The thriftyish way to debt freedom

Kakiste

I've got a bunch of allotment apples as well. My dad gave me them and a bunch of rhubarb so I'll do a crumble tomorrow.

thriftyish

@baileys_babe & @Bluegreen143 I know, my DS is quite resilient and mature (in that way at least) for his age. We had a good chat, and he knows he can always talk to us. He was upset a few weeks ago, when the friend's parents broke up. Dad left suddenly and unexpectedly, neither mum nor son had any clue, and my DS said that out of all his friend's parents. they were the ones he never expected to break up. Which made him question mine & DHs relationship, and if the same would happen to him. I've told DS his Dad is not that lucky, that he's stuck with me - which made him laugh. He's picking up lots of differences between families at the moment. DH and I never argue, we are both so laid back in general, but next door are going through a messy divorce and are shouting, angrily a lot. DS was shocked. His friends mum is a police officer, so I guess she probably knows the lines of support more than most, she did mention speaking to the Behaviour and SEMH lead at school, which is positive.

@f0xh0les The drunken prunes sound amazing. I want to give these ago so might seek out the brandy and tea leaves. I'm not sure where to start with the tea leaves really, any supermarket recommendations? Plum vodka sounds interesting too, I don't really like vodka but am guessing it doesn't taste like vodka when ready. I had a quick google and I am drowning in plum recipes. Not sure what to do about Jars for preserving either. Tesco sell their basic jam for ~30p so they might be my best bet Jar wise, cheaper than buying Jars and I get a load of Jam! 

Run run run!
With inspiration from @f0xh0les, I pulled on my clingier-than-before lycra and headed to the park yesterday. I managed a slow 4k, I was planning 2.5k, but DH brought the kids to cheer me on, and I thought they deserved some time at the park for coming out in the rain, so I kept running I went to drop my DD1 at small birthday party and realised I was reluctant to go inside because I felt uncomfortable in my clothes, which was the lightbulb moment. 

Food
We had y/s croissants for breakfast, y/s sandwiches for lunch. The children & DH had fish fingers and chips (made in the air fryer with our potatoes) while I steamed myself some veg to stay a bit healthier. Its always a faff when I end up cooking two meals, but may necessary for a few months while trying to lose weight.

Weekend plans
All my chicken coop, greenhouse and allotment plans were written off when after digging up one row of potatoes at the allotment, it absolutely threw it down and I was soaked to the skin. It didn't help that I spent 40 mins been shown around another plots holders plot instead of digging! Their plot is just amazing, the allotment dream. They produce most of their food for the year, and look mostly organic. They have said I have has many plums as I want, because they have three (full!) trees, and I can also climb over their back fence to harvest comfrey from the messy edge of the farmer's field, while mine is growing. If I had known I could have just have dug up a clump instead of buying seed! They also gave me a delicious plum tomato to save the seed, a pack of onion and leek seed. Everyone is beyond kind, its a nice community and I hope I can give something back in years to come too.

Instead, we decided to finish painting the kitchen. It's not totally finished but looks a lot fresher. I hope we can finish it today because the weather is looking very unkind for outdoor work 

missymoo81

Oooh thrifty! I love the sound of your allotment. I‘m wondering whether to put my name on the list for our local ones, but I’m worried I won’t have enough time.... is it an awful lot of work? I have such a tiny garden.... I just love the thought of fresh produce but wouldn’t be able to go to an allotment daily. More like weekly Or twice a week for a couple of hours each time........ would love to know your thoughts! 

f0xh0les

I think the best deal with tea leaves, is to open the teabags you already own and use the leaves inside there!   It is the tannin from the leaves  that gives a 'red wine' feel of lusciousness to the rest of it. 

Last time I was in The World of Pound they were selling 3 glass jars and lids for, well, a pound.  They had a range of sizes I seem to remember.  But saving yours, and looking on local Fake B00k is still the cheapest way.   There are loads of people offering empty jars and lids on ours at the minute as everyone knows it is jam season.

Bluegreen143

I would love an allotment but being realistic I don’t dedicate enough time to our garden as it is. Hopefully as the children get bigger.

Re jars. I keep the ones from honey and jam. Pickles etc too sometimes but you can’t put jam in them as they never lose the vinegar smell. I sometimes solicit jars from friends and I’ve got them cheap off Facebook marketplace too (I’ve also heard of getting them free from there). And yeah I sometimes buy them off amazon or eBay if needed. I’ve never done the buying value jam thing because I usually need lots of jars at once and then we wouldn’t be able to eat the jam fast enough, and I don’t like the thought of wasting it 😅

Baileys_Babe

I also save and reuse most of the jars that come through this house, including the larger jars the blackstrap molasses comes in 600g+ as I use them to store things in the fridge like waffle batter or pancake batter, as well as filling with homemade sweets for presents 😉

MagicCat

Your allotments sound so nice and friendly, such a nice thing to be a part of.

Well done for the running! I know how you feel with the clothes, not nice but you're making a good start on changing things.

thriftyish

@Kakiste Yum, I love rhubarb and apple crumble!

missymoo81 said:

Oooh thrifty! I love the sound of your allotment. I‘m wondering whether to put my name on the list for our local ones, but I’m worried I won’t have enough time.... is it an awful lot of work? I have such a tiny garden.... I just love the thought of fresh produce but wouldn’t be able to go to an allotment daily. More like weekly Or twice a week for a couple of hours each time........ would love to know your thoughts! 

@missymoo81 I would say 3/4 hours a week at the allotment is plenty enough to keep on top. Probably a little more in spring, especially if it's dry (for sowing and watering) and a little more at harvest time (if you include picking, storing and preserving) and much less over the winter months. It takes extra time when you are setting up and organising. I think it depends too how you set it up too, there are lots of books/articles on how to get maximum harvests for minimum input. I find its great for my mental health and gets me out of the house even when I don't feel like it, its good exercise, and healthy foods like raspberries/leeks/green beans and salads are so expensive, yet really easy to grow. I've spent around 90 mins at mine this week (if you take away the 40 mins I was distracted talking to other plot holders) I will need 3 hours this weekend, but that should have me back on top of harvests and weeding again, fingers crossed! 

@foxholes Thanks for the tea info. I am saving jars like crazy but filling them as fast as I save. Nothing near me on FB but I will keep looking, our land of pound closed down, will keep my eye out when I venture further afield.

@Bluegreen143 We had an allotment when mine were small, and it was really, really hard work with littles. I remember I had one child in school (DS aged 5), one in morning nursery (DD aged 4), and I was going down to the lottie with a baby(DD newborn) and a toddler (DD aged 2) and those few years were a nightmare. DD3 who was newborn was fine and would sleep, but toddler DD2 was (understandably) bored easily and wanted to be with me and not with her toys/books, music in the safe playpen. It took me longer to get ready and get there than the time I spent there     We reluctantly gave it up, and it was the best decision we made. This time around now the children are older, its a completely different story! Having stuff growing in your garden is ideal when they are little because you do the odd job while the kids are occupied and safe!

That would the be problem, I also wouldn't waste the jam so would need a lot of jam recipes to use it all up. Luckily the cheapest of the cheap jam is all DH and the children will eat, they don't like the 'posh, bitty stuff'  

@Baileys_Babe I've been using my jars in the fridge and freezer too, I've jars full of cut-up peppers to add to chillis, stews, bolognese - I am trying to use less plastic, so jars are winning for storing foods.

@Magic_Cat The allotment community has been amazing, its been great for me too as I don't really know anyone around here, the children are in school in the village nearby (and I don't know anyone from there yet either!) and I am not seeing hardly anything of friends from our old town. I really should make an effort to get to know more people. I am not really social  I don't drink (I have the odd drink, but hate drinking too much and losing the next day), have no real childcare, I don't like drama, and prefer to be at home with the kids and DH. I'm quite boring really 

Running
I managed another slow run on Sunday, and pushed myself to 5k. Which was a mistake as I could barely walk for the rest of the day, and ended up in bed at 7pm. Rest day yesterday, and today isn't looking great either with all the rain! But I can walk up the stairs now without pausing on each step

Rescue Chickens
A few months back, I put our name down to rescue some chickens, and I received a text yesterday saying they are rehoming some hens on the 12 September, so I am just waiting to hear more. It's through a non-profit organisation called fresh start for hens, and I will need to show them a photo of the completed chicken run. Which is not yet completed. So I spent all morning yesterday giving the coop another coat of paint, and painting the run so that DH could staple the chicken wire into place. It just needs one small section of chicken wire finishing, a walkway plank making so they can climb up into the coop, a door building for the run, and some new hinges for the coop and run and we ready. 

Food
Business as usual food-wise, eating out of the freezer. I made homemade pasta sauce with pasta yesterday for tea, followed by blackberry crumble. I had to buy some more staples for the staple gun so we could attach the netting so took the kids blackberry picking on the way back. We picked over a kg, enough for a pie, a portion for the freezer and some smoothies. DD1 was set on the smoothies so I bought her apple juice and plain yogurt so she could try. They were much nicer than I imagined, and the kids loved making them.

Courgette update
We ate the rest of the courgette bhajis from the freezer, and I served some courgette & pea fritters with the pasta yesterday. I have 4 big courgettes to use up, and found a y/s cheeseboard yesterday which included stilton. The plan today is courgette soup (with the stilton), courgette bread, courgette bhajis and maybe some courgette cake  I dread to think of how many more will be ready for picking with all this rain! This afternoon is a baking afternoon, I have no plans to leave the house, and I am hoping to be courgette neutral by the end of the day!

Reusable water bottles
I have just bulk ordered plain reusable water bottles for the kids, in their own colours. The bottles cost just over £2 each, but the minimum quantity was 25, so have just spent a whopping £50 and have 21 spare bottles. But, I will never, EVER have to buy a water bottle again, they all have their own colours they like, are all the same otherwise (and therefore they cant argue) and since I have spent at least £3 in the last 6 weeks buying bottled drinks for picnics because all their old water bottles are leaking - it should hopefully save us money in the long run. I could probably have bought cheaper instore, but I am still avoiding anywhere that isn't a supermarket, and even then I only go when it's quiet. We have had this type before and they lasted really well, so I am hoping the same for these. I am still not convinced this was very MSE, but even the supermarket options are more expensive. A few years ago during a very none MSE moment (I was having an eco-friendly moment), we bought all stain-less steel bottles that cost over £10 each(on sale!), and that now are all leaking (with lids that cost around £4 each to replace) and that don't stand up. I am still hoping each of the bottles lasts at least a year, if not two years or more, and I plan to squirrel away the extras so the kids don't think they grow on trees. 

Food spends
I need to work out the food spends today too. I just spent an extra £12 on 3 tubs of Xmas chocolates which appeared at Mr T. We should still be on track to come in between £250-£270 for August. September should be easier to plan and prepare with the kids at school too.

Happy debt busting!

thriftyish

Courgette neutral isn't happening. DH has a friend coming to collect something tonight, and I have been frantically cleaning and tidying the house incase he wants to look around (I also know him from the school run at our old school, and DD1 and DD3 are friends with his girls)

I made courgette soup for lunch though, it was really nice, not what I expected but very yummy. One courgette down, and it made four portions, so 1 for myself or DH for lunch tomorrow, and two for the freezer. The only bought ingredient was the stilton and onions, and they were reduced, everything else was grown at the allotment (and hopefully the onions will be next year) - winner!

Kakiste

God I hate courgettes! I realise that you must not Given you've grown so many- but I feel really sorry for you having to eat them!
I was vegetarian for 13 years as a teenager- mid 20s- and courgettes featured very heavily in all veggie food at the time. So did aubergine and I equally now hate that. Classic overexposure. 
I use up the ones I get through the food group by blending them into pasta sauces or soup so I can't see them/taste them individually but I've not bought either vegetable myself since the early 00s!