2025 Frugal Living Challenge

Frugaldom

Soup making here to use the last of a defrosted bag of mixed veg. I just boiled it up with some ham stock and lentils so that's lunch sorted for the next couple of days. 

Making myself accountable is my task of the year as so much has fallen by the wayside as far as recording my frugal living. Please, someone tag me in now and again reminding me to take note of frugal efforts.

I've just watched a YT video about planting shallots to grow more shallots, showing how planting 4 can grow you 20 so I'll try that. I have 2 bags that were olio items. I also have several bulbs of garlic so may freeze them then plant them in what I call the herbery.

sams247

I have a teeny kitchen and no freezer except the little letterbox one in my small fridge and its been hard to batch cook, buy reduced stock etc, so I decided to clear a small space in my hallway and got a second hand table top style freezer, its still small but more than doubles the freezer space I can now utilise.  Hopefully I can now make better use of my community food shop and bulk up with the free veg and make soups n stews to freeze.  

I'm off to the library to pick up some books I ordered in - mainly Batch cooking ones . Happy days

Frugaldom

Well done getting your little freezer @sams24, that should make a huge difference now you have space to store your batch cooked meals.

I had to pick some rhubarb as it's growing at such a rate so that's been stewed with some sweet herbs and is ready to have with crumble, which I need to dry fry as I've no oven at the hut.

Next up, making protective covers for the raised beds to keep the cats out of them. We have several feral cats that visit regularly and I've already seen one digging in the newly weeded strawberry bed! Thinking cap is on as it will need to be something secure.

kimwp

Frugaldom said:

Well done getting your little freezer @sams24, that should make a huge difference now you have space to store your batch cooked meals.

I had to pick some rhubarb as it's growing at such a rate so that's been stewed with some sweet herbs and is ready to have with crumble, which I need to dry fry as I've no oven at the hut.

Next up, making protective covers for the raised beds to keep the cats out of them. We have several feral cats that visit regularly and I've already seen one digging in the newly weeded strawberry bed! Thinking cap is on as it will need to be something secure.

I remember trying to protect my newly planted strawberry bed from cats by sticking a lot of 20cm ish sticks in the ground vertically in a varying pattern, but my cat Phoebe managed to wiggle herself in to lie on the warm soil. Miss her lots. But sticks like that would prevent digging and "deposits", if that's what you are trying to avoid - not recommended if anyone around has issues with falling though! 

RateTartExtraordinaire

2Scratters said:

@Gem-gem what is the site your brother informed you of re the records please as I have inherited a lot of albums and 78's.

I have a stash of items/stuff/goods for the car boot ready to go when the weather prevails. I have had 1 successful one so far.

My frugal workings are a bit off skew at the moment and money has been going somewhere  and I need to pull it together again. It seems to be where I have bits of income that arrives at different times of the month I seem to be all over the place. I like to get any money to be saved working as soon as it arrives.  My SP commences next month, I need to work out a system of what gets paid and when. 

2 Scratters xx

I used Discogs to sell some old shellac 78s I inherited. They will need careful wrapping. I followed their very helpful guide on wrapping.

Also, I don't know if you have one nearby but took all my old vinyl to a vinyl record store/cafe and made them an offer. They took the lot!
I got £30 and some free coffees.  Much easier than selling it bit by bit. 

Frugaldom

@kimwp thank you for your input. I managed to use some salvaged wire mesh and sticks to cover the strawberry bed and used fine rubble mesh to cover the cabbages then took the time to photograph them and updated my blog.  I'm just getting back into that, as it had fallen by the wayside.

This week has been great for Olio food rescues as it included some non-bakery goods suitable for meals as well as the usual bready stuff and croissants. It feels very decadent eating warm croissants for breakfasts and getting to sample more expensive breads not normally within the frugal grocery budget. With what gets saved by using Olio, I can happily indulge in luxuries such as real butter rather than spread.

The fruit trees and bushes are beginning to blossom so I'm finding it quite an exciting time of year. I absolutely love to see the cherry and apple trees flowering.

Thank you for all the tips being shared for selling vinyl. Most helpful.

pennywisepoundstupid

Late to the party as I have just found this thread. I'm about half way through reading and loving what everyone does to save a little money.

Last nights tea was a frugal one for us as i made potato gnocci from an 8p bag of spuds, an egg from my chooks and some plain flour, It made 6 portions, 4 of which have gone in the freezer. I made a wild garlic pesto to go with it (wood near my home is covered at the moment and smells divine). 

Off to my local garden centre this morning as I have a £50 birthday gift voucher to spend, going to need some willpower as i know they will have some lovely plants.

pennywisepoundstupid

Came in under budget at the garden centre £49! Bought a lovely blue trough and some lavender plants, some vegetable seeds and some basil.
 Whilst there i received a phone call to see if i could go into work for a couple of hours as someone hadn't shown up and 2 glamping pods needed cleaning, I don't normally work weekends but DH was busy watching DS play rugby so thought why not it's extra money and is only 5 minutes from home, so dropped my purchases off , made myself a travel mug of tea to take with me and went and did that.
Got home and set to in the garden, lavender looks lovely planted up, Sowed some spinach seeds and then picked salad leaves to have with lunch, also collected 4 eggs from my ladies some of which will be used tonight as i'm making a fakeaway chinese of prawn curry and egg fried rice. DD went to the big town this morning so i sent her with a list for the oriental shop she said she only spent about £5 and didn't want any money, also noticed she had picked a couple of whoopsed bakery items from M&S which we can have for breakfast tomorrow. She has been trained well .

Frugaldom

@pennywisepoundstupid Thank you for joining us here and welcome to the group. 😊 You sound fairly organised and ready to get stuck in to become pound-wise

This weekend has been one for visitors and also for gifts! Massive thanks to frugal friends for all their kind donations of foodstuffs, workwear clothing items and empty plastic bags for bagging up manure that then gets sat out at the gate for folks to help themselves.

H is out clearing bits and pieces of scrap wood, pallets and general rubbish that he has collected from beach cleans and is now busy creating his next masterpiece of eco artwork that doubles as wildlife habitat. I'm sure he mentioned shaping it like a horse so I'll go take a peak to see how that's progressing.

Cleaned the hut windows inside and out with newspaper and solution of vinegar so I can get better photos of the wildlife that visits. Last night we saw two of the female badgers we think are nursing cubs and the fox was here eating cat food. One of the pine martens came up onto the decking to take a fresh egg that we'd left out for it. Good evening of wildlife watching, something we enjoy doing as often as possible.

Rain this afternoon means everything got watered and my makeshift covers over the strawberry bed and the cabbages are still standing. No signs of cats having gained access. Yeah!

startin_again

Welcome @pennywisepoundstupid I’m also a newbie. 

@frugaldom I love rhubarb. You’ve put me in the notion of rhubarb crumble. 

I have managed to tick off a few jobs on my to do list since we last chatted. 

I painted my skirting board,  assembled the bookcase, filled it with books. 3 boxes emptied and brought to the recycling centre. 

There were small chips out of my enamel bath. Which I was able to fix for free using an enamel kit that was gifted to me. 

The sealant around the bath was all stained. I thought it was maybe hair dye from the previous occupants but it was probably mould. Initially I thought I would have to replace  the sealant but I experimented with neat bleach and it worked. I can bring the sealant back to the shop and get a refund now. 

I got a new to me ironing board for free on the market place. It just needed a good clean. I will replace the cover with new fabric I already have at home. 

I also bought some cheap veg before Easter. I had a £6 off a £40 spend I wanted to use up. I blanched the carrots and froze them.  

Pay day on Monday. It felt like a long month. I have to make a budget.