2025 Frugal Living Challenge

fionaandphil

Hope you feel better soon Prudent, as you say it helps with the money saving but I'm sure you'd rather feel well

We are well on with salad leaves, cucumber, peas, strawberries and raspberries. We are having YS quiche for lunch with any salad that is lurking or needing used. 

A little cooler today but hoping the washing will still dry

gran3

Gem-gem said:

Good evening everyone, 
We are melting here! How about everyone else?
@Prudent, I have just washed my downstair windows. I will do the upstair windows ,early in the morning, later this week. 

Went to the opticians this morning, an independent local one. One pair of varifocal glasses, one pair of varifocal sunglasses plus the eye test - £815!!! They then gave me a £25 discount. This afternoon, I took my Mum to the eye hospital and got talking to a member of staff. I told them about the cost and they said that the quality at the independent lenses will be 5x better than the quality of lenses that you would get from a well known opticians that has stores all round the country. He knows because he used to work for the big company. When I got home I phoned the independent place and asked them to order both pairs of glasses. Have I done the right thing? I hope so. My husband use to go to the big company but he swapped over a few years ago. My belt is going to have to be tightened in other areas as I only budgeted £500. 

Neighbour popped over today with my door stops - he has made from left over pieces of 400+ years old oak wood that someone gave him plus some dibblers that he made from mahogany. The wood came from our neighbour windows. I swapped them with a crocheted pouch and a hand sewn purse. I will be giving the dibblers to family / friends for birthday or Xmas. I have asked for two more door stops - for my Dad. 

I have started to crochet a market bag for my friend for Xmas. 

How much.......

gran3

Prudent said:

What an interesting discussion about opticians. I have just had a text to say my eye check up is due. I am sure I will need new glasses as I am noticing how much I am struggling just now. I use a local optician who is also good but expensive. I have never tried the big chain. Someone was telling me that she takes her prescription to an Asda optician about 25 miles away. She gets three pairs for the price the local optician would charge for one. Her hubby still uses the local optician. I had thought that I might try the Asda one, but reading these posts is making me pause.

No PB win here this month, £25 for OH. The returns have been poor for me the past couple of years. I am trying to work out if the tax free element, plus the chance of a higher value win, compensates for the poor returns.

Our boiler is now 15 years old and we having are having problems with the hot water cutting out about twice a week. We have a super gas engineer, but over the years (mainly before finding the current engineer), it has needed some expensive repairs. I am undecided whether I want to go for more repairs or simply decide the time has come to replace it. After going to a community event about energy, I had a phone consultation with Home Energy Scotland, who are funded by the Scottish government, they are going to send someone out next week to help us make a decision. In the interim, I am hoping we can keep rebooting it. 

This month will be an expensive one. I have a wedding, OH's birthday, car insurance and now potentially a new boiler. I will need to double down with the frugalling. I haven't spent anything for five days as I have had a heavy cold and temperature and haven't felt like leaving the house. We have had plenty of salad and strawberries from the allotment. OH was visiting his brother yesterday. It is also his brother's birthday this week so I made them a birthday cake to share. 

Prudent said:

What an interesting discussion about opticians. I have just had a text to say my eye check up is due. I am sure I will need new glasses as I am noticing how much I am struggling just now. I use a local optician who is also good but expensive. I have never tried the big chain. Someone was telling me that she takes her prescription to an Asda optician about 25 miles away. She gets three pairs for the price the local optician would charge for one. Her hubby still uses the local optician. I had thought that I might try the Asda one, but reading these posts is making me pause.

No PB win here this month, £25 for OH. The returns have been poor for me the past couple of years. I am trying to work out if the tax free element, plus the chance of a higher value win, compensates for the poor returns.

Our boiler is now 15 years old and we having are having problems with the hot water cutting out about twice a week. We have a super gas engineer, but over the years (mainly before finding the current engineer), it has needed some expensive repairs. I am undecided whether I want to go for more repairs or simply decide the time has come to replace it. After going to a community event about energy, I had a phone consultation with Home Energy Scotland, who are funded by the Scottish government, they are going to send someone out next week to help us make a decision. In the interim, I am hoping we can keep rebooting it. 

This month will be an expensive one. I have a wedding, OH's birthday, car insurance and now potentially a new boiler. I will need to double down with the frugalling. I haven't spent anything for five days as I have had a heavy cold and temperature and haven't felt like leaving the house. We have had plenty of salad and strawberries from the allotment. OH was visiting his brother yesterday. It is also his brother's birthday this week so I made them a birthday cake to share. 

The chains are fine and I cannot see what extra a local optician can provide over and above. My husband went for his first eye test ever,  dont ask, to find that he had two cataracts, 9 weeks later they have both been removed and now only needs readers. £140 for two pairs with a tint on the lenses. I wouldnt consider some of the costs that have been quoted. 

Highlanddream

Hello All, first time poster on this board. I have just reached the point of self sufficiency in veg for the summer on  my allotment, woo hoo. I am trying to aim for the next ten months so fingers crossed. 

fionaandphil

Welcome @Highlanddream

I love feeling all self sufficient in veg at this time of year and then winter hits and I'm rubbish! Every now and then I get my purple sprouting broccoli to last and it feels like a huge win, but mostly the pigeons get to it 😄

Gem-gem

Good evening @Highlanddream, reaching self sufficiency must be so satisfying. What are you growing?
We managed self sufficiency with fruit. We still have berries and apples from last year. It provided us with fruit for our breakfast all year round and all puddings involving fruit. The only fruit we bought were some tropical fruits: satsumas, bananas, melon, pineapple and mango. 

Gem-gem

Crocheted two market bags - great little presents for Christmas. 

Highlanddream

Gem-gem said:

Good evening @Highlanddream, reaching self sufficiency must be so satisfying. What are you growing?
We managed self sufficiency with fruit. We still have berries and apples from last year. It provided us with fruit for our breakfast all year round and all puddings involving fruit. The only fruit we bought were some tropical fruits: satsumas, bananas, melon, pineapple and mango. 

I am growing everything that grows in Devon, lol, the usual potatoes, onions, shallots, just harvested my garlic - 50 , hopefully they will store well,  all variations of beans, peas, bulb fennel, courgettes, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, beetroots, lemons, melons, aubergines, carrots ..... chickpeas, now fresh chickpeas are a total revelation to canned or dried, yummy! Just about all veg known I think 

Highlanddream

fionaandphil said:

Welcome @Highlanddream

I love feeling all self sufficient in veg at this time of year and then winter hits and I'm rubbish! Every now and then I get my purple sprouting broccoli to last and it feels like a huge win, but mostly the pigeons get to it 😄

Must admit to putting psb in the polytunnel, we have the same problem as you. I am trying really hard this year to stretch the seasons and not rest on my laurels when I pull something out, I am trying to fill the gaps, we will see how successful it turns out to be. . 

Highlanddream

Gem-gem said:

Crocheted two market bags - great little presents for Christmas. 

they look great, love them.