2025 Frugal Living Challenge

fionaandphil

They are lovely blankets @Gem-gem and great use of wool you already have.

Just back from a spendy but lovely holiday so trying to rein it back in and save some cash. We have full freezers and lots growing in the garden and greenhouse so no excuses, just need to do a bit of meal planning. Very easy this weekend as we've had lots of salad in this hot weather 

Gem-gem

Good evening everyone, 
Another quiet day for me today. I'm fighting a virus - a cold with a dry cough.  It started Friday night.  Whilst the tablets were working this morning managed to do the ironing. Then later in the afternoon put the Sunday roast on. Didn't do a Yorkshire just the basic meat, potatoes and veg. DH had his first two runner beans of the season. I had cheap parsnips and swede and we both had cauliflower. I followed a Jamie 0liver recipe - rubbing in chopped rosemary, crushed garlic, oil and seasoning into the hoggart. It was delicious. I did not cook the hoggart on the oven shelf, I didn't fancy the mess that it would have made. 

Whilst chilling I made another bee blankie. Birth present and a first year present now both made.  I still have a little yellow wool left over. I have placed this in my odds and ends wool bag. You never know when it will be useful. 

Gem-gem

Finally had to succumbed to a $uperdrug card 😔 my hair serum was £8.35 in B00ts, £7.99 in $uperdrugs without their card. £5.29 with their card. It so annoys me this two tier costs. All to get your data. 🤬🤬 In $avers a similar one was £5.35 but not the strength that I need. 

Gem-gem

Picked up three bags of watercress ys for £1.50.
Made watercress soup for lunch. Froze the rest. Delia recipe. 

Tonight's dinner, left over roast lamb inside a Yorkshire pud. Whole milk was ys. As were the spring greens. No potatoes needed. 

MrsCD

Gem-gem said:

Finally had to succumbed to a $uperdrug card 😔 my hair serum was £8.35 in B00ts, £7.99 in $uperdrugs without their card. £5.29 with their card. It so annoys me this two tier costs. All to get your data. 🤬🤬 In $avers a similar one was £5.35 but not the strength that I need. 

Yes, this 2 tier shopping is becoming more common. I don't like it either, so I use the system to the best of my ability to make me feel better!  I use the Trolley app to find out where it is cheapest.
My mobile is with O2, so I signed up for their Airtime rewards. I connected my credit card, which pays me to use it, and I use it whenever I shop in places they have an agreement with. So far since I signed up at the beginning of the year, and not spending more than I would have, I've accumulated over £11 in Airtime rewards, (as well as the vouchers from my cc) to take off my phone bill! Little victories, folks! 😊😁
P.S. your dinner looks yummy. 😊

Gem-gem

Thank you @MrsCD, you have just prompted me to download the Trolley App. Several friends have spoke about it / shown me before. My DH likes to wander around the different shops checking the prices out!!! (He will be downloading the App too). 

Prudent

@Gem-gem all your makes, food and crafting look wonderful. I hope you feel better soon. Like @MrsCD I find the 2 tier shopping is becoming more universal. I saved £8.60 last month using the Lidl app and this is in the context of only once having managed to spend £100 there in a month. I must investigate linking my credit card to O2 rewards. I use the £1 Greggs coffee on their app when I am out for a full day and can't carry that much coffee or water with me. 

I have only just fully recovered from the virus so I have been too wiped out to meal plan effectively. I did manage to get a couple of decent veggie boxes yesterday with plenty of fruit. I am gradually getting back to some more crafting and have been sorting out my fabric boxes and planning projects. A friend gave me some White Company duvet covers yesterday and even though they have been well used they have given me a large amount of decent enough white cotton for embroidery projects. I spent yesterday afternoon cutting them up into manageable pieces. 

I have a wedding this week and I am getting my nails done in a salon for the first time with the bridal party. I have no idea of cost but it will be a one off treat. I have a slight tremor with one of my conditions and this is something I can no longer do a reasonable standard myself. It will also be lovely to share in the excitement of the wedding preparations. 

dND

Gem-gem said:

Thank you @MrsCD, you have just prompted me to download the Trolley App. Several friends have spoke about it / shown me before. My DH likes to wander around the different shops checking the prices out!!! (He will be downloading the App too). 

Trolley is good but do remember it doesn't include a lot of shops, i.e., L1dl & F4rmf00ds and sometimes shows online only prices, not what the local branch have as the shelf price. 
That said, I think it's a fantastic tool and it has stopped me making a lot of impulse purchases when seeing the so-called 'Special Offers' in stores. I check and realise that the special price is actually the standard price. 😁 Dxx

Frugaldom

Good afternoon my fellow frugalers. Everyone is sounding busy and productive. Get well soon to all who are suffering from viral attacks, allergies or other ailments.

The weather here changed so the ground is currently being washed and the water tanks are being refilled. We have tanks or water butts attached to all roofs and downpipes at Frugaldom but being off-grid, no fresh running water. Things are ticking along but there's not much growing this year. We just don't have the right soil and I no longer have the rnergy or strength to build anything or cart heavy bags of soil or compost. Now, we have Olio and we make the absolute most of that whenever we can.

Life is very 'samey' at the minute so I really need to set myself a new challenge or some new goals. A holiday would be fantastic but animals dictate otherwise so I'll need to come up with something else. Suggestions welcome, bearing in mind I work 7 days a week with no days off and there's no running water or electricity, nor space for batch cooking anything. Those who know me, know the situation.

Prudent

I am pondering your quest @Frugaldom. I am wondering if your next challenge could take you in a different direction and be the start of a retirement journey. You had a strong vision your work life; writing about many things and in particular frugal living and alongside that creating your wonderful social enterprise (if that is the correct phrase?) of Frugaldom. Perhaps into that you could begin to weave the kinds of things you can imagine doing when the physicality of Frugaldom is no longer possible. The hobbies that may have sparked your interest but been eased out by other demands.