2021 Frugal Living Challenge

MandM90

Oooh yorkshirelass that sounds lush!

Lovely cheap day here too. DH spent most of it kicking round our garden with DS and throwing sticks into the stream (he is only 19 months old so this is a very engaging activity!) We have 5 acres so they well and truly disappear into the woodland bit and I can crack on. Got house ship shape, butternut squash in slow cooker and took car to be MOT'd...it passed, yay!

Filled up on way as that station is 7p/litre cheaper than my usual one. So now cupboards are filled, tank is full and I managed to talk DH out of going to the shop for wine tonight. We had some ice cream at home instead and now will snuggle down for a film.

Heating is off today and thermometers show it as 18 degrees this evening...very temperate.

Tomorrow I will spend much of my day prepping food for the week ahead. I've planned:

Jambalaya 
Spiced root veg and lentil casserole

Tofu and spinach lasagne

Enchiladas
Deep fried chips, sausages and mushy peas

And something else I forget haha, am sure it'll come to me!

willow_loulou

Well I’m very pleased to report I did actually get most of the Christmas gifts I wanted yesterday and only spent £10. I only do token gifts for most people. I have something for everyone now except my son who will be most happy with beer and Christmas socks 😂 which I’ll get as soon as they come into the shops. I also need to get something for DD partner but again he would be happy with similar. I just need to wrap what I have and double check. Then it’s finishing the crochet gifts. What a blessing to have it sorted already. Total amount spent so far is £26. 

I’m sat here windows open, this mild weather is wonderful. I still have no hearing on thanks to a heated airer keeping the living room temperate enough for the animals. 

willow_loulou

Oh veg soup recipe. 

Fry off onion, carrots and potatoes until softened - then green beans to soften. Sprinkle of mixed herbs - stir well. Add stock of choice. 20 mins simmer then blitz a little so spud thickens. 

I’ve not made it this way for ages and was delighted with the result so repeated in the slow cooker. Let it’s soften everything - stirred and added stock. Just as amazing with less effort. Approximately cost me £1 to serve 6. 

Mrs_Cheshire

Hi all, having to tighten the belts even further after an increase in our rent. We were gifted a few bags of store cupboard bits this week though so that will help keep the shopping costs down. Glad I have access to 2 different community groceries as that really helps keep the food bills down. I also am a food waste hero on 0lio so have recently managed to pick up a slot, usually mostly bread and salad bags but sometimes other bits do show up. 

carolbee

Lazy day post flu jobs here for us as feel a bit ‘off’. Will have early night.

take care all

willow_loulou

@Frugaldom did you see the news about lack of bio diversity in the U.K.? Seeing as my garden is still pretty much blank canvas thanks to the unexpected expenses, I was wondering if you could suggest anything i can plant or build to assist in a small way please. I’d like to be able to eat some if possible! 

I have clover seeds as I’m intent on a small clover lawn but any suggestions from anyone are welcome. 

I do have natural bug hotels in my seasoning wood piles so I think we’re set for that. 

MandM90

@willow_loulou your Christmas planning is impressive!

I have gone as far as making a list of people to buy for, I need to come up with some ideas. I think Xmas will be cheap this year again as we know so few people here. Back home in England it was drinks and meals, one after the other. Bit of a bittersweet saving I suppose.

@Mrs_Cheshire I’m sorry things are difficult. Sounds like you’re an expert and have everything under control, though! 

zafiro1984

Another one here worried about rising prices. We retired from the 9-5 job 17yrs ago but our lifestyle then was so different to now. We still work all day but it is work we choose to do. 

I'm going to have another look at the finances and budget to see if i can stretch it a bit further.
I've just ordered the potato tubers for next year and next I'm going to sort out the veg seeds I need. This year the veg/fruit plot got away from me which I regret, however the fruit trees have survived and are cropping, 

 I'm indoors at the moment as I'm trying to get a doc appt as I have shingles - the DH agrees and he should know!! It's so painful

Siebrie

The veg we tried to grow came to nought this year, the only thing I'm harvesting plenty of are the autumn raspberries. I freeze them for eating in winter/spring. Fruit prices have risen so much that it is getting difficult finding fruit at €0,50 per serving; I'll be feeding DDs more raw carrots from now on. The weird thing to me is that a pineapple is more economic than apples at the moment; a pineapple costs €1,99 (GBP 1.69) and gives me 6 servings; apples cost €2,99 (GBP 2.54) for 6! Apples that are cheaper are also tasteless and go off really quickly.

mumtoomany

I must agree on food price increases. I've noticed over the last few weeks, at Farmfoods, where i get family staff discount, butter up from £1 to £1.10, tinned tomatoes up from £2.99 to £3.75, for 12 tins, milk from £1.70 to £2 for 2. To name but a few. Glad the fruit and especially vegetables have grown well this year. First time I've managed to grow cauliflower. Loads of cucumbers still and butternut squash. 
OH managed to sell four bikes at the weekend. Had them for ten years,not ridden them for eight! So a few pounds extra. 
Take care all, mumtoomany.