2022 Frugal Living Challenge

nmaria

nannygladys said:

nmaria - my plum tree hasn't had any blossom on it for two years and it doesn't look as if there's any this year, so I will be replacing it! It's the same with one blueberry bush as well, I did warn them last year that they would be going if they didn't start producing again so I don't feel too bad!

I did prune harsh this year and didn’t expect a lot of blossom as it’s normally one year lots and the next year a lot less but the pruning has clearly spurred on the tree as there is lots of blossom

nmaria

Primrose said:

Blueberries seem notably hard to get a good crop from.  I've known several gardening friends fail utterly with them which has put me off trying to grow them. .   Redcurrants on the other hand, which neither of us particularly like because of their sourness keep on fruiting with such embarrassment that we never know what to do with them all.Apparently lettuces and cucumbers are going to be in short supply later as growers have struggled with fuel bills for heating their hothouses, so worth a try growing.  I've always found cucumbers grow perfectly well outdoors in our sunny south facing border.    

My blueberry bushes are kept in the greenhouse at the moment. There are lots of buds so probably lots of fruit as well. 

Redcurrants don’t need to be sour as it all depends on when you pick them

Bluegreen143

I make redcurrant jelly with mine, it’s beautiful 👌🏼

spudsmum

Still plodding on here. Thanks to those who gave advice on air fryers - I'm sold on the idea so will get one when I get paid. I'm sure it will work out a lot cheaper than using the oven. 

My council tax bill has finally arrived - going up £6 per month which is more than I was expecting and just submitted my new meter readings too so dreading the new bill coming through. Though my husband has managed to negotiate a pay rise it is not nearly enough to cover even half of the increases - we are luckier than many but still trying to decide where to cut back on our budgets to cover the extra costs  

The twins birthday went very well, very happy I managed to fund it from vouchers and the savings from my grocery budget - it was refreshing not to spend a fortune and still have a lovely time. 

In other news we've been isolating all week after my husband tested positive for covid, he has no symptoms at all luckily. Its horrible being ill but looking on the bright side - staying home with covid straight after another week at home with norovirus has helped with racking up the NSD which should help a little. 

My new balance transfer has brought my monthly payments down from £110 to £30 so another £80 to throw at bringing the balance down. I also did a baby sale last weekend - wasn't expecting much but made £66 after costs and managed to get rid of some clutter so am very happy with that and will do another in a month or two. Will use the £66 to start building up  my emergency fund again after it was decimated by my Mot costs. 

Glittering_M

Morning all,

Added up my end of year spends (well Excel did), I was shocked I spent nearly £700 on clothes and shoes! Admittedly some of that should be in the gift column but I couldn't be bothered to work it out at the time. I really didn't think it would be that bad as I'm not even a particularly 'clothesy' person - I mean I wear clothes but I'm not overly bothered about where they are from or the latest fashions. A lot of it will have gone on fleeces. I've recently started swimming so will need a new costume (struggling to find a swimming costume that has a slightly longer/shorts but at the bottom, Sp0rts D1rect had a 51lazenger one but it was so thin) but apart from that, think I'm going on a buying clothes ban!  I have been very good at using discount codes and/or sales though but still. 

weenancyinAmerica

I've given up on swimsuits because they are too hard to get on and off. I wear a sports bra and a t-shirt and a pr. of shorts instead. 

ancientmum

I bought my last swimsuit from Asda, it is cut fairly straight across, not high legged.  Not exactly glamorous but does the job.

Glittering_M

Ooh didn't think of the supermarkets at all. I'll have a look. Thanks

It is at a pool for the school I teach at so definitely won't be wearing a bikini and am probably more conscious of what I'll look like than I normally would! 

maryb

Not cheap at all unless you hit one of their many sales, but Lands End specialise in decent coverage swimsuits

tooldle

I go for speedo. They last a long long time and can often be purchased at reduced rates in sales or on eBay.