2023 Frugal Living Challenge

Beshki

Considered spending is such a revelation!

RavenRover

@SecondStar I'm so pleased for you

Frugaldom

Finally got started on this year's food-growing. It wasn't much but every little counts. Rhubarb crown split and half replaned in the newest area being created while half has been left in the raised bed, all topped up with composted manure & some straw. I haven't even looked at seeds yet, as there's so much still to do in preparation, but I'll get there eventually. Deciding what's most needed is difficult. I definitely need onions but would love to succeed at peppers and toatoes. So far, these have proven almost impossible as te summer sunshine just isn't sufficient. Never mind - better luck this time.  

MissRikkiC

Last week ended pretty spendy. A cafe in some woods by a local spot for walking has been on my list of places to go for some time, it was a personal spends jobbie but we also treated a friend as well as he does SO much for us. Well, I shall never go back that’s for certain. I was pleased to see local produce being used (literally within 10 miles of home) but at £5.95 for a bacon sandwich, £2!!!! for bacon jam which my friend requested and tea at £2.50 a cup (the smallest 8oz cups) breakfast cost more than £27 and I honestly felt sick at it. 

Is that a normal price for a breakfast outside in a location with very little running costs and no food miles these days? Next time I’ll not bother at all. 

Off to a new week today, a food shop done but only to grab a few basics and some dairy free fridge items. Oh and a very large gammon joint yo do a ham. £26 later and once again I’m glad I’m hiding from the Feb grocery challenge 🤪 onwards and upwards  

Beshki

MissRikkiC said:

Last week ended pretty spendy. A cafe in some woods by a local spot for walking has been on my list of places to go for some time, it was a personal spends jobbie but we also treated a friend as well as he does SO much for us. Well, I shall never go back that’s for certain. I was pleased to see local produce being used (literally within 10 miles of home) but at £5.95 for a bacon sandwich, £2!!!! for bacon jam which my friend requested and tea at £2.50 a cup (the smallest 8oz cups) breakfast cost more than £27 and I honestly felt sick at it. 

Is that a normal price for a breakfast outside in a location with very little running costs and no food miles these days? Next time I’ll not bother at all. 

Off to a new week today, a food shop done but only to grab a few basics and some dairy free fridge items. Oh and a very large gammon joint yo do a ham. £26 later and once again I’m glad I’m hiding from the Feb grocery challenge 🤪 onwards and upwards  

 Sadly that’s about normal, I paid £36 for a veggie breakfast, a BLT, a sausage roll and three coffees at a similar ‘shack’ sort of place recently. Lovely, but definitely a treat.

kayannie

I might not have access to Olio, community pantries etc but I did have a brilliant £1.50 L!DL box yesterday.
It contained 11 lge tomatoes, 6 leeks, chilli peppers ( we don't eat these but I passed them on to someone who does), 2 iceberg lettuces, a bunch of wilted basil (didn't revive overnight in water so gone on compost heap), 4 very ripe peaches, 1 orange, 3 assorted peppers, shallots, 8 bananas, 2 potatoes & a cucumber. 
4 bananas have been turned into banana & walnut loaves this morning & the peaches will be grilled with cinnamon for our dessert this evening.
KA

wort

Cheryl just a suggestion ,would it be better if you have to give up your car to use taxis for those one off journeys you need to make? Over the course of a year would be cheaper than running a car.

cw18

wort said:

Cheryl just a suggestion ,would it be better if you have to give up your car to use taxis for those one off journeys you need to make? Over the course of a year would be cheaper than running a car.

I dread to think what the cost of a 40 mile (each way) taxi ride would be - but in a dire emergency if I didn't have the car it would have to be done.    (A quick look on a website I've used before suggest that daytime on a Saturday would be £78 one way, whilst wee small hours on a weekday would only be £72!)

But my son very much needs in order to get to/from work, so sharing a vehicle works for us whilst he's living close (10 minute walk from my house to his flat).   He uses to commute, and I have it for recreational use - and sometimes for commute when he's not working and I'm feeling super lazy (or tired, or having a sciatica flare up!).

willow_loulou

Hello all 

Ive been incredibly busy the last 9 weeks - I have literally not stopped. It’s been one thing after another. 

Anyway I’ve finally almost caught up with myself and am now looking at finances and growing/baking/preserving. I bought a dehydrator in a sale so I can save the massive amount of herbs I grow every year (it’s the one thing I tend to be really successful with!) I know it is an expensive thing for herbs but there’s so much more I could dehydrate when I’ve got the hang of it. 

Unfortunately we had a little home emergency and where I had focused on paying off my loan I had no back up. So yep I ended up with another loan. The plan this time is to put away half of what I intend on using to pay off my loan more quickly. I’ve opened a bank account that I can only withdraw from once every I think 12 months. I put £5 in to open it and have set up a standing order of £5 a month to ensure some goes in but it’s a small enough amount to not feel the pain. It’s not going to be huge amounts but if I had done this last time I would have had enough put by not not have needed a loan but a small amount top up on my credit card. 

The good news is my PIP was extended for another 2 years without a medical and I may have a couple more hours of admin I can pick up so I should be able to get solvent again pretty soon. 

Hope you’re all well - I’m off to sort seeds. 

wort

Sorry Cheryl I didn’t realize the distance, I was just going off the fact I see quite a few people getting taxis from the supermarket and thought maybe it would work better for occasional use. 

I have no idea the cost of running a car as I don’t have one, but see a lot of people complain about the fuel cost and insurance,road tax not to mention repairs.