2021 Frugal Living Challenge

girlybags

Had my first AZ jab on Thursday, was advised by a friend to take paracetamol 2 hours before it, which I did and which I think helped. Woke up at 5am feeling nauseous so took more paracetamol. Friday evening I was in work so carried on with the paracetamol and when I was getting due for my next dose I was feeling rough so I don't think I'd have got through my shift without it. Saturday morning I was up at 6am for a 7am start and felt fine. I was surprised at how sore my arm was though, it only stopped hurting yesterday!

Getting through the sweet potatoes, I made a big batch of Thai green curry which I'll be eating for the foreseeable as I'm struggling for freezer space. I really need to concentrate on trying to get it emptied as it does need defrosting. 

Edited to add: I got a TGTG box for my mum yesterday (Morrie's again) and it was loaded with cream cakes and pastries this time. No fruit or veg but it also had 3 packs of sliced beef from the deli counter, 2 packs of their 'The Best' pasties, 2 vegan sausage rolls (came home with me 😋), 2 packs of chargrilled chicken breasts, 2 loaves of bread, a pack of muffins and a pack of huge hot dog buns. When we totted it all up the value was around £35 so it's been the best box yet, bargain wise

MazzieD

Sorry to read that some are really suffering from AZ jabs.  Got my 2nd one in a couple of weeks, seems like months since the original jab.  Was really lucky with that one, just a sore arm for 30 mins so not too worried about the next one.

@girlybags You are really lucky with the Morrie's TGTG.  Haven't completely given up, tried re-installing the app and various other things yesterday but still no luck. Might put a message out to see if anyone I know Is on TGTG locally and having the same issues, other than that it might be my phone but it seems to beok.  I have two mobiles but the other one is really old so probably hasn't got enough memory to try installing it.

Just going to stick with L*dl F&V boxes if available for the moment but will see if I can resolve the TGTG, incidentally - Gr*ggs, Cost*  Coffee and Caffe N*ro have all joined recently so that might be why some staff don't know about it.    (A blue 'New' sign appears in the top left hand corner for a couple of weeks so it's easy to tell). 

girlybags

@MazzieD yes I think we've done really well with TGTG and I think my local Morrie's is a good store for it. I'm on a FB group where they post what they got in their bags/boxes and some of them are really poor.

Got to stop getting them for the time being while I work through the freezer contents but once I have I will defo be getting one a week.

MazzieD

@girlybags That's interesting.  I abandoned Facebook a little while ago, had an unfortunate experience with someone on there who  decided I was an evil woman out to get her.  Well I might be I suppose but I must be sleepwalking or in a coma when I do whatever it is!.  

Just got a F&V box, they have changed the time they put them out yet again, back to 9.30am.  Getting them towards the end of the week so can process over the weekend  Really lucky, wouldn't be able to get them if I went back to working in an office but have some flexibility with my working hours at home particularly as I don't get overtime.  Cat is getting excited, Zoom meeting shortly so he'll be on my lap in a minute,  No idea how he knows, probably pure co-incidence.

willow_loulou

Thanks all, I did feel dreadful last night but I’m relieved to say I just feel a bit nauseous today and a bit heady/sinus bunged. I can deal with that. 

scrummy-mummy

elbree said:

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? 

There are quite a few camping groups on Facebook, might be worth a try?

mumof3.12kindebt

Hello everyone. Sorry I haven't been around much.  We have continued to be frugal in some ways. But we still have plenty of room for improvement. A little non essential spending has been going on. 
I've been enjoying my new book. I need to book a slot to visit the libary with the kids. 

Food shopping we have done okay. Kept to budget overall. 

I have forgot to track our spending though. But our savings have been slowly building ready to pay off a good chunk of debt once the bill for the lease car has been paid in July/Aug time. 
I did take out a second loan to buy a car ready for when the lease one goes back. That loan will be paid off in full by the end of the year. 

I've been enjoying reading recently. And I've also got studying to do. (Work paid for the courses so double win) 

After an expensive few days. I'm back to get on frugal wagon. From now until the end of the month I'll only be spending Money on what we class as essentials. 
I'll also be trying to use up as much in the cupboards  as I can. Getting more inventive in the kitchen. And just generally being more frugal and more no/low spend 


Hope everyone is well. I will try to catch up on some posts this evening xx

mumtoomany

Having sorted the branch that fell off the beech tree a few weeks ago, we had reinstalled the fence. Now a second branch, at least as big as the last, has fallen. The fence has been taken down again! Man next door will be here tomorrow to move it, hopefully. Busy cutting logs and stacking them again. At least it will save us in firewood once dried.
Trying to not spend much in the next month or two. We had to replace the cooker a couple of weeks ago. The old one was unfixable, having been mended four times, and we got it second hand, so earned it's keep. Unfortunately because we are not on mains gas and I wanted two ovens, there are always eight of us eating and often more, the cost was high! Over £1000! Should outlast us though.
Youngest DD passed her driving theory test today. So should save some money on lessons once she's passed her practical too.
Still have two ewes not delivered yet! but plenty of lambs running around and jumping. Great fun to watch.
Mumtoomany.

zafiro1984

I was just looking back at our heating oil consumption for 2020. It worked out at an average of just short of £25 a week. This year I have used the log burner as much as possible and the wood is free. I know it's May but I still have it going daily and apart from the hard work of chain sawing, logging and splitting - I'm a dab hand behind the tractor with the splitter - I've only spent £193 on oil so far this year. I think that's a winner over last year!!!!
Next on the list is to use the hot plates and oven that's part of the woodburner to try and save on the electric I use for cooking. I think I'll do it on average units used. - It will be interesting to see if I can save anything as well as getting used to an oven that you can't easily control the temperature.

willow_loulou

I just found a lovely deal on the Neals Yrd site, spend 60 and get their natural beauty box (£125) for £25. Plus free delivery. I use a lot of their products and was very low on them so I cashed out my prolific from this week and popped the rest on my cash back card. So pleased with that as I’m sure I’ll be able to earn half of what I spent on prolific. I’m not getting tgtg bags right now so it seems a good choice.