2025 Frugal Living Challenge

Working_Mum

Another vote for Le Creuset - I moved into my first home with my then BF in 1992 and my Mum bought me a set of pans as a housewarming gift and they're still going strong and look amazing!

Prudent

The Le Creuset pans are great quality. I have had to rule them out due to the weight sadly. My mum had a collection but had to change them for lighter pans when she developed arthritis. I have joint issues and feel I would struggle to use anything heavy saucepans for the same reason.

@MissRikkiC the pans I am replacing are Prestige stainless steel . The pans are still shiny but the handles have become too unstable. You did however help me get on the right track, thank you. I remembered that I bought them from a large furniture and home ware retailer in my village. I won £1000 in garden centre vouchers way back in the mid 2000s. As they had a garden centre, I was able to use some of the vouchers on kitchen ware. I went back there and had a good browse around all of the big range of saucepans, checking the weight, sizes and quality. I decided to mull the options over while I went to Tesco. Of course I had a look at the saucepans there too. And much to my surprise, I liked the Tesco ones best! I have spent far less than anticipated on three saucepans, a small frying pan, a stock pot and a small baking tray. It all came in under £100 (just!). 

I have tidied out my pan and baking tray cupboard and have done a skip run with anything that was in too poor condition to pass on to someone else. The Lidl veg boxes came in very handy for carrying them. I am going to start on the baking cupboard this afternoon. I hope I can keep this going as I really need a serious declutter. I would like to move to a bungalow and it would be good to be ready if the right property comes along.

MissRikkiC

At least this way it’s club card points too. My grandad always warned me away from any pans with screw handles. The prestige we have are Solid handles rather than screwed in which helps. Happy new pans day 

ancientmum

It's not been a terribly frugal January, but I did spend less than my budget on groceries and bought dental supplies using Boots Adv points.  Later this month I've got a trip to the cinema and a concert paid for from Premium Bond winnings (and £73 left).
I need some T shirts for my holiday in April and have set myself a challenge to get six for £20.  One bought last week from a CS for £3, so not a bad start.  I also want some holiday reading, £5 put aside for this, so far I have spent 90p on one paperback.  
Generally I don't buy coffee out, unless meeting up with friends, but I've just signed up to the eight limbed energy company's one free coffee a week, which will be a treat, and I can use it when travelling to see family instead of taking a flask.  I had to have a smart meter fitted as was on the old "economy seven" meter, the signal for which is going to be switched off.  One advantage is that the times of the cheaper electricity has changed, meaning I don't have to get up so early to turn on the hot water or washing machine.

Welcome to February, lighter mornings and evenings, and starting to think about what to grow on the allotment.

Mags x

joedenise

Not sure if you're aware but you need to download the free coffee at the beginning of the week as there are a limited number available and once they're gone they're gone.  You can use it any time that week.

sams247

Got a couple of nice books yesterday from the Bus Stop Book Store, so free.  Got one for the grandbabies and a cooking one for me.

Had a browse in charity shop .... picked up another book for grandbabies (50p) and some wool (50p) for my pom poms, I was a bit worried about the wool as it was really tangled up but I sat with it last night and untangled it all.  I'll easily get two or three pompoms from it, so am well pleased at that price.

Chan2019

Hello everyone! I’ve been avoiding starting my own frugal journey but after a month of over spending I’ve decided to go for it. 

Things I am doing to stop spending:
Making my own tea/coffee instead of going to Costa
Visiting the library 
Going on walks instead of going to the shops 
Baking gifts instead of buying things 
Meal planning (No takeaways) 

Any other tips are very welcome! 

I have three little babies 💗
Have a great day all! 

Frugaldom

Good morning from a very frosty Frugaldom. Managed to keep the stove lit overnight and plan on making another pan of lentil soup for the weekend. The sun is trying to get through the clouds so battery box is already out on its little solar panel - ever hopeful. It's very cold out but the water tanks haven't frozen so that's good. Sadly, the log store is emptying fast and doesn't seem to have lasted long so that is a problem that needs resolved before the really cold weather gets here, assuming it does it's usual.

Glad you got sorted with your pots and pans, @Prudent and I agree about the weight of the LC type. Mine have screwed in wooden handles, which aren't the best as they're always needing tightened. 

mamashaz

joedenise said:

Not sure if you're aware but you need to download the free coffee at the beginning of the week as there are a limited number available and once they're gone they're gone.  You can use it any time that week.

And sometimes when you scan the QR code it doesn't work which is very annoying!

Gem-gem

Good evening everyone. 

I am also a LC fan. I got my initial three saucepans, a casserole pan and a frying pan when I won £750 worth of vouchers across two years - from work (this was in the 1990's). I bought the LC set and a full canteen set of cutlery. Later I received a large casserole pan for a wedding present (2014). Finally, when we had a new kitchen I purchased a milk type saucepan and a wide casserole pan. 

I find that using bicarbonate of soda and a little water gets rid of any tough stains on the pains or my jamming pan. 

I am currently away down at my Mum's helping her to declutter ready to move on Tuesday. My DB and I have emptied the loft. So far, this has resulted in three runs to the tip. One run to a charity shop. Two car loads ready for bootfair and a room full of stuff to sell hopefully sell online. (I started decluttering at my DM two years ago and did a couple of boot fairs last year.