2021 Frugal Living Challenge

StrawberrySuze

Tightpants24 

I live in the same area!  I know what you mean about the crazy crowds last year!  Never seen anything like it.  Mind you I am desperate for a drive to the coast with the dogs just for a change.
On a frugal note I have listed more stuff on V1nt3d and on FB market 😀   Reducing my clutter and hopefully a few extra pennies too.

I am not far from the coast. I put the dogs in the car when I go shopping once a week and take them on the beach near where I shop, I sometimes have it to myself 🙂 not for much longer though.............!

What dogs have you got? I have 3 little rescues, 2 Romanian and a Yarco pom!

StrawberrySuze

Living_proof said:

@StrawberrySuze and @Tightpants24 We were in Norfolk in the camper van a couple of times last year and spent a few days at Wroxham and took a wonderful socially-distanced boat trip one day. The worst place for crowds was on the North Norfolk coast with cars parked bumper to bumper along all the little lanes. We took one look and fled inland for a bit of peace and quiet!

I am eating my way through the Morrisons box (Magic Bag) and tried the hot and sour Ramen last night. It is not for me but I am glad to have tried it. Today I will have to try something with chicory which will be another first.

I am not too far from Wroxham, I used to work there and usually go on the 'Boogie boat' every year which is great fun 😆

I went to North Norfolk on the bike last year a couple of times and I agree it was bad all along the coast from near where I am to more North.  

I tried to get a Morrisons magic bag yesterday but they sold out within a minute of going on sale!

MazzieD

flossyblog said:

Anyone else doing yearly spring clean. I started mine yesterday. first stage garden, wisteria had it's overdue late winter prune, along with the evergreen bushes. The garden takes a few weeks, as the green bin fills up really quick, especially with a tree in the front garden. 

I was planning to get out in the garden and do some tidying and pruning today as it was a  lovely sunny morning.  Within minutes it started pouring with a mixture of sleet and rain whilst the sun was still out.  Typical, it's been sunshine every day this week up to today.  Still raining on and off so will try and get it done over the next few days.  Clocks go forward on Sunday so it will be lighter in the evenings for longer if all else fails.  I've got a lovely climbing rose in my front garden which grows really quickly so

MazzieD

Don't know what happened there, hadn't finished the post! need to prune that and rose bushes in back garden as well.

Tightpants24

StrawberrySuze said:

Tightpants24 

I live in the same area!  I know what you mean about the crazy crowds last year!  Never seen anything like it.  Mind you I am desperate for a drive to the coast with the dogs just for a change.
On a frugal note I have listed more stuff on V1nt3d and on FB market 😀   Reducing my clutter and hopefully a few extra pennies too.

I am not far from the coast. I put the dogs in the car when I go shopping once a week and take them on the beach near where I shop, I sometimes have it to myself 🙂 not for much longer though.............!

What dogs have you got? I have 3 little rescues, 2 Romanian and a Yarco pom!

I live near Coltishall!  I have a Labradoodle and a Yorkiepoo! Lol 😆   Hopefully we will get a little trip to the seaside soon.

Wraithlady

The local cats are very pleased with my raised bed, mistaking it for a nice new public convenience.
One pruned holly bush later, we'll see if I can change their minds!

StrawberrySuze

Changed my washing machine brushes and it now works 😁 good old You tube, it cost me all of £6.88!

Pay day today so been doing some juggling, hoping to pay another big wodge off my cc in the next couple of weeks, do need to buy dog food and a few bits of shopping though.

MazzieD

Raining again.  Important lesson learnt, go and do a bit of gardening here and there when it's fine rather than try to plan a set day or time!.

My March Motivation was  to try and get my monthly grocery shopping down to £60 or less as a one off experiment (hence all the posting about the subject).  I now have enough food to last to the end of the month and won't be doing any more shopping as I get paid on the last working day of the month, so I have decided to 'declare' early.

The good news is I managed to get down to a total spend of £56.24. 

I didn't manage to get any YS apart from a pack of sausages so I bought bigger packs of meat and chicken which were cheaper or on offer.  F&V was either frozen or L*dl boxes.  Having a week off has been helpful, I have 'nailed' the time I need to get there as boxes are now increasingly popular and sold out by 9.30am but they seem to have them almost every weekday. Planning to buy a box each week from now on. Worth asking staff if you've never seen one, it might be the same where you are unless you are particularly unlucky with staff not doing what they are supposed to do.

All spends and DD's now done, really pleased with my budget for March - it's well under.  April will be back to my normal £80 food budget (including food/cat litter for fluffy monster and all the items haven't needed this month) and it'll be interesting to see how much of an impact several DD's that now re-start will have.

AskYouWillGet

Was vaccinated yesterday whoop and glad it is raining to water the 2 new small Hugelbeds that created this week. Just need top soil on after watering. Water is a problem as need to fill up the waterbutt at the plot from home. Good news picked up two large water tanks last night from a Freegler which will help!
Well done @MazzieD coming in  under budget. 
Not sure how the budget is going, will have a tot up later. We are now buying our eggs from someone in the village. £1 for 6, the best eggs ever! Big with deep yellow yokes - spent a few pounds more than usual but worth it so nice compared to supermarket. 
Bargain found on the spring sale on Am@z@n, DS3 bought ground coffee in bulk - St*rbucks 6 bags £15 which comes in at £2.50 each. Spend that on 1 cup in a cafe, plus he paid so my coffee is now free! 
Pamper session with used coffee grounds: We have done an experiment using the used grounds as an exfoliator on scalp for hair growth and then I tried it on my feet and legs before washing as an exfoliator. Works wonders & salon standard! (I have skin issues, so wondered if would react bad but so far so good). 

Onebrokelady

MazzieD said:

Raining again.  Important lesson learnt, go and do a bit of gardening here and there when it's fine rather than try to plan a set day or time!.

My March Motivation was  to try and get my monthly grocery shopping down to £60 or less as a one off experiment (hence all the posting about the subject).  I now have enough food to last to the end of the month and won't be doing any more shopping as I get paid on the last working day of the month, so I have decided to 'declare' early.

The good news is I managed to get down to a total spend of £56.24. 

I didn't manage to get any YS apart from a pack of sausages so I bought bigger packs of meat and chicken which were cheaper or on offer.  F&V was either frozen or L*dl boxes.  Having a week off has been helpful, I have 'nailed' the time I need to get there as boxes are now increasingly popular and sold out by 9.30am but they seem to have them almost every weekday. Planning to buy a box each week from now on. Worth asking staff if you've never seen one, it might be the same where you are unless you are particularly unlucky with staff not doing what they are supposed to do.

All spends and DD's now done, really pleased with my budget for March - it's well under.  April will be back to my normal £80 food budget (including food/cat litter for fluffy monster and all the items haven't needed this month) and it'll be interesting to see how much of an impact several DD's that now re-start will have.

Well done on the grocery budget that's amazing 😊I'm still struggling to reduce mine under £100 not including pet supplies, mind you some of that is shared with my daughter who is living here at the moment