2020 Frugal Living Challenge

sashacat

I grow leeks, turnips and swede as well as potatoes and cabbage. In fact I am self sufficient in veg and fruit except for mushrooms. I would love to be able to forage for mushrooms but don’t know how to identify them and wouldn’t trust myself. So I have to buy them and l love them. 
For easy winter veg I grow butternut squash and pumpkins. They keep well for months and are lovely roasted or in soup. 

MazzieD

 I'm really glad I didn't go ahead and order a water butt online. Had a look at YouTube, several tutorials and definitely something I could install myself.  However, I went to B&Q this morning  and looked at standard and slimline versions, I would only be able to fit one slimline 100 litre butt due to space constraints.  Both downpipes are on narrow concrete paths which I hadn't taken into consideration and would block access to either my back garden or a second water butt.  Still think I'll buy one but I've seen them much cheaper in The Range.  Might need to be creative or look at trying an alternative elsewhere in the garden if ! want two.

Really missing my veg patch, think I need to start planning the garden to fit one in so I can start growing next year.  Lockdown is so frustrating even though it's easing (I'm in South East England).  I need to get a few quotes done for frugal things like individual radiator thermostats so I can turn some of them off but getting someone to come into the house might be a problem, I think it's against the law at the moment due to Covid and the garden needs some work done as well.  Still, planning is always helpful and I seem to be getting much better organised

Treasurequeen

Went into my local eco shop and got my washing liquid bottle filled up it was cheaper to refill it than to buy a new bottle I saved around £1.50 by doing this. I do the same with my shampoo as it’s cheaper to have a refill than buy a new bottle. I got a free bar of French soap of my choice on the shops loyalty scheme which I have put by. I have enough food in freezer for next four weeks worth of meals. Meal plans are done for the next 3 weeks. 

Hope everyone is doing ok x 

nannygladys

sashacat - I still have one butternut squash left from last years crop, I know the skin will be tough but it will be ok for soup making

treasurequeen - I hope we get some eco shops near to where I live soon
We've had so much thunder, lightening and rain here that I definitely wont need to water the lottie! Had a fridge bottom risotto for my tea and leftovers from yesterday for my lunch. So some frugalness going on. Not done much else though, but I have started making a couple of bits for 'C' pressies for dgc school teachers and for other relatives. I made a list a little time ago of things I could (mostly small) make but I know some people don't appreciate hm pressies so I don't make for them.
Nannyg

Pixiehouse55

Frugaldom said:

@Pixiehouse55 welcome to Frugal livng challenge. I'd say if your fnances stretch to clearing these debts within 2 years then go for it with all your strength and will power. 2 years, in the grand scheme of things, is nothing... and then there's the ultimate freedom to live life the way you want. Good luck, I wish you every success. I can see your emergency fund is fairl close to the sum total of CC and store card debts, if I'm reading correctly. Personally, I would use those funds to (almost) clear the retail debts and then hold onto the best CC as emergency back-up. Keep it active by paying in full anytime you use it. CCs can be great things for so many reasons once we get used to avoiding paying any interest or other charges on them.

Thank you. Yes I think I will use some of our emergency fund to clear off some of the CC Debt. It's just scary, 20 years ago left my kids dad and having to pay all the bills myself I would panic if I went below a certain amount after their dad was a heavy drinker and had to work full time myself to survive, it's still there the 'what if ' so I have to know money is there in any emergency which I know there won't be but I still panic, if that makes sense??
Also thanks to Willow? Sorry forgot all of your name my lady is set on word search or colouring bless her and wont try anything else and our man is the same.. I'm hopefull that one day they might want to make something with empty loo rolls.... i also have a very LARGE craft room full with everything you could imagine. I need to get back into crafting..... lost interest since my mum passed away nearly 3 years ago.
I will carry on ready and picking up more help from you all.
Stay Safe everyone 

willow_loulou

Today we moved the rack I want to make into a kind of green house and I planted a few more seeds. Will do more peas tomorrow too.
Rearranging the growing area has made it seem bigger. I desperately want to start on the rest of the garden but it’s just too much for me. It’s mostly weeds and some rubbish bags with old hutches. But the bugs are happy I guess! I need to take some to the tip but I’m unsure what they’re taking and the website isn’t helpful.
hopefully I’ll be able to ditch the excess recycling at the supermarket tomorrow at least. 

Pixiehouse55

In our greenhouse we have tomatoes and cucumbers  growing. We have a small garden with fake grass that I Hoover most days😁. We have a cherry tree a apple tree and a grape vine. In pots we have Carrots, Courgettes, Brussel sprouts and Runner Beans  and in a tyre filled with compost is Carrots. Weve done well this year. My hubby hubby is his Bonsai trees and I'm the Fuchsia  queen😁.  

Frugaldom

I would love to see an eco-shop, never mind go into one.
Stayng busy here looking ater all the rehomed animals and poultry we seem to accrue - we are now at 10 ponies and about 30 assorted hens and ducks in total, so it's a fulltime job. Our support group has been amazing in helping with costs. I have everything crossed that lockdown eases enough to invite volunteers back to the project and get the holiday accommodation back up and running so I can save for building our tiny house / cabin :community.
My freezer should be full by this evening as my muscle-food order is on its way. They had a £1 add-on special offer that I didn't even read what it included, I just ordered it anyway! 
Off back out to poop pick - if I can work out how to sell manure then the ponies could be paying for themselves. We've built a new composting compound and trying to keep it turned and damp but there's been so little rain here that even the big 1000 litre water tanks were running dry. Hopefully yesterday's brief downpour replenished at least some of the water.
(For anyone new to our challenge, we evenually saved enough, after clearing debts, to buy a big patch of rough land  about 5 hectares - and I'm still pursuing the dream of having a place open to all my fellow frugalers to escape to the country and sample this lifestyle.)

sashacat

Frugaldom, I know you are in a remote place but where I live (in a country village) people sell manure bagged up. They put a sign by the road saying something like “£1 a bag” and a lot of people buy it. It may not bring in much but it is a start. 10 ponies are a lot to feed. 
I am lucky as I get it from my next door neighbour free, but then I do give her plants for her polytunnel. 
It is raining here at last. My water butts are full again. 

willow_loulou

Oooh @Frugaldom let me know what’s in the £1 add on! Love a bargain. Iceland have been doing a book today and get something free emails. Perhaps because people have returned to shopping for themselves. 

I’m going to try growing peas And lettuce indoors as well as out doors. We get so much sun and my bedroom window is ideal for pots. My house is full of plants so making some
edible is just another pot to water.