2021 Frugal Living Challenge

Mummy2cheekymonkeys

I've made a few preserves over the last week. 6 large jars of apple chutney using apples from our garden. We had some clementines in the fridge looking past their best so they have been turned into a couple of small jars of clementine and brandy marmalade for christmas. 
I've managed to pick up a few charity shop bargains for the kids which I'm really pleased with. On the look out for a coat for DH now.

mumtoomany

Hi, @YORKSHIRELASS, thankfully DD3 is our youngest and so the last one to need driving lessons and a car. Unfortunately learning has taken a lot longer than the others, due to Covid shutting the test centres. Her car is now fixed and going for MOT tomorrow. If she passes (and she should) the following Monday, we will save on the car costs and the £22 a week for lessons. 
Have planted out lots of onion and shallot seedlings, also lots of broccoli, cauli and cabbage. All in the tunnel, hopefully we'll have produce from them over winter and into next spring. More blackberries and raspberries picked.
OH has welded a gate post again this morning. The sheep took the gate down, the post has been fixed several times now. I think it's only the rust holding it together. DD3 asked me what would be the first things I would buy if i won £5 million pounds on the lottery (difficult to do if you never buy a ticket!), she thought I was very boring when I said a new roof and windows for the brick barn and new gates and fences everywhere. 
Take care all, mumtoomany.

Mrs_Cheshire

So pleased the plannings gone through @Frugaldom. I'm very mindful of the electric prices this year as we seem to be using more than normal -think the fans or the trumble drier use will have to be less. Our gas spends over summer have been very low as its only used for hot water 

Frugaldom

Electricity and gas have both been minimal here owing to the prolonged, dry, hot summer. Today, again, turned out to be sunny and warm so I'll not need to switch on any heaters to get clothes dried. Drying clothes overnight after wet weather has really been the only time I've needed heating on since April so here's hoping the mild weather stays with us for another few weeks. I'll be having a log burner in the hut and a covered verandah for stacking wood and drying wet outerwear.

Thank you for all the good wishes. It's all very exciting. I'm definitely looking forward to November's dark skies and meteor showers as there's definitely space to set up DS's old telescope. 😁 Who needs TV, eh?

CraftyLittleLisa

willow_loulou said:

@CraftyLittleLisa I started using the more expensive petrol a month ago and my car is running so much better on it! I get more miles to the gallon so hopefully it won’t be too much of a difference for you. 

I’ve now got my direct debits under £200 a month, this means I can cope with the extra council tax if that happens- I’m still waiting for a response! If it all stays the same I’m going to put the extra in my savings (animal bills) and loan payments now I’ve cancelled the wants over needs. 

Thanks willow loulou.  Fingers crossed you are right there.

CraftyLittleLisa

I'm trying to think of some recent frugal successes and have come up with the following:

- Got a pair of sandals repaired before putting them away for winter.
- Got given some flatbreads by a friend who was given them as a substitute in her online shop but she didn't want them.
- Got given some sourdough bread by same friend as she ordered too many.
- Got given some pasta bowls and some bed linen by the same friend who is having a clear out.
- Used up some past their best carrots to make carrot soup, carrot biriyani, carrot cake and used in a sausage casserole.  I'm also planning to make some savoury carrot muffins to snack on when I can get an ingredient I am missing.
- Harvested green beans, garlic, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, sweetcorn and lots and lots of tomatoes from the allotment.  Still waiting for the apples to ripen.
- I have used vouchers to stock up on store cupboard goods from a couple of supermarkets.

A future saving would be that our family has agreed that we will only buy gifts for the children at Christmas this year as everyone is struggling a bit.  I still haven't bought anything I don't need so I am rather proud of that.  That's about 6 weeks now I think.

Stay safe and happy frugalling all.

AnimalTribe

I’m a bit behind with reading the posts but just wanted to say

Willow_loulou that is great news from the council and Frugaldom – how exciting

A little bit of good news of my own – the £18 vets prescription will cover 4 bottles of dog medicine, I thought the vet was going to charge £18 per bottle, so £54 I don’t have to spend.

Nannygladys I love banana cake/loaf. I recently learned that the skins can be used for banana bacon, and the browner the bananas are the better. Simply wash the skins, cut off the ends, scrape of the white flesh (it came off really easily), marinate the skin in soy sauce for 2 hours or so in the fridge, then fry until crisp. Even my DH, an avid meat eater, said they were good.

MissRikkiC

AnimalTribe said:

I’m a bit behind with reading the posts but just wanted to say

Willow_loulou that is great news from the council and Frugaldom – how exciting

A little bit of good news of my own – the £18 vets prescription will cover 4 bottles of dog medicine, I thought the vet was going to charge £18 per bottle, so £54 I don’t have to spend.

Nannygladys I love banana cake/loaf. I recently learned that the skins can be used for banana bacon, and the browner the bananas are the better. Simply wash the skins, cut off the ends, scrape of the white flesh (it came off really easily), marinate the skin in soy sauce for 2 hours or so in the fridge, then fry until crisp. Even my DH, an avid meat eater, said they were good.

Banana Bacon has blown my mind!

Mummy2cheekymonkeys

Managed to find a jacket for DH in the charity shop this morning for £8. Its perfect for autumn but for winter I have ordered him one from vinted. Thats him sorted now. I've been looking on vinted quite a lot. You have to look out for the total price once postage and fees have been added on but there are some bargains to be had.

nannygladys

Animaltribe - the 'bacon' banana skins sound really interesting,  it's a long time since I ate meat so can't really remember what it tastes like, but when doing a cooked breakfast it's the one element that's missing and I'm not keen on the artificial tasting ones, so I will definitely be giving these a try, I'll let you know how I get on, mind you it may be a time as I haven't any bananas left now!

Frugal bits are deciding not to buy a new winter coat I think is the main one, but the usual frugal bits are still happening. Careful considered shopping, use appliances only when necessary etc and its taken me a while but 'frugal' doesn't mean 'cheap', take the coat there's plenty of cheap ones out there but they would probably only last one winter, so until I find one that meets my needs I will clean, mend and look after the one I have! Sensible I suppose but then I'm not always sensible, and definitely not been that in too many previous years!! 

Anyway, better get a move on, I'm looking after dgs tomorrow so need to get my bits and bobs together and have an early night as I have to be up early and I'm not a morning person!
Nannyg