2021 Frugal Living Challenge

patentgirl

Hope you feel better soon @wishus

[Deleted User]

-taff said:

Have you got a link? All I'm finding is stuff from BT

@-taff that's my fault. I'll go back and edit the post above.  Brain not functioning today - I had my covid vaccine yesterday and feel like I've been hit but a truck today.  It's actually Open Learn.  Link is https://www.open.edu/openlearn/

willow_loulou

-taff said:

[Deleted User] said:

Kerry_Woman said:

Am looking for things to do to improve my mental health which do not cost anything in March as I have been struggling.  I already have mindulness colouring books in which I have had for a while and wordsearch book. I have to cut back how much time I spend on social media.

Hi @Kerry_Woman, have you looked at Open Reach?  There is a range is interesting courses all free and online.  I've done a few for personal and some for work and they are good quality and well laid out.

Have you got a link? All I'm finding is stuff from BT

Perhaps Allie meant Open Learn from the OU
im about to do my 3rd btec level 2, the first 2 were free with my local adult Ed and all online. 

wishus

[Deleted User] said:

-taff said:

Have you got a link? All I'm finding is stuff from BT

@-taff that's my fault. I'll go back and edit the post above.  Brain not functioning today - I had my covid vaccine yesterday and feel like I've been hit but a truck today.  It's actually Open Learn.  Link is https://www.open.edu/openlearn/

Oh yes, if anyone has had Covid, apparently you are more likely to feel cruddy after the vaccine, so get in some paracetamol and lovely tins of soup! I will make sure I am prepared next time!

Onebrokelady

Frugaldom said:

WELCOME TO MARCH
Hoping for so much this month, especially some positive progress with the hut plans. Household spends were over the average  as I paid an annual insurance in full but grocery shopping was slightly under so I did make some savings there. Total grocery spend for month was £53.52 I was really lucky in that a friend passing by had dropped off a bag of Olio-type produce, including bread, lemons & limes, a pineapple, cauliflower, avocado, lettuce, aubergine.. it's enough for a couple of free meals and I will turn the lemons & limes into more marmalade.
My last bag of free potatoes from are still chitting in their cardboard box on the table - most have now got shoots on them and the few that don't will get used to feed the worms in the wormery. My garlic is growing and while I was doing some garden tidying today I found some carrots still growing - now picked for making some frugal coleslaw. 
All this talk of seed sowing is motivating me to get started sooner rather than later but I need to clear out the potting shed as it's currently being used like a storage shed. My plan is to get it emptied as soon as possible and then try to get it mouse-proofed. The little pests wreaked havoc on my seedlings last year. Compost corner is coming along nicely, te worms are back in action in the wormery and I drew off another litre of 'worm juice' fertiliser. My jobs for this week are 1) straighten up the fruit trees that need re-staked, 2) mulch around them with compost and straw and 3) plant some more willows for growing them into windbreaks.
Good luck this month, frugal friends.
@Onebrokelady I hope you enjoy the photo updates

Loving the photo updates 😊 
Wow £53.52 for a months food is amazing, I'm going to be trying really hard this month to cut my food budget 

Onebrokelady

Not a NSD today because it's my DDs birthday on Friday so I had to go into town and buy her card,I got a Mother's Day card while I was there as well, I always say I'm going to buy all my cards for the year in one go at the beginning of the year but I never end up doing it, it would save time though and possibly money if I shopped in the right place for them. I didn't have a lot of choice today though because all the cheap card shops are still shut so I ended up in Smiths,still it's a job crossed off the list 😊

Mummy2cheekymonkeys

wishus said:

Oh yes, if anyone has had Covid, apparently you are more likely to feel cruddy after the vaccine, so get in some paracetamol and lovely tins of soup! I will make sure I am prepared next time!

I can definately vouch for that. Had covid at christmas and then the first jab saturday. Its put me off having the second one. It was like having covid all over again. Although side effects from the jab have lasted 48 hours and with covid I felt rough for a month. I'm still getting side effects from the covid now. Everyday my fingers go ice cold and sometimes my toes. Very bizarre.

Wraithlady

MazzieD said:

Large flower/plant pots are definitely not a frugal option to buy!. Bit shocked by the prices as have never bought any.  Will see what I've got lurking in the garden shed and around the house and try and be creative (not my strong point)   Still mulling over all the helpful suggestions on here.

I seem to remember someone was suggesting large builder's buckets from B&Q being a couple of pounds each?

-taff

Morrisons/Asda for flower buckets. They sell them for 99p for a good handful and they're just the right size.

flossyblog

Hello everyone,
February household Bills came in at €966.12  which includes council tax for the year as well. Grocery spends came in at €224.87. No other expenditure for the time being.