2021 Frugal Living Challenge

MazzieD

Gave myself a bit of a talking to yesterday.  I stocked up on cleaning materials and toiletries and got all my meat for February as well as some new socks within January budget so I should have been pleased with myself.

Sorry to read about Olio @Frugaldom, I gave up and deleted my account on Friday - think it's the same problem here with charities.

Hello to the new joiners, this is a really good thread so hope you enjoy being involved.  Off to the kitchen now to enjoy today's slow cooker lunch.

CRANKY40

Good afternoon all at the start of what is hopefully another frugal month. I was pleased with the amount that I managed to keep hold of/not spend on unneccesary things last month so hopefully this month will be more of the same. I have 4 weeks food and fun money and the same of petrol money to work with plus the added bonus of £95 council tax that isn't paid this month. Together with the small surplus which is always there when the budget is done, my monthly available spends are £644.71. It sounds a lot but that doesn't mean that I want to part with too much of it.

The first week of the month will be a bit more spendy than the others as there is an online shopping delivery coming. My son also has a week off from school this month. We won't be going anywhere, but I have said that his partner can come and stay for a couple of days (partner is also from a single parent household) so that will be an extra mouth to feed. I also make dinner for my looked after person twice a week but his mum gives me the cash for that which goes in a tin on a shelf. It used to be my tips jar when I worked in the cafe and we used it for spends on our day trips. I banked what was in there just before Christmas but for now it's handy to have a little cash in the house. 

Good luck with your frugalling everyone 

IzzyBee

5yearsfree I’m another one that will be cheering you on you have come to the best place for help and I know you will get there in the end take care of yourself 

willow_loulou

@Frugaldom nooo that’s awful, have they said why it’s sopped? 

After a fretful night worrying about my food shop cost I’ve decided to go shopping later. My asd@ delivery was just mounting up and up with only a couple of things as treats added. I looked at Morrison delivery boxes and saw the better value and it really bothered me how much I was spending for so much less food and the delivery. So I’m going to be brave and see if I can fill my now almost empty freezer.
Hopefully the price increases won’t be in the shops I use,  an item last week that was £1 and has been for ages is now £1:40! 

 

Hughesfamily

@willow_louou - my local t3$cos has just started selling the milk I love-  O@tly barista. It's £1.80 in the big one but £2.25 in the one round the corner - these sneaky price rises are getting out of hand!

Frugaldom

Welcome to our challenge @5yearsfree, make yourself at home.

Welcome back @Tanya12345, I recognise your name from previous challenges.  

In answer to the Olio question, I think the app and those food waste heroes registered on it are like the bottom of the ladder in order of preference when getting rid of the leftover produce. Charitable status will always win over so everything is, apparently, going to a charity based in the main town, which is about 80 miles from our little Tesco Metro. Hopefully they will use all the food as it would be a tragedy to discover any of it got binned.

February food challenge here is to use as much as possible from stores again, fill the freezer without a freezer order,  keep the spends as minimal as possible, and keep hoping the Government concedes on a follow-up payment for the self-employed who can't earn their normal incomes at the moment. I think I'll need to look at renting out project space at Frugaldom. The whole ethos of the project is self sustainability, affordability and sharing so I'll need to find like-minded others to share the land.

Frugaldom

Fabulously Extra Frugal February
This is what I have been doing today, after attending to the ponies.

1. After sweeping up the spoiled hay, it all got scattered onto the field and along the edges of the tracks as mulch. It's a free and easy way to encourage more grass to grow on any bald spots from whatever viable seeds have survived the haymaking process and as it's untreated meadow variety, you never know exactly what may grow from it.
2. Measured out a space for building the old mini-polytunnel back up. I have several wooden posts that should be strong enough to hold a pieced-together frame together and the cover can be lashed down to that to hold it down during any high winds or storms.
3. Raked over the molehills so the fresh soil gets spread around.
4. Raked over & weeded two of the raised beds in the herbery - I'm determined to grow more this year so I'm incorporating vegetables in one and rhubarb in the other. (Still got rhubarb seeds to sow and will use molehill soil mixed with compost for this, hopefully tomorrow.
5. Set up my second compost bin and started that off by cutting back all the twiggy tansy and I'll add in some brown cardboard tomorrow when putting all the potato skins into it.
6. Checked through a big bag of potatoes and separated out the ones that are past their best. These are being laid out to chit/sprout for planting and I'm making a big pan of mash for freezing.
7. I had 10 Olio lemons, of which I prepared 6 and left them soaking overnight. Tonight, I got 3 jars of marmalade plus half a glass as a sampler for using now.
8. Sorted out all the 'growing stuff' that I've been collecting and put them into tubs. So far, garlic (ready for planting now), plum stones, peas (homegrown), pepper seeds and I saved the pips from the lemons rather than boiling them for the extra pectin.
9. Currently (no pun intended) making more blackcurrant jelly from the syrup I'd boiled down a couple of weeks ago
10. Posted all the relevant photos on FB page as it's easier than on here.

willow_loulou

Wow @Frugaldom you’re so busy, what a lovely long list! 

We survived the supermarket, I saved £20 and bought more than I had on my order and that’s with no reduced items! 

I feel so much better for making the effort and the shops were pretty quiet. I even splashed out on 29p lemonade for dd, now her braces are off she’s been craving it. We did need to go to two shops but it was worth it and I got some exercise. The only thing i didn’t get was shower gel, so I’ll nip to the chemist tomorrow as I know it’s cheaper in there. 

Frugaldom

willow_loulou said:

Wow @Frugaldom you’re so busy, what a lovely long list! 

We survived the supermarket, I saved £20 and bought more than I had on my order and that’s with no reduced items! 

I feel so much better for making the effort and the shops were pretty quiet. I even splashed out on 29p lemonade for dd, now her braces are off she’s been craving it. We did need to go to two shops but it was worth it and I got some exercise. The only thing i didn’t get was shower gel, so I’ll nip to the chemist tomorrow as I know it’s cheaper in there. 

I love lists, they make progress possible! I don't envy you the supermarket (or the shopping, for that matter) as I hate going into town for anything. I've just checked back my 2020 receipts and I haven't actually been in a shop or supermarket since before the first lockdown, last March! I seldom use cash so everything here goes on a cashback CC. I've a friend/neighbour who picks me up milk, butter and cheese when they visit Farm f00ds and I always have full cupboards with every conceivable bulk-bought offer I need. My online order for A$da is being updated daily, trying to shave bits off it as I make more from less. Tonight's marmalade and jelly making will last a couple of months, as will the potatoes and dried mushrooms & carrots. My onions are looking a little sad, though, so I will need to combat that problem. I've also got red peppers to use up but I'll slice them up and pop them into the freezer before heading to bed.

One of my next Fantastically Frugal February tasks is pizza making. I have natural yoghurt that needs used up soon so please shout out if you make pizza bases with yoghurt and flour

Couldsavemore

@5yearsfree
Sorry about your marriage. I'm happily divorced... I can remember the struggle of getting back on my feet.
You will get there eventually but remember to be kind to yourself.