2020 Frugal Living Challenge

cw18

@willow_loulou  A!di is the one store where me working overtime at end of shift has been worthwhile.   The few days I've finished on time I've either bypassed them and eked supplies until the next day, or had to stand in a queue half way around the car park.   But if I get there an hour or so later the queue's rarely more than 6 deep - and sometimes totally non-existant.  By 5:30pm I've pretty much always walked straight in.  I expect this to change as more people return to work, as there'll probably be more people shopping on their way home

The only time i've had to queue for BnM was a Sunday (my washing up bowl sprung a leak the previous evening, so I had no choice).   I had to wait to get in at Her0n once, but I was only one waiting and didn't have to stand outside for more than a minute or two.  I've seen queues at Icel@nd, but always bypassed (and then been lucky enough to hit a quiet time before I run out of the one thing I do get from there - but I have to watch out as their earlier close means can miss them!)  P0undstrechers is another where I've never needed desperately enough to queue, but I don't think I've ever seen more than 5 or 6 waiting to get in (however they close earlier than Icel@nd, so are regularly shut on my way home).     It's actually the earlier closing times that cause me the most problems    For a few weeks BnM and Her0n were also closing at a time that meant I often couldn't get there on my way home.   A!di closed at 8pm instead of 10pm for a few weeks, but that's plenty late enough for me.   Those 3 are now back to normal hours though, which has made life easier and queues at them shorter / stores less busy

willow_loulou

@cw18 I think I’ll try about 7pm then, thanks! 

Nataliemumof6

Hello ive just refound this thread x i followed this challenge for many years as xnataliex a looong time ago. I found my name in the 2010 challenge list but havent gone further back. I do remember it being over 10 years ago.

Ive continued being super frugal but with qurantine im not working as much and have been really scaling back so, nice to meet you all. I do recognise a couple of names

Frugaldom

Good evening and welcome back to some more returning frugalers.
@Nataliemumof6 - are you the same person who set up the swimming club? Sorry if I have mixed you up, I do remember someone doing swimming lessons plus someone else who had twins, but 'mum of 6' has thrown me.   In saying that, after all these years, I'm now gran of 5!

I have finally found someone selling bulk compost nearby, albeit of the wood-based variety, but I should be able to mix it with the composted horse manure and make do with that. The seeds that were previously sown are all doing OK in a mix of soil, horse manure and old compost. Lettuces are needing transplanted, as are the next lot of peas. I've still got several raised beds to fill, the potting shed to clear out, cuttings to pot up and what feels like a million other things to do. I can't wait to be allowed to have volunteers back at Frugaldom as all my time is being taken up tending to ponies.

Moneysaving - I'm simply not spending on much. I did have to get 2 new tyres on the car, but the nearest garage is open normal hours for essentials. I brought the old tyres home to reuse elsewhere. I use them for holding buckets of feed and also around the bottom of some of my fruit trees to help protect them being kicked by passing ponies.

Next important job for me is end of year tax return so I know it's done and dusted before summer. 

Nataliemumof6

Yes frugaldom the swim school. That is me still going. Grown massively (or had before the virus!) And congrats on 5 grand children!!!  Time flies ive always followed you blog and the facebook page but didnt realise it was still going on here so, here i am! 

Myself, 13yr old, 9yr old, 4yr old (on her 2 wheel bike so we dont stop every 30 seconds) and 9mth old took our daily walk (1.5hrs) after breakfast (porridge and peaches for the 4 girls, me included, and 3 boys had cereal) and we have just sat and had lunch (musclefoods  chicken, baked beans and spaghetti for the kids minus veggie 13yr old daughter who has hers planned and salmon, seafood sandwich filler, sweet potato microwave mash and spring greens for me. Mine was all FREE thanks to the olio app) and now its time to go tidy kitchen and front room so i can get up into the 'spares' cupboard to sort shoes that might now fit 4 yr old  

I have prepped my tax return just need to enter all the figures so thanks for the reminder! Must find an hour to get that done. I paid the secknd installment yesterday as i received the full seiss and dont need the money sitting around now. Not much interest to be earned anyway.

Hope its sunny for everyone where you are  

MazzieD

cw18 Thanks, TV Licence cancelled yesterday   Now deciding what to do with the extra £13.20 a month!

sashacat

Wow Natalie that’s amazing that you got all that food free. I must get the Olio app.
Mazzie I have not had a TV for at least 10 years and I have never missed it. But I haven’t got kids to entertain so it is much easier. And I honestly don’t have time as I try to be more or less self sufficient for food. I don’t eat meat and grow all my veggies. It takes a lot of time. 

MrsC2020x

Hi all, 
I'm new to this thread but would love to be part of it. I’m on a debt paying journey so would be great to share some inspo and ideas!

cw18

@MrsC2020x - welcome aboard

Frugaldom

MrsC2020x said:

Hi all, 
I'm new to this thread but would love to be part of it. I’m on a debt paying journey so would be great to share some inspo and ideas!

Welcome to frugal living, glad to have you on board and hope you'll find plenty to help you along the way to debt freedom

@Nataliemumof6 Wow! 6 now. I am so pleased that the swim school continues to thrive, barring the current situation,  course. I, to, applied and received SEISS so it is sitting doing nothing for now - I think I'm going to transfer it to Premium Bonds but will wait to see what happens on 28th May with regards to Scottish lockdown. It would be handy if we are alowed to partially open, even just to sell a few herbs.

My compost arrived so I worked until about 8.30pm topping up the tyres that I have around the bottoms of the fruit trees so they are mulched I had already limed the area but we've had so little rain that the trees needed something to hold a little moisture in the ground for them. Only got about another 100 trees to do! It will be worth it once we start seeing them produce fruit.

Edited in to clarify - I do not have tyres around all the fruit trees, only around the dozen or so in the herb paddock and adding to them as I lay claim to more tyres, hopefully before trees grow too big