Ilona's frugal 2014

[Meanqueen]

No potato blight here, Mo, lots of floppy green tops. Getting to the end of the broad beans, runner beans ready now. Swamped with courgettes, eating them every day, giving them to neighbours and friends, freezer full.

I did a top up shop today, our Aldiddly store is close to town, so after shopping for pet food at the discount stores, I got a few essentials as well. Bananas, yogurt, cheese, strawberries, melon and quiche.

Tonight's dinner was a massive salad, I'm eating lots of salad, and veg, every day.

I'm doing some watering up for two friends who have gone on holiday, they live next door to each other, and they both gave me a bottle of wine.

Have a nice weekend.
Ilona

[Mo]

I remembered you saying you were with RAC when I read this article. Not very good service. But I think you've got a better level of cover (just looked back at your 29th May post).

[Meanqueen]

I can't remember when I last went shopping, about eleven days ago I think. Didn't go at all last week, not even for a small top up shop, made everything last, eating out of the garden, the freezer, and the cupboard. My fridge is bare. Putting it off a bit longer, I will have to go sometime this week. It's funny that when you think you have nothing left to eat, you actually have. I have oats and cereals for breakfast, pasta, rice, frozen veg, frozen bread, tins of fruit, rice pudding, beans. There are a few things I get on a regular basis, always buy bananas, eggs, and plain yogurt, and I have none of these left, need to get some. I'll stretch it out a few more days.
Ilona

[Meanqueen]

I went shopping on Thursday to tow. Did the usual discount stores for pet food, and spent £8 in Aldidly for a few top up items. I might do the big supermarket this week. The freezer is slowly emptying so room for some yellow sticker bread and freezable items on their last date.

I am busy sewing, a hobby that costs me virtually nothing because I use recycled materials. I did a swap with a friend, gave her a big courgette, she gave me a bag of fabric. Good swap I would say.

I'm looking at some part time college courses which start in September. Will enquire about a sewing club, upcycled textiles, and painting with fibres. They are free for the over 65's. Six weeks of free nights out.
Ilona

[Meanqueen]

Time for my bi annual haircut today. I have saved £20 ish ??? by cutting it myself. No idea how much a haircut is these days.

I'm eating veg from the garden almost every day, ok, maybe some people might find it a bit boring to live on potatoes, courgettes, and runner beans, but I never tire of it.

It's getting a bit chilly now, having to put an extra layer on already, and it's only August. Won't be putting the heating on though.

Still sewing, just finished a picture. Now doing some patchwork, making a cover for my sewing machine.
Ilona

[Spreckly]

My hairdresser charges ten pounds to trim my hair, and I tip her one pound. A blow dry is fifteen, which I only have for weddings, though the last twice I have had a trainee do it, and she has charged five pounds. Unfortunately, she has left!

[Totally Scrambled]

My next haircut will cost me £30 as I've just had to replace my clippers.
The old ones have lasted 20 years so good value for money there
Dom

[Meanqueen]

That's very good value Dom. I daren't try clippers, I would end up with no hair left at all.
Ilona

[Meanqueen]

Good morning. I withdrew £50 out of the bank yesterday, as I do every so often, so my purse is not completely empty. I keep a bit of cash handy for small purchases, but I am not tempted to blow it on frivolities, my self control is quite good. I can actually walk past a Thorntons chocolate shop without stepping over the threshold. I might linger for a few minutes, drooling over the goodies in the window, but common sense kicks in and I tell myself that I don't need chocolate that day.

I always get a little slip from the cash machine telling me what the balance of my account is, and I always get a nice surprise as it creeps up. I am obviously spending less than I am getting in, so that's a good sign. Now I am in the position that I can spend if I wish, but because I mostly buy 'needs', rather than 'wants', I can't think of anything.

I think a holiday is next on the list. I haven't had many holidays this year, and not many days out, because I have a little elderly dog to think about now. I won't put him in kennels because of his past life, but thankfully he likes going to my friends house, so I need to sort out some dates with him.
Ilona

[Meanqueen]

I didn't need to go food shopping this week, I have enough to last. Plenty in the freezer, potatoes, runner beans, and courgettes from the garden. I went to town to get some pet food, and called in the Cash and Carry to get four x 250grm cheese for £4. Today I picked up a loaf of bread, a pot of yogurt, and two small egg custards. I will be eating what I have next week, shouldn't need to buy much before I go on my hols.
Ilona

[Meanqueen]

Back from holiday. What did it cost me?
Mon. Pateley Bridge B & B £55.00
Tue. Malham Youth Hostel. B & B. £17.00
Wed. Windermere Youth Hostel B & B. £18.50
Thu & Fri. Ambleside Youth Hostel. B & B. £39.00
Sat. Kendal B & B £30.00
Sun. York Youth Hostel B & B. £17.00
Total for accommodation £176.50
Pencil Museum £3.20
Grasmere Gingerbread £9.60
Ice cream £1.70.
Food Budget £3.50 per day. £24.50. No evening meals because I knew I would be getting a good breakfast the next morning.
Transport completely free using my bus pass.
Total for eight days £214.80.

Upside to a bus pass holiday is the cheapness of it if you combine it with hostel accommodation. B & B's can vary so much in price depending on the area. I was quoted £75 at one place in Yorkshire, but opted for the £55 one. You could probably find cheaper if you book in advance, but I didn't want the hassle of ploughing through numerous bus timetables first.

Downside is that you have to carry all your luggage. I chose to use a rucksack because I did a lot of walking, but you could use a wheelie suitcase if you didn't have far to walk between bus and accommodation.
Ilona

[Spreckly]

Ilona, I applaud you. Very reasonable holiday. Our caravan holidays are cheaper per night, but then we have to tow the van, and the fuel adds up. Hope you have benefitted from your break.

[Meanqueen]

On Thursday I went to town for the pet food from the discount stores, and did a small shop at aldiddly, about £8, because I happened to be there, and the super sixes were 39p. Thursday night I went to the big Mr T, I had a £3 voucher off a £20 shop. I knew I would be struggling to get to that with the yellow stickers, so I bought a few tins for the store cupboard to make it up. Rice pudding, baked beans, spaghetti. I got lots of yellow sticker bargains. salad, bread, veg, fruit, filled the fridge and freezer up. Even bought two big bunches of flowers for 25p each, something I have never done before. Can't eat flowers, ha ha.

This morning I went to the car boot sale, bought 12 bottles of nail varnish for £2, I use this for my arts and crafts. Also a big bottle of PVA glue for 50p, and a chrome towel rack for £1, which I have an idea to turn it into an artwork.

Don't need to spend any more money this week.
Ilona

[Meanqueen]

Can give shopping a miss this week, got enough food in the freezer and cupboards, potatoes and runner beans in the garden.

Car due for MOT soon, it might pass. I was advised of a small hole in the exhaust last year, took it into my usual garage, he had it on the ramp, said it is pin hole size, none urgent. I still haven't had it done.

Emergency fund building up nicely due to my frugalness, I ought to spend some, but what on? I don't need anything.
Ilona

[Meanqueen]

Car has passed the MOT test yesterday. The advisory notice about the pin hole in the exhaust is still there, I have only done 4,000 in a whole year, must use it more I think.

I looked on the internet for a cheap place to take it and found one for £30, if booked online, at the well known bicycle shop that now have Auto Centres. So I'm chuffed with that.

I did buy a few items of food from Aldiddly, things I had run out of.
Ilona