2022 Frugal Living Challenge

bargainbetty

Floss said:

bargainbetty said:

Hiya, 

Post-covid/long covid fatigue is genuinely a thing - I tested positive on Dec 1 and am still struggling with tiredness and an ongoing cough. A nurse at the hospital said hers took 9 weeks to lift and it often takes 12 weeks to fully recover if you have it. I asked for advice and she said 'Listen to your body. if it needs to sleep, then you sleep.'

Best wishes for a speedier recovery!

I don't think lingering fatigue & cough after 6 weeks should be classed as long covid (a chest infection can take that time to clear) as it can take up to 12 weeks to recover.

Long covid is generally accepted as when symptoms last longer than 12 weeks and a friend of mine who was infected in March / April 2020 has long covid & is involved in the research studies.

I was tested at the hospital on the 27th Dec (blood tests, ECG, chest x-rays etc) and had no infection, including chest infections (we'd tried antibiotics but had finished). The doctor told me that it was long covid, so I'll take his advice on it. 

There are levels of ongoing illness, as with anything, and I hope your friend recovers fully. 

EskarinaWeatherwax

Hi everyone. Nice frugal day here - NSD plus picked up four ramekins someone was giving away on a local Facebook group. I like to make crumbles but because I live on my own I prefer to make them in ramekins and then freeze them individually otherwise I’m eating crumble all week! This is going to help me have a nice stock of tasty puddings

there is some sort of community food project very near where I live which I’ve not been to before but I’m going to go and have a look at tomorrow. I’m not sure if they’re eligibility criteria but I shall find out.

Does anybody know anything about a app/website called BuyNothing? I read about it in the news today and had a look. Locally to me there’s nothing on it at the moment and I’m wondering why / if / how it’s better /different fromOLIO 

willow_loulou

Writing everything I spend down has been really sobering today. I thought I’d been really frugal but actually maybe not. 

Tomorrow is payday so I’ll be allocating what’s what and when the post has been I’ll go get my cash out and the few items I need. I’m enjoying going through the stores. Pasta tomorrow for a change with home made cheese tortilla crisps(using up wraps from olio) . I’m not a huge fan of pasta but I have all the ingredients so seems logical. I’ve still loads I need to use up before replenishing. 

spudsmum

Nice frugal day here today. 

Didn't go out so nothing spent and my mum came round and brought me a new Cardigan and top she had got for me from charity shop - brand new with tags. I've been needing a new cardigan as I work from home and don't have the heating on through the day so it's useful to have something to just throw on when it's chilly and that's saved me buying one. 

Used more fridge gravel for tea and some dregs of Hoisin and sweet chilli sauce and bargain noodles to make a Chinese noodley thing - was quite tasty. Kids had home made pizzas made with some pizza bases I found during my cupboard stocktake. 

Friday tomorrow thank goodness and my afternoon off. Hoping to try to get to the community pantry if I get back in time from taking my youngest to the hospital. 

Looking forwards to the weekend - feels like it's been a very long week. 

nannygladys

It's been a nice day here but cold but dd3 who only lives 16 miles away has had mist and misty rain!!! And we don't live anywhere near the seaside! Glad I wasn't there today

Anyway did a round robin today for shopping, started off at the food hub, went into the community pantry, then tesco and lastly home bargs!! Felt as if I had done a marathon shop - I don't get out much these days!!!!
Managed to get everything I wanted and a few free bits as well so pleased with it all and I should last for about 10days again. So Sig updated. I was also paid yesterday so some has gone into canopy fund as well.

Dd 3 used my tesco card on new years eve (she hasn't got one) and bought a couple of bits for that night and then forgot to use it, so as I was in there today I got the points put on and they gave me back £1.50 that was owed on the card prices, phoned dd and she said keep it, so as soon as that's in my acc I will trans it to canopy fund, it all helps!

Soup for lunch and spag bol for tea, all from stores so pleased with my day.
Nannyg

FreshStart20

Hi everyone, I’ve started reading through this thread and will carry on reading up to date. 

I have had a change of circumstances this year and am no longer working in order to be a parent carer and actually manage to get a bit of respite while the children are at school. So frugal living is my top priority this year. My partner is earning still so we do have some income. I’m trying to buy nothing new, make do and mend, cook, from scratch, grow my own and make my own. All of which I’ve done a bit of but I really need to step it up now. This also fits with the lifestyle I’d like to lead anyway so is an enjoyable challenge for me.

The ideal is to also make a little income too by selling homemade items, eggs, veg plants and a bit of upcycling clothes and furniture as my skills develop. This will then pay for a few little luxuries for the kids from time to time.

I’m looking forward to getting to know some like minded people to share ideas with 😊

Poppy_Golightly

I fancied some cake yesterday but wasn't wanting to go to the shop to buy one, plus my microwave/convection oven is not kind to cakes baking in it. So I found a recipe for a Vegan Lemon Cake (no eggs in cupboard) and baked it in my bread machine. Cooked beautifully, I iced it with lemon icing and sliced it up for further coffee and cake moments! Not a penny spent from my food budget (if I had a tail I'd be wagging it!)

spudsmum

Well the best laid plans and all that.....

Jumped into the car today to take my youngest to the hospital and it just died in the middle of the road and wouldn't start again. Its with the garage now but they were making expensive sounding noises so I don't know if its terminal. Its a proper old banger - 14 years old and has cost me loads this last year so realistically it might be time to retire it if its going to be another expensive fix.

That will probably mean taking out some kind of loan - great! Just when I was heading in the right direction again.

In other news I did make it to the community pantry and got a decent haul. Chicken breasts, 2 boxes of cereal, 4 big multipacks of fridge raiders, 2 packs of pan au chocolat, 2 boxes of Yeast and a fruit/veg bag with potatoes, carrots, onions, shallots, apples, satsumas. Will do a meal plan in a bit but that should mean minimal food shopping this weekend. Total spend for today including youngest son's snacks £8.64.

Benn through my purse as husband gets paid next Friday so budgets will reset. From the £50 I drew out on Monday I still have £31.34 left which I'm super pleased with. I also have £124.87 in food budget so I "might" come in under budget for the first time in months - just need to get through the weekend without being sillly.  It would have been more but I literally just spent £30 on diesel yesterday and I'll now need to put more diesel in DH's car as we'll need to use it at weekend instead of mine - blooming typical! 

Hope you all have good stuff planned for the weekend. 

FreshStart20

I’ve managed a no spend day today. Home made pizza for tea later instead of takeaway. I’ve done our budget and savings plan, kept the heating off other than an hour before getting home from school runs, downloaded some new apps I read about on this thread, arranged for some. Ext items to be returned and listed 4 items for sale of FB marketplace. Feeling pretty productive.

Going for a walk in the peaks tomorrow with all three children so need to remember to put some bread rolls in later so we can take soup in flasks to have with a roll to warm up half way!

YORKSHIRELASS

Spudsmum you have my sympathy, we threw over £1000 at our car this year before we had to eventually call it a day and borrow money to get a new one.  We only borrowed what we knew we could afford though and bought one that is 8 years old.

WFH today so the car hasnt moved for 2 days and not a penny spent.  Went for a lovely 4.5 mile walk and took my camera, a very happy hour and half out in the sunshine.  Really cold here so we have been using the heating sparingly and have lit the fire.

Pizza made for tea using up odds and ends an have opened a bottle of wine that we were given for Christmas.  No idea what is planned for the weekend but it definitely wont involve spending money.