2024 Frugal Living Challenge

Siebrie

@Sweetbriarrose I've found that clean windows help a great deal against SAD. So simple, and such a great difference!

Prudent

@Sweetbriarrose I find the videos of the wildlife very relaxing too. Finding a good trades person can be so hard. I tend to get multiple jobs done when I find someone good in case they decided to give up - or develop a long waiting list. It might be worth checking your local Facebook groups too. I found someone through one who did an extremely good job of clearing out the gutters at the front and back of the house for £20. 

I am just back from a lovely week in Yorkshire visiting family. The weather was extremely kind and there was only a few hours of rain. I love the train journey along the Settle Carlisle line it is so beautiful and varies a lot with the seasons. Thankfully the connections all worked this time as well. I even got a money saving tip from a fellow passengers who told me about an app called Seat Frog where you can bid for ticket upgrades at less than the usual price. 

I need to update my signature with my spend for family trips. I am still deep in washing and ironing and catching up on housework/paperwork etc. Thankfully the weather has been okay today so the washing is nearly dry. I am feeling the chill a bit in the house though. All of my family had toasty houses. OH tested the heating while I was away but it hasn't been on properly. I have put the teddy fleece bedding on the beds and started using my heated throw.

Sweetbriarrose

Yes I agree. Clean windows do Help my living room has big window which faces Southwest so let’s in a lot of light,  my kitchen is at the back of the house  with one small window, with low ceiling, it can be very gloomy, One day I had a sheet drying on the line and I realise the light reflected back into the kitchen from making it lighter so I’m planning on painting the fence white, perhaps up mirror up to see if that helps.
I like porridge for breakfast. I use dried milk with oats and water and cook in the microwave for 2 1/2 minutes then home made fruit compote on top and a few milled Linseeds for omega 3 and a vitamin D capsule. 2000iu, vitamin D helps with my mood and calcium absorption.
The Roofer came felted the bay window roof, squirrels had pulled up the lead on top and it was leaking and he cleared the gutters at the back of the house. It rained overnight and no rain poured over the gutter or into the bedroom. Very pleased and he charged me £150. Definitely a keeper and I’ve recommended him to my friend.

Frugaldom

Viking_mfw said:

It is starting to get colder. Everyone has a blanket on their beds and the youngest, who has a habit of climbing out of all bedclothes and getting cold so waking up, has the heated clothes airer in his room to take the edge off. OH did try to dry clothes outside yesterday on the basis it wasn't raining but I don't think he understood what mist is...

I think he mist the point

Decluttering continues and the spare change pot is filling up nicely with all the coins being collected from the various nooks and crannies. Freezer defrosted and repacked, 2 kitchen cupboards completed (7 still to do), bathroom unit complete and 2 boxes of old paperwork sorted and filed or burned. Also filled 2 bn bags with clothing for the textil recycling. Tiny bit clearing done outside and I even found a missed strawberry in one of the beds. My 'to do' list now needs redoing to reflect a few changes and it was good to notice that petrol has dropped in price ever so slightly.

@Sweetbriarrose Thank you for watching the videos, I am glad you are enjoying them. Few more to be added as the new feeding stations are a big hit.

Dizzycap

Hi all,

Very quiet in here but I see everyone is busy with decluttering.

I did all mine in the summer so tidy house, outside & even the shed! I really can't believe how easy it is to find things now.......

I gave loads of stuff to a charity shop ready for their Christmas blast off but kept back 10 black bags of quality items I've been listing & selling to fill those savings pots slowly but surely. I've sold 3 bags worth of items in the past 10 days. Hogged all the inpost lockers    and then it went dead. I expect it's the half term break.

Had a good clean of the windows today inside and out. It's surprisng how dirty they get with all the rain. I've cleaned out the guttering again. I have to do it every 2 weeks at the moment due to the surrounding trees dropping leaves at a fast rate.

I also managed to finish the last of the pruning, bulb planting, and cleaning / clearing up in the garden. Just got to put winter jackets on a couple of plants next week and that's it until I put in the Tulip bulbs in November. I was very blessed this year with 2 large bags of free bulbs from a neighbour, so I've given some away and then used the rest.

Got to dash as I've just sold some more items and need to pack them. See you all again soon!

Frugaldom

Late night hello from me. I've just managed to get around to submitting my self assessment after putting off and putting off again. Still not earning minimum wage but I doubt I ever will at the rate it is increasing but on the plus side, I have a lovely new tenant moving into our little cottage and one who shares our frugal ways. I'm over the moon about that.

Tonight I finished clearing out the last of the kitchen cupboards and now plan on spending next to nothing on groceries until December. Fresh milk will be about the only thing needed. Apples need picking and processing so that is my challenge for this month. I'll need to stew and freeze them and I'll use all the cores and peels for apple cider vinegar. The freezer is still full after cramming more Olio stuff into it tonight - bread and vegan sausage rolls. I'm not vegan but rescued food is rescued food, they will be fine with baked beans.

Thank you to one of our long time lurkers on here for popping in for a visit to offer help at Frugaldom today. It is always good to know there are fellow frugalers nearby. I'm always open to meet-ups if anyone can get here and will happily travel to meet elsewhere once I get around to applying for my free bus pass and have the remaining 3 rescued ponies settled into new homes. 

Final question of the night - how is the price of coal looking in the different areas? I need to stock up for winter and managed to miss the usual autumn offer. Logs have increased in price again.

fionaandphil

Hi Frugaldom good to hear you have a nice new tenant. coal had gone up quite a lot last time I ordered it. I don't have the figures to hand as we are away but I think something like 35 per bag? Which is quite a big jump. We last ordered while we could still have coal about 18 months ago. I think next time it has to be briquettes of some sort. Luckily friend has done away with coal bunker this year so we got the contents in return for some meals.

amber03

Not sure about price of coal, we burn approved logs, as OH said the chimney sweep said to only burn logs. Everbody who has any form of fire as their heating ie, fires, log burners,wood stoves, in our area, continuously receiving letters from the council warning us that we would be prosecuted if we burn any unauthorised materials. Makes me laugh as we have so many industries roundabouts that pollute the air. Also I live by the border of another county that doesn’t bother with what u burn. Not sure how our council stops all the smoke travelling to us.x

London_1

Hi chums just popped my head round the door, siebrie  declutterers are worried you are OK along with florencrem, give them a 'head ip' if you have a minute

I have been spending oodles of cash at the dentists at the moment four crowns all fell out within a month, so belt tightening in extremis. But as they had been in over 30 odd years I shouldn't really complain

The builders are working very hard on the renovations to the house and just paid the second stage payment as well so no 'treats' for awhile I think.

Here on the IoW its been blowing a real hooley today, wild wind and rain for most of the day which was weird, as yesterday it was absolutely beautiful and sunny. Weather has been very odd for the past week or so we get a couple of really lovely days, then it tips down just to remind us all that winter is on its way I think.

My late ma-in-law used to say look at what the birds are doing with the berries and acorns, and watching them I have a feeling its going to be a bit of a cold one this year.

But a good frost she also said 'knocks out the germs' , my children used to say their Granny was the old wise woman that the tales were written about as 9/10 she was right. She certainly had so odd remedies for ailments that seemed to work that her Granny and GreatGranny had handed down through the family.
I think it was a kill or cure, as Drs were not things many could afford back then, thank goodness we have the NHS even if it does struggle I wouldn't want to go back the those long ago days for curing things.

Right time for a late cuppa  

Night, night, god bless all here 

JackieO xx

suzeesu2000

London_1 said:

Here on the IoW its been blowing a real hooley today, wild wind and rain for most of the day which was weird, as yesterday it was absolutely beautiful and sunny. Weather has been very odd for the past week or so we get a couple of really lovely days, then it tips down just to remind us all that winter is on its way I think.



Night, night, god bless all here 

JackieO xx

How right you are about our weather. In Freshwater we have been surrounded by flooding this afternoon after that HUGE downpour. Thankfully we are halfway up a hill but road at the bottom flooded, the road to the tip flooded, outside Tesco Flooded, Colwell flooded. Thinking of building an ark!! a and yes, the birds have been storing the berries and the squirrels  are definitely storing food for a harsh winter me thinks. Glad you’re doing okay though.