2021 Frugal Living Challenge

[Deleted User]

Day 3 check in
Free exercise done am.  Used vouchers I'd discovered in a drawer (from Christmas) to buy a new top.  Main spend was new trainers as I badly need them.  Used 25% off code for trainers as sale on for Easter.  Enjoyed a chilled out day other than that with lovely roast beef for Easter dinner.  Got some lovely chocolate from family that me and OH will enjoy over the next few days.  

Blackcats

Tightpants, I use a compact bread maker too - sometimes I use it to complete the loaf, other times I use it to mix the dough and then finish in the oven.  I'm sure it is not more cost effective than a cheap supermarket loaf but it tastes so much better and as others have said you know exactly what's in it.  I sometimes buy bread making kits (not very frugal) and mix them half and half with my usual ingredients - makes a lovely lunch with home made soup.   

As an Easter treat, I made some lemon jammy dodger style biscuits today using lemon curd instead of jam - they were very pretty and tasty.  The weather was glorious so we went for a walk with a flask of tea and a couple of home made biscuits - no money spent.  Last week on the very warm day we bought ice creams from the ice cream van.  £6 for 2 99 cones - they were nice though and it felt like a real treat after the long, lonely winter.  Wouldn't want to spend that much too often though.  That van must be a goldmine as there are always long queues.  

StrawberrySuze

Hi All 👋 hope you had a good day with lots of sunshine.
Trellis finished and stained at last! Now onwards to the raised bed and pallet settee, also need to find the right place to put a small pond; I bought a pre-formed one four years ago but have put a doggie sandpit where I was going to put it, I recommend anyone to put a doggie sandpit in their garden, my dogs absolutely love it 😊 anyone with dogs anyway......!
Made some chicken and bacon pasta bakes today, roast chicken now on its 6th serving, it was a ys bargain too, still a chicken and stuffing sandwich and soup I reckon! topped them with muesli mixed with grated cheese and more oats, was really good, had some leftover that was beyond being eaten as muesli!
Not really looking forward to the drop in temperature tomorrow 😕

MazzieD

Bathroom disaster last night.  The toilet seat that sits on the bowl is quite flimsy plastic and broke right across in two different places so I now have a large 'chunk' missing,  Thank goodness I have a downstairs toilet as well but now need to replace asap with something more sturdy.  I have nothing against plastic toilet seats as long as they are quite thick and well made so goodness knows where whoever installed it got it from.  It's not the first time this has happened, I replaced with a thick wooden one last time!

Definitely baked jacket potato weather so a Chilli Con Carne has been defrosted to go with it.  Also making a cake using a loaf tin rather than a cake tin so it will take up less room in the oven and I can also squeeze a beef casserole in.  Think I bake cakes once or twice a year so it really is quite an event!.  This is partly because there is only me to eat it unless I have visitors.

Quick trip outside earlier to see how cold it is, doesn't seem that bad so going to wrap up warm and go for a long walk before my baking session.  Judging by the local weather forecast it's going to be Arctic temperatures tomorrow but it's still early in the day!.

Tightpants24

Thanks for the bread making tips.  I am going to make some by hand for now.  A friend has a bread maker which she hardly uses so I am going to borrow it when I next see her to experiment before I make a decision about buying one.
For those frugal gardeners out there...I planted lupin roots in pots a few weeks ago.  They are growing well.  But I don't know when to plant them outside.  In the past I have been unfrugal and bought plants from the garden centre when they are big and in flower (basically the expensive ones) so I am a bit clueless at this early stage 😀 

mandy47

Tightpants24 said:

 But I don't know when to plant them outside.  In the past I have been unfrugal and bought plants from the garden centre when they are big and in flower (basically the expensive ones) so I am a bit clueless at this early stage 😀 

Lupins are very hardy. I leave mine in all year round and collect seeds at the end of the season. I share these with friends and family and keep a few back for my self just incase .

jak

Just checking in frugal ones. I’ve got another load of mince to cook. My mission is to make it last for three meals again, while freezing half of it. It’s 500g but there is only two of us. Spag Bol, cottage pie then pasta bake. Best figure out some decent filler. I’ve got tons of sweet corn and kidney beans so I’ll add those I think. Then my son goes to his dads for the weekend so I can start eating through the huge amount of beans I have. I’m determined to 1. Not get a good delivery- will ask Mum to take me to the shop (Aldi) and 2. Put the money saved half into emergency fund and half into the holiday fund. X

Mummy2cheekymonkeys

jak said:

Just checking in frugal ones. I’ve got another load of mince to cook. My mission is to make it last for three meals again, while freezing half of it. It’s 500g but there is only two of us. Spag Bol, cottage pie then pasta bake. Best figure out some decent filler. I’ve got tons of sweet corn and kidney beans so I’ll add those I think. Then my son goes to his dads for the weekend so I can start eating through the huge amount of beans I have. I’m determined to 1. Not get a good delivery- will ask Mum to take me to the shop (Aldi) and 2. Put the money saved half into emergency fund and half into the holiday fund. X

I normally chop onions, carrot and celery in a food processor as my base for mince and add some red lentils. It really stretches out the mince. I then divide it into 3. One third is made into cottage pie, one third into bolognese and one third into chilli con carne. 

willow_loulou

Lupin are super hardy, but if they’ve been somewhere toasty I’d hang on planting them out until this cold snap is past. I’m so annoyed by this cold snap as I’m running out of growing space indoors and had planned on hardening off my toms this week.  

[Deleted User]

Day 4 of 17 update 

Day four and that’s four days in a row with no money spent. As per my plan for today we foraged for kindling wood first thing this morning, and the fire is blazing. We are very lucky to live next to the woods. I am keeping the heating off now we are in April; it won’t go back on until November as per our normal house ‘rules’.

Frugal plans tomorrow include selling some eggs and a huge dog walk. Eating from stores is going well, we’ll be onto the tinned fruit by around day 8 I think. Take care all and remember, every pound’s a prisoner! 😊