2025 Frugal Living Challenge

Gem-gem

That is an awesome poly tunnel @mumtoomany I can now see why you are getting so many fabulous crops. I wish I had room for something like that. Mind you, my raised beds, big pots and berry bed is enough for me to work on. You must spend hours in there. I'm in awe too. 

We had our first three cherry tomatoes, they tasted so sweet, so much flavour compared to what you get in the shops. 

All the usual things done today, housework, fruit picking, gym, crocheting. I popped into DM and bought home five out of date eggs and a litre of out of date lactose free milk: DH and I have decided to give DM two eggs per week as I buy them for her and have thrown so many uneaten ones, Tomorrow, I will make a lemon drizzle tray back with them and take it back to her. 

Tonight DH and I picked up three soda breads and some salad all from T€$[o - final reduction - quarter or third of the price. We have shoe horned it into the freezer. 

mumtoomany

Thanks, @Gem-gem. Yes I'm in there every day. Problem is so are the horseflies this time of year. So I'm often in long sleeves and it gets hot. A flock of sparrows seem to have taken up residence in there too. Always see a few flitting around. I think they eat the insects, so I'm happy to share the space. Certainly the number of caterpillars is much smaller this year, although I've seen lots of eggs. The raised beds outside have been somewhat neglected this year. Must remedy that before the brambles take over.

Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xx

Frugaldom

Wow, @mumtoomany that is an awesome food jungle in your polytunnel! 

Everyone is keeping so busy and doing well with produce. I've often dehydrated mushrooms in the past but they taste delicious eaten straight from the jars once dried. 😁

Busy here at the project fixing fences, trying and failing to keep raised beds in check and setting up the new frugal micro-business. Our new licence / exemption certificate was received today so we now have a micro campsite that allows us to host campervans and small motorhomes for up to 28 days of holidays. We aren't for profit so anything raised will go straight back into the project to improve it for future visitors as a social enterprise.

H has been busy creating new sculptures from collected driftwood and I'm aiming to have a clear out of the barn again soon. Got 20 pallets in there for another wildlife or garden project.

Olio brought more baked goods and some turnip & bananas. My diet is atrocious!

mumtoomany

Thanks, @Frugaldom. It's because of people like you on these threads that I even have it. Reading along for years has taught me so much about being frugal and the difference between wants and needs. Thank you all.

Car is still not done, but we needed to get another thing for it yesterday. (Don't know what it's called, but won't go until it's fitted). Borrowed DD1's new, to her, seven seater. Went for chicken feed and dog food, then in completely the opposite direction for milk, bread, ham, etc. Unfortunately, because it's DD's new car, we didn't dare take the dog and fill it with dog hairs. So dadtoomany came into Lidl with me! (He normally stays out and walks the dog) We therefore bought crisps, biscuits, and sweets too. Did manage to get some redex, needed when you drive really old cars! They are the cheapest place for it, but don't always have it in. Got 8 bottles. Also bought lots of fruit from the veg shop. 

Total spent yesterday. £39.92 in Lidl. £19.96 of which was redex. £9 in the veg shop. Also topped the tank back up with diesel for DD1, £20.88. Not counting the cost of car bits. Can't manage here without a vehicle. 

DD1 her OH and the three children are away on holiday from tomorrow, so it will be very quiet here for a week.

Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xx

Gem-gem

Good afternoon everyone, 
Another boot fair completed. It felt slow at times, I was on the first/last row which I think can have an impact. Saying that I made £151 profit. This is going to help as DH has booked us to go away for three weekends for football. (He has paid for all three of them). I may do one boot fair next month and possibly one more later in the year. I have boxed up some stuff to pass on to a friend of my husband, I'm fed up with having it all sitting around the house. 

@mumtoomany, my mum always had the same problem when shopping with my Dad. He kept her on a very tight budget but would then come shopping and fill the cart with ice-cream, biscuits and sweets as well as other food items. Mum would then explain that the budget wouldn't stretch to what he wanted and so he would then have to pay for the extra items. 

MayDogsandCoffee

Polytunnel envy here, but there is just me so that would be far too much.  A friend has just dropped of about 2kg of plums which is a lovely present, might attempt to make some jam, otherwise they will be stewed to have with yogurt.  On my dog walk today I have seen some plum trees so will be taking a bag or box with me next time.  They are just falling on the ground and going to waste.

Frugaldom

Good morning, frugalers! 😀 

Like others, I definitely need a car here, even if I barely do any travelling. Last month was 12 months tax, this month the insurance and next month MOT so there's always something. H also has a car so I here will be savings to be made after retirement. 

We are having work done at the tiny cottage where the outbuilding is slowly becoming a useable room. For those who don't know, we bought this fixy-up a few years ago with the idea of letting it out until we downsize for retirement. (We live in an area where you can still buy properties for under £50k) It's all budgeted as a project in its own right, based on whatever rental income it generates. I see it as a long-term investment and maintain it at an affordable rent, which gives minimum 10% return on investment, so I'm hoping this will be the final leg of its renovation journey.

I need to tally up my food shopping receipts for the year to date and work out what percentage of my annual budget remains. Time just keeps running away from me. August is just a few days away and the new micro business begins this weekend. Frugal signage needed so that's my 'project of the day' - H can print out and laminate said signs for Friday. Please do visit Frugaldom if you want a totally off-grid experience surrounded by nature in our mini wilderness. 😁

fionaandphil

Good luck with the new business!

Gem-gem

Yes, @Frugaldom, good luck with your new adventure. 

No spend day for me today. I had to take the car to the garage, front trim was hanging down again. After speaking to the mechanic, I asked them to remove it as it is purely cosmetic / only function is that it improves aerodynamics. This he did. With all the bumps in the road if it was screwed back on it would only come down again. It was damaged when driving over the fields after a boot fair. The mechanic didn't charge me so I said that I would drop in a homemade jar of gooseberry jam. 
Spent a couple of hours in the garden fruit picking, pruning and pulling up weeds. 

Dinner was veggie chilli with rice and leftover ys garlic bread. 

Spare time was spent crocheting another small bee themed bag. 

mumtoomany

@Gem-gem, fortunately I have always been in charge of the money. Loving the crochet. 

@Frugaldom, good luck with the new venture/business and also with the renovations.

Yesterday, have found a link on the original thread, and falling down a virtual rabbit hole, I found a recipe for tuba gumbo. Used the rest of the two sweet potatoes, used some in soup last week. OH doesn't like sweet potato, so I didn't tell him, ate it all and loved it! 

Forgot to tell you all. Last week OH was walking to the garage. Saw a dead rabbit on the road. Still warm, so he moved in of the carriageway. A man stopped his car, asked if it was dead, picked it up and put it in his car. Someone had rabbit for tea me thinks. I don't like rabbit, although we've often eaten them in the past, and also fed everyone "chicken" curry with dead pheasant and partridge. Not quite so broke now, glad someone had the benefit.

The bedding is wrong! Ordered it thinking it was flannelette, said brushed in the description. Sent a very nice email. Had 35% knocked off the price. Will be used on the space bed. Will order some more, flannelette, next week.

Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xx