Ilona's frugal 2014

Thrifty tips, ideas, news & experiences on anything around the home to shopping to re-cycling etc.
Post Reply
User avatar
Spreckly
Legendary Laner
Posts: 5826
Joined: 26 Mar 2011, 14:21

Re: Ilona's frugal 2014

Post by Spreckly »

Car parking - we set off at 7.15 am on a Friday in order to do two supermarket shops, and be in town by 8.30 am. The street parking is free for an hour, and the timing doesn't start until 9am. I confess that we go to a cafe and have coffee and toast, but only if we need anything in the town shops, which, apart from one, do not open until 9am. The cafe also has a toilet, very useful. It is our weekly extravagance, as we rarely eat out, even cut out some birthday and anniversary meals over the past year or two.

So that's our frugality.

We put our winter fuel allowance towards the rates, using half for one half year payment and the other half for the next half year. One year the oven packed up, and we used the fuel allowance for that.
User avatar
Meanqueen
Legendary Laner
Posts: 7617
Joined: 19 Jan 2008, 19:49

Re: Ilona's frugal 2014

Post by Meanqueen »

I was in town yesterday, library, Arts Centre, buying pet food. I ended up at the pet stall in the market, the last call before going back to my car. Opposite is a fruit and veg stall, just packing up for the day. They left their rubbish out the front for collection and in a bag my eagle eye spotted two sprout sticks. Hmmm, not rubbish so I asked if I could have them. Now got enough sprouts for a weeks worth of dinners. If you don't ask you don't get.
)x6(
Ilona
User avatar
Spreckly
Legendary Laner
Posts: 5826
Joined: 26 Mar 2011, 14:21

Re: Ilona's frugal 2014

Post by Spreckly »

A few days ago we were at the local council tip, when someone OH knows drove up with a trailer full of wood - bedheads, wardrobes in bits, that sort of thing. I suggested that OH asked if we could have the contents of the trailer, but he wouldn't. I know that we cannot take stuff out of the tip, but did assume that we could ask the owner of the rubbish if we would give it to us before it was binned.

It would have kept us in firewood for several days.
User avatar
jemberelli
Legendary Laner
Posts: 2520
Joined: 17 Dec 2011, 18:42
Gender: Female
Location: North Yorkshire

Re: Ilona's frugal 2014

Post by jemberelli »

We did that in the spring - someone was skipping a trailer full of chopped down tree so we asked for some and filled our boot!
No girls at the moment but look forward to getting more in the future. Proud mummy to Hector, a Bedlington Terrier x Jack Russell
User avatar
Mo
Legendary Laner
Posts: 15368
Joined: 30 Apr 2007, 09:39
Location: Cheshire (nr Chester)

Re: Ilona's frugal 2014

Post by Mo »

There was an interesting article in November about the hazards of burning treated and painted timber. So perhaps it's just as well you didn't.
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
User avatar
Meanqueen
Legendary Laner
Posts: 7617
Joined: 19 Jan 2008, 19:49

Re: Ilona's frugal 2014

Post by Meanqueen »

I'm sorry to be a bit boring, but look what I got last night.

Image

Image

On my way home from college last night, passing the BIG supermarket, the one who's profits are well down, and came away with a brilliant haul. Lots marked down to 1p, and no one to fight for it. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Mainly salad and veg. I know everyone says supermarkets throw away millions of pounds worth of food, maybe some do, but thankfully mine would rather sell it off cheap. The best time to shop is between 7.30pm and 9pm.

Now fully stocked for a couple of weeks. I'm going to make soups and stews with the six packs of chopped onions, potatoes, and carrots. Will freeze it in margarine tubs.
)x6(
Ilona
User avatar
Spreckly
Legendary Laner
Posts: 5826
Joined: 26 Mar 2011, 14:21

Re: Ilona's frugal 2014

Post by Spreckly »

Well done Ilona.

Today's frugality - sitting with a hot water bottle! Though I confess we both had a coffee at the local garden centre when OH went for some replacement Christmas lights.
User avatar
Meanqueen
Legendary Laner
Posts: 7617
Joined: 19 Jan 2008, 19:49

Re: Ilona's frugal 2014

Post by Meanqueen »

Spreckly wrote:Well done Ilona.

Today's frugality - sitting with a hot water bottle! Though I confess we both had a coffee at the local garden centre when OH went for some replacement Christmas lights.


Spreckers, if you want a coffee out, you have one. )t' My sister always stops for one when she is at the shops. Something I have never done. If I have one before I go out, that does me till I get back. Mind you, I gave up with garden centre's a long time ago, far too expensive.
Ilona
User avatar
Spreckly
Legendary Laner
Posts: 5826
Joined: 26 Mar 2011, 14:21

Re: Ilona's frugal 2014

Post by Spreckly »

This garden centre, Ilona, has the most amazing Christmas display. It attracts folk from miles around. I have been most careful, buying one ornament this year, and one two years ago! Plants come from a proper plantsman place north of Brid, known also to Bea.
User avatar
Meanqueen
Legendary Laner
Posts: 7617
Joined: 19 Jan 2008, 19:49

Re: Ilona's frugal 2014

Post by Meanqueen »

Spreckly wrote:This garden centre, Ilona, has the most amazing Christmas display. It attracts folk from miles around. I have been most careful, buying one ornament this year, and one two years ago! Plants come from a proper plantsman place north of Brid, known also to Bea.


We have got one like that here, Brigg Garden centre is massive. Nice to spend an hour or two to look around, but if you want plants go to a smallholding just outside Broughton.
Ilona
User avatar
Meanqueen
Legendary Laner
Posts: 7617
Joined: 19 Jan 2008, 19:49

Re: Ilona's frugal 2014

Post by Meanqueen »

Hi. Picked up a few reductions on Tuesday night, not as many as last week, but enough to keep me going. I hung around till 9pm when things were being marked down to 1p. Not a lot left, but I got several bags of salad, raspberries, and garlic bread, as well as pancakes and bread for a few pence more. I bought a cauliflower for 49p, the big supermarket is copying aldiddly with their super six offers. I bought my Christmas tipple, a bottle of port, the only Christmas treat I will be having. Can't think of anything else I want. Don't like Christmas cake, or pud, or mince pies, and if I do relax my self imposed chocolate limit I might get a small bag of Thorntons. =win=
Ilona
User avatar
Meanqueen
Legendary Laner
Posts: 7617
Joined: 19 Jan 2008, 19:49

Re: Ilona's frugal 2014

Post by Meanqueen »

Thumbs up to the saver of specs, a lens fell out of my half rims so I put my old ones on and drove to town. They fixed the broken ones, and put new nose pads in the old ones. FOC. )t'

I did a bit of shopping while I was in town, just to stock up on pet food and a few essentials to tide me over the Christmas period. I think I have enough to last me until it's all over and the shops get back to normal. I haven't bought any different food, just more of what I usually buy, bananas, eggs, quiche, cheese, yogurt, cucumber, mushrooms. I looked at some treats, chocolate, cake, and ended up with a packet of jaffa cakes. That will do me nicely. Not bothered about Christmassy stuff, I stood in Aldi looking at the festive food and thought, I wonder if I should get a trifle, or a box of mince pies, or some Frerro Rocher (is that how you spell it). And then I thought, why am I bothering to look at this, stop wasting time, just go home.
Ilona
)x3(
User avatar
Mo
Legendary Laner
Posts: 15368
Joined: 30 Apr 2007, 09:39
Location: Cheshire (nr Chester)

Re: Ilona's frugal 2014

Post by Mo »

Well done, I took OH with me to the village to buy seasonal sweets. (well I suppose I have to let him shop occasionally) Looked at the till receipt in disbelief - but they'll last all year, or if they don't we'll do without. And we have to have stuff to offer the family (who are coming to Solstice lunch in an hours time - must get on with it!)
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
User avatar
Meanqueen
Legendary Laner
Posts: 7617
Joined: 19 Jan 2008, 19:49

Re: Ilona's frugal 2014

Post by Meanqueen »

Hello. One last post before the count down to the end of the year. I've been house sitting, using someone else's kitchen, for a couple of weeks, so I've had the bare minimum of ingredients with me. I must say, when you haven't got much food close at hand, it's amazing how you can think up new ways to make a meal. I'm back now and my fridge is bare, but I have enough to keep me going for a few days. I can't face going to the shops until the crowds have thinned out a bit.

Comparing my bank statements from a year ago, I am pleased that my emergency fund has more than doubled. This can only be due to my thrifty ways of not spending any more than I need to. The cost of living is always on the up as prices rise frequently, this makes me even more determined that I will not be beaten. I will not go into debt for anything, and I will live within my means. This doesn't mean that I am missing out on life's little luxuries, I can now afford to have treats, because I save up for them.

I don't have to shop at charity shops for clothes, but I do. Why pay more. I don't have to shop for yellow stickers or out of date food, but I do. No sense in paying top price if I don't need to. I have been living this way for a long time now, it's a life choice. I am happy with what I have, I don't need more.

If a new diary starts tomorrow I will stand aside if you don't mind. My blog takes up a lot of my time and it's been difficult to think of something new to write about here. Thank you for reading me, let's get some more frugalers joining in. Happy New Year.
User avatar
Spreckly
Legendary Laner
Posts: 5826
Joined: 26 Mar 2011, 14:21

Re: Ilona's frugal 2014

Post by Spreckly »

Well I will miss your blog, Ilona. All the very best for 2015.
Post Reply