2025 Frugal Living Challenge

Gem-gem

joedenise said:

The rain is making my butternut squashes grow really quickly!  I have one which to be honest is big enough to pick but not worth it just yet as it hasn't started to ripen yet.  I've got about 5 quite good sized ones growing as well and you can see how much they've grown overnight with all this rain.  The plant has gone absolutely loopy!

My butternut squash plant is in a very large pot with spiral frame for it to grow up. This is probably why they are not so big. I have been giving it lots of extra water. 

Gem-gem

Good evening everyone, 

@mumtoomany, that is a lot of courgette plants. I also have an area of my garden that is like a jungle with plants fighting for space. 

Today has been a slower day, Fruit picking between the localised showers and finishing the last of the purses has been the order of the day. 

I also went and did my Mum's shopping. M0rrisons has Mon petit cat food from £2.45 down to £1.80. Plus if I spent £20 I got £2 off. 

S@vers had licky licks, chicken and yoghurt flavour for 99p. T€$co and Morri are charging £1.40 at the moment. Bought five packs, saved Mum another £2.

Highlanddream

Hello all, I picked loads of beans today, French, runners & Jersey. I have a large allotment and this year it is coming into it's own. Hoping to preserve / freeze all excesses. I have a stone shed in the garden which is now my pantry, lol.  I am really trying to reduce my spending on food. My OH loves his meat but I am making meals that work well for vegetarians too - trying to reduce the spend on meat. Made a courgette chocolate cake, it is pretty good, better the next day, rather than fresh. Courgette and feta pie in filo pastry - chuck some rice in it to dry it out a little, that was really yummy. I am totally obsessed with courgettes and squash. Butternuts are doing really well. The only thing I am not really pleased with are my cucumbers but hopefully they will catch up - I love sliced pickled cucumbers. 

mumtoomany

First spend for a few days. £2.35 for 2litres of milk! And I had a mile and a quarter walk there and back to get it. Car not yet back on the road. But hopefully in the next day or two.

Petrol at the start of the month was £46.27. TV licence was not £15 this month, but £9.75, not sure why. Electric was £61.70, for our half. 

I have received notification of my train ticket refund, £55.30. So that should be back in the next day or two. Also made interest on savings of £44.61 this month. 

Will total up at the end of the month.

Hugs, mumtoomany.xx

Highlanddream

My trusty dehydrator for allotment excesses has decided it has had enough and is thinking about giving up, I don't want to spend a fortune, has anybody any suggestions for a half reasonable brand?

Hoping for only a milk spend today. 

fionaandphil

Sorry can't help you @Highlanddream have you got an airfryer that might have that function on?  I have a fancy overpriced airfryer that does it, and I love it at this time of year.  I bought it when I was thinking of dehydrator, needed a new slow cooker and just like the look of airfrying.  I hate the slow cooker on it so still have my old falling apart cheap one.  I don't use the airfyer nearly enough and need to do more but I have already started thinking about starting the dehydration of tomatoes ready for the winter.  I hope you manage to find something

mumtoomany

Ho, @Highlanddream. Could you dehydrate stuff in an oven on a very low setting. A bit like making meringue. Maybe Google it. Hugs, mumtoomany.xx

Frugaldom

mumtoomany said:

The post on Facebook seems to have worked. I've now got fewer than twenty courgettes/marrows left on the gate. More growing daily. Picked lots of tomatoes and beans with DGD1 today, too. 

If you have the Olio app then there's an option for listing giveaway food on it, too. Might be handy for your crop gluts 😁

Gem-gem

Highlanddream said:

My trusty dehydrator for allotment excesses has decided it has had enough and is thinking about giving up, I don't want to spend a fortune, has anybody any suggestions for a half reasonable brand?

Hoping for only a milk spend today. 

My oven has a dehydration setting. You may want to check your oven out.

Highlanddream

My oven was the cheapest ever until we get a new kitchen. no luxuries such as that. My Ninja does have a setting but it is too small.