2020 Frugal Living Challenge

[Deleted User]

@2Scratters thank you for your comments. I know plastic bottled sparkling water is very cheap, but as noted above I choose to use the SodaStream system as it means I am not purchasing copious amounts of single use plastic. I drink at least 2 litres of sparkling water a day, so that would be 7 single use plastic bottles per week used, and that doesn't sit well with me at all. I can afford to do SodaStream, albeit it costs more, and make a small positive impact on the planet. Butter I pay around £1.60 for, but again that's a choice I make to support my milkman (he makes the butter). 

Being on such a tight budget means I can't keep my single use plastic waste levels as low I would like, but the above changes are ones that I am comfortable factoring into my budget 😊😊

Thanks for the reminder about fuel swaps. I am putting this on this weeks to do list 🤓

sashacat

What are fuel swaps please? I have never heard of them. 
Nearly all of my garden produce is in now and stored one way or another for the winter. Two freezers packed tightly and lots of jars and bottles. Still have some tomatoes, peppers and a few aubergines. 
Squash and pumpkins drying in the greenhouse. Just need to saw up some more scrap wood and I am done. 

[Deleted User]

@sashacat I mean swapping my home energy provider 😊

mumof3.12kindebt

Hi everyone I hope you are all well.s
We didn't do very well money wise the first few days of the month but Im determined to try again. 
Had the x-ray on my ankle (it's been causing me alot of pain since early July) it looks like I've sprained it they said but I'm waiting to hear from my GP on actual results. Feel very fortunate to have the NHS and no medical bill. 

I go back to work tomorrow. I've enjoyed being at home and although I enjoy my job for the most part, I'm really not looking forward to going back. 
Nothing much to really report I just wanted to check in and catch up really. Off to catch up on posts on the thread now x

willow_loulou

Picked up another Christmas gift today from a charity table for 50p. It’s a really good quality multi picture frame still in its wrapper! I’m tempted to keep it 🤣 but I’ve ordered pictures (got a deal I just paid postage not for the prints. Hopefully they will be fairly good quality) so I ought to  gift it really! 

I’ve finished my course work so I can start on Christmas gifts I’ll make, not quite in the mood yet though. 

@f@Frugaldom my willow seeds didn’t grow, is there something they need please? 

sashacat

Sorry Sparkly, you must think me daft not understanding but I am a bit autistic and don’t always get things.
I went foraging today and collected a big bag of blackberries then a villager left a huge tub of cooking apples outside their door with a note saying to help yourself. So I did. There were enough left for everyone else.
I have made two blackberry and apple crumbles, frozen some blackberries and have enough apples left for the green tomato chutney.

Frugaldom

@willow_loulou I have never tried growing willow from seed, I just take cuttings and stick them into the ground one year and they are growing for the following year.  I've just started cutting this year's willow and most of it will be replanted to extend our willow woodland
Apples, plums and pears aplenty. I've stewed all the plums and made a couple of jusr of jam but still have about 25kg of pears and apples plus more still to be picked. I need to keep stewing and then freezing the fruit while turning the peels and cores into apple cider vinegar. (We use gallons of ACV every year for the ponies so home made saves a small fortune.)

Nonnadiluca

Ooh! How do you make apple cider vinegar, please tell xx

Frugaldom

Nonnadiluca said:

Ooh! How do you make apple cider vinegar, please tell xx

Use all the peels and cores, or whole apples chopped up, it's probably best to use a large container. (I use buckets). Just cover the apples and no more with the water and add about 4 to 5 tablespoons of sugar to every litre of water you use. Cover loosely and leave for about a fortnight until it is fermenting - give it a stir now and again - you'll hear the fizz or see the bubbles once the sugars have all fermented.. Strain the liquid and transfer it back into the clean buckets or containers, cover loosely again and leave the 'cider' to oxidise into vinegar. That's all I do. Once it's turned to vinegar I decant it into 5 litre, screw cap, plastic containers and store it until it's needed.

Nonnadiluca

Thank you so much; a much better use of the peel and core than putting them in the compost bin. Also very excited to find another thing I can make myself rather than buy. You are a mine of useful information Frugaldom x