2026 Frugal Living Challenge

Frugaldom

Good evening, Frugalers. It's good to see so much interaction and helpful information being exchanged... My frugal life is paling into insignificance as I've not really been going anything, going anywhere or depending any of the household budget.

With last week's Olio including assorted cheese (Gruyère, onion & chive red Gloucester slices and a pack of Camambert), we had a lovely multi cheese sauce with pasta tonight. The basic diet at Frugaldom is extremely carb heavy but I'm loathe to bin any food we get passed on from Olio. Goats, ponies, cats and wildlife all get their share, as do the frugal friends nearby.

Have I dug up any more potatoes yet? No
Have I sourced any spare cash for my interest beater yet? No
Have I made moves to sell my car yet? No

Stewed plums still doing ok in my makeshift fridge at the hut. 😄

mumtoomany

@Thorny23 and anyone else looking at rewarded play. I forgot to mention it does not seem to work with apple. Or at least it didn't a year ago when my sister tried it. 

Given in to the spending. We will be shopping this morning. However I think the chickens must read this thread. Yesterday after posting that they were not laying, I got the first 3 eggs since before Christmas.

Catch up later, hugs, mumtoomany.xx 

Prudent

Sorry for the lack of comments/ replies so far this year. I have been catching up with my to-do list after being ill. I have tried to stay off forums and social media, or I will never catch up! I have now caught up, and it is lovely to see so many newcomers. @Gem-gem - love the random cat facts.

I have spent £76 of my food budget already this month. Some of that was stocking up - 32 loo rolls and two large bottles of laundry liquid. I also paid my annual membership fee for the community shop. I came away with lots of veggies in my £2 veggie bag including an unusual Crown Prince squash. I will make a winter stew of some kind with that.

I have started to tackle some 'house' jobs which are on my list for 2026. I am pretty sure that the house needs a new roof, so I have asked the roofer to come and check it when he gets back from his time away in the sun. I was hoping to do this last year, but ended up putting in a new heating system as the boiler was dying. In the interim I have messaged the someone to clear the gutters as some debris badly needs removing. We will need to wait for (hopefully) the kinder late spring/ summer weather before the roof can be replaced. 

mama67

Morning everyone; 
on grandchild sitting duties as DGD is off school. Shes at that age where can be left for a few hours but not when poorly. 

So I’ve been drafted in.
 I’ve been cooking some meals for the family so easier when in from work & school to heat & eat just needs to add rice or pasta. 

Sweet & sour chicken, chicken fajita in slow cooker, stuffing coated chicken with roasties & veggies; and done mash & sausage for DGC. 

It was -4 this morning when I left home. 
 

Arrietty

I hit 14 x NSDs in a row yesterday 

I could probably just about last another week living on freezer and pantry items but I'm all out of fresh fruit, bread and eggs now so will be going food shopping after work today! 

Aside from extensive use of previously-batch-cooked frozen meals, bread and long lasting milk, I think the particular time of year has enabled this prolonged stretch of non-spending. 

Other than pasta, I have barely touched pantry items so still have various tins and jars I could use to create meals from. This has been very interesting in that it has shown how much food I do have regularly stored and I think I have previously shopped for fresh items and ended up doing a full shop just because I was there! 

I couldn't last this long without spending in the summer months as I like to eat more fresh fruit and salad items  whereas I've been happy to make use of frozen fruit and veg and soups.

I probably shop for far more than I actually need on a weekly basis, but because I don't really enjoy it, I try to stock up and only go every 2 weeks. I have a strict list for today and I'm curious to see how much it costs me!
I will, however, stock up on extra things if they are on offer or give me points! 

Greying_Pilgrim

mumtoomany - I know you were having this red kidney beans convo with PipneyJane - but have I misremembered or do you have a fArmf00ds near to you?  I have noticed that our local FF has - for several months - been stocking pulses, specifically la1la brand - ours have (or have had); chickpeas, red kidney beans, red lentils, channa dhal and black eyed beans, in 1kg bags for 99p.  BUT I have only been lucky enough to get BE beans once - and i purchased the last 2 bags on the shelf.  I thought it might be a 'one time gig', but our store appeared to restock (although not the BE beans 😭).  There seem to have the red kidney and red lentils quite often.  I am sure shops differ in layout,  but I've found these bags on the shelf above the more 'world foods' frozen veg - think okra and frozen ginger.  On the shelf there is usually the tinned chickpeas, or tinned cannellini beans (whatever they've got to shift), chopped tomatoes (NOT the 12 packs - more likely the tins they have at 3 for £1 or whatever), and the shelf runs on into oils - veg oil, olive oil etc.  

Naturally there's no guarantee they would have the beans in stock - but perhaps you could ask if they have them - La1la brand, 1kg bags, 99p

HTH.  Keep up the good work!  Greying X

mumtoomany

Hello, @Greying_Pilgrim, how are you? Not "seen" you for a long time.

Thanks for the info about farmfoods. Been there today, but didn't see any dried pulses. I shall look more carefully next time I'm in.  They did have butter, salted and unsalted at 10 blocks for £10. And cooking bacon 900gm packs for 96p i think it was.

I'll update on spends tomorrow,

Hugs, mumtoomany.xx 

Gem-gem

Cat fact for the day
Cats share 95.6% of their DNA with tigers. 

A cat's nose print is as unique a human's fingerprint.
Another NSD notched up today. 

Door bell fitted. We have come away from R!ng doorbell. We do not want to pay the prices, they keep jumping up. When said only want basic package it kept going offline etc. 
Pilates and yoga - help sort out the old aches and pains. 

Made six mince pies and four strawberry jam tarts from one batch of pastry, using up h/m mincemeat from Christmas. 

Tomorrow will be a spend day. Meeting nephew in London to celebrate (a little late) his degree results with a meal in his favourite burger chain - 5 Gu¥$. He is not into big parties / big celebrations. I had / have two aunts /uncles that I had a close relationship with and am pleased to have bonded in a similar way with my niece / nephews.

RavenRover

Been quite quiet Olio wise this last week.  A couple of packs of dumpling slices, milk, bread and pastries.  It all helps though 😌 

Got an absolute brilliant opportunity on Good to Go app last night. My local Gregg's put some bags on, well I pounced on it.  Had them in the past but they seemed to have disappeared for a while.  They were always good freezer fillers with bread or rolls and some sweet treats and the infamous sausage rolls and boy was I in the mood for a sausage roll.  I could just about taste it as I went to collect it.  Well you can imagine my total disappointment when I opened the bag and there was two portions of mac cheese -cant eat cheese- a fruit pot and chicken nuggets!   Absolutely gutted!!

Stewed the fruit pot up with some other fruit for breakfasts and will use the nuggets with loads of veggies for my dinner, so not completely wasted. The joys!!

ShazzaDazza

Hi  everyone 

been a bit quiet, so just catching up

@Arrietty Amazing!! 

@RavenRover I.did my first To Good to Go from Greggs.  it was really good I will.try it again. Sandwiches, pastys and some sweet treats that kept us going for 3 days (2 of us) for £2.99..using some  homemade freezer Carrot and coriander soup to balance the pastry!! Will definitely do more TG2G when we need it. M&S and Morrisons also pop up.on ours

ive also sorted through the bathroom cupboards and my make up.  think ive got enough beauty and bathroom essentials to get to the end of the year and end of summer respectively. 

Those who garden, I was sorting out my seeds and trays so I can plan when I need to start my seedlings off for the spring summer season. Might see if anyone else wants to do some seed swaps in the future!!! Anyone else noticed its still light at 445pm now?? Spring is not far away

I think ill make it to the end of the month having spent to budget, but we'll see!!