2025 Frugal Living Challenge

mumtoomany

I think maybe the frugality may have gone too far. I found two tubs of meat in the freezer, one labelled cooked steak, the other cooked kidney. I found two wraps in the cupboard and with some onion, made two wrap pasties. (Used a crimping, bought by my sister). OH came back from the MOT, it passed, and asked what's for tea? Wrap pasty says I. Rat pasty he replied, without batting an eyelid, OK. I did correct him.

Hugs, mumtoomany.xx 

Quantaqa

@mumtoomany, the Rat pasty made me laugh

@Frugaldom best of luck with your new venture and renovations.

@Gem-gem, well done with all the gift crafting.  I wish I had skill like that.

Sorry I've been missing from the thread for a while.  I've been away on holiday and dealing with bits going on at home but I have tried to follow along with the thread and like posts throughout the month.  This week has been a bit of a pain so far.  A problem with the car resurfaced and it's now in the garage being repaired, my boiler is not working (since Sunday) and it is Friday before I can get an engineer out to look at it so no hot water.  Luckily its warm so I don't need heating.  My 2 smart meters stopped working (they stopped sending readings) and had to be replaced.  The engineer came out from the company to do that on Monday but due to the boiler issue he's had to cap off the gas.  I hope its straightforward to re-connect it one the guy gets here on Friday.  

Today I've done a bit of a batch cook - Lasagne to do us for a couple of days for dinner, some Bacon and Cheese pastries and egg muffins for DH for lunches at work.  Other than that I got a washing done and out on the line to dry.  

It was my MILs birthday on Sunday and we took her out for a meal as well as givng her a beautiful necklace, or so I thought.  She was incredibly rude about the gift and the only thing she could say that was positve was that the box it came in was nice.  This is not new behaviour for her but this time it's a bit of a final straw situation for me.  The whole day was a nightmare.  So from now on I've decided to put minimal effort into her gifts and stop twisting myself up in knots.  I'm also going to limit the contact I have with her going forward for the sake of my own mental health and happiness.  For me being frugal is about time as much as it is about finances and I want to spend time with people whose company I enjoy and who enjoy spending to with me, people who enrich my life with laughs and support and genuine interest in me and my life with me doing the same for them.  

Nelliegrace

Pigeon risotto was tasty, @mumtoomany, One hit a tree on a windy day and injured a wing so I had to dispatch it. 

themsthebreaks

The rat pasty was 🤣 @mumtoomany

Reminds me of the time I made a pigeon pea cottage pie, and it was assumed to be pigeon meat 😊

Quantaqa

Nelliegrace said:

Pigeon risotto was tasty, @mumtoomany, One hit a tree on a windy day and injured a wing so I had to dispatch it. 

I once ordered pigeon in a restaurant.  I really wished I hadn't as I didn't enjoy it at all

Been at the gym this morning.  I've done nothing for the past 3 weeks at least so know I'm going to be sore tomorrow.  I m determined to make best use of my membership and get my monies worth in August.  Tomorrow and Friday I'll do a swim and then Saturday back into the gym. 

Nelliegrace

Every region has its poverty meal. Staffordshire has yeast from the brewing industry, used in Marmite and Staffordshire oatcakes.
The Black Country has gray pays ’n grayvy. I think the grey peas were better fed to the pigeons. 
Georgette Heyer, an enthusiastic researcher, refers to pigeon meat instead of sausages in toad in the hole, ( A Civil Contract, 1961).

Prudent

Goodness after reading the last few posts I am quite glad that it was Lidl veggie box  and allotment curry for dinner this evening (again!).

@Quantaqa I hope you get your heating sorted and can enjoy a hot shower or bath again. Our boiler keeps cutting out because the pressure is going up. OH has to stay in when I have a shower. The boiler is in the loft and I don't fancy clambering up the loft ladder mid washing my hair. We are getting the system fully replaced, but they can't fit us in for two weeks. I will be relieved when it is done. I haven't ventured into smart meters yet, so it is good to hear that someone comes out okay if there is an issue. A wise decision to be frugal with your time too. I hope it will bring you the same contentment as being financially frugal.

OH wanted a new pair of trousers and a shirt so we went into M&S today. He doesn't share my frugal ways but even he baulked at £42 for the shirt and £50 for the trousers. I had cut up an almost identical M&S shirt a few days ago (I use them for sewing projects) which I had got from the £1 rail on my charity shop potter. I bought some undies which, along with nightwear, is the only clothes I buy new. I also bought a thimble for a hand quilting project, but it was only £1.

@Frugaldom that is good news about the work on the cottage as I know you can struggle to get trades to come in. 

mumtoomany

@Nelliegrace, that has just taken me back to my childhood. I remember my mum telling me how her old brother was partly brought up by two maiden Aunts in the black country, and was fed pays n grayvy. That would have been in the 1920's. 

I try to keep a list of all the things in the freezers, yes plural but I only have two plugged in at the moment. On the list was "piece of meat?" I defrosted it, and under the freezer burn, discovered a piece of gammon. Yesterday I made pea and ham soup, very nice. Today I'm going to cook a loaf of sourdough bread, left rising overnight. Had half the soup yesterday, we can finish it off today with that. 

No more money spent, I'll tot up tomorrow, see how im doing.

Hugs, mumtoomany.xx 

MrsCD

I do like your busy bee bag, @Gem-gem! It's really pretty. 😍

Gem-gem

MrsCD said:

I do like your busy bee bag, @Gem-gem! It's really pretty. 😍

Thank you. I'm just finishing one off that I crocheted on the round instead of as a flat piece that then needed sewing up. I think the finish looks better. I am also experimenting with creating the bees and then sewing them on rather than crocheting it straight onto the bag. 

Wasn't a NSD for me as I managed to get to the haberdashery shop and buy a 2.5mm crochet needle plus 160gms of wool that is cotton. 

Also, I had my hair done and a pedicure. 

I visited the second hand shop, they have sold one of my tops, so I have some ££ coming my way.