2025 Frugal Living Challenge

Gem-gem

Good evening everyone,
DH and I have recovered from the gastric flu. I'm still having a little trouble with my digestive system as it has caused a flare up for me. No lactose / dairy for me until everything has settled back down as this is one of my triggers. 

This week has been a very cheap week for me, I've had no spends since last Saturday. 

Last two days, I have been decluttering and preparing for another boot fair. This time from our house/ our stuff not my DM. Couple of things have found themselves in the main bin. 🤨 As I won't sell !!!!!!! We have given an old bedside cabinet to our neighbour who loves working with wood. It used to be in my DH bedroom when he lived with his parents. Our neighbour will restore it and use it in his garage. 

I have made two batches of jam to sell as well as some more cards, mainly up cycling old cards. I only sell the cards for 50p each. 

Gem-gem

Good evening everyone, 
The jam flew off the boot fair table. Two flavours sold out by 7am! Only three jars of gooseberry by mid morning. The cards, I displayed the price and it resulted in more being bought. £102 profit. 

I have a question...I have two single sleeping bags that are just over 40 years old. They look in good condition but I haven't slept in them for over 15 years, so don't know if the still keep you warm. Should I a) bin them or b) donate them or c) donate to an animal place. We won't be camping out anymore, so don't want to store them any more. Has anyone donated sleeping bags before? 

maryb

Our local charity shops won't take bedding of any description for sale though they will sell it to the rag man and get a few pence that way.   otherwise I think it's only animal charities that will take them

Elisheba

I know the charities collecting for refugees, and for the camp at Calais, were desperate for them at one point, @Gem-gem, but I don't know if that's still the case.

weenancyinAmerica

I've just passed mine along to the homeless directly, but I don't know if you can do that there.

gran3

Gem-gem said:

Good evening everyone, 
The jam flew off the boot fair table. Two flavours sold out by 7am! Only three jars of gooseberry by mid morning. The cards, I displayed the price and it resulted in more being bought. £102 profit. 

I have a question...I have two single sleeping bags that are just over 40 years old. They look in good condition but I haven't slept in them for over 15 years, so don't know if the still keep you warm. Should I a) bin them or b) donate them or c) donate to an animal place. We won't be camping out anymore, so don't want to store them any more. Has anyone donated sleeping bags before? 

Perhaps one of the textile waste collection bins.

Gem-gem

Good evening, 
Thank you for your responses. I will look into your suggestions. 

Started the day early, going to the gym and then doing three loads of washing and housework all before midday. I said that it wasn't going to rain today but it poured down over my nearly dry washing. I just left it out there and it finished drying by late afternoon. 

Dinner was ys chicken and salad. For a little bit of variety we added pomegranate seeds. 

Not so frugal afternoon, booked a few days away in North Devon in November. The hotel is doing three nights for the price of two. We always book half board as the food is exquisite. We will also spend two nights with family as they are in the way home from this place. 

peewhyeff

Gem-gem said:

Good evening everyone, 

I have a question...I have two single sleeping bags that are just over 40 years old. They look in good condition but I haven't slept in them for over 15 years, so don't know if the still keep you warm. Should I a) bin them or b) donate them or c) donate to an animal place. We won't be camping out anymore, so don't want to store them any more. Has anyone donated sleeping bags before? 

2of my local Dunelm stores accept duvets, and other bedding, plus pots and pans, and almost any useful household item which then is collected by a charity(think Salvation Army?) and distributed to the needy. I see no reason why sleeping bags would not also be acceptable. At local store the drop-off is just by the exit.

mumtoomany

Hello all,  hope everyone is well. Been mega busy here. DGS2 stayed for a week, before we drove him back home. Since then DS1 and his girlfriend have been to stay. S-i-L1's parents have stayed for two weekends and the grandchildren have been off school till today. 

Other news. Have hatched 5 chick's, all doing well and starting to feather up. DD1 has informed us we are to be grandparents again. DGS3 will be born early January. Her others will be 11, 9 and 7. Knitting pins are in full swing.
Tunnel still producing more food than we can eat. I've made over £400 so far this year selling surplus. And I've won another £50 on the premium bonds this month.

Total spends for August are. Food and groceries, £124.13. Petrol £110.33! Mostly used to collect and return DGS2, they live 5 hours away. Bills, phone, electric, gas, tv, £116.57. Wool, from car boot sale, £5. Total of above is £356.03. Another expensive month, but better than July.

Hopefully life will now be a little less hectic for a couple of months, hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

Gem-gem

Good evening everyone, 
@mumtoomany, congratulations on your baby grand child news. Also, on being a mum to five chicks. £400 in selling surplus, that is fabulous. 

Life has been very busy here, DM has a buyer for her bungalow and I have been dealing with all the paperwork for the solicitors as well as supporting DM with shopping etc. We have also been away for another football weekend. The garden has continued to pull on my time. Which will increase further still as I will soon be spending hours prepping pears and apples for the freezer. 

PB for me £0. £275 for Mum. £50 for Dad.
Had a different sort of luck, I normally have a box of Hotel Choc hot chocolate sachets delivered four times a year, giving me 40 drinks a year which I stretch to one each week by not using a whole pack. I cancelled this quarters subscription as the company had sent me a 20% off voucher, so I went into the store. Whilst I was there, I sampled three chocs, my husband sampled two. The manager also gave me these all for free. 😀 The latte's were hitting their expiration date but the others were well in date. 

Today, I went to an auction house to sell a variety of items. Sadly, I was told that they wouldn't sell. Upon leaving, I spotted a pile of items in the rubbish area. They said that I could take anything that was there. 

These are some of the items that I found: 
Three Wedgwood items - trinket dishes and bud vase - two in mint condition - these will be used as presents. 
Royal Albert trinket dish - fine bone china in mint condition - I've swapped it for one that I had that wasn't as nice.
A Susie Cooper meat serving dish, I was told that I should get at least £10 at a boot fair but I have decided to keep it. 
A 1938 ceramic van that someone is selling on eBay for £40
A named vase selling on eBay for £10
A small decanter. 

There was also more than a dozen of other items that you may get 50p /£1 from at a boot fair. 

I go past there two - three times a week so I will check their rubbish again when I know that they are taking goods in. Another chap was filling his cart up with old tools, he said that he will sell them at a boot fair.