2021 Frugal Living Challenge

Frugaldom

Deleted_User said:

@Frugaldom wow that is an absolutely brilliant grocery spend so far. I am in awe. Frugality has stepped up another notch here... it has to, but for exciting reasons which I will share when I am able

£13 worth of direct debits PCM cancelled - a nice tidy saving over the year x

We have our own hens & ducks for eggs and the cupboards are always fairly full of basic items for cooking from scratch. I also do quite a bit of swapping and trading of homegrown or homemade stuff. I'm looking forward to hearing your exciting news!!

willow_loulou

Frugaldom said:

willow_loulou said:

I just downloaded the olio app - they want me to pay to use it. I deleted it. 

Wow! Is that something new? I have seen the trial membership payments pop up but I have never seen anything saying I need to pay anything. How strange. I assumed the stores paid Olio part of what they will be saving in landfill tax related costs.

Must be, it was free before. I don’t mind paying but it seems a high price to access old bread and cake! 

QueenJess

Small bits and pieces of frugal activity today:
- Unpacked the next size up of clothes from DS to wash and reuse with DD.
- Made a father's Day card from craft stores (so free)
- Picked strawberries from the garden for dessert
- Watered the salad, which is growing nicely.

[Deleted User]

Does anyone have any tips on where there are some good toilet rolls deals at the moment? 

fionaandphil

@Deleted_User we usually buy from B&M and find they are decent quality and about 1.99 for 9

Tightpants24

I can't say I have been massively frugal recently as have just brought DD back from uni for the summer and this involved a 600 mile round trip with a night in a b&b.  However I did get 2 new light shades for the hall and landing off fb market for £5 plus was given leeks, rhubarb and a mint plant for free 

Blackcats

tightpants,  that's a very long round trip.  Probably too far for her to walk home 🤣.  Seriously though being frugal helps manage some of the expensive but important priorities in our lives.  

I had a good "use it up" dinner tonight - bubble and squeak, scrabbled egg, the last tomato in the fridge and sausages from the freezer that were located and identified during my recent freezer inventory.  Very nice it was too.  I'm making much more of an effort to avoid food waste.

Treasurequeen

Good morning everyone, I have fallen off the wagon frugal wise in last couple of months. But I’m back on here I’ve been reading the last 2 months of posts. I live in rented council home(new build)  and have been told I can now decorate. The paint is flaking off the walls in bedroom and bathroom so I decided to have them both decorated. Bathroom has been done just come in under £120.00. Bedroom is a lot bigger so needed to get more paint and old curtains are falling to bits and aren’t blackout either. I found some curtains I liked that were blackout but were eye watering expensive. I reasoned I had savings so I used them to pay for the curtains. Everything else like carpets and bedding are ok and go well with the paint colour. Both of my electric fans died so needed to be replaced as it’s ever so hot in my flat. 

In the storms a month ago my garden chairs nearly flew off my balcony, on researching I found these tools that slot down onto decking planks that turn and lock with the timber and you can attach rope to them around chair to stop it moving. I think they were called fishbone tent hooks.  They were only £5.99 for 6 and I used my cash back to pay for them. Now furniture is safe in high winds. 

Me and my carer usually go out in week and we are disgusted with the prices for food out so I decided to get a picnic backpack but the prices oh my word! Expensive £40 upwards. When I went to local CS I saw under a table was a well known expensive branded one that had nothing in it, that needed a good clean for £6.95. I bought it and have spent the last two days cleaning it up. There was a awful stain in it that has now come out using my stain bar. The zips were rusty but good old lemon and salt have got them back to original colour. The buckles have gone so will replace them and a toggle is missing but I’ve got a toggle in my sewing box. I already have cutlery, napkins, cups and bamboo plates at home that will go in it. I’ve also been picking up salt, sugar sachets that will go in there. Hopefully will save us money in long run. 

I’ve started buying Christmas gifts in sales and CS which are now stored safely away. I’ve swapped my washing liquid for a eco one that’s super concentrated so don’t need to use as much hoping it will last slightly longer than my old one. In my local eco shop I have joined a free loyalty scheme after 3rd purchase I get a free large bar of french soap and after 6 shops 25% off my entire shop. So will be having a stash of free soap soon which will be gifted as gifts and a few kept for me. 

I’m trying to get fitter, strength wise but with a illness it’s hard, I’m not a gym or exercise class sort of person. But I saw on yout*be they have some good nhs approved exercise videos, Pilates, strength and balance training for beginners so am going to try them. 

Hope everyone is ok. 

balabooberlies

Hello TreasureQueen

I found your post really inspiring.  Good luck with everything...

bala

welshspendthrift

Hi everyone where have people found cheap grow bags please got some tomato plants for 50p from local garden centre that now need potting up. Or have people found cheaper ways, has to be a pot or grow bag as raised beds ( only room for 2) full with herbs and peas broad beans onions and rhubarb! On a tight budget too! Thank you