2024 Frugal Living Challenge

willow_loulou

@Prudent I have some planters with lids and will grow some indoors now I have space. Be good to get that started over the coming weeks. 

DawnW

@Viking_mfw the white rolls (or baguettes past the first flush of youth) make good pizza bases too. Just split in half, spread with any tomato sauce, add whatever you have / like for topping (mushrooms fried in a little oil are good, or the lovely expensive ones in jars, roasted peppers and onions are a favourite here, ham / bacon / sausage can be included too if you like, I use whatever is languishing in the fridge) and top with grated cheese. You can do this with bread straight from the freezer too. Then bake for about 10 minutes or so till the bread crisps up a bit round the edges and the cheese is bubbly and browning. Frozen bread may need another few minutes. You can do this with naan bread too - the latter is suggested by Nigella Lawson no less!

Viking_mfw

Thanks @DawnW - another excellent idea. I remember those mini pizzas from my own youth  

2Scratters

@Prudent love the idea of a seed "advent" calendar. Where did you get that from please?

My 2 Rhubarb plants are growing even though one of my dogs thinks the veg plot is fair game to run through as there is not much in there. She will be stopped in her tracks very soon.

I have been less than frugal with the central heating since the new year. I still have an income and it is sliding downwards very fast due to run out soon as I am off work. There are days we are OK without it then I think of DH who is not well at all and deserves to have it on even though he is in agreement with me about making some savings where we can. I can't let him get too cold. We do have a dual fuel fire which we love to light up at night as it costs nothing just a bit of work. 

2 Scratters xx

Prudent

@2Scratters do you have heated throws? We find they are excellent at keeping us warm when we are sitting down and they are very cheap to run in comparison to the central heating. The fire sounds lovely. 

My seed advent calendar came from The Rose Press garden when they had a flash sale. It was very sweet with little envelopes for each day and an information card on each flower. There was also a chart about when and where to plant and a £5 voucher in the final envelope. I then went on to make one for a gift for my sister.  I bought 24 packets of seeds when Lidl reduced them to 20p (this reduction included the seed tapes and their highest price packets), I bought 25 envelopes from Home Bargains and decorated them with floral stickers that I already had in the house. Total cost £5.55 and my sister was delighted. That kind of gift is the joy of old styling and frugality, something lovely for little cost. 

willow_loulou

Just ordered my seeds from the brilliant Budget seeds. I love them because along with being very budget friendly they send smaller amounts which is ideal for my situation. I get paid Friday so will go and get some compost and a couple of windowsill planters. 

Does anyone recommend a specific soil brand? 

Auti

I have been very busy this morning as I bought a water butt (because I got a present of some indoor plants but they only like rain water and it is hard to collect rain water in sandcastle buckets). I have managed to connect it to the down pipe and put it on a wooden plinth to level it but was not easy! Now I hope it will work and I have just seen tomorrow is flood warning! Fingers crossed - please tell me if I have not got it right

London_1

Good Morning chums, a nice frugal lunch yesterday I have two vouchers for a free main meal from local pub chains as I have a loyalty card with them (handy when I take one of my DGS out to lunch )

They send me the vouchers every February as a 'birthday gift ' so yesterday I used the Beefeater one. Had a very nice lasagne with garlic bread and a salad, very nice young las also gave me a small box of quality street chocolates as well. By the time I got home around 3.00 I was more than full up so didn't need to cook anything last night ,but around 7.30 I had a slice of cake and a cup of hot chocolate so yesterday was a very inexpensive day  

I have one more voucher to use up before 6th March at a Brewer Fair pub so I may use it on Friday as it would be a shame to waste it and Brewers Fayre do a very nice fish pie. I do use the pubs for lunches when my DGS are around during the year so they do get a customer or two  during the previous 12 months I love it as its better than points and nothing like someone else to cook for me for a change.Its literally any main meal off the main  menu,  but I was quite happy with the lasagne  

JackieO xx

Prudent

Lovely lunches @London-1. It is always nice to have a break from cooking. I went out for lunch with OH today which is something we rarely do. I think the last time was last July for his birthday. It was very enjoyable and I am enjoying the chance just to sit and relax now.

Frugaldom

A late night catch up from me as we enter the final day of February (pay day for some of us). 

@willow_loulou You've got this, your life is your own and you're now free to do with it as you please. It's a huge step to come out of a long-term relationship so we'll done for having the courage to start afresh at the start of a new year. 😊

Weather here has been wet and at times quite windy. Mornings are spent seeing to animals and afternoons seem to be spent keeping the fire lit and doing not much else, far less working outside. I did get a manure pile aerated, which sounds great but it was just a case of poking it with a big stick to make holes through it for the air...but they filled with rain. 

Olio extras have been ok, especially for animal feed with apples, bananas, turnips and celery. I got onions last week so could make a pan of soup for lunches. I also got a few sprouting potatoes so I'm just going to keep those for planting.

Hoping for some dry weather soon as I'd like to get more dogwood and willow cut for planting. The logging lorries are running right through the night here so we need as much growing as possible before any more of the surrounding forest vanishes. Still toying with the idea of the forest food garden but not making much progress with it. I'll get there eventually.

Spending updated in signature, most of that spent on fuel for the stove plus 2 replacement gas cylinders. Ordering 2 at a time gets you £5 off each.