2023 Frugal Living Challenge

Bluegreen143

The mincemeat will keep til next month fine! Pop in the fridge if worried.

joedenise

I've got a bit of mincemeat left in a jar in the cupboard from before Christmas 2021 and it's still fine.  I used some to make mince pies for Christmas for DH (I don't eat them which is why there's still some left).

kayannie

You could use the mincemeat in cakes such as muffins, instead of dried fruit. Much nicer too, as cakes seem to stay fresh longer. Freeze the cakes & then just have one occasionally.
KA

otb666

@Frugaldom i find that i can take my porridge oats and dried fruit straight from packet and microwave for 2 mins with milk in bowl. Intrigue into why you soak them?  To the person down sizing When we moved over 10 years ago we could only find a small house in the location we wanted and bought it thinking we would up size later Well it turned out to our advantage as we love our small home and when people visit we make it work. You do have to be ruthless with clutter though and i work with one in one out on most things Its also a lot cheaper to run etc and keep clean

Cheery_Daff

I don't even bother with the microwave for porridge - just pour boiling water straight from the kettle. I imagine the texture isn't quite the same though so probably not to everyone's tastes, but it suits my lazy ones! 😂

Bluegreen143

They ARE nicer and creamier if you soak them, also cooking for a long time improves them (for my taste!). Some people prefer them super creamy and soft. Some are happy with the texture when quickly microwaved. 

I can’t eat porridge unless it’s made with milk, but I know lots of people do like it with water which would be cheaper and easier! 

patentgirl

@SecondStar we are downsizing to a small  bungalow taking longer than we hoped,we are having kitchen extension added which DH is organising so being kept to a tight budget with lots of tradesmen just doing their role currently waiting for roofer could that be an idea or even a summerhouse for your crafting ? DH main concern is lack of storage which we need to do mass clutter before we move which he is not best pleased about as a hoarder all his life. We still both feel will be worth it in the long run.
@Glittering_M we must be close to you pink sky last night was amazing even got Grandkids 13 and 10 away from TV to come out in garden to view. Beautiful special moments.

Siebrie

DD1 (14) has cookery class on Mondays (part of the secondary school curriculum she's in), and this time they made lasagna and fruit pies. She always brings home the leftovers and any ingredients they didn't finish. She had the small fruit pie for a snack on Tuesday after school, and we had the leftover lasagna sauce with some pasta I quickly cooked for dinner. It was lovely; she's turning out to be quite the chef.

The single-serve piece of lasagna will be eaten tonight, together with some potatoes, and stew from the freezer. I will go shopping after work today (I finish at 1 on Wednesdays) and see what vegetables are less than €3/kg.

Frugaldom

otb666 said:

@Frugaldom i find that i can take my porridge oats and dried fruit straight from packet and microwave for 2 mins with milk in bowl. Intrigue into why you soak them?  ...

When at home, I microwave porridge oats and water (no milk) but I'm currently off-grid so no microwave. Porridge soaks overnight then just needs warmed on the stove or gas ring in the morning.

2Scratters

@SecondStar how big a home do you need to put stuff in? We are all different, with our stuff needs. There is always a time we need to re-declutter and this could be yours. 
 It was obviously built purposely to be good enough at the time.(less stuff) This shows us how wealthy we are/have been as we have been able to make these purchases(unless they were gifted)
You have identified its plus points you are looking for. 10k under budget is very good and still wiggle room on that. It sounds brilliant. However check that there is room for the basics for now i.e your white goods will they fit in the kitchen or in an appropriate place.
 We have a small 2 bed and the freezer currently lives in the "other bedroom" we are due to start a kitchen extension this year. We do have a large back garden.
 In this current market it would potentially be very cost effective to run. Cheaper to run/insure/maintain. How is access to the loft and the space in there? 
Its a new  road on your journey of life.

2 Scratters xx