2021 Frugal Living Challenge

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi all

Just had a very nice weekend away camping, prices for campsites have really gone up this year due to the number of people staying in the UK and buying tents and caravans, but we can still have a weekend away for less than £50.  
We have one more holiday planned then we will be really battening down the hatches and throwing every spare penny at the debts.

Our food spend has averaged £350 for the last few months, I would like to try and get this down a little but DH doesnt really eat anything other than meat so even with my mostly veggie diet it's hard.

My heated blanket has been switched on a few times and we need to get the chimney swept then we can start lighting the fire.  I am doing well with unnecessary spends, which is where my money generally disappears, so need to keep focus on that.

I need to do a mealplan for the week using what we have already as much as possible and make sure I have a plan for lunches when I am in the office.

nannygladys

Frugal things I've done the last couple of days include hm tomato soup using home grown tomatoes, free bread, given some carrots (don't grow them), made a cabbage type pie  mainly using home grown produce and the given veggies, and I've able to share produce with daughters mainly chillies and aubergines. Oh and not spent anything. 
Have a restful Sunday evening
Nannyg

mumtoomany

Good morning all, hope everyone is well. I'm back posting again after a long summer. I think last time i updated you all we had just lost a huge branch from one of our ancient beech trees. So big it took out several small trees as it fell and took out the fence. So heavy we could not move it, even after taking of all the smaller branches, with the tractor. We got a neighbour to come over with his, much bigger telehandler, he moved it into the field for us at the cost of some eggs and vegetables. One week later, a second branch came down, slightly bigger than the last, and again demolished the nearly mended fence. Neighbour helped again, said he likes the eggs and vegetables as payment. We now have a shed full of logs drying out for next winter, and still two huge branches in the field, waiting for "the man with the bigger chainsaw". 
Money wise, my signature is completely out of date! But, we have more money in savings than we had at the start of the year, we are still being as frugal as possible and the grocery spends should come in around target. ( I can check my spend on these as i always use my CC.) 
Should have more time to post now, grandchildren are back at school, two full time one part time, and all the outside work is slowing as the year turns. 
Take care all, speak soon, mumtoomany.

leftatthetrafficlights

First of the birthdays this month done and came within budget!! 🙌 

I reorganised the freezers at the weekend and found half a bag of carrots and a quarter bag of green beans that were somewhat worse for wear so rinsed off the ice and put them in a pot with a sliced onion, dried parsley and veg stock- cooked then blitzed so have a very nice soup for lunches this week 😊 

Made a bubble and squeak with leftover veg too - ate some Saturday for dinner and will finish the rest tonight

Got to clean the house today and get some excercise done too - I'm starting a healthy lifestyle plan as I'm tired of being fat and unfit 😔 just need to make sure that I still spend frugally on food as last time I did a really healthy diet I spent a fortune on it 🙈😂

Siebrie

Best biscuit storage: the freezer! They stay surprisingly firm.

joedenise

Siebrie said:

Best biscuit storage: the freezer! They stay surprisingly firm.

I do that with shortbread which my DD1s partner (who's a chef) often makes and gives us.  However he always gives us far too much to eat all at once so I pack into the freezer in 2s so we don't eat too much at once.  To be honest I only ever eat the odd one or two pieces out of the lot, DH eats most of it.

[Deleted User]

@Mrs_Cheshire thank you I will Pm you x

poppy811

Hope OK to join you, pasta bacon and cheese for tea, surprisingly tasty

willow_loulou

Welcome poppy 

A quick fly through to say if anyone wants reasonable quality long sleeve t shirts or lounge wear for the winter Fashion world online have a sale. I just ordered some as I’ve worn my T’s to threads! It’s bigger sizes 14 plus. Thought I’d say as it will be full price when needed of course 

Living_proof

Bad although not unexpected news on the inflation front this morning and it does worry me for the future. In the last year petrol has risen massively so I am probably spending an extra £8 a month on that. Extra £20 on council tax and £29 on gas and electricity. Even my hairdresser charges £2 a week more than pre-pandemic. I do save by using Olio a lot, but there is only so much you can do. Against that I anticipate about £24 per month increase in my state pension so will be around £40/month worse off overall. My MOT is due soon and also eye test so altogether not a rosy picture!

On a more positive note I am hoping to have a break in my partner's motorhome soon and this is quite frugal as we can self cater, be quite isolated from others and spend as little or as much as we choose. Campsites are not quite so expensive now as during the peak family hols period and being out in the fresh air and visiting new places quite revitalises me.

Autumn is definitely here. I had to pop out last night and by 5.45pm I needed headlights as the sky was so dark and the rain was tipping down although it is still warm enough. Not looking forward to the bumpy winter being talked about in medical circles!