2026 Frugal Living Challenge

weenancyinAmerica

You can also do it the original way- take a box, wooden works best, put down about 4-6 inches of hay, put in your pot, cover with more hay.

fionaandphil

Thanks @weenancyinAmerica I think I've also seen it done like that but with a polystyrene box. It is one of those things that I think I should try and never get round to so I will give it a go next time I have something in the casserole.

2Scratters

@fionaandphil I'm going to brave it by canning but in glass jars. Will give it a go with chicken,🤞 fingers crossed

2 Scratters xx

Frugaldom

Hi fruguys and Frugaldom, hope everyone is doing ok. Not much to update from the land of Frugaldom other than apples galore and still a few raspberries. Another freezer and cupboard inventory session completed and will definitely need to knuckle down and use up what's in stock before buying anything else. This autumn is going to be dedicated to decluttering as that's not been progressing very well, either.

October is a free will month for over 55's so I've contacted lawyers to see about updating my Will to reflect all the changes over the past 10+ years since it was originally done. DD and DS have both changed addresses since then and I've now got 5 grandchildren. I'm also being told that having Power of Attorney in place is just as important as the Will so that needs sorting, too. Sorry for such a gloomy topic but these things are important and free is always frugal. 😁

2Scratters

Thankyou for the prompt of doing such a small job of putting away 2 dried cherry tomatoes for their seeds ready for next year. They are from 2025. Hanging my head in shame here but its now done. The vessel they were sat in was an ashtray of my mothers when she used to smoke. DH can now use it for his smoking instead of kitchen roll paper 🙄 so a very small win.

I too have picked some apples yesterday and have offered them out to a couple of my friends. There is still plenty left for me to work with. The dogs have been busy collecting the fallen ones and generally having at least 1 for their breakfast along with their normal breakfast. I don't mind as it has stopped them from going rotten and keeping under the tree tidy - wages day😃

2 Scratters xx

fionaandphil

My list and yours appear to be carbon copies Frugaldom! I started doing the power of attorney online so I need to remember to login and take another look at it before getting it finalised, and then chivying DH and DS to get theirs done too. Our wills need to be updated now to reflect the different life stages we are all at.

Ample supplies in stock and we are trying to eat from stores and use things up. Picked up some apples from a friend the other day as our tree hasn't done well this year, so I will be making some crumble for tonight while it is on cooking tea.

Car in for MOT today so keeping fingers crossed that it won't need too much done. A miserable grey day here so getting on with admin tasks and cooking.

maryb

Wills might be free but our solicitors wanted a couple of thousand for doing Property and Finance and Health and Welfare POAs for DH and self!! I think it's because they have to satisfy themselves you have capacity. I did them myself online and I have been the certifier for a couple of friends since then - I nag everyone I know to get them done. It's very straightforward if you keep it simple. Once you start complicating things it's time to take a step back and ask yourself if you really trust your attorney. If you don't trust them completely then frankly think again about whether you should be doing it in the first place. One tip that has helped friends decide who to choose for the Health and Welfare one - if you got the phone call from the hospital asking you to come into discuss the results and they say you can bring someone with you…. we all know what that means. Who would you want with you at that time?

PipneyJane

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82146460#Comment_82146460

That is a damn good suggestion @maryb. I know who I’d appoint….

• Pip

maryb

It makes people think. A couple of my female friends decided that they would rather have a sister or a daughter than their husband - often because they wanted to spare their husbands rather than thinking they wouldn't cope

WickedLady4

Is it just one person for each POA, as I was thinking I would put both my adult children down? My DH is still alive and my obvious next of kin so what would happen there?