2021 Frugal Living Challenge

victoriajj

I've used Dyl0n in the washing machine to dye duvet covers and it doesn't need salt 

Ellie79

Thank you @victoriajj! Easier sounds less like I will mess it up!

willow_loulou

Learning to crochet and sew is definitely a great set of skills. I’ve always enjoyed making things and people seem to enjoy them as gifts. Especially dd who gets most of what I make as she requests it frequently. YouTube provides some great help and of course you can freeze screen, slow it down etc. 

Looking at egg recipes, something different but easy 😂 might need to get Delias egg book. 

Jellytotts

I love to crochet but as an awkward left hander (as my mother always called me) I struggled to follow visual patterns.  I found Attic24 on a blog trawl a few years ago and her patterns are amazing. Written in a really easy to follow way with photos of the different steps.  It transformed my crochet ability.  (You can find her on FB and insta too under the name of Attic24).

Made a huge slowcooker full of marrow curry the other evening which was delicious, froze lots down for the next few weeks too and then yesterday I found another marrow hiding under another plant! So I replicated the recipe and made another huge batch of curry.  Will get that portioned up and frozen down today. 

Have been in isolation since my COVID swab on Tuesday and have gallbladder surgery tomorrow morning so just a few final bits of tidying and prep to get done today.  Grass needs cutting (did all the strimming  yesterday as it's a big garden and I have to break it down into chunks).  Aside from milk, no spends for days and days which is great.  DH is going to drop my at the hospital tomorrow morning and then whizz to the supermarket before it's busy...I've written him a list and he never deviates from the list so minimal spends there too.  

Might try and get a batch of risotto cooked today too, I'm sure there's some courgettes and beans lurking to be picked...will be a nice easy to digest meal for the next few days.

C_J

willow_loulou said:

Looking at egg recipes, something different but easy 😂 might need to get Delias egg book. 

Last week I made a tuna and egg parcel which was really delicious - a tin of drained tuna mashed into a couple of chopped hardboiled eggs with a little bit of white sauce (I think actually I might have made cheese sauce) and some seasonings such as black pepper, a pinch of cayenne and some chopped fresh parsley. Then wrap it all in a sheet of puff pastry, glaze with beaten egg and bake for 30 mins. We had it hot with steamed green veg the first night, and then the second half cold with a green salad the next. It was cheap and easy, and surprisingly tastier than I thought it was going to be! I'll definitely be making this again.

Kitty43

I am taking steps towards frugal life style ….. I sent an email to a clothing boutique about an admin error that cost me money, something I would normally write off rather than risk a tricky conversation, the reply was so helpful and friendly, I got store credit ☺️ I am feeling more confident about approaching retailers to consider errors ☺️….little steps but I definitely feel part of the journey 

Ellie79

I'm planning a blanket. I became a grandma in the summer (feels so odd saying that as I am still apparently quite young!) but had my oldest children in my teens - so they are now in their 20s. I want to make some bunting for the babies room and a blanket for both my daughter and the baby. I know I can manage enough crochet to make it work and planning on working on the skills to back them if needed. 

Feeling frugal tonight, been at a clinic all day with my OH for some scary sounding test results (was better news than we had anticipated!), so I got some chicken out to defrost and combining it with the last of the carrots and peppers (OH can eat them), a packet of noodles from the cupboard and some teriyaki sauce hiding out in there too. 

Can't promise I won't be buying some wine. OH has requested a mini celebration. He has cancer. It's managed but this was something they found when he had his recent serious op. Whilst we knew what it was (another type of cancer), it is low grade and they are hopeful it has been removed and will just need monitoring. So, please raise your cuppa/whatever to good news. Its been a rough year!

willow_loulou

Yay for your good news Ellie. 👍
Amazing it’s as good as it could be.

booked a tgtg Nero bag for tomorrow as dd needs to pop to town anyway. 2 birds = less petrol. 

Popped into Home bargains and got all our toiletries for 2 months and a few pain heat pads that were reduced. Will put them away for when it’s really cold as I’m so glad of them then. I have now got £14 and £2:50 Tesco voucher for next weeks food. I will have to really resist M&S when we go to town! I’ll check the 65p fruit bit and close my eyes to the rest! 

Ellie79

@willow_loulou thank you! You've just reminded me I have a birthday gift card for M&S and I need some back to work clothes for September, combined with my DIL's staff discount I should be able to top up some bits. I may even try and hit the reduced food time tomorrow. 

I love a good home bargains haul. Still using up the toiletries and cleaning bits from last time I stocked up in early summer. 

Blackcats

Well done Kitty.  It's one of the things where I've wasted so much money in the past.  Buying things that weren't quite right and just not bothering to return them.  It's great that you tackled it and got a good outcome.

really pleased for you and OH Ellie - I've just raised my very naughty Thursday night glass of wine.  
I've recently been making crochet blankets for new babies in the family.  I'm not an expert but I've found that the colour combinations are what people notice rather than perfect stitches.  I was surprised how much recipients liked them - homemade with love seems so much more meaningful than shop bought.  So relaxing to sit and crochet in the evening.

willow - you do so well with your food budget - you are an inspiration.