let it cook while she gets on with other jobs. She has made me some wonderful soup in it.

I've never been a massive soup fan unless it was in a tin and full of calories but my friend made me one and it was so yummy and filling! And thought I could have it in the evening as a snack if I fancy a packet of crisps or something it'll be a lot better for me
x

stirchleygirl

It's been wonderful reading all your posts since last time I was on so well done everyone.

My return to work last week after my mini relapse didn't go so well as I only managed Thursday morning before having to come home and couldn't do Friday at all. My body was struggling (more than it normally does) with being upright (sitting & standing) for long periods as I'd spent the previous 3 weeks mostly horizontal in bed so it had got 'out of the habit' and was complaining to me loudly at being vertical. So I've been practicing over the weekend and Mon, Tue & today by sitting up for longer periods each day to re-acclimatise myself which is working YAY!!!

Thanks for the lovely comments on my food inventory and using stuff up last week. The packed lunches for work didn't go to waste as I had them at home. Last week my food shop was only £5.10 as my PA has to go to the shop at the end of my road to get a loaf of bread, some squash & margarine as I'd run out - yes I did have to pay more for them but it was a saving in that I didn't have to do an online shop which have minimum spends and delivery charges - so I count it as a BIG win for me on the MS and the zero waste front as I'm using my stocks and not having to throw out bad food.

After my success of using my food stocks last week I planned over the weekend what my PA could make for me this week.
So for work lunch (x2)
using last 2 single portion yoghurts
2 satsumas
She has made 2 x smoothies using up 3 frozen bananas (that I'd frozen last year as they were going mushy); some frozen (a purchased packet of frozen ginger bits) ginger; a few frozen (purchased frozen) strawberries; some frozen (purchased frozen) mango pieces; and I'd defrosted so home frozen yoghurt that had been in the freezer for years.
I defrosted 2 pasta salads that were extra from last week and she added some (frozen) peas, sweetcorn and broad beans and drizzled over some Moroccan salad dressing (purchased bottle of it in fridge)
She made some egg mayo (she had to buy the eggs and mayo for this for me today) and added the last of the fresh spring onions
Again she made fruit jelly for me using another 2 (years old packets of veggie jelly powder) and the last of the fresh satsumas, the last few frozen (purchased frozen) strawberries; some frozen (purchased frozen) mango pieces; and a sprinkling of the frozen ginger. This has made 4 portions (size of individual yogurt pots) and a cereal bowlful. So 2 of the mini pots will be used for packed lunch and the rest I can have at home.
For hot meals and lunches at home
She made 2 x pasta bakes: dried pasta, 2x tom/bol jars of cooking sauce (again today's shop) topped up with water, frozen veggie sausages (that's now 2 boxes gone only 1 box and a few hot dog sausages left), selection of frozen veg. This has all been portioned up into my single portion size containers and made 10 portions (yay!)
The rest of the egg mayo (as only a bit used for packed lunches) is in the fridge for me to use on sandwiches.

So only £7.10 spent on food from local shop this week. For a loaf of bread (I eat a lot of toast as it's easy for me to make on day's I don't have my PA - in the last couple of weeks I've also used up loads of different jams [on the toast] that I got for Xmas and am currently using up my many partial jars of honey and half a jar of marmite), a fruit loaf (which I have 1/2 a slice of each morning as I need to take one lot of my tablets with food), the previously mentioned mayo, the previously mentioned jars of cooking sauce, and the previously mention eggs.

The list of food on my write on wipe off board is getting less YAY!!! and I'll try and hold off doing an online shop for another 3 weeks - until the beginning of May when I'm on annual leave as it's my birthday and my sister might be coming up to stay for a few days so I'll need to get an online shop in for that - I would be so pleased if I could hold out until then as that would mean 5 weeks of using up stocks with only local shops each week for the bare essentials.

Hettyhound

Chocolatelover the stock was dead simple really. I put the remains of the stripped off carcass into the slow cooker, added a leek, two carrots, two bay leaves, six peppercorns and two pints of water. Left it on low overnight and then just strained it off when it was cold. Risotto tonight tasted good and there’s actually enough left over for two lunches.

tighteningthebelt

stirchleygirl
Your PA sounds like a superstar. Whenever you write you come across as such a good team. Say hi :wave: to them from me!
I really hope you make it to the 5 weeks on stocks... keep us informed...

little_green

thought i was doing well this month but i'm only £30 away from my monthly budget!!! how did that happen!? really need to be strict the next 19 days now eeeeeekk!

FrankieM

After singing the praises of meal planning and not bothering with NSD's, I've had a terrible week with both.

I think it's hormonal, so I need to do a bit of a stirchley and makes some meals tonight and tomorrow, using up what I have before I do a shop on Sunday.

I'll put the meals in the freezer for those days that I cba to cook (which was a lot this week!).