2026 Frugal Living Challenge

Arrietty

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81983289#Comment_81983289

Thank you so much for the kind offer; I really appreciate it but I bought a cheaper brand on the day which I expect to last me another 5 + years as I rarely use it myself!

Maybe you could donate your supply to a food or beauty bank ☺️

suzeesu2000

Afternoon all.

Mobile now finished contract so have reduced to sim only for £6 per month instead of £10.66 I was paying. Still get the same deal though. Happy with that as it saves just under £56 a year. As the monkey said when he pee'd in the sea: every little helps!!

have a great Friday all xx

Sallyp2

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81983632#Comment_81983632

tried to donate - sadly neither would take them as they've all been used a bit

Sallyp2

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81983388#Comment_81983388

i don't mind paying a fair price for goods & services and always try to buy local but i think £2.99 for one can of diet coke which would have been brought by them at a wholesaler such as booker for 30p was a joke too far.

i never buy from amazon as i think that has caused a lot of issues to answer for. I always try and support independent cafes and would eat a rat before a dominos or mcd's

Frugaldom

@Bean_humane Sorry to read of your current situation re food, shopping and care of relative related issues. Don't be hard on yourself, it's not excuses, it's just the overwhelm of it all. I think I speak for many of us when I saw we all do the same thing to cut a few corners in an attempt to make life easier. However, I often need to remind myself that cutting corners can make a circle from a square, that then leads to us going round and round, rather that reaching a point where we can turn a corner and improve things. (Pun intended.) Try scheduling an appointment with yourself, buy those dates, nuts and cocoa powder as required and make yourself a batch of truffles. I believe all the ingredients are long shelf life so keeping a stock could be a step in the right direction. The Frugaldom option isn't always the easiest but not is it always the cheapest, but in the long run it leads for a happier, hopefully healthier and less stressful lifestyle. Give yourself a 'date' night. 😊

Frugaldom

@Sallyp2 If you are looking to give away the hairspray rather than bin it, find some artists and ask. Hairspray is like very fine glue and is often used instead of glue as a fixer.

weenancyinAmerica

Hairspray also stops runs in nylons and is invisible.

lurkeralongtime

re laundry/hankies my father in law (an MEP) used to boil his hankies in salt water every Saturday morning, in a designated pan. I make hankies from cotton shirts purchased for £1 or less at charity shops. Good amount of fabric in them for patchwork.

Been to two supermarkets this week,rare for me.popped into A!da on the way back from hospital, had in mind to buy celery if cheap enough. And there was some on the top shelf of the reduced veg, out of reach. Picked up a pack of leeks to use to bring it forward and noticed they were 20p. Left the celery.Found large tubs of branded marg, reduced to less than A!dis cheapest, but with no palm oil and a useful size of tub.

Next day saw the beginning of the end of a long expensive(14k) battle to get a threatening and abusive man off land my brother and I owned I felt that deserved wine and pizza, so went to A!di, the celery was reduced there, along with aubergine,oranges, spinach.
put butter beans to soak once home. Electric Pressure cooked them (run out of calor gas) for 10 mins the next day, then slow cooked them with Easter onions,carrot aubergine and tomatoes.tossed the spinach on top for the last 30. mins or so.I rarely use a slow cooker, think it’s more expensive than Pressure cooker on hob.As the Easter carrots are deteriorating fast I also made butter bean and carrot soup.

I forgot to pile potatoes on top of the beans when I cooked them. Always useful to mash for toppings, scones and to quickly fry. Must try harde!

PipneyJane

@lurkeralongtime good news about the legal battle. Fingers crossed.

Also, please explain about cooking potatoes on top of the beans. Is that in the pressure cooker? How do you do prepare them pre-cooking? Skins on or off? Don’t they take on the flavour of the beans? How long do you cook them?

• Pip

Bean_humane

@Sallyp2

Hello Sallyp2

Apologies for missing your greetings. Thank you. 🤗