2025 Frugal Living Challenge

Laura_Elsewhere

p.s. personally, I never bother with the 'wool' setting on our machine, as the coldwater-rinse cycle with no detergent is all that wool needs, with its self-cleansing properties. 

The wool cycle is useful if you have stained non-wool ordinary clothing though and want to give it a cool wash before its usual wash  

fionaandphil

Fabulous advice @Laura_Elsewhere you learn something new every day. I especially like the mixed biscuits quote, made me chuckle 

Gem-gem

Thank you @Laura_Elsewhere for your wise words of wisdom on how to deal with cashmere / woolly clothes. I would have never even tried to go so long before washes until I read about how you treat clothes. 👏 Saves time and money. 

MayDogsandCoffee

Just posted thanks but it has disappeared.  Thank you to all esp @Laura_Elsewhere great tips, I don't tend to wash wool very often as it does seem to have self clean properties, so I tend to hang to air.  I was once told to add a drop of oil (cooking) to the water for hiking socks and strangely it does keep them supple.  My last cashmere jumpers bought in the sale at C&A and worn for 13 years are only suitable for dog walking now, but these ones are like new and I don't want to spoil them.  I machine washed an old one and now it is suitable for a very skinny 5 year old

suzeesu2000

That was very interesting @Laura_Elsewhere, thank you. 

Arrietty

Hello,

just catching up as I'm at home today whilst my car is being serviced and MoT'd. Yesterday was torrential rain all day and it felt like it never got light but today is bright and sunny so I enjoyed my early morning walk home after dropping the car off. As I usually leave for work at 6:45am I really do appreciate all those who leave their Christmas lights on all night, it make the dark morning drive much cheerier but it was nice to see them all in person as I walked home. 

Thank you @Laura_Elsewhere for your detailed  cashmere care programme. I love that tips were passed on by your grandmother, as many of my clothes care tips I learned from mine 
I do have some cashmere pieces bought by pre-loved from eBay and like you I rarely wash them, preferring to hang inside out in fresh air as you do.

I have managed to squeak through on my monthly budget and was slightly dismayed to learn we get paid on Monday! Thankfully, I've already spent what I need to for Christmas-related things  so now just have to make my next budget stretch a full FIVE weeks 

I've bought car insurance as I got fed up with waiting for RAC to send my renewal offer, each time I logged in to the app to ask it said they were available ... but they weren't. I eventually got a new quote and it was £59 more than what I found. I then tried to cancel the renewal and a stupid chatbot kept thanking me for my patience and telling me customer advisers would be with me soon - this started at 5 minutes and then increased to 10.  I despise Chatbots.  Eventually I  got fed up with waiting and just cancelled the direct debit via my bank. 

If only there had been an option to speak with a human, they might have kept my business but if they will insist that I self-manage my policy via their app then at least give me the option to self-manage the renewal rather than direct me to a bot who then directs me to wait for a customer advisor ... but only a digital one! Grrrr.

Oh dear,  think I'm becoming a curmudgeon 

kimwp

Arrietty said:

Hello,

just catching up as I'm at home today whilst my car is being serviced and MoT'd. Yesterday was torrential rain all day and it felt like it never got light but today is bright and sunny so I enjoyed my early morning walk home after dropping the car off. As I usually leave for work at 6:45am I really do appreciate all those who leave their Christmas lights on all night, it make the dark morning drive much cheerier but it was nice to see them all in person as I walked home. 

Thank you @Laura_Elsewhere for your detailed  cashmere care programme. I love that tips were passed on by your grandmother, as many of my clothes care tips I learned from mine 
I do have some cashmere pieces bought by pre-loved from eBay and like you I rarely wash them, preferring to hang inside out in fresh air as you do.

I have managed to squeak through on my monthly budget and was slightly dismayed to learn we get paid on Monday! Thankfully, I've already spent what I need to for Christmas-related things  so now just have to make my next budget stretch a full FIVE weeks 

I've bought car insurance as I got fed up with waiting for RAC to send my renewal offer, each time I logged in to the app to ask it said they were available ... but they weren't. I eventually got a new quote and it was £59 more than what I found. I then tried to cancel the renewal and a stupid chatbot kept thanking me for my patience and telling me customer advisers would be with me soon - this started at 5 minutes and then increased to 10.  I despise Chatbots.  Eventually I  got fed up with waiting and just cancelled the direct debit via my bank. 

If only there had been an option to speak with a human, they might have kept my business but if they will insist that I self-manage my policy via their app then at least give me the option to self-manage the renewal rather than direct me to a bot who then directs me to wait for a customer advisor ... but only a digital one! Grrrr.

Oh dear,  think I'm becoming a curmudgeon 

@arrietty, why dismayed to see your pay early, why is it any different from getting it on the usual date?

Gem-gem

Good evening everyone, 
Had a go at making Panettone in the bread maker. It isn't bad. It is a similar recipe to a brioche. Cost a fraction of one of the expensive ones in a tin. 

Also, prepared a batch of mincemeat, to make mince pies in the morning. The sugar pastry is also resting in the fridge. Pretty sure they won't be cheaper than the shops but at least they will not be ultra processed. 

Made six Christmas cards. 

Then more crocheting. Have started making a Christmas stocking for a family member.
Another no spend day.

RavenRover

@arietty I feel your pain about pay.  I only work part time and my main job has paid me already which means 6 weeks without pay.  Thankfully I have Christmas organised and have 2 Olio collections a week which helps the grocery side.  Looking forward to tackling Aldi this morning as one of my work sessions has been cancelled.  I will get cheap veg!!!😆

mumtoomany

Morning all. Been an interesting time since I was last on here. Both dadtoomany and I were ill for weeks. Thought it was flu, but DD1, who is a GP, thought it more likely Covid, given our symptoms. Now fortunately on the right side of it. Then on 18th DGS3 arrived, 3 weeks early. So much childcare been done. 

Went shopping this week and found 3 big boxes of strawberries at £1 per box. Also lots of reduced bread. After removing the few that were bad and eating lots, I put two big bowls for pudding. The rest became jam. 12 jars and a 1kg margarine tub full. It was raining and the other jars are in the barn! We have everything in for Christmas, except more milk. We will go down on 24th, get the milk, and look for yellow stickered bargains. Aldi and Lidl shut for 2 days, so usually bargains to be had. In previous years I've found lots of non Christmas stuff reduced. Mince, chicken, fish etc.

I'm working on the budget for next year. I will try to post more often. Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx