2008 - Live on £4000 for a full year.

FunBrum

Hi folks... I have been absent for the last few days due to work and stuff. As usual its taking me forever to trawl through the posts, but boy have I missed you all!!:D

Janey51 Thanks for your encouragement:beer: and congrats on the job. How strange...I'm a Homecarer.! Let me know if you need any tips, although the training is great and the pension is tops! Good luck luv.:D

Frugalmum Wow! Aren't you great?!!:T By the way....if you need anyone to help you demolish the wine...I'm your gal, and I'm local to you!!:rotfl: :rotfl:

Will up-date on my spends this week when I get back from the shops. Its my BF birthday tomorrow and my daughters on Monday, so will have to see what I can get that is within my budget. As I don't have a gift budget...I shall just have to steal it!:rotfl: Only joking NYK!;)

Burlesque_Babe

Should be a NSD today. OH is going to jack up the car and look at the wheel/front brakes so hopefully it won't need a trip to the garage.

Aril

Hello fellow frugalites!
I have had to draw up a new strategy in order to outfrugal OH in the gnat bottom stakes as I have now sussed why he was getting ahead. Oh horrors of horrors...he actually uses the internet whilst he's on it to save us money whilst I use the internet to talk about ways of saving us money. Shucks it's gonna hurt having to change my whole approach...aww well perhaps I'll think about it tomorrow or maybe the day after that or even after that.....:D
However, OH and are also "pooling" resources [quite a coincidence really as our surname is also Poole!] and we sat down together [not that common an experience for us as both work full time but different hours] this morning over a cup of coffee and discussed.....wait for it.....the tension is mounting......some great thought provoking issue you're wondering......nah sorry to disappoint but how we were going to reduce the cost of our washing powder as it seems to have shot up in Mr T recently and is making a big dent in my monthly budget. I'd come in armed with the prices in my sweaty little paw and we now worked out we can save significantly in this area by combining 1/3 normal powder, 1/3 value and 1/3 soda crystals as per a recent tip I've erm "borrowed" from the OS board. Result:j All this frugaling/refrugaling [verb meaning to go back to an area you have already cut back on, carry out a frugal spot check and the cut back some more] makes me ridiculously overthrilled or is that just because I'm a bit of simple pimple at heart.
Anyway into the last week of January frugal folks so hit it with the same level of determination and excellent lateral thinking skills you have already deployed! I'm off to make a Valentines card for OH from all the crafty goodies I've got stashed away to continue my outfrugalling campaign.
Aril

liuhut

Catznine - finally got round to making the soup recipe that you posted last week.
Just to say we all loved it!
Thanks a lot
Laura

Penny2myName

Made some homemade hobnobs yesterday, as fancied something sweet. Had to go to Mr A's for sugar, and decided to call to a friends on the way back, whislt talking I remembered i had forgotten to buy my Stardrops, she said to save me going back, she would give me a bottle of washing up liquid (talk about stocked up on the stuff) Should I try using the fairy washing up liquid to clean my floor or will it be too bubbly. Afterall i get stardrops as it does both pots and floor, plus many other things.

MRSMCAWBER

Hi all

Just a quick one

I posted a recipe for pittas and tortillas earlier this week -planning on trying the tortillas this week (can't remember which 1 of 3 threads asked for it so im posting it on them all just in case:rotfl: )
I have just made the tortillas -but used a different recipe :rolleyes: .. and they were stunning (not to mention cheap and easy;) )... we had 2 each filled with salad and chicken(leftover bits of course:p ) and the other 4 are going in the freezer:D ....all i can say is yumyumyum :rotfl:..hubby has put in a request for them at least once a week.... the possibilities for fillings are endless:T ...
Don't forget that leftover ones you can cut into small triangles and bake them in the oven to use with dips etc -much cheaper that the "bagged ones"
just thought it was a great recipe to have in for those -run out of yeast days...and for something a little different:D
Hope its of use to someone

CHEWY SOFT FLOUR TORTILLA
2 CUPS PLAIN FLOUR
1 ½ TSP BAKING POWDER
1TSP SALT
2TSP VEG OIL
¾ CUP WARM MILK

Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl
Whisk milk, oil and salt
Pour into flour -stirring to mix
Once mixed -turned out onto a lightly floured worktop and knead for 2 mins
Cover and leave for 15 mins -it won’t rise but needs to relax
Cut into 8 balls (approx 50g each)
Cover and leave to relax for 10 mins
Roll each one out into a round -approx 8”
Heat a heavy frying pan (preferably cast iron)
Drop in one tortilla and turn after about 2 mins -the surface should bubble
Place inside a dry tea towel to keep warm whilst you cook the rest

Burlesque_Babe

cheers for that Mr M. might try that tomorrow with sausages, peppers and tomatoes. Do you have a tortilla press to get them nice and thin or do you roll them by hand?

I grate cheese over leftover shop ones and then stick them under the grill and chop into triangles........yyuummm!!!

tesuhoha

Penny2myName wrote: »

Made some homemade hobnobs yesterday, as fancied something sweet. Had to go to Mr A's for sugar, and decided to call to a friends on the way back, whislt talking I remembered i had forgotten to buy my Stardrops, she said to save me going back, she would give me a bottle of washing up liquid (talk about stocked up on the stuff) Should I try using the fairy washing up liquid to clean my floor or will it be too bubbly. Afterall i get stardrops as it does both pots and floor, plus many other things.

I think that you might be pleasantly surprised if you tried Barkeepers Friend. Its £1.95 but the best £1.95 that you'll spend on a cleaner all year.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=694123

MRSMCAWBER

Hi karen

I came sooooo close to buying a press but talked myself out of it - now i have made them and hubby loved them im tempted again :rotfl: .

they were rolled by hand and roll thin really easily -just don't use too much flour on the worktop as they hold onto it better so you can roll -OK the weren't exactly round but like most of my cooking "rustic" is the description :rotfl: ...would rather have something that taste great and looks less than perfect mind..thats my excuse and im sticking to it

Burlesque_Babe

no need for an excuse Mrs M - it's the taste that counts! I've run out of oil but I might melt some of my baking Stork and use that instead.

Just had lunch. Used up the half pan of cheese sauce left from yesterday I made for last night's dinner and mixed it with some pasta. I have found lots of pasta in the cupboard all hiding behind the bags of potatoes I've been trying to use up before they went manky -I found half a pack of spaghetti, a full 1kg bag of 'twists', a whole bag of tagliatelle and then another half bag of tagliatelle!!

Think pasta might be on the menu a few time this week as I only have 3 tiny potatoes left, although I have half a big jar of rice as well. i'm sure there is a bag of plain cous cous lurking somewhere as well, but where I don't yet know!