2023 Frugal Living Challenge

mandy47

Frugaldom said

I'm looking for CHEAP CAT FOOD as we have 3 cats at Frugaldom. I'm doing price comparisons but if anyone knows of a good source or any extra special online offers, please let me know. 

Shopmium have 2 offers atm. Try for a pound normally 5.20. 

Frugaldom

Thank you for all the cat food suggestions. We watch for the online bargains when we need feed for our own house cat, usually buy either a 96 or 2 x 48 box of sachets for around ,£20, plus dry food, but I thought I'd ask on here in case anyone had spotted a bargain recently. There's some listed on Olio but it's too far away to warrant the travel. A big bag of dried food probably best as it's for ferals and needs to be safe for pine martens if I find any vouchers or really good offers, I'll pass them on and please do likewise with any fab offers spotted anywhere for anything thats within a frugal budget

Frugaldom

Winter warmth

Often, I forget to post the little things as they are second nature to me but there are times when people remind me. Today was one of those times. Hot water bottles are out friends. Don't forget to check their dates as they can perish, don't overfill them, remove as much air from them as possible before speaking them and don't use boiling water. I use the same water reheated each night and just top it up when it's needed. The contents of the water bottles get tipped into a big pan and sat on the log burner at night. If you have central heating on then just lie the filled bottles against the radiators to get a bit heat. Mine are sometimes still fairly warm the following evening as I leave them under the duvets in their fleece covers. Itt doesn't take much to reheat them.

My single glazed door has clear film wrap over the glass and then a layer of bubble wrap added during the really cold weather. Full length, lined curtain is hung over the door to keep draughts to a minimum, the curtain held in place with a draught excluder.

Part of my time is spent off grid so no fridge, just a cool box sitting outside and a gas ring to cook on and the ligburnrr for heat. We do have cylinder gas fires but try to minimise their use owing to high output of condensation but I've now switched to JGas as it's cheaper than calor. I've accrued 3 types of empty cylinders so I can always have a spare for refill. Candles are too expensive to burn constantly nowadays so I'm using solar lights when off grid, plus I have a gas camping lantern for emergencies when solar lets me down. This is Scotland, afterall.

Thick woolly socks, woolly legwarmers, fleece body warmer, fleece blankets, fleece anything. I now have a full length fleece hoody, thermals and fleecey PJs. Often, I'm too warm. 

Asparklierblonde

Great reminder post Frugaldom, thank you. 

My hot water bottle is the same one I’ve had since I was a child. It reminds me of my grandma and it’s a comfort to me every single night. I agree that candles are very expensive nowadays too. We have some battery powered fairy lights that we keep on during the evening. I would like to buy rechargeable batteries and of course a charger, just no spare cash in the budget for it at the moment x

Prudent

About 8 years ago I purchased a couple of microwave pads from Amazon for my cats. They are still in regular use and have been joined by some for our own beds as they are the best product I have come across to replace a hot water bottle. They stay warm for a good 12 hours and distribute the heat evenly it that time. I heat them in the mircrowave. They are called Snugglesafe wirelsss heatpads for pets and come with a fleece cover. 

Prudent

I also find fleece duvet covers and sheets a game changer in bitterly cold weather. I bought new ones this year for £6 for the duvet covers and £5 for the sheets. I am upcycling the old ones into cat beds and stuffing the beds with filling from old pillows.

Asparklierblonde

Prudent we have fleecy pillow cases and they are lovely. Also fleecy fitted sheets. I bought a heavyweight sheep wool duvet this year and am so happy I did, it is so cosy. I don’t understand the trend for lightweight bed covers, I sleep at my best under a heavy duvet with a dog snuggled on me (& sometimes DS when he creeps in for a cuddle, and I let him stay there. He’s almost 10 so it won’t last but it’s lovely) x

willow_loulou

I dont use hot water bottles after twice getting hot water on my hand trying to fill it. Being disabled I’m a bit of a liability sometimes. I have an electric heat pad if I need to warm up.
 My house is pretty warm though, we filled the hole that held the boiler bit that goes outside and the downstairs is miraculously warmer. 

I’m glad we finally got around to removing it completely, I’m amazed how big the hole was!

I had to buy socks and teaspoons in my shopping today, I can’t believe how expensive socks are! 

I’m sat meal planning, trying to use up stores that are getting close to date. I won’t be restocking the stores beyond a few tins because I don’t regularly eat any of it - I’m surprised how much I had in for my son. More noodles than one person will ever need! I gave a bag full to my sister for her food bank as I think I’d go mad eating the same thing over and over! Plus it will help someone who needs it so I’m happy with that. 

Frugaldom

I'm another one with fleece pillow cases and fitted sheet. I have 2 lightweight duvets, fleeces and the denim quilt I traded for during my LETS days.  I'm trying to be as off-grid as possible do heating the water for the bottles is done on the log burner.

I received a page-a-day diary for Xmas so that's going to be used as my spending diary and for marking in any extra income. 

Our Olio network has gone crazy this week - it's a shame so few people seem to want to use the app. Quite a few I've told about it have responded negatively, like it's shameful to be requesting free food and can't see it for what it is - rescuing it from being binned. I see it as environmentally friendly and happily accept anything available that's suitable for us or the sanctuary animals. I've discovered the feral cats love scotch eggs and the pine marten loves apple.

Asparklierblonde

There is no Olio anywhere near here sadly - the nearest listings are 27km away. We have no big supermarkets in the vicinity. However, we do have two excellent food waste community pantries nearby. I visited one yesterday- they have a pricing structure in place, and I got £78 of M&S produce for £11.50. This included meat, fish, fresh berries, a Tartiflette that was £15 full price 😱😱 and a full basket of fruit and veg. I’ll be going there weekly from now on for my main shop and planning meals around that.