From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

themadvix

With the tiny amount of CC vouchers I get (and the fact you can’t quadruple them like you used to), I too spend in store - although probably not as strategically as you Greying!

badmemory

I think I am going to struggle to spend my clubcard vouchers this year other than in store.  I have for years got my television programmes although I did once years ago have a holiday that only cost me the single & flight suppliments.  I will struggle as last time I used them all for the mags & I can't see me getting enough points, I've had a good run.

Have you considered Pick My Postcode that used to be free Postcode lottery until Postcode lottery decided that the word postcode was trademarked to them.  I thought the Royal Mail would have that.  There is also win a dinner & freemoji.  After noon, 4pm, 7pm & 9pm.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Bright but cold with us this morning. 

So yesterday I made 2 cakes for the tin/freezer.  I made a double choc and a carrot cake.  In order to 'save' an egg for making Yorkshire puddings tomorrow, I put a 'chia seed' replacement egg into each mix.  I think it worked OK. We had a slice of the chocolate cake each with some vanilla icecream for tea last night - we've yet to sample the carrot cake.  Both looked and sliced like you would expect, although they did seem to take forever to cook, but I suspect that has more to do with the oven than any egg replacer.  Now that I have tried the chia seed, I would do it again.  I suspect if you are 'in a hurry', grinding the seed will help it to 'gel' much quicker.

I went for pizza and wedges for tea.  I think LG finally met pizza overload, as they left one small slice of their 'tea' pizza.  But the family labrador (aka DH) hoovered that up (they really weren't big slices in the first place), and LG had eaten all their lunch (which was much more varied than just a slice of pizza!), so I am assured they got all their vits and minerals.  I made a garlic mushroom pizza for DH and I, LG had their usual black olive.

DH gave LG a pound coin out of his wallet - LG asked me how much was in the 'C4C' jar and elected to put it in there.  So must amend that total.

I've a wash on, as we are supposed to have reasonable weather for at least part of today, so must make hay.  DH has gone to work to earn a bit of overtime this morning, so I have only been able to wash half his work stuff, but at least I did that yesterday, so am ahead of the curve a bit with that.  

I've still not decided what to do for tea whilst we watch the rugger.  I was going to do a curry plate, featuring chickpea chasni (my take on chicken chasni), which I am led to believe is a Glaswegian curry construct, but I haven't got any mango chutney (and it's quite expensive to buy).  I did toy with the idea of subbing in peaches, but then you just end up with Jack Monroe's Peach and chickpea curry in effect, and it loses the scottish connection - so what's the point?  It's not like we'll have nothing to eat for tea, so I shall ponder on some more.  

Today should be a nsd.  

Can't think of owt else MSE related to add, so I best go and check on the spin cycle.  Ta for popping by.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Have just made a new to me soup recipe for lunch.  It's a keeper.  It uses relatively inexpensive ingredients that we regularly have in, it tastes lovely, and it's simple to make.  It was Lemony Lentil Turnip Chowder.

I made it in the PC.  I used swedish turnip (swede) in place of the white turnips in the recipe, and used dried dill.  I have to say, before I added the lemon and the dill, it tasted very savoury - it reminded me of tinned chicken soup (although bear in mind I'm a veggie and haven't had chicken soup since the last century!).  Once again, the lemon elevated it, although I am not convinced that the dill did anything BUT, the recipe specified fresh, so i am not sure I got the flavour profile that the the original recipe intended.

I served it with the YS'd white bread I had picked up in MrS for 30p on Tuesday.  LG asked for seconds of the soup (they had asked for a smaller portion to start with, but liked it, so asked for more), and I have never seen such an absolutely spotless bowl returned from them before!  DH liked it, and I did too, so I have already committed the recipe to my index.  I try to seek out recipes for lentils and turnips and other lower cost ingredients to keep in my arsenal.  I am so glad I came across this one.



With apologies for the turmeric stains and pizza oil on me chopping board! 🙁

Greying X 

teapot2

Thanks GP, sounds yummy, I'll have to give this one a go, I use a lot of lentils in soups so good to have another set of flavours x

Greying_Pilgrim

Good morning MFW'rs

Early start for us this morning.  DH hasn't had a lie-in yet again.  How come kiddies are bright and bouncy early mornings on a weekend 🤣

Well, I wasn't surprised at the rugger result last night.  Scotland were worthy winners of the Calcutta cup - Bravo!

We ended up having 'leftovers' for tea.  DH and I had some l/o mushroom stew over baked potatoes that I'd shoved in the oven on Friday night, LG had some lentil bolognese and pasta which were both l/o out of the freezer.

I was doing some sums with DH's payslip yesterday 🙁 because I hadn't originally taken full account of the 'annual' bills and/or the savings necessary for longer term items (think white goods replacement, or maybe clothes/shoes depending on lifestyle etc), we will have less money to save each month for the windows.  I mean, don't get me wrong, the fact we can save something is brilliant, but it's not as much as I had initially thought 🙁 And it kind of brings home how perilous things had become whilst we were renting - had we had any major financial expenditures crop up, we would have quickly been out of our depth.  Virtually every penny of our income was being spent each month.  At least we are putting more into savings now, so we 'have' the money, even if it can't all be allocated to windows.  So I can allocate £300 to the windows fund for February.  Not as much as I had hoped, but a step towards a window frame - even if we have to save for another month to pay for it to be fitted.......

I was giving serious consideration to upping the grocery budget for March, going forwards.  But now I think I am going to try one more month at £200 to see what I can achieve.  For sure our cupboards aren't groaning going into the new month, next Friday - unless you count an overly exceptional amount of Red Lentils of course 🤣And I would be the first to say that we've no....... "fancy" food choices at the mo.  I don't think we've even got any 'prepared' foods in the freezer (I'm thinking plant-based sausages, meatless balls, burgers - that sort of thing), and yes, of course, there is an argument to not have those items anyway, but sometimes we need convenience too.......  

I had a sort through my MrT vouchers yesterday, and I have £8 that are dated this year, and then the rest are for 2025 and beyond.  So for March, I am going to throw £8 of vouchers into the mix and put £8 into the 'C4C' pot - but that is all for March.  

The weather is dry and still here, but cold and 'damp' too.  I think a wash probably won't dry too well, so I am going to take a punt and leave it until tomorrow, when it is supposed to be brighter, with a breeze too, so I stand a better chance of getting a load mostly dry and aired.

Tea was going to involve yorkies  but now I can't think of anything else that I could utilise the oven for at the same time.  I haven't got a shed load of tatties, to roast, mash and bake, so.... Re-think needed 🤔

Right, I can't think of anything else MSE related, and it's taken well over an hour to get this typed, so I'll wrap it up.  

Ta for popping in.  Appreciated, as ever.

Greying X

mumtoomany

Thank you all for your mushroom and bean suggestions. Sorry I've not replied earlier, but our internet is on the blink again! All the ideas look great and doable. However the recipe for the fudge says it will last a week? Not in this house, it would do well to last an hour! I

I made pasta with mushrooms, shallots (from the Christmas Lidl offer) and bacon pieces in a cream sauce. I've made breaded garlic mushrooms, one lot to eat one for the freezer. DD1 has some for bolognese, and are several raw as she walked past. I've got a run of sliced and a tub of diced mushrooms in the freezer. I'm planning on pork stroganoff for tomorrow and now only have a relatively small number left. I opened a tin of spicy bean salad, half of which we had with chicken last night, the rest will be with sausages tonight. Still to open any of the lableless tins. I just know they will all be chickpeas! Nobody here like a chickpeas, so I'll have to get creative.

I was thinking of you during the rugby, wondering who LG would be cheering for, as Wales were not playing. 

Have you factored in the drop in fuel prices from April, into your budget? Maybe an extra penny or two to be had there. 

Hugs, mumtoomany.xxx

Greying_Pilgrim

Hey mumtoomany - lovely to see you. 

Oh, LG had been crying into their 'hot chocolate' at the Ireland v Wales match earlier in the afternoon - a well deserved win by Ireland.  Think Wales may need a period of 'reset' and come good again another year 😉  So LG was cheering on Scotland with gleeful abandon 🤣  I'm just pleased that there were no serious injuries in either match.  

Do you make your own bread?  I can't remember.  I was just wondering if you are inundated with chickpeas, whether you can't make them into like a puree (so think hummus without the seasonings), and then add this to bread dough.  I have seen recipes for legumes added - might even have been with chickpeas 🤔 to enrichen dough.  I should imagine in the finished loaf, it would not be obvious that the pulses had been added, and it might make it palatable?

Yeh, trouble is with the energy drop, is that we're new in this house, so the DD was set at a rate for the previous occupier - who clearly never lived here nor run a bath!  As it was quite low.  We have already used more than we were paying for - BUT have credited our account immediately, so we currently have a positive balance, so I don't really want to start thinking we have 'slack' in the power budget, as whilst we will gain a bit in summer, this will all be eaten up in Autumn/winter again.  Also, we are likely to be facing a higher CT bill - can't imagine that our council won't take every opportunity to raise the rate as much as is legally feasible, to fund all the hair-brained schemes that they deem important.  I'd love to believe that our budgets won't alter much, and that they will still be affordable, but I suspect any gain (if there is) will be negligible.  Whilst I am happy to pay our water bill up until April, because that is what we owe, I need to get in touch with them to see if it is accurate (going forward) or whether we can have a water meter fitted as we are paying double for water here to what we did at the rental house, where we were on a meter (house size similar and rateable value the same, water company the same).  

Sounds like you have been very creative with your mushroom haul - well done!  I remain green with envy at your local greengrocer's offerings 😁👍

Greying X

redofromstart

@mumtoomany condensed milk ice cream is nice, although I'd rather make myself sick on fudge. I'm not keen on chick peas but I do like the baked ones (I use a diabetes uk recipe)

mumtoomany

You are welcome to shop at our greenhouses anytime you wish. The gain on price might be more than offset by the petrol cost though, I'm afraid. Still not opened and of the blank tins yet. I'll wait till dadtoomany is not looking, then he won't be looking out for the contents. I do occasionally make bread, if I can't get any cheaply enough. 

We are metered for water, but not sewage, we have a septic tank. We manage to keep our water bill down to around £260 per year. 

Hugs, mumtoomany.xxx