Freeranger's Frugal Feb Plans

[Freeranger]

I wasn't a member last Feb, but read the articles and have been inspired by everyones' ideas, so this is what I intend to do:

1) We've just been given permission to forage for wood in a local forest (otherwise it IS stealing), so will be saving on log deliveries. We have wood-fired central heating, so that should make a big difference. Will also keep us warm while doing the work and help with the weight loss
2) Get on with the work on the house to add insulation and cut out draughts, and grab opportunities between the rain to work outside, so fewer burns needed from the boiler
3) Make lists of what's in the cupboards (thanks, Perchy) and plan menus from stock and freezer
4) Get back onto the 5:2 diet, so less food needed
5) Strictly NO takeaways (even if I have to tie OH to a tree and confiscate the car keys)
6) Plan the cheapest meals I can think of, especially making use of eggs and foraging
7) Batch cook meals and bread for the freezer, reducing potential for food waste and making best use of cooker heat
8) One big shop at Cheapco for the month to take advantage of the offers, then more locally for the top-ups to minimise petrol
9) Combine trips and errands to reduce the car journies (will end up as hermits soon, but cheaper)
10) Hypermile in the car to reduce consumption

If this all sounds like a lot of work, then it will be the main stumbling block, but it will do me good!

[bmpsands]

Well, I have been reading all of the plans, too. My issue is that we were so broke last year (and will be again this year) that I'm not sure what more we can do. I'm going to have a think and put my plans into a thread as a reminder to myself.

[Freeranger]

It is difficult, I know. I don't think we'll save a fortune either as we are nowhere near extravagant normally. I don't know if we'll save anything at all, but it's worth a try.

[Freeranger]

Made a start yesterday with a rummage in the cupboards & freezer to see what was there. I've listed everything, and it was quite educational! Not going to save a fortune there, but did find about half a dozen things I'd have bought again.

Went to the supermarket and spent hours of fun (not) working out the cheapest cost per thing, which lead me to ignore lots of supermarket offers, buy shortdated items, loads of half-price or twofers, and own brands. A massive shop and the cupboards are stuffed, which doesn't sound frugal, but compared to buying all of it in dribs and drabs it was a major saving - probably close to £40. I bought bumper bags of root veggies, and veg for the freezer, so won't need to shop again for ages except for things like milk. Deliberately bought versatile things that can go in lots of dishes.

OH is out collecting wood.

[manda]

It's amazing isn't it when they put things on offer and then you look at the item next to it and it's cheaper anyway!!!

I don't know if they do it over there (how quickly you forget things )..on the price tickets on the shelf do they have the unit price there...here it will have on it so much per 100g which makes working it out easier...if they don't maybe they should - you could suggest it ..... hey customers always right

[Freeranger]

They do mostly, Manda, so maybe making it sound worse than it is, but lots of obfuscation involved such as placing many of the offers near the entrance when their shelf place is 2/3 of the way around. Only when you get to the farthest spot and work it out do you realise you've been done. My best one yesterday was own brand washing up liquid at 59p/bottle, or 2 for £1.50!! Or twenty tonnes of carrots for a ridiculously cheap price per 100g, but only a saving if you run a rabbit farm. The individual packets had unit prices labelled, but then they'd be on special for a fixed 'bargain' price, requiring only a tiny amount of mental arithmetic, I grant you. That kind of thing, but it was just hard work doing that for every item even when the unit price is given.

[Linda Pattison]

Featured items can be a trap that's for certain. We have to shop less often too, I was looking through my tall storage cupboard and I'm going to put all foodstuffs from there into the open storage on our stairwell so I can better see what I have. I shouldn't need soup barley again for 3 years!

[manda]

Linda ...mind you not a bad thing to have too much of when you can do so much to it or add it to so much

Freeranger..I get you ..I suppose I just do it as a matter of course every time I shop...I've kind of turned it into a bit of a game me vs the store and I like to see if I can win .....I know in reality they still get the money out of me but if they get less than they planned then I see that as my victory (please don't burst my bubble )

[Freeranger]

Started well, using the recipe in my Xmas present book 5 Minute Bread - 3 loaves for under 50p in ingredients. Really nice too, and saved about £2 for what I'd have normally bought.

Friday & Saturday, no spend days. Sunday - OH wanted a particular paper because of a supplement relevant for work, so drove to nearest town (1 gallon petrol). Picked up a couple of things I'd forgotten in my enormous shop and came back with two loaves of sliced bread 'because they were half price'. Doh!

Monday was a no spend day, but got an electricity bill - we've been underpaying on DD so they've been pushed up hugely. Fair enough, I suppose, but not helpful. OH did stirling work collecting wood today and we've decided to do without a wood delivery, saving us about 1 month's electricity DD. We had toasties for lunch to use our cheapish bread, then a family favourite rice dish to use a couple of slices of saved-back bacon that needed eating.

New frugal opportunity - turned the electric hotplate off a couple of minutes before the dish was ready, saving the cool-down time.

Today, read Essex Mandy's post and felt positively extravagant.

[lancashire lass]

and came back with two loaves of sliced bread 'because they were half price'. Doh!

spread a little butter on, then with a couple of eggs and some milk plus a few raisins and brown sugar, in the oven and you have .... bread & butter pudding

I know the feeling about the leccy DDs - mine has gone up £10 extra a month. Next will be the water rates and council tax

[clunie]

Good luck with FF Freeranger - like you this will be my first one too! I am finding it hard to cut back as I don't think that I am particularly extravegant - been skint for too long! But every little bit helps so it is said!

[Freeranger]

Pondered the B&B pud, LL but decided it was not frugal to have a pudding when we don't normally eat one, so just had a run of toasted lunches to use it all.

Had a scare when the chainsaw needed a repair, and we thought it would be expensive. Fortunately it was covered under warranty. The chainsaw has since been put to good use on foraged wood, saving us a log delivery but also doing something as a team and getting some exercise. We've also had another scare with a laptop smoking, but that stopped and hopefully no further problems happening with it Have managed many no spend days, but then had a trip to see a friend that I couldn't combine with any other errands and so cost another gallon of petrol. OH had an irresistible urge for a takeaway, and as he'd been working so hard I couldn't object. Another gallon plus costs.

Normally have supermarket pizza & garlic bread for Friday tea, but this time I made them, along with bread for Saturday lunch and Sunday tea. Also, had cheese left over from Christmas which needed eating or chucking, so used the soft stuff in the pizza crust, which matches what we'd have bought. Ours was nicer, though I say it myself! Split the blue cheese between a brocolli & blue cheese soup, and a loaf of cheese bread which I sliced and froze. Have another piece which I'm going to use in a recipe tonight with veg that also needs eating. Am becoming quite good at inventing recipes. Made yogurt. Making good use of the cooker, doing bread before Sunday lunch then using waste heat to dry shells for the chooks, and heating the milk for the yogurt on the ring after the gravy.

Did a top-up shop in place of the weekly one, and including pizza & bread savings it was about £25 cheaper. Am expecting bigger savings this week. We've started stuffing hot water bottles under our jumpers, and it works brilliantly to save heating. Looks a bit weird though! OH set off some jam wine in September, which he bottled yesterday. It's lovely but very sweet and we're planning to mix it with white wine and save on bought.

So overall, very unexciting and probably only slightly up on save/spend, but probably quite a lot less than we'd have spent normally even though I thought we were quite frugal anyway. A bit of planning ahead makes quite a difference, and I find that I'm enjoying the challenge of thinking about everything this way. I'm sure the fun will go after a while but want to carry this on.

[lancashire lass]

We've started stuffing hot water bottles under our jumpers, and it works brilliantly to save heating

In an evening when watching tv, I like to snuggle down on the settee with a duvet over and hug a hot water bottle and that way I can turn the heating down. The downside is that I do have the tendency to drop off the sleep rather quickly LOL

[Freeranger]

The jam wine quality control had a similar effect! (quite strong)

[MissEllie]

The jam wine quality control had a similar effect! (quite strong)

Central heating from the inside my 12 year old loves getting comfy in the evening with a onesie and a hot water bottle stuffed inside it.