Poorly chicken

[Guest]

I have one of those log makers but I find it very hard work to get them made - also a bit too messy for me! We do it sometimes but not often enough. We had a floor repair done the other day though and I said leave the old boards for the wood burner and it turns out he has trouble getting rid of off cuts of wood! He will now be using my car port rather than trying to sneak into the local tip!!!!!

[chickenanne]

Would echo the "keep a money diary" tip: it really is surprising what you do (and don't) spend money on. I always thought I spent more on seeds for the garden, and other low-value things for the garden generally, than I actually do; cutting down on that would have been a real annoyance and saved me very little. However, I was shocked at how much I spend on lunch....

[Olly]

lunch has been my big cut-back ... when I added it up, £3/day, £15/week ... £60 per month! I just make extra tea the night before, and then use it for the next day's lunch.

 

For example, I had organic meatballs with home-made tomato sauce last night, so an extra helping went straight into a Lock-n-Lock container for today. If I cook rice or pasta, I keep some of that aside and add some salad vegetables, bit of dressing, cheese, hardboiled egg - I am amazed at how inventive I've become. I hardly ever have sandwiches - too boring!

[Old Speckled Hen]

Christmas prezzies ....OUCH!!!

There are so many as OH has a huge family.

This year I am giving home produce.

This weekend I made rowan/crabapple and blackberry jellies (blackberries are huge this year)

and earlier made some wild bilberry jam.

Sloe gin will go with that later in the year, add a home made christmas cake and you have a hamper of goodies.

i have personalised the labels with hedgerow photos of the ingredients.

This year I have grown my own chillies from seed so might include at some chili oil as well

[Guest]

people have "garage sales" in America instead don't they?

[stoice]

Just did a car boot sale yesterday (Didn't do the usual huge one near me on sunday as it was raining - again) Sold off all pre-diet clothes and some shoes for a pound a pop, some bags and belts too. (Made £100 - I had a LOT of clothes!) Was thinking though, could've combined forces with my mum to sell some of our eggs! We've got the little 4-egg trays that look really cute. Also will dig up and split a load of iris', hostas and lambs ears I have around the garden and sell them too.

[Clur]

We've just sold our family car for a small car - still can get the kids in but it's a small engine so only costs 35 quid per year on car tax, and about 25 pounds to fill up the petrol tank (and covers us for 200 miles approx).

 

I have also bought a bike from eBay, so although it cost me 60 pounds I will more than save that in not wasting petrol on short journeys. I am also trying to lose weight, so it's helping me get fit too.

[dancing cloud]

Not buying lunch on work days helped me - not only the saving on the lunch itself, but also the saving on all those things I didn't buy because I didn't go near any shops to see them . My hen-owning work colleague and I go out for lunch only once a week and that's to a fairly cheap and cheerful local pub that does good food and big portions.

 

The money diary also worked well when I tried it, though initially it was so scarey I actually lied to it I know, how daft was that? Facing the truth can sometimes be difficult. I don't do it now, but am thinking of using it again as my spending seems to be creeping up again.

 

Otherwise, it's been very much a case of "grow your own and make your own", and learning to enjoy what I have. I'd very much got used to "single-reasonably-comfortable" lifestyle and the 2-3 expensive foreign holidays a year, but this year have been away only once (on a cheap week) and have had a couple of weeks off work just enjoying the garden/cats/hens instead.

 

In an unaccustomed fit of generosity , I offered to pay 1/2 of the school fees for my brother's children and the eldest 3 will need paying for from September, so I will be joining the rest of you winding in the wings and learning to appreciate the smaller things again

[alexgirl73]

Haven't read through the whole thread (sorry ) so I don't know if anyone has linked to this site already.

 

It's called Moms budget and has LOADS of money saving ideas. It's very much worth a look for everybody

 

http://www.momsbudget.com/

[Ange1]

Some of you may know that I was made redundant and I am in the process of looking for a job and going to interviews etc.

 

I worked out that the 5 weeks of garden leave of having homemade lunches instead of Boots meal deals and the cost of petrol, I saved around £170! So I worked out that I could afford a new coat I bought a Barbour coat with 50% off, so only cost £99! I wouldn't have bought it had it been £200!! Still my OH was saying 'blooming women's logic!!'

 

edit: silly typo!

[Cooks]

also what helps me is not having any money in my purse if I dont go to the bank or ask for cash back, I dont buy silly items that I dont need. Anything I do need I debit card it. I save a fortune I reckon well maybe a bit

[Olly]

Well the real expert on this has to be Charlottechicken who's been doing the 'buy nothing new for a year' (see Green Thinking).

 

It sounds really obvious, but if I'm trying to save money I just don't go near the shops! I'm quite good with money, but a trip into my nearest town invariably ends up with a bag of charity-shop paperbacks, or something else I didn't really need.

 

That has reminded me of another tip, though, Annie - sell your unwanted books on Green Metropolis, you can withdraw any credits as real cash but I save mine up so I can buy other books that I really want.

[Redwing]

We are running down the food in the freezer and cupboards as it often stays in there forever. We did a stocktake and listed what we had then we did one shop to complete any recipe 'holes' and we ended up spending about £20 which when added to our label-less cans and half packs of frozen peas gives is enough meals for 6 weeks! its amazing what you have stashed away so its worth doing a rekkie as it could save you £'s in the short term (then you have to be strong and not just fill up the freezer and cupboards again!)

 

If you do get gaps in the freezer fill them with screwed up carrier bags/blown up bags (not as in dynamite!) as the freezer costs more to run when it has space in it!

[Guest]

If you do get gaps in the freezer fill them with screwed up carrier bags/blown up bags (not as in dynamite!) as the freezer costs more to run when it has space in it!

 

No problem here then - that'll be why Mum FILLS our freezer with bread! Drives me NUTS!