2022 Frugal Living Challenge

Beshki

London_1 said:

I usually buy the large tub of basic low-fat greek yogurt from Tesco's which is pretty good and not too expensive
I add a spoonful of honey aand maybe some crushed up bran flakes, or even left over biscuit crumbs from the bottom of the biscuit box (absolute zero waste in my house ) to give the yogurt a bit of crunch No different than those expensive mueller ones with corners . Add a spoonful of jam or some chopped fruit and its good to go  

Just read on the news that food prices are going to be around 15% higher this summer  

So belts will be tightened even more. I haven't been food shopping now for around 10 days and not even been in Aldi's since the beginning of the month I checked the online prices yesterday for special fruit and veg offers and see that Aldi's special fresh fruit and veg offers are now 70p when they used to be around 39-40p on offer, and then I checked Tesco's and their fresh fruit and veg special offers are around 49-59p Ok not a great deal of difference, but well worth checking out before you go shopping

 I'm lucky where I live as Aldi's and Tescos are almost opposite each other, so I always price check their stuff before I go shopping.
 I am on holiday in two weeks time so am not buying much in as I want to run my fridge down My freezer is almost empty so will do a complete defrost next week hopefully.

I'm using up as much as possible the fresh stuff in the fridge and will finish off the freezer bits next week and use up more of the tinned bits as well.

I will do a 'Big ' shop when I come home from my holiday in mid-July, and hopefully I will refill my freezer as well , perhaps next week after the defrost, a day of batch cooking will soon fill it up again.

Then its a case of squirrelling the food and cash  away for the coming winter.

JackieO xx

Thanks, that’s great re the yoghurt and is what I used to do but I eat a vegan diet so no longer appropriate and cheap vegan yogurt doesn’t exist unfortunately. 

Very miserable re the food price increases isn’t it

Debsnewbudget

Today on the hottest day I have been making soup….
our local community food shop had mushrooms at £1 for a large 1Kg tray 
so I bought 2 along with a bag of onions for 50p 
I then roped in hubby to help chop them and we made soup as well as frying enough to freeze 10 portioned bags of mushrooms for future.
I also picked up a cucumber for free and an iceberg lettuce for 25p, so a good day 

cw18

Debsnewbudget said:

our local community food shop had mushrooms at £1 for a large 1Kg tray

By the time I saw the post, it was too late for me to get there - even if there was any left !!

But I nipped to A1di for something else, and they had 4 trays of 250g sliced mushrooms at 75% off - so I picked them all up, and have brought home 1kg for just 92p

Now I need to find a soup recipe - but I won't be doing anything with them until tomorrow.

mumof3.12kindebt

Afternoon frugal friends.  

Cash spending is going well. We have stayed within or under budget since the 1st of June and so far we have had a total of £70 left over that I've put in our van fund. (This is to save our next cash car, but our plan and hope is too buy a mini van type so we have plenty of room for our camping trips. 

I also have money in most of my little saving envelopes for things like days out, Xmas, holidays etc. I'm currently trying to build our emergency fund back up. 

I should a gov bonus being paid into my wages this month. I've already allocated this towards our last debt. Just in time to see in our 30ths debt free hopefully 🙏 

Hope you are all well. 

2Scratters

We have a £5 off a £25 spend at lidel and there is one nearby. I don't normally do my main shops there - for no particular reason. However this payday I have just got out previous shopping lists and written the prices of what I paid I have picked the items I intend to buy and hopefully save a bit more too. The grocery & dog food budget is at  £200 and usually does the job well, I need to revisit this due to the cost of living increases. We have been very sloppy with the  money in June and it is not acceptable.
 I have sat down and completed a Budget plan - it is a full detailed on for the 2 vehicles that we have at this time. DH is intending to let the van go when we have got the extension built (this could take 2 years) in the mean time needs must. 
 He has no income other than his small pension so it goes nowhere. I am trying to save all the extra money I earn over my basic salary, I am however saving a lot but need to adjust to my basic and live and save off that instead. 
Our apple and pear trees (1 of each) have filled themselves with fruit this year but they are just not strong enough, I don't think, to see it through. Job for DH today to support the apple tree (pear tree is already done)

2 Scratters xx

Beshki

Another person here just trying to tighten everything up & not spend. We are really seeing the increase of living in our money. We have upped what we put in a joint ‘mortgage and bills, shopping etc pot’ & still it’s not enough. We used to have plenty of room for treats and meals out in that, but no more. Very miserable!

Thrifty_Taylor

I've spent over budget on food this month, need to try & rein it in a bit where I can. @2Scratters where did you find you L1dl voucher? Big monthly shop is due on Friday, so would help a bit if I could get one too

qwert10

I spend a lot of time pet sitting and so far this week have spent 50p since Sunday!! A huge bag of potatoes from  nearby farm stall - so baked/chips/mashed/boiled etc They will  make about 20 meals for me!

It is win win as they usually pay me, they are big houses so like a holiday and I can use their food too! Plus I can go to work too as part time!

qwert10

Thrifty_Taylor said:

I've spent over budget on food this month, need to try & rein it in a bit where I can. @2Scratters where did you find you L1dl voucher? Big monthly shop is due on Friday, so would help a bit if I could get one too

ttps://www.lidl.co.uk/lidl-plus/lidl-plus-coupons  on their app

The money off a shop are usually on the back of the leaflets they produce each week. Not sure as haven't shopped there for a while. Anybody else know?

nannygladys

Another one that's redone the budget this month and its very tight but at least the lottie is producing fruit and veggies, so I'm hoping I may save a little on the food budget to buy some more stocks in, not sure how the winter will pan out but I will be prepared as much as I can be.