2021 Frugal Living Challenge

Siebrie

Frugaldom, with all you have to keep going, I'm surprised you manage to post! Don't apologise, we'll keep your seat free

Re the bags of horse manure: can you add a tin with a sign 'the manure is free, but a donation to make sure it keeps coming is appreciated'?

mumtoomany

Hi all, not posted for a while, been lambing. Only two ewes to go now, both carrying twins.
@zafiro1984, must agree with you regarding chickens. Ours were housed in the poly tunnel over winter, due to having to be under cover because of bird flu. When it came time to move them back, OH said they would just follow him as he feeds them each day. They did not! OH, myself, youngest DD and three grandchildren, chassed them for an hour! They all escaped to neighbouring fields, into hedge rows, under bramble etc. Had to wait till night fall, when they all returned to the tunnel, and catch them one by one and carry them home. 
Off to check on ewes now, speak soon, mumtoomany.

willow_loulou

Ha yes chickens can be a bit dim (or clever depending) turkeys are a whole world of not bright, they just sit down when it’s dark and sleep just waiting for mr fox! 

Busy day here today. I popped out for a bit of shopping £13 in Tesco for the bits we needed. I was head down just getting my list 😂 had to go today as I’ve got my Covid jab part 2 tomorrow and I may react again. 

I might split the bread in to another bag and freeze half tomorrow. I’ve been using up the freezer stuff this week. Determined to get it empty so I can clean it. 

Thrifty_Taylor

My second day being back at work, staff & pupils pleased to see me. Hubby managed to get to his dialysis OK without me.
Had an appointment after work today, with the dental surgeon, he's decided I need my bottom wisdom teeth removing. To cheer myself up, I went on the long river website & ordered The Complete Tightwad Gazette book. I've been hearing lots about it lately, & as I have gift cards (accrued through doing the Royal Mail Survey) the book has cost me zilch 😁

AskYouWillGet

Love hearing about all your lives, and the dum chickens, greedy quackless ducks and sitting (duck) turkeys, and the lambs really cheered me up after a stressful and long day. Have had antics too, two half coconut shells that refilled with bird fodder have been taken! Can't decide what critter could be the culprits but will take it as a gourmet wildlife compliment🦊🦝🐁🦦🐦🦜🕊️ 

I keep forgetting to mention about my use of student cookbooks, which is still my first choice go to when need inspiration. 
But I once made a Jamie Oliver sweet potato soup with chilli oil, it cost about £10 after following that first attempt recipe before sweet potato was a regular food choice! Was a nice soup so recommend a frugal version only!! 
I made a lentil soup today which was delicious, with one sprouted potato, one carrot that was on the turn, red lentils, veg stock, oregano, chilli flakes and tomato puree.  

Thanks @Thrifty_Taylor your bargain old style book reminded me 📙 Student cookbooks I still find (after 30 years!) the best source for tasty, cheap and healthy recipes. Picked up a few to replace copies at books sales at libraries. 

My household savings today are: using bicarbonate of soda down the smelly kitchen sink followed by bleach, bye bye smell.
Also, soda crystals unblock as well as clean smelly drains too.
And for laundry, adding some to the draw with washing powder/liquid to reduce amount of detergent needed - especially good for softening hard water too. It cleans the drum of build up too. (I found this tip in a thread last year under Old Style money saving after a Google search). Trouble is the price at some places can rise from 60p up to £4! 

MazzieD

Decided to contact TGTG yesterday about all the missing outlets.  Got a response within two hours which was good, the not so good bit was they wanted a list of all the 20 missing ones.  Silly me, I should have made a list before they disappeared just in case they did vanish into cyberspace.  Sadly I don't have a photographic memory.   Bit of a waste of my time really but just sent a polite reply saying I couldn't remember and to leave it.  Doesn't seem like anyone else has reported a similar problem  Only ever managed to get 3 Morrie's boxes so not too much of a problem as don't use it much.

And yet another bill is going up, just had notification that Broadband price is increasing from end June, didn't see that one coming.  Last supplier gave me an opt out choice with no early exit fee when they put prices up, just checked and this time I'm tied in to the contract or an eye watering early exit fee applies as only been with them about 4 months.   

Hope you're ok after your Covid jab @willow_loulou.

zafiro1984

willow_loulou said:

I’ve got my Covid jab part 2 tomorrow and I may react again. 

Take heart, apparently reactions to the AZ second covid vacc are less, and less severe than the first. Whereas reactions to the Pfizer vacc are the other way around. I had quite severe headaches after the first AZ vacc but absolutely nothing to my second - my second vacc was almost two weeks ago.

joedenise

zafiro1984 said:

willow_loulou said:

I’ve got my Covid jab part 2 tomorrow and I may react again. 

Take heart, apparently reactions to the AZ second covid vacc are less, and less severe than the first. Whereas reactions to the Pfizer vacc are the other way around. I had quite severe headaches after the first AZ vacc but absolutely nothing to my second - my second vacc was almost two weeks ago.

Same for me - no reaction at all to 2nd AZ vaccine; first one I was so tired I ended up going to bed at 8.30pm and slept until 7.30am!  Still needed to have a couple of hours that afternoon as well!  Absolutely fine after that.

angela110660

Had my 2nd AZ yesterday and all good here too just a slightly heavy arm. No headaches this time and slept like a log last night - so far so good. 

elbree

I'm relieved to hear that all, just managed to get up after two days in bed from the first AZ, horrible! Glad to hear the second not likely to be like that. On the plus side have managed 3 NSDs! 😂 Well jel of everyone's TGTG bags, round here it's all C*sta or N*ro. I don't need more muffins in my life. Will keep checking though. Trying to source some secondhand camping equipment, tried gumtree and freecycle, no go. Any other ideas?