2020 Frugal Living Challenge

mumtoomany

The only thing being delivered here today is rain, for which I am very grateful. May it continue for the rest of today. I hope everyone else who needs it is getting their share too. mumtoomany.

sashacat

Yes, it is raining here too, thank goodness.  Looks set for the day.
The garden needs it, especially all the vegetables. I am hoping to start eating courgettes soon. 

Fizzyisbusy

yes heavy rain here in Dudley near Newcastle! The garden needs it badly so I guess I shouldn’t complain. I’ve not had a frugal time of it with lockdown as I’m sewing so buying fabrics etc! Plus getting food delivery is dearer than popping around the shops. But I’m surviving and have battled through my depression and dark days, so feel quite upbeat bizarrely! Loving all the posts! 😊

nannygladys

Hi everyone
Hope everybody is feeling OK and well. The rain is very welcome here but the drop in temperature isn't!! The outside wall has now been painted and it has made such a difference; a very dull/dark area is so light and cheery, I would like to turn it into a sort of courtyard but will have to put my thinking cap on and have a wander around the net to give me some ideas and then I can come up with a plan to do it frugally! anyway just happy its done.
Been to the lottie planting things out and its all looking just OK there, it needs quite a lot of work on one area which will get done but slowly as and when,
I lost some weight last year (intentionally for health) and dropped a couple of dress sizes, gave bigger clothes to charity as I couldn't alter them to fit and now Im left with not a lot in my wardrobe so I cut the top off two remaining dresses that were in the CS bag, added elastic and made two skirts to wear, OK there never going to appear on the catwalk but they're OK for me! actually rather pleased with myself!!! I just have to find how I can make tshirts out of nothing to go with them! roll on CS opening again - really miss them.
Trying to keep busy but some days I just cant be bothered and slob out into front of mindless tv, still keeping within my budgets but I think Frugal Im going to look at my annual expenditure and see if I can claw of money back from somewhere, I don't have private pensions etc so sometimes I find it difficult but at least I own my own house and car so I am a lot luckier than many older people that have to pay rent and cant get out. Oh dear Im starting to ramble so I'll go before I start feeling sorry for myself!! 
Just keep safe everyone and keep frugalling.
Nannyg 

willow_loulou

Frugaldom said:

willow_loulou said:

Where do people get their online delivery from? 

Online delivery?  Sorry, I must have missed a post somewhere, what is being delivered?

I was wondering about people’s food shopping online - what options other than supermarkets they use 

willow_loulou

We had rain, but only very briefly here. The potatoes will be glad of it but I caught next to nothing in my rain catchers and pots as it was so fine and so brief. Hoping for more later. 

sashacat

Willow can you post a picture of your rain catchers please. I need as much water as I can get as I am growing all my own veggies and am on a water meter.

Shopaholic_no_more

@sashacat great idea about the tomato plants! I bought a single tomato plant yesterday so I am definitely going to try and get extra ones from it

We have rain too but not enough to water the pots sadly. I have buckets around the garden to catch the rain water but nothing much in them so far.

Have been doing some repairs to my clothes...little sewing jobs but I am quite pleased that I have done this. I also bought some reusable make up wipes a while back that are squares but they are too big in all honesty so I have cut them up and tidied them up (they are bamboo ones). Managed to get four new ones from one big one so that’s a result! Was not going to buy anymore anyway, I was going to make my own. So that has saved me a job haha! 

Continuing to make payments off my 0% credit card totals so all good and going in the right direction 🙌

MazzieD

This year is proving to be an expensive one, first the chimneys and now my very reliable 11 year old car is starting to show it's age.  Service, MOT and major repair work bill yesterday was horrendous and still needs some minor work.  Not sure what is happening about Road Tax with Covid but potentially due this month as well.

Still, I'm determined to carry on with my mission to be frugal, Cutting back as far as possible, lockdown is giving me an opportunity to look at everything and be more organised both with time and money.  Shopping habits have changed considerably since Covid, think I've saved about 3 hours a week (and some money) by not popping off to food shops because I've run out of something and buying other stuff, it now goes on the shopping list and manage without or substitute until next shop.

 I've always batch cooked  but have never done meal planning as such as it's just me and the cat. Tend to get a couple of pre-cooked meals out of freezer for next couple of days but think I need to start a more organised approach with this as well.  Had a look at the reverse meal planning thread, what a good idea.

Inherited a compost bin and adding as much as possible, really cut down on my recycling and general waste bins by re-using as much as I can!. Tend to replace clothes when they fall apart, I just buy new trainers and underwear as and when needed.  Spent £45 this year so not a huge amount.  Really grateful for the spreadsheet on this thread, don't know why I have never done this before.  

nannygladys

Hi everyone, not doing much today and was up later than usual after a disturbed nights sleep.  Anyway had a frugal lunch of noodles and have a pot of bean stew on bubbling away for tea. Havent made any bread today as I found some crispbreads in the back of the cupboard the other day that need eating so all set for todays meals. The only frugalling going on is not moving far!! Its raining outside so like everyone else Im hoping to the water butt fills up a bit but yesterdays rain didn't seem to make much difference. The outdoor cucumbers I planted in the garden are surviving but the butternuts need planting in the lottie so that will be tomorrows goal. I cant believe its Friday tomorrow, time seems to be passing quickly these days. Off to do my bit or washing up, I know I should leave it all until after tea but I cant bear it hanging about all day.
Nannyg