2020 Frugal Living Challenge

Frugaldom

Welcome back @FrankieM, hope the housemove went smoothly. No 2021 thread yet as I'm not wanting to try juggling old with new too soon but I'll get to it in another week or so.

Well done to everything joining Olio and helping reduce food waste. I have my notifications set for 5km radius but the next closest to here is 56km away but surprisingly, I have claimed stuff from them as it's only a mile or so from a friend who collected it on my behalf then sent it down next day with someone who works between the two places. If you happen to be going out and about anywhwere, don't forget you can put in your location and check to see if anything is available nearby before going home. Kills 2 birds with 1 stone and a penny saved is as good as a penny earned. Did anyone receive their email saying about Tesco teaming up with Olio over Christmas to ensure all their unsold and unallocated food would be distributed throughout the neighbouring communities over the festive period?

@ancientmum, have you any friends, relatives or neighbours who could join and collect for the both of you? I'd recommend you each request individually then it helps build up the sharing community for your local food hero.

[Deleted User]

Good evening frugal friends

I hope everyone has had a frugal, peaceful weekend. I have been very, very tired due to work so am completely listening to my body and have been taking it easy. We’ve put our tree up, I chopped some wood but not lots as my arm was aching, and we have eaten from the freezer/cupboards.

I have something to list on eBay tonight which I am hoping will net me around £80. That would cover my milkman bill for the month and I would really, really like a reflexology session with the lady I used to see regularly. If I can cover it with eBay sales I will book it so it’s money neutral to me. 

Other than the aforementioned milkman bill, no spends are on the cards at all this week. Fruit is soaking for a tea loaf which I will bake tomorrow whilst the oven is on for dinner. We have plenty of tinned fruit in stock, lots of veg and bread. My aim is to get to both food waste shares this week.

I did collect a large bag of food from Olio this weekend - lady was within walking distance, and I now have plenty of tomato purée, tortilla wraps and tinned sweet corn 😊😊

Keep on keeping on, it’s hard to walk against the tide at this time of year, I’ve had some strange looks when I can’t contribute to the ‘have you finished your Christmas shopping/card writing/done a huge online food shop’ conversations. The children are only having a small number of gifts and their main present is a gift to us all - the hens, which are arriving the first week in January😊😊😊😊.

I don’t send cards anymore and we have ordered some nice meat from our local butcher, all the veg will come from the food share and I’ll be baking our treats 😊😊

No buying for the sake of it going on here xx

ancientmum

Frugaldom  I hope I didn't come across as negative. I fully support the principles of Olio, just getting to grips with the practicalities.  Thanks to you and everyone else who is kind enough to share their tips on here.

nannygladys

Hi everyone, I will have to look into Olio and see what its all about. Been off the boards again for a couple of weeks but all is good and the frugaling continues. Its all a bit boring here and to be honest not a lot has changed with me since the first lockdown, I still only shop once every 10 days or so and rarely go out (well we cant at the moment anyway), the dentist is still only open for emergencies, the doctors is still as hard to get into as it always was and the library is still shut!! but thank goodness for the internet, whatapp etc and digital books oh and a big wool and fabric stash that is getting to a more manageable amount now. Christmas is all organised and paid for, cupboards full of food and the budgets for next year have been done, so I'll keep plodding along and thank my lucky stars that Im heathy, solvent and still as dotty as ever!!!!! (I do get lonely sometimes but on the whole am a happy person)
Nannyg

Frugaldom

ancientmum said:

Frugaldom  I hope I didn't come across as negative. I fully support the principles of Olio, just getting to grips with the practicalities.  Thanks to you and everyone else who is kind enough to share their tips on here.

Not in the least, @ancientmum, I hadn't even considered it and had to scroll back to see what I'd said that made you think that. I'm genuinely delighted to read about anyone joining the fight against food waste as it is such a bugbear of mine - among many others, of course.  

My newest bugbear is plastic waste, as finding Olio has also meant finding myself with loads more packaging than I have ever been used to having. I'm not too enthralled by that aspect of it or the food miles clocked up by some of the fresh items that would otherwise have come all that way over land and sea just to end up in a bin. It is really shocking and quite sad, especially when the world has so many starving people. I'm processing free mushrooms just now - most now frozen and the rest sliced and being dried in the dehydrator. Dinner also a free meal, so another 3 plastic cartons to add to my expanding collection.

FrankieM

Morning everyone
@Frugaldom the move went smoothly, thanks. Just getting the odd bits that need doing when you first move in done and trying not to spend money filling the space until I really know what I'm wanting. 
I'm on annual leave this week so catching up on a few bits of sorting out for the house and also catching up on sleep...I'm really exhausted at the moment.
We've got the tree up, we bought a real tree and just have lights and tinsel on it, I'm not a fan of baubles and my Mum will see what she's got boxed up that she brought with her and she'll get that around the place. She also bought a wreath for the front door so I need to figure out how to attach that too.
I fell asleep stupidly early last night so didn't end up cooking the cottage pie that was on the menu plan so I'll get that done and put in the freezer today.
I get my lunch provided for me at work and that is usually my main meal so I'm having to cook more this week...and I really don't enjoy cooking so it feels like a bit of a chore 

MazzieD

 
I've just realised how long I've been MIA, don't think I've posted since starting my transfer/new job.  Things have settled down now so I'm hoping to get back on here regularly.  Haven't fallen off the frugal wagon, been busy with my spreadsheet and trying to cut back.  

I've been on Olio for a while now, it's quite active here as there are 3065 users within 1.3 miles of me!.  Not sure about the rest of the City but would think it's buzzing judging by the sheer number of listings further afield. Interesting how it varies across the country.  My main problem is storage rather than getting the goodies, no room for another freezer and my two and a half drawers are full to capacity.  Doing my bit when I can though.

Tried 'Too Good To Waste' but like the person who mentioned it, M*rrisons are the only supermarket signed up, I got a couple of their 'Magic Boxes' but .I think the fruit and veg boxes that Lid! sell for £1.50 are much better and you can see what you're getting.  If you haven't come across this, it's basically a selection of loose fruit and veg in a box that is slightly past their high standards.  Not always available but worth looking out for near the front of the store if you live near one and don't have an active Olio where you live.  I've been known to buy them because I eat lots of fruit and veg rather than bread and cakes!!.  

Bluegreen143

Nearly spent £10 I didn’t need to, but this thread saved me 😆

My son turned 5 yesterday so ordered him a pack of washable face masks on Amazon as he’s now meant to wear one in shops etc. It was annoying me that I’m spending so much of my budget on them. Then I came on here, got reinspired and cancelled the order. I am very much a beginner at sewing but I have a sewing machine and a bunch of fabric scraps so it’s completely silly to spend £10 on something that’s likely quite easy to knock up... just need to order some elastic for the ears now.

Jazee

Bluegreen I used hair bands on my home made masks.

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi all

A work colleague gave me a roll of recycled paper Christmas gift wrap last year which I didnt use and I spent a happy couple of hours yesterday making gift tags out of unwanted cardboard packaging with my trusty pinking shears.  Some of DHs garden twine wrapped around the presents finished it off and I was really pleased with the result.  Even little things like DHs bar of Lidl fruit and nut chocolate got the full rustic wrapping treatment.

ASB I love the idea of hens for Christmas.  My grown up boys are getting lots of practical gifts, and I know they will love them.

I am having fun digging out clothes that I dont wear very often and mixing them up to make new outfits.  I have been in thermals, a dress, jumper, woolly tights and trainers today even though I was working from home, it makes me feel so much happier than just living in jeans and a jumper.

Off to do my free yoga video and put PJs on.  Tired now.