2020 Frugal Living Challenge

mumof3.12kindebt

Merry christmas to you all. Sending love strength prayers and positivity to you all on what will be a very hard and strange Christmas for many, love to you all xx

Frugaldom

I hope everyone has had a good day and was able to make the most of things before tomorrow's big 'lockdown', as that's pretty much what it is seeming like. (All of Scotland barring the outer islands pretty much on lockdown.)
Once again on the topic of Olio - yes, all the charities get priority before goods are passed to Olio distributors. We don't have a Tesco nearby but there's a small Tesco Metro about 15 miles from us and a local 'food hero' nearby has weekend evening slot. It's quite shocking at how few people request any items, as though they are taking from those who need it more. Around this area, whatever is leftover at the end of the night would be binned, as we aren't a particularly deprived area - it's more an area of second homes and holiday homes so the place has been pretty deserted over the past year, thanks to Covid. The waste I witnessed from last night was utterly ridiculous - trays of pre-packed sandwiches and filled wraps, bread products and lettuce / salad leaves, none of it claimed. We have rehomed what we could but there's a limit to how many sandwiches we can use over a 24-hour period when there's nobody around to help eat them and they can't be given to charities or food banks when their 'use by' date is Christmas Day. 

Final challenge of my frugal year is always to make Christmas food last through to Hogmanay and kick off the new year with the cupboards, fridge and freezer full of home cooking and baking. 2021 is only one week away and already, it is plain to see that it is not going to be like any Hogmanay or New Year we have ever seen before - Covid has led many into a new way of living and for others, it's a reminder of exactly why prevention is the best medicine or cure.

STAY SAFE, FELLOW FRUGALERS!  WE'LL GET THROUGH THIS.

mumtoomany

Up at five-thirty! The joys of living with a for year old. Remains of the turkey now sorted. One breast in the fridge to be sliced for tonight's tea. A one kilo box of big pieces frozen for meals, a two kilo box of kilos frozen for curries, pies etc. All the bones skin etc in the pressure cooker for stock/soup. All leftover veg fridges for tonight's tea. Won't need any shopping, except possibly milk, till next year. I may go to Aldi on new years eve if we've got any freezer space. The Christmas eve trip was very fruitful. Reductions of 75% at eight am. Bought loads of sausage, battered fish, mince, stewing steak and a few chickens, chicken thighs, and meatballs. Also stacks of veg at 7p bag.
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Hope everyone had a good day and enjoys the rest of the holidays, mumtoomany.

Frugalistamama

My morning shop to lidl was a disaster no reductions 🙁 just two packs turkey mince. Very disappointing. I didn't go before shops closed as too busy celebrating! (We celebrate xmas eve as well) 
@mumtoomany thanks for sharing what you are doing with leftovers ive got tons! Would be interested to hear what others are doing, please share. 

MazzieD

Have also been in the kitchen this morning sorting out the turkey and making stock in the pressure cooker!.  I use the turkey meat in stir fry's and also make Jalfrezi sauce, adding the turkey towards the end of cooking time.  Basically anything I would normally use Chicken in, just adding the turkey at a later stage.

cw18

mumtoomany said:

Reductions of 75% at eight am. Bought loads of sausage, battered fish, mince, stewing steak and a few chickens, chicken thighs, and meatballs. Also stacks of veg at 7p bag.

I was in my local A!di just before 8am on 24th (looking for a couple of bits they'd run out of the night before).   Had a quick look as I shot through (was on my way to work), but all I saw was a few packs of stir fry veg dated 24th on 30% off.   I regularly pick this up, but as I knew it wouldn't be used before tomorrow at the earliest I didn't bother this time.    They only had 1 item I was after, so nipped into Icel@nd (where I managed to get the other, saving me a visit to Mr T opposite work), and all they had was a few bread products at 25-50% off.   Didn't have need of (or freezer space for) any those either.

willow_loulou

I popped into a co op on Christmas Eve on the way home from collecting my Mr. I got yellow sticker bread, cakes and pastries to see us through for a few days. I got fresh carrots too as my locals had apparently sold all their veg as pictures shared on Facebook showed. I’m seemly eating carrots more than any other veg so was happy enough to pay more than I would for them locally especially as I got a loaf for 8p! I’ll stop in this shop more often if they reduce to that by 7pm. 

[Deleted User]

Hi frugal friends

I hope you’re all enjoying festivities in your own content, frugal ways. I’ve enjoyed this year far more than any other. Yesterday was fairly traditional, but today rather than the pressure of hosting a party which I normally do, we’ve had three long dog walks, chopped wood, eaten leftovers and built Lego. Happy days.

This will be my last post on this thread, my next will be on the 2021 thread. My goals and aims remain the same - £5k per annum budget, with a view to paying around £35k off the mortgage (half its current amount left to run).

I enjoy all elements of frugal living and cannot wait to have a full year at it - as you know I’ve only been part of this merry band since the summer, and can honestly say my life, finances and impact on the planet have changed for the better as a consequence. Take care all, stay safe, calm and well xx

FrankieM

Morning All
I hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas, whatever you were doing.

I saw family Christmas day and then spent yesterday watching a Netflix boxset. It was nice to just sit on my own and do nothing.

We aren't in lock down as such where I am but are in tier 3 so nothing much will be happening for the foreseeable future and for me, I'm back at work as normal on Monday, so nothing much happening with me!

My year has now started as I get paid on the 25th, so I'll be posting over on the new thread from today.

Frugaldom

Good morning, frugalers. It's very wet and wild here so another drenching in the offing. My year starts on 1st January so I'll be posting here until then. Aside from milk, I can't see me needing to buy anything for quite some time, especially if people around here are refusing to use Olio or any other food surplus. I guess it's a 'pride' thing: they don't need to eat leftovers. Such a shame more people can't see that it's not about them, it's about waste and the effect it has on the environment. More education needed.

I'm one step closer to the next step in my long-term plan of having an off-grid  hut. I'd have loved to have had it at a more advanced stage by now but 2020 is probably as well being written off.  Here's to 2021 - hard to believe I'm typing that as it seems no time since celebrating Y2K!