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My Off-grid and need to be frugal diary

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  • AnimalTribe
    AnimalTribe Posts: 446 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker

    It’s been an odd sort of day. I’ve done more clearing out and found more magazines, books and DVDs to go to the charity shop next time I’m in the village.

    I’ve got my biennial eye test tomorrow, but hopefully my vision hasn’t changed much.

    DH has been busy clearing rough ground so that when the new oil tank arrives, we can move it into place. It was a big job so I’m glad it’s done.

    I’ve been making bread-based meals for the last couple of days and everything has been good so far. Tomorrow I’ll use some garlic and coriander naans as the bases for pizza.

    Other than that, I’ve just been on the internet looking for recipes to use up some odd things that have found their way into the house – the kind of things you think look interesting but then loiter at the back of the shelves. In my case things like polenta, dried soya beans, sour rye packet soup, Ready Brek (why DH bought 2 boxes I’ll never figure out). I have found some ideas to try. I often wonder what impulse buys people have in their cupboards.


    GC Feb 25 - £225.54/£250 Mar £218.63/£240
  • AnimalTribe
    AnimalTribe Posts: 446 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker

    I've been in town today for an eye test, and my eyes are still the same as they were at my last test 2 years ago - so yeah!

    I sorted out a few things while I was there and did a bit of window shopping but I was very restrained. The only thing I bought was dairy milk for DH (I use oat milk).

    The homoeopathic apis I ordered just in case the dog gets any more stings arrived today, although I hope I don’t have to use it.

    I found a Mary Berry raspberry jam recipe online that uses raspberries only. Hopefully it will set well. I’ve made raspberry mixed with apple, and raspberry mixed with currants in the past.

    DH is continuing his fixes of things around the house and garden and has ordered a 7ft metal gate to replace the broken wooden one. The metal gate is lighter and doesn’t need to be painted every year so it will be a great improvement.



    GC Feb 25 - £225.54/£250 Mar £218.63/£240
  • AnimalTribe
    AnimalTribe Posts: 446 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker

    It's been raining all day but DH and I still went out for the day. We just go to different villages that aren't too far away and have a wander around to find anything interesting, and go into a charity shop if there is one. We always try to find somewhere for lunch, and are mostly successful.

    I’ve sorted out a couple more shelves tonight, and have a few other things to go to the charity shop. I still have a bag of stuff that I keep forgetting to take.

    When I came home, I found a pool of water on the floor. Unfortunately, one of my extra long plant trays has sprung a leak. Hopefully, some plumbers tape will fix it.

    GC Feb 25 - £225.54/£250 Mar £218.63/£240
  • AnimalTribe
    AnimalTribe Posts: 446 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker

    First thing this morning I was in the garden picking the last of the blackcurrants. The ground was still damp and it was a little misty, but absolutely still and silent. It was such a good feeling picking what I had grown in such beautiful, calm surroundings.

    I added some raspberries to the currants and I’ve made 3 ½ lb of jam. Tomorrow, weather permitting, I’ll pick some more raspberries and make more jam. I won’t be able to pick all the raspberries as there are still so many.

    I’m continuing to sort the house little by little – DH and I have so much stuff.

    DH has painted wood preserver on some fencing, so we are working on the outside as well as the inside. The trolley DH ordered from Ebay has arrived so he will put that together tomorrow and reinforce it. We will use it to move the oil tank from the verge-side delivery across the garden. It’s not a task either of us is looking forward to, but it is necessary.

    GC Feb 25 - £225.54/£250 Mar £218.63/£240
  • rachmac3
    rachmac3 Posts: 324 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Congratulations on the stable eyes! ☺️ I think my berries are all done now. I don't think I got a single strawberry this year so I need to cover the bed better and maybe put a few new plants in. I could do with some autumn fruiting raspberries to extend the season.
    Jam sounds lovely! 

    Debts                 04/01/25        01/07/25   

    Tesco CC          £6,509.97       £5,945.00 
    NatWest CC      £7,612.74      £7,155.00
    Lloyds CC          £6,112.60      £5,215.00
    1st Direct CC     £176.03         £4.50
    CC total             £20,411.34   £18,319.50
    TSB OD             £500             £0
    1st Direct OD     £600             £250 (0%)
    Car loan             £4,000          £4,000
    1st Direct Loan  £10,684.44   £9,451.62
    Total                  £36,195.78   £32,021.12
    EF £300.00
  • AnimalTribe
    AnimalTribe Posts: 446 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker

    Rachmac3 thanks. I assume 'stable eyes' are blackcurrants - is that right? Autumn raspberries sound a good idea, all of mine of summer ones. 

    It’s been overcast today and no wind so the generator has switched on again. It was still nice enough to do stuff outside though. I noticed that some of the smaller courgettes were beginning to rot at the end so I’ve harvested them. I should have taken the flowers off when they died back and put slates under the courgettes to avoid this, but I didn’t get around to it. Still the large courgettes seem alright. I picked ½ kg of the small yellow courgettes and turned them into 1 ½ lbs of jam. It’s not a recipe I’ve tried before, but it came out fine. The peel was a little chewy, but the recipe said this would be the case and it had more of a marmalade texture. I wish I’d cut the courgettes into matchsticks rather than diced though.

    I collected two massive bowls of raspberries that I will turn into jam tomorrow. DH had a good idea. He has an old satellite dish that was destined for the skip, but he used it to lay the raspberries out into a single layer to give any creepy crawlies a chance to get away.

    Tonight, I’ve watched a film, munched crisps and my feet has been a pillow for one of the dogs. It’s a good life.

    GC Feb 25 - £225.54/£250 Mar £218.63/£240
  • rachmac3
    rachmac3 Posts: 324 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Ha! Sorry, no, I was reading a few days entries at once so I meant congratulations on your eyes not getting worse  :D 

    Debts                 04/01/25        01/07/25   

    Tesco CC          £6,509.97       £5,945.00 
    NatWest CC      £7,612.74      £7,155.00
    Lloyds CC          £6,112.60      £5,215.00
    1st Direct CC     £176.03         £4.50
    CC total             £20,411.34   £18,319.50
    TSB OD             £500             £0
    1st Direct OD     £600             £250 (0%)
    Car loan             £4,000          £4,000
    1st Direct Loan  £10,684.44   £9,451.62
    Total                  £36,195.78   £32,021.12
    EF £300.00
  • AnimalTribe
    AnimalTribe Posts: 446 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker

    Rachmac3 that gave me a laugh.  :D

    7lb of raspberry jam made this morning. I wasn’t sure the lemon juice in the recipe was enough to set the jam, so I added a very small amount of pectin powder, and that worked a treat. It’s raining here this afternoon, so there won't be any more berry picking today.

    I checked the large bag of shop bought potatoes I bought a while ago. Some of them had roots growing so I twisted them off, this will mean that the potatoes stay viable for longer.

    DH went to a village car boot sale this morning, and came back with a few ‘bargains’, including bread  :D:/ . I’m trying to get rid of stuff, and he brings more into the house. Still, to be fair, it is useful stuff that will get used eventually (metal brackets, specialised tape).

    This afternoon, after my coffee, I will continue with the great declutter. I’m being methodical, so it’s going slowly, especially the stuff I put aside for DH to sort through, but I am getting there.


    GC Feb 25 - £225.54/£250 Mar £218.63/£240
  • AnimalTribe
    AnimalTribe Posts: 446 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker

    It's been a lazy Sunday. I did my usual catch-up phone calls this morning, and I harvested the broad beans this afternoon (not that there were very many). The few beans there were are now frozen and will do to add to stews or soup.

    DH fixed a couple of things and mowed a lawn, but other than that we’ve just relaxed, read books, and watched a film.

    GC Feb 25 - £225.54/£250 Mar £218.63/£240
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