2025 Frugal Living Challenge

dND

Duchess2 said:

It’s all “lies, lies and statistics”.  Statistics can basically be made to show anything. We all know that inflation is well above what is published, but then if they told us the truth they’d have to pay us pensioners more!!

My mother used to quote, Lies, more lies, and statistics.  Nothing changes in this world really. Dx

YorksLass

Duchess2 said:

It’s all “lies, lies and statistics”.  Statistics can basically be made to show anything. We all know that inflation is well above what is published, but then if they told us the truth they’d have to pay us pensioners more!!

Somehow I doubt that!  I fear we may well be next in the firing line to be clobbered.  As for the "shopping basket" of goods, don't get me started on that one - it might as well be pure fantasy.

As per @Prudent and others, I've been looking at my annual budget and it's been slimmed down.  Now I have a headache!

Today's frugal living effort is h/m leek & potato soup using up YS leeks and some sprouting potatoes, enough for 3 lunches this coming week.  And my monthly SM shopping list has been pruned to within an inch of its life.  Oh well, onwards and upwards.

fionaandphil

I was pleasantly surprised when I did the car and house insurance as both had gone down. I also got a nice chunk of cashback on them which all helps.  Other costs all going up though as you say, just as well we are all good at being frugal

weenancyinAmerica

@Prudent - maybe the paprika peppers are like the regular bell peppers - green when unripe, red when ripe.

Gem-gem

Good evening everyone, 
Bought four lots of ys braising steak today. Made two types of beef stew, one with kidney - ready to go into a pie or two and the other one with red wine, mushrooms and ys cured bacon. All portioned up and frozen. 

I also bought another two chickens and some venison half price. My DH came home with some ys bread. I have now declared are freezer full again!
@dND you inspired me with what you did with your three chickens, so I have placed the two into the fridge and either tomorrow morning or Monday I am going to do the same - cut the chickens up and make stock and soup with the carcasses. 

Prudent

@fionaandphil that is encouraging news about your insurance.

Thank you for all the paprika suggestions. I have decided to slice them and freeze in small amounts to use in dishes like veggie paellas. OH has lost a tooth and doesn't want any spicey food just now as he has an inflamed gum.

I have paid the first of the 'new financial year' bills for the garden waste bin. It increased from £45 to £50. I have to confess we get maximum value from this service as allotment waste goes in there too.

My car is getting MOT'd tomorrow. It has been delayed from last week on request from the garage who had too much work in. Once I know how much it will cost, I can finish rounding up the financial year.  The new financial year will be quite significant for me as I have hit the point that I am no longer going to contribute to long term savings and I will now simply focus on saving up for big ticket items or jobs around the house. April 2026 would have been my normal workplace retirement age (not state pension age) and I finally have my ducks in as much as of a row as possible for that stage. In a fast changing world there are no real certainties, but I am where I aimed to be. I could not have done it without all the wonderful people on MSE, thank you. With the April budget done, I am now going to turn my focus solely to what I want to repair/replace/ improve. I will still be researching saving accounts etc, but only to recycle money. The first job will be recycling some into my small private pension to claim the tax. A new chapter.

Frugaldom

weenancyinAmerica said:

@Frugaldom - do you remember what you served at your budget engagement party? That was a challenge for you.

Yes,it was a mixed buffet with mainly rice and pasta based dishes, salad stuff, roast chicken drumsticks, egg mayo, coleslaw, fruit kebabs, sausage rolls, chipolata... That sort of stuff. It's all online somewhere but it was many years ago so I can't remember all the details. I know it was 2008 so it may be in that challenge thread, linked from post 1 on page 1.

Frugaldom

Sorry for the prolonged absence but signal has been totally vanishing from Frugaldom. I'm typing this from a hilltop.just outside the town after collecting a load of veg seedlings and couple more fruit trees, all courtesy of a gift voucher and now heading back to start planting. I'm hoping signal will be restored soon to save all the running around. 

Homemade soup on the go again. Porridge still on the breakfast menu and £100 win on the premium bonds so not too bad a start to April 

Apologies for any typos but sun is obscuring my screen now. Enjoy the good weather if it's where you are and I'll catch up soon. We are having our meet-up at Frugaldom this weekend so I'll see a couple of you then. 😁

Gem-gem

@Frugaldom, well done on your PB win. I was not so lucky this month. My DM & DD won £350 between them. My DD celebrated with 1/2 a pint of beer and a packet of crisps. 

Had my maternal aunt over for dinner today. She lost her husband of 60+ years just before Christmas. She is an inspiration, she has lived frugally her whole life (through choice and necessity at times) and is reaping the life choices now. We discuss food growing, batch cooking, books and making clothes / things. She loves a good jigsaw.

Prudent

@Gem-gem that is just the kind of visit I would enjoy. 

A day of jobs here today. I had restful a day yesterday with a watercolour class (free) followed by a potter around the charity shops. I wanted summer tops, but didn't find anything. I did get 33 skeins of anchor embroidery thread for £3. They usually cost about 95p a skein so it was a big saving as I regularly use it for projects. Today I am planting at the allotment and have jobs around the house to do. Tomorrow I will be preparing for my trip down to beautiful Dumfries and Galloway to visit @Frugaldom at the weekend. OH is coming too and we are very much looking forward to it.

I had a £275 premium bond win which is most welcome after about six months of desultory wins. It will be recycled into a regular saver.