2020 Frugal Living Challenge

Frugallife

Barbeduk wrote: »

It's so cheap! When I get it home I trim all the fat off and split it into portions, then freeze it. I can usually make a risotto for 3 and have a fry up for two with one of the portions, so it goes a long way!

Isn’t it just?! I was really surprised. Great value :T

3secondmemory

Another no spend day but not by choice! Too poorly to go out, I’m really glad that when I had my Iceland shop delivered, I’d included 2 L of long life milk!

I’ve only been able to potter around but I did manage to sort out the three medicine boxes. There were a couple of bits out of date but I found odd cough and cold remedies to use up!

Might sound like overkill, but I have a “hospital ready bag“ just so I can grab it at short notice. While I was just checking bits and pieces in there, I found a fiver!:j

I feel like I’m cheating a little bit because I’m laid up with this chest infection – plenty of time to be planning the rest of the month. I really actually think I could do it on £201 - awesome thread! :T

patentgirl

Everyone seems to be doing well I am keeping to menu plan since did online shop last Friday fish pie today very nice fed 4 adults and one portion left. Car gone in garage today bill promised to be around £135 unless anything is picked up so fingers crossed, one good thing I am walking more as car in garage.

natnat13

I was doing really well with my spending this month until DS1 said his TV had broken yesterday. After investigation it had died, it was £20 about 2 years ago though so had done well. I felt mean saying I can't replace it, he's nearly 14 and likes his privacy, doesn't want to sit with mum and watch TV anymore. I looked online for new ones but just couldn't justify it. In the end I found one on FB marketplace for £45, listed 9 mins before so quickly messaged and picked it up today. An uncecessary expense but not too painful.

On the plus side I used to get my nails done every 3 weeks costing £30. It's my only luxury / treat and I really didn't want to give it up even though it's a total indulgence. My darling fiance bought me a UV lamp and gel nail kit for christmas. I have just done my own nails and although they're not as professional job, they're not bad and the money saved pays for 2/3 of the TV.

It's all swings and roundabouts!

Meals planned for the week, mainly out the freezer and I'm back healthy eating today. Hoping for several NSDs this week.

miss_empty_piggy

DD2 celebrated her last day of school hols with 2 friends by getting a Chinese takeaway delivered. They were sat eating it when DOH and I returned from our meeting after work. The kids kindly said we could have what was left (2 plates for DOH and one for me) which was great as it was a free meal plus I didn't feel like cooking as I fell over at work today. It wasn't too bad at the time but as the day went on my body started to stiffen up and I feel very sore. Hence I didn't much feel like cooking so with the financial saving it was an absolute godsend. Plus she'd made us some lush cookies for dessert.

Frugaldom

Hi guys, still on te NSD here but used up 3 small (homemade) bread rolls that had dried out by slicing them up and adding milk, eggs, sultanas, sugar and cinnamon. I also had one wrinkly windfall apple left so sliced it among the layers, to, then baked it into bread & butter pudding. I had 2 b ags of YS veg (5p mxed and 6p carrots) plus a few potatoes so they are all in the slow cooker with onions, lentils, herbs and seasoning to make soup, but I am cooking chicken in the same pot at the same time. It will either turn into broth or stew or both, that's the joy of frugal cooking on a zero waste food budget. I used up a small homemade loaf over the weekend by slicing it longways and making frugal pizzas. 1 tin of chopped tomatoes, some puree, salt and pepper made the base sauce and then some cheese grated over the top. Breakfasts, as always. consist of Scottish porridge (made with water) and a handful of sultanas.

Hope everyone is doing OK, including the person who fell trough their barn roof! To all of those with friends and family in Australia, I hope all ae staying safe. It looks like hell there and my heart goes out to all the poor creatures who have succumbed to the smoke and flames. It seems so unfair that in one part of the world it is flooding and in another it is burning up - the cycle of life is forever turning but proof is there that it isn't turning a perfect circle - it's spinning out of control.

Keep on frugaling, folks! We may not be able to save the planet but we can help save ourselves, our friends, our neighbours, our colleagues and our exended families from the hardships suffered through overspending.

Herbyme

Talking of OOD ingredients I made lasagne yesterday with pasta dated use by 2015. It was great. Can’t see how pasta can go off. I don’t usually make it coz it’s fiddly. But we’re recently veggie so I’m building up my new list of tried and trusted meals we all like, and I knew that would go down well. No point cooking something we don’t all like, just leads to waste.

Cooked some dried beans in the slow cooker but haven’t worked out if they’re any cheap than canned precooked ones. Does anyone know? Less waste packaging anyway. ETA: needless to say it’s been worked out elsewhere on the forum, less than half price of canned ( I think - somewhat confusing!)

This forum is really making me think, so thanks all, keep the ideas coming!!

Jazee

DH came home with ten candles yesterday, reduced from £1.50 each to 38p. Great stuff as we get through a lot of candles.

BelleBaluu

Anyone got any ideas for some veggie meals I could cook, that teenage boys might eat. They are not overly fussy, eat most veg, but we’ve always been a meat n two veg kind of family. But I’m looking to include a couple of no meat nights in our week.

cw18

I make meals using a meat alternative - so qu0rn mince (or similar) for bolognese or chilli, or their pieces for enchilladas.

I sometimes make myself a stir fry with the pieces, or sometimes leave out the protein completely (normally when I've had a lot of other protein during the rest of the day).