2021 Frugal Living Challenge

cw18

On Tuesday I came from from work, grabbed my large backpack, and headed straight back out.

Came home with 13 (!) new-to-me-books.

A lady posted on a FB page (local book club I'm following but not joining in with as, with the exception of the first book, they've not picked titles that interested me - and I'd have had to buy a copy to read) that she had some books on offer for donations.   She runs the local Guides, and the annual insurance is coming due for renewal.  She has 30 girls with the insurance being £35 per girl.  No reduction because they've not been able to meet during covid, but no subs coming in from the girls as there's been no meetings !!!!    I went through the list and picked out 13 titles, which I offered her the £15 paper money I had in my purse for - expecting there to be some haggling.   She seemed surprised at how much I offered, and snatched my hand off.

Having picked them up I do feel that I should have offered more   7 of the titles are from one (recent) series, none of them look as if they've been opened, and 2 of them are hardbacks (I'd assumed they'd all be reasonably well thumbed paperbacks).   The other 6 are more like the condition I'd expected.

Within my family there has been heavy involvement with the Guiding movement, so I was happy to support them.   And I've already started the first book from the series.

balabooberlies

3secondmemory said:

balabooberlies said:

I know this is going to sound like a silly question but am not good at technology.  Can you read these books on your laptop or do you need something like a kindle ?

bala

You can read them on kindle, phone, pc, or tablet; any device that can support the app 😃

I miss our library so much, especially the lovely ladies who organised iPad courses early last year. I was so glad I went on one of them. I never thought I’d get the hang of using one. 

Thank you 3SM

bala

3secondmemory

balabooberlies said:

3secondmemory said:

balabooberlies said:

I know this is going to sound like a silly question but am not good at technology.  Can you read these books on your laptop or do you need something like a kindle ?

bala

You can read them on kindle, phone, pc, or tablet; any device that can support the app 😃

I miss our library so much, especially the lovely ladies who organised iPad courses early last year. I was so glad I went on one of them. I never thought I’d get the hang of using one. 

Thank you 3SM

bala

You can even have the Audibles read to you by Alexa or Google but I’ve long forgotten the instructions. 😂😂

wishus

@3secondmemory you open the alexa app on your phone or kindle, press the play button bottom centre, then it will open a section called Entertainment. This has your Amazon music, or playlists of suggested songs, tune-in for radio and podcasts, Audible books if you have any and below that your Kindle Library for all the books with compatible text for Alexa to read for you. If you don't mind her bad acting! Click the book you want read out and then select where you want it read.

roblou27

Morning everyone. A very grey day here. Popped out yesterday to pick up prescriptions, milk and a large bag of tatties. The last one lasted us about 4 months. I’m still classing it as NSD as it came out of the grocery budget. Clearing up the last of the lamb today, marinading it in bbq sauce then stir frying with leeks, mushrooms and shredded sprouts stirred through cooked basmati rice. Should get 2 pack ups plus 2 meals so that’s about 10 meals altogether. 

We had our buildings and contents renewal in from Mr T and it’s £5 cheaper than last year. I had a look round and it is on a par with others so will go with it. We have an oil delivery booked for this week. We have a budget account with a local company who charge no interest and then come August anything over £200 is refunded. Since we have had the house insulated we use much less oil so the monthly payments have gone down and last year we actually got £136 pounds back. 

I want to do an inventory of the freezers today as I intend to use as much as I can of what’s in there over this next month just shopping for fresh to make up meals. I have next weeks meal plan sorted but would like to have an idea of possible meals and packups for the next couple.

I managed to get the bed changed on Tuesday and the sheets on the line but sadly will need the services of the tumble today I think. It’s tipping down here. Still in my jim jams but have given the bathroom a lick and a spit and once I’ve abluted must get on and tidy round. I have to say though I don’t feel very inclined at the moment to do anything!😏 Happy Thursday all.

2Scratters

Morning Peeps, 
Successful night last night on renegotiating my just BB & landline and mobile phones. The V man did ok for me. Improved the benefits on sim cards and reduced costs all round saving £148 pa and that is including this years increase, I'm pleased with that. SSE took over Yorkshire Electric  6 weeks ago and its still not sorted. As soon as it is I am off!!. Found some dessicated coconut in the cupboard just slightly OOD so input into the homemade fudge. Achieved another NSD not counted my successes at that but get a content feeling Really need to do a basics shop including fire lighters (I have been making use of my tubes and paper from the recycle and the fluff from the dryer) and other bits so making me more focussed as am using my grocery money budget. 

Have a good day, stay safe
2Scratters x

2Scratters

Help Peeps, what is this prolific I have seen mentioned a few times in various places?
I have uploaded the Chip app back in October, it does work very well, sadly now I have to pay 1.50 per 30days not best chuffed about that. However as I am spending even less I will go with the flow for now. I prefer my own satisfaction of stashing but for those who are not very good I believe it is a great tool to get them started on the savings track. Thanks x

roblou27

Anyone know what I can do with a small pack of Brie. It came in a pack of assorted cheese which we got in for what was going to be a New Years Eve meal. It’s not something I have ever cooked with. I have had it in a sandwich with bacon but wondered if anyone else had any ideas.

Viking_mfw

roblou27 said:

Anyone know what I can do with a small pack of Brie. It came in a pack of assorted cheese which we got in for what was going to be a New Years Eve meal. It’s not something I have ever cooked with. I have had it in a sandwich with bacon but wondered if anyone else had any ideas.

I've seen some fancy burger recipes where you enclose a small piece of brie inside the burger before cooking. Or a dairylea 😂

mumtoomany

Hi @2Scratters, prolific is Prolific Academic. It's a survey site but the surveys are not the same as the other sites. Not, what soap powder you use or when you eat out. I think most are set by people in academia, so much more interesting to do. Many people seem to do them, you have to get in quick for some of them. Quite good payers, compared to other sites. 
Still frugaling here, grocery spends for month so far are £112.69. This includes fish and chips for seven of us for OH's birthday. Have still got very full freezers, not helped by finding lots of ys bargains. 
Spent yesterday filing tax return, they claim to owe us £100, I don't think they do, but they can send it if they want. Home schooling the older two DGC, that's fun in welsh. Also spent several hours, at least it seemed that long, helping OH try to fit a window into a van door, in the kitchen. We failed! He's got a man coming today to do it! 
Soup this week is being named "biff" soup. Boxes in fridge/freezer. All the left over bits, blended together. 
Am going to start looking at seeds today, now we've no more snow, feels like time to start.
Take care all, stay safe, mumtoomany.