2023 Frugal Living Challenge

willow_loulou

@2Scratters you can get all sorts of colours and wands as well. 

I normally have blue or pink hair if I’m not blonde, I love colour 😍 I had a dark base put in and well, bad idea! 

Frugaldom

mumtoomany said:

For all those looking for water storage. We have an old container that was used for something in the food industry, don't know what. The local vegetable shop sells them from time to time, for around £40. It contains 1000lts when full and has a tap on the front. We run the rain water off the barn into it and use it for the animals. 

Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

They are IBC's (1000 litre plastic tanks with taps). These are what we use for harvesting to rain from barn and shed roofs at Frugaldom. I now have 5 of them. 

My celery has started to grow and the rhubarb crown that got split in 3 has survived, sprouting rhubarb as normal. The other two pieces are also growing.

Olio... We often get the leftovers from our local 'food hero' for feeding to our sanctuary animals. This week, I got a full box of cucumbers so Tesc0 can't be short on salad stuff.

Frugaldom

Siebrie said:

A friend came by and asked why our two cherry trees have such weird shapes. It's because they are mainly used for climbing in and hanging hammocks from I cut them accordingly. The birds get most of the cherries.

I love this idea and can't wait to have trees big enough for hammocks and sails. The cherry trees here are forever sending out runners do we were overrun with them until one of the students helped me dig out a load of baby trees. I've more needing to be dug out this year again but that's just one job in a very, very long 'to do' list. Maybe I'll get the chainsaw guy to pollard some suitably placed spruce trees.

Frugaldom

Bluegreen143 said:

I’m just at the stage (I’m 34) where I have a small amount of grey hairs starting to come through, just the odd one here and there - though my hair is naturally a very dark brown, almost black, and very long, so they tend to be noticeable even though there’s just a few. 

I’m toying with the idea of not dying them and just allowing the process to be totally natural, thinking it’ll be money saving plus use less chemicals… anyone else do the same? 

Only thing is, with almost waist length, wavy, very dark hair I’m wondering if in years to come when I get proper grey streaks, will I start to look a bit like a witch 🙈😂

I suppose if I don’t like it, I can start dying it later on…

My hair used to be black and over the years just keeps getting lighter, it's still waist length. I've never dyed it, although I did use non-,permanent colour rinses years ago. This topic has come up often in the past so I've previously tried beetroot juice, several times - it dyes the grey parts and makes it look streaked. A basic commercial colour rinse does the same. However, I wear my hair knitted up all the time so when it's unwound, you can see the sun-bleached streaks as I work outdoors 7 days a week. 😊 No shame in grey hair, it's natural. I think long hair dyed black looks a more witch-like hairstyle. 

Frugaldom

Sorry for the late night blast of posts but I hardly ever get the time to keep up on here so am making a point of playing catch-up tonight. Frugal life continues but I still haven't sown any veg seeds. I did set aside fresh cut bamboo canes to dry so I can make a windbreak / support for peas but just haven't had the chance to set that up yet. This weekend, weather permitting, we are having more trees moved and there's a small ash tree to be cut for firewood. The ever increasing number of young cherry trees will be thinned out and some of the wood from those will get carved into ornamental mushrooms during a crafting event I'm planning.

Hope everyone is well and managing to keep hold of the frugality reins. If you fall off the wagon just shout out and there's always someone about to give you a hand back up again.

Glittering_M

@Frugaldom a friend has a wild cherry or plum (I can't remember which) that has sent out lots of runners and some are now mini trees.

They are looking to clear then but is it possible to save any of the saplings and grow somewhere else or do they not take to that? I'd quite like some in my garden.

mumtoomany

Hi all. Thanks @Frugaldom, I knew someone would know what the tank was called. Hope a huge amount of water, very handy when our tap water was off for several days earlier this year.

@Glittering_M, try the saplings. They may well take, and if not it's not a great loss, other than your time. I've found that, given a chance, most things will grow. I've planted some peanuts this year and found that they have already sprouted.

Still being frugal here, just very busy! Put lots of vegetables seeds in, and most are sprouting. Just wish the weather would dry up, so I can plant some out. Managed to keep the grocery spends very low so far this year. Less than £600 so far, this is for a household of seven of us. Good job as it's cost us £900 to have an Ash free cut down. It had die back, a big split in it, and was right next to the road. At least we won't need to pay for lots for a year or two.

Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

aspella

First three months of the challenge done and I'm on track.

• Blinds purchased from B&Q on clearance - borrowed tools from one family member and another family member put them up for me and kitchen repainted. 
• Got a few buckets of Ballaneven compost for free as neighbour ordered too much and was giving it away. 
• Onions, shallots and packet of seeds purchased from Dealz for £1.20 each. 
• Tomatoes and peppers sown but yet to germinate.
• Fifteen jigsaw puzzles swapped at the library jigsaw exchange area and three puzzles swapped with individuals. Forty seven jigsaw puzzles completed Jan-Mar.
• Twenty books read and donated to charity shop.
• Seven competitions won - only small prizes but better than receiving a bill from the postman. Jigsaw from All Jigsaw Puzzle, DVD from Daily Star. 

Things I've noticed as a result of checking receipts in March

• Black beans have gone up 0.02 at T.
• Peppers have gone up 0.10 at T.

Q1 budget - £1,350 (90 days @ £15 per day) 
Cash spent - £1,230.55
Vouchers spent - £44.00
Total spent - £1,274.55
Remaining - £75.45

Annual budget - £5,475.00 (365 days @ £15 per day)
Q1 total spent - £1,274.55
Budget remaining - £4,200.45

Glittering_M

Thanks @mumtoomany I'll give it a go tomorrow or next weekend.

I'm intrigued by the peanuts! Never thought of giving that a go. How did you plant them? What sort did you start with? Obviously I know roasted wouldn't grow! 

mumtoomany

Hi, @Glittering_M. The peanuts were from a bag i bought at the greengrocers for the grandchildren. Just shelled a few and put them in yogurt pots in the polytunnel. they have only been in about ten days but have started to grow roots. I'll keep you all informed on how they do. 

Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx