2025 Frugal Living Challenge

Frugaldom

You've done well getting all those jobs done @startin_again so you should be proud. I can be such a procrastinator unless I make myself accountable by stating on here what I plan to do then returning to confirm my plans were followed. I've still not repotted my tomatoes or peppers, still not tidied out the potting shed and still not even sown my courgette seeds.

We ate some of the bacon and rolls that came from Olio at teatime tonight and there's enough of each left for tomorrow's lunch. I opened up the bags of 8p carrots and parsnips I bought and transferred them into a cardboard box in a cool, dry place to try to keep them fresh for longer and I've another bag of sprouted potatoes that needs planted.

Almost the end of yet another month. It's really scary how fast the time passes. I've still not organised getting my free bus pass yet but haven't had any time off to go anywhere, even if I wanted. Frugaldom is full on 7 days a week with 'no rest for the wicked' but I'm making sure I take time out to post and to read as much as I can.

Prudent

Welcome @pennywisepoundstupid, it sounds like you will have lots of good ideas to add to the thread. I have a garden centre voucher to spend too. I am hoping to get some more herbs for the allotment. I need to sow some spinach too. Every thing seems to be growing well just now, and there are a lot of seedlings ready to transplant. There is a sunny week ahead, so I will put up some bamboo teepees ready for the beans and peas. We also want to make a start on creating a wildlife habitat with some pallets we were given last weekend. I wish I lived nearer to @Frugaldom as some manure would come in handy. 

I have had quite a busy social week, but have managed to keep on top of the jobs. I have been given some tickets for the Royal Highland show so I started today by getting a coach booked as they fill up quickly. I have a bus pass, so it will be a free journey. I haven't been for years and I am really looking forward to going. I needed to transfer a maturing ISA. After checking MSE, I went with the Santander offer as they haven't yet dropped their interest rates and I will also get a £50 voucher. I am going to choose an Amazon one as I have something in my Amazon basket for £53. A friend took me out for a belated birthday lunch and I have spent most of the afternoon sewing as OH is at the pub with friends. 

I managed to get a couple of veg boxes this week which was very welcome and we now have plenty of fruit and veg again. I foraged some wild garlic yesterday and made a hearty soup with peppers, tomatoes, various beans, onions, carrots and wild garlic. I also made some nettle tea. Last year I made the BBC good food recipe for nettle and wild garlic soup and it was very tasty. There is plenty of rhubarb ready in the garden and at the allotment. I think I will make some jam this week.

sams247

Went to marshall at Junior Parkrun today, managed to be determined after and not go for coffee and cake.... and ex asked if I'd like lunch out instead of a gift (at a nice venue too).  So one super roast lunch later I am a happy bean.  I made a lasagne but that'll keep for tomorrow as its crackers and phili for tea at work tonight.  

Frugaldom

Still trying to be accountable - I DID manage to summon up the will power and enthusiasm to pot on my 2 tomatoes, 2 peppers and 2 cucumbers today, the latter gifted from @Prudent at our last meet-up. Aside from seeing to the plantlings, I spent some free time just listening to the birds, recording what I heard using the free app known as Merlin. It's great fun and very easy to use! Tonight I sat watching a fox and there's a Frugaldom friend staying in another hut to photograph the badgers and pine martens. 

I looked up a few more rhubarb recipes so will try making whatever I can on the stove top at the hut but I've not looked out any jars yet or stocked up on sugar. I'm hoping to try some new nettle recipes soon, too, as a friend has been telling me about several fairly simple but nutritious Romanian recipes. I'll let you know how that goes, may even do another blog. 😊

Gem-gem

Good evening everyone, 
wWhat a busy week it has been. 

Today, I baked and created two 8inch Victoria sponge cakes. One has been portioned up and most frozen. The second one we are taking with us to a birthday party tomorrow night. 

I also cooked a gammon whilst cooking the Sunday roast, this will be sliced and used as sandwich meat / dinners over the coming weeks. 

In the garden, I planted the runner beans. Oops just realised that I left them on the garden table! 

I planted the summer tender stem broccoli into a raised bed and covered it in fleece. A butterfly was spotted in the garden! I haven't grown any brassicas in the garden for a couple of years as I watched some butterflies make the holes in the mess bigger so they could get to them. I also planted two tomato plants out and put others in my baby green house to harden off. In the week I planted nineteen sweetcorn plants. 

After dinner, I did some more sorting of my mother's card making stuff, putting like with like. And identifying what I want to keep. I am getting there. 

Tonight, I finished off a library book then had a relaxing bath. 

A lovely NSD

Yesterday, I did the ironing, then went to yoga followed by doing my DM's shopping plus get the bits to make the cakes. Then I took DM to the hospital for an eye appointment. I arrived home at 3:30pm. I watered the garden, made my DH a sandwich for later in the day and then got ready to go out. I managed to catch the 4:45pm train to London. I walked to F&M bought a box of biscuits and a couple of cakes. Walked back to RF Hall met my DH and we heard a spectacular concert - Mahler's 8th Symphony, you cannot beat a live concert. There were around 350 choir members. There were also two sets of brass up in the balcony boxes playing at the end. DH and I arrived home at 10:30pm. I had waked 12km (7.5 miles).
Going to try and go to sleep now - having trouble dropping off (again!)

sams247

Well it seems the Frugal sprites are out to get me......... last night my car died.  I mean just died.  Electrics went 100%.  Called Rescue service...... (at 8pm) they said they would get to me by 4am.     !     I waited 2 hours then it got so dark n creepy I called and said I was an elderly female alone in a very dark remote place.  They said if I was worried call the police.  I waited a bit more but decided safety first and called a taxi (whopping £20 gone) and went home.  Car sat in layby.  Garage guess-timate it going to cost a lot to fix. Car not worth a jot.  Will probably have to look at getting another car.       Sigh.   

MayDogsandCoffee

@Frugaldom planting shallots is well worth the effort, just one row gets dozens and they do keep well, I have used some of mine for the next year's crop.  Saves a fair bit too as they are more expensive to buy than onions.

startin_again

@sams247 sorry to hear about your car. Definitely better to pay the £20 to get home safely. 

Like you @frugaldom I’m trying to hold myself accountable. I’m determined to get a small bit done in my house everyday to keep moving forward and get everything ticked off my lists. I don’t want to be sitting this time next year still having things to do. 

The previous owner had a raised bed. There is some veg growing in between the weeds, but I’m ashamed to say I don’t know what half of it is. I’m dismantling the raised bed. It’s far too big for me to manage. I spent an hour after work,  moving the compost to other areas in the garden that need it. I will also use the compost to reseed the bits of the back lawn that need it. 

Storage is a real issue. Currently I have all my shed bits n’ bobs sitting in boxes in the dining room. I need to go shopping for a Shed but I will check the budget first. If I have to wait a while to buy I will. 

I bought my first veg box today. I think I was so shocked by the amount of fruit and veg that was in the box, and that everything appeared to be so fresh, It took me a minute to figure out what I was seeing. 

Dinner was from the freezer. Yellow sticker lasagne. Must remember to take something out of the freezer for tomorrow nights dinner. 

fionaandphil

So sorry to hear about your car @sams247 and quite appalled that your recovery didn't arrive. We are with a Autoaid and have never waited longer than an hour. Luckily we've not needed to use them for a few years now as the recurring fault was found and fixed under warranty. I hope you can get on the road again soon.

Gem-gem

@sams247 sorry to hear about your car.. I had mine die on me on election night. I was waiting in a big car park, with lots of other cars, to be directed to the drop off point, to hand over the sealed ballot box - to the count staff and my car wouldn't start. Luckily, a) I only lived less than five miles away so my DH jumped on a bus to join me whilst I waited for the recovery chap b) because I had a ballot they couldn't leave me in the car park and the chaps in high viz jackets pushed me round the block to the count entrance. There at the entrance were lots of police officers, so I felt totally safe waiting for the recovery van. C) it was a flat battery. The recovery chap couldn't believe that my battery had lasted twelve years. They now only last around five years! 

Finally fell asleep at around 4am this morning. Slept until 6:30am. Had another busy day, circuit class from 11am to midday. Picked up  my DM. Got home / changed and then at 2:30pm we all travelled a 90 minute journey to our destination. Had a late lunch at the Spoons, three meals and drinks for £26. Had a look around the area to kill some time. Then at 6:30pm arrived at the birthday party. My birthday cake went down a treat. After dropping DM home arrived back at our place at just before 11pm. 

Tomorrow, I plan in spending the day in catching up on a few jobs.