Your best frugal tips needed!!

[Steve valentine]

Also, don't be ashamed to claim tax credits.

[perchy]

Also, don't be ashamed to claim tax credits.

That was one thing I was going to say, check what benefits you may be entitled to, fill out every form they can only say no

[boosmummy]

thanks guys xx

[Mo]

There is just one spend I would recommend - freezer tray thingies. Get them in bulk on Amzn.

......... I froze it back in sandwich bags (also bought in bulk).

As a war baby brought up in a lowpaid household I wouldn't even buy freezer packaging.
My fruit, veg & stews are all frozen in margerine tubs, yogurt pots and bread bags. Plastic bags are washed and reused (you need to make sure you hang them up to dry inside and out, or they go musty.

[Freeranger]

Really sorry to hear of your problems, Have just got a new job myself after a period of unemployment, so understand the issues. One thing that you and your OH now have is lots more time than you did before, so try to enjoy that as well. I'd re-read all of the Frugal Feb posts, as I thought many of them were excellent and quite inspirational. If you have the space for growing food outdoors it's still not too late and you can consider pot gardening if you're limited for space. Nutritious soups and stews are cheap and a good way of using short-dated and reduced supermarket food. Good luck to you both.

[Gwenoakes]

Sorry to hear about your situation, Boosmummy.

Kitla has put up a thread, 'Amazingly cheap seeds', take a look at it there are loads of seeds on there. The rabbits you have just got do not need rabbit kibble, please believe me on that one, they manage very nicely on greens that you can pick this time of the year, i.e. dandelion, sow thistle, keck, grass, sweet nettles and loads more. Our last two rabbits lived till they were 12 years old and hardly ever had 'rabbit food', its also good for their constantly growing teeth too.

If you have any fruit trees do batch baking like has been already said and do it on your cheap electricity times if you have that sort of set up. I am on one called 20/20 and get 20% off electric every evening from 10p.m. until 8a.m. in the morning, plus all day Sat/Sun so all my batch baking is done at the weekend. I also do any washing during those times and dishwasher, power wash things at weekends and do the majority of hoovering, even charging our mobile phones at those times too.

Do buy the 'own brands', just one item at a time to see if you like them and go to places like Aldi and Lidl there cakes and biscuits are so much cheaper and really nice.

You can look for the packet mixes/spices when they are on offer, some as low as 48p and they make lovely meals of cheap sausages for sausage casserole as you only need a few mushrooms and one medium onion, also you can do the same with chicken thighs. Do stir frys with cheap chicken thighs too. Very quick to do, so cheap on the electricity used and good for you with all those veggies.

If you have chance look for rape fields and get some of the green leaves, they taste a little like brocolli.

[Mo]

also you can do the same with chicken thighs. Do stir frys with cheap chicken thighs too. Very quick to do, so cheap on the electricity used and good for you with all those veggies.

If you have chance look for rape fields and get some of the green leaves, they taste a little like brocolli.

Now things are getting a bit dodgy. Cheap factory farmed chicken and stolen greens.

Any meat that is kind to animals is not going to be cheap, chickens seem to lend themselves to crowding and other horrors. Better to pad a small amount with lots of veg.

It's always a balancing act deciding what is important to you though.

[Gwenoakes]

also you can do the same with chicken thighs. Do stir frys with cheap chicken thighs too. Very quick to do, so cheap on the electricity used and good for you with all those veggies.

If you have chance look for rape fields and get some of the green leaves, they taste a little like brocolli.

Now things are getting a bit dodgy. Cheap factory farmed chicken and stolen greens.

Any meat that is kind to animals is not going to be cheap, chickens seem to lend themselves to crowding and other horrors. Better to pad a small amount with lots of veg.

It's always a balancing act deciding what is important to you though.

There is nothing 'dodgy' by what I wrote, Mo.......honest. What I meant was chicken thighs are cheaper than chicken breasts and there are bound to be farmers with fields of rape who I am sure wouldnt mind losing a few leaves if only you ask like I do.

[bmpsands]

I knew that blithering yellow stuff must be good for something, besides giving me hay fever.

We experimented with a cheaper supermarket and their own brand/never heard of brand stuff last weekend. Ald! was an eyeopener for me. I can vouch for their plain crisps, pasta, butter, tomato puree, mini brioche (my treat but only 85p for 12). I'm going to pick up a few more tomorrow.

Have you tried Basa? It's often used when Pollock is in short supply to make battered/crumbed fillets etc. Usually it's indicated by a "B" after the product code. You can buy it as white fish fillets either labelled Basa or even Economy fillets. It's cheaper than the usual white fish but we love it and buy it from preference.

Can't add anything else to the good advice already on here - but hope you're finding some interesting challenge in revisiting your lifestyle. I know we are, but it's early days yet and the weather is so gorgeous everything feels better.

[Mo]

What I meant was chicken thighs are cheaper than chicken breasts .

Sorry, and yes, the thighs are cheaper than breasts. 'Cheap chicken' is a bit of a red rag, considering how little they sell broiler fowl for.
I'm sure there is plenty of 'food for free' around, though I've only picked blackberries and a few mushrooms (tried some of the other fungi that the books say are easy to recognise, like ink cap, but didn't like them).

[davina112]

I can vouch for basa fish, we really enjoy it and it is much less expensive

[perchy]

I can vouch for basa fish, we really enjoy it and it is much less expensive

Yes me too, I love Aldi and have been converted, try it if you don't like it try something else, lots of offers, their special offers on fruit and veg are good too, although if I am honest you need to use them quicky

[boosmummy]

Thanks everyone.

Things are looking ok - touch wood. He has a couple of interviews next week so fingers crossed!

The good weather has meant that i can line dry all the washing rather than using the tumble dryer but i swear to high heaven if mr husband uses it once more im going to take the plug off it!!

xx

[mrs boodles]

Just a hug, boosmummy to say thinking of you

[Stef]

There is just one spend I would recommend - freezer tray thingies. Get them in bulk on Amzn.

......... I froze it back in sandwich bags (also bought in bulk).

As a war baby brought up in a lowpaid household I wouldn't even buy freezer packaging.
My fruit, veg & stews are all frozen in margerine tubs, yogurt pots and bread bags. Plastic bags are washed and reused (you need to make sure you hang them up to dry inside and out, or they go musty.

Ah but we don't buy margarine, bread in bags or yoghurt in pots

But I know what you mean. All usable packaging and storage jars, tins, bags etc are recycled here. We just don't buy anything that could regularly be used as freezer packaging. Now you have pointed it out though I shall be looking....