No-spend January/Frugal February - the no-spend challenge continues

[roguepixie]

OK - am attempting to start the second thread ... hope this works.

Welcome vivian, nice to have another frugal-threader .

jenduck, I have cut my DH's hair for years so have always had that saving. I also do DS's (although he doesn't like me doing and prefer's going to "the salon" . However, needs must and he now sits in the kitchen whilst I snip away. From my earlier horrors (inflicted on DH) I have now got quite good .

Have spent £1.09 on Ebay posting so far today. Will probably spend a little bit in £land later but not too much. Will also need to top up DS's zip oyster (he uses the train as well so gets a reduced rate but still has to pay a bit).

I find risotto a really good mid-week dinner which stretches a small amount of meat quite far and is cheap. If you take the spare meat off a roast chicken and make stock form the carcass then it comes in ever cheaper...and tastes nicer .

Found a receipt in DH's clutter...

Sainsbury's.
12.56 on 1 Feb.
BGTY Chckn chow mein £3.00
BGTY Chick biryani £3.00
Chakri sticks £1.20
"meal sol 2for5.00" -£1.00
"with nectar you would have earned 12 points"

Aside from "wtf are chakri sticks?", is this a "leave the bastard" situation, oh mumsnet?!!

jenduck DH wont let me anywhere near his hair, he's seen what I have done to DD's fringe in the past. But like the tip, not for my DH though, unfortunately.

I applied for a job today. Went to the doctor. Now going to the library (and pay tiny fee for ordering books in).

reckoner & rogue I am categorically forbidden from going anywhere near DH or even DS1's hair, with clippers or otherwise! The word uncoordinated was invented for me DH does it himself, very wisely

Lexi I was all prepared to tell you to give your DH another chance, seeing as he'd got a meal deal - then I saw the lack of Nectar points Shaky ground, I tell you...

jenduck, ooooh you should have seen what I did to his hair the first time round . Let's just say that I forgot to put the shield thingy on the end of the clippers that sets the length of the hair left. . He came home and said that the guys in his office were counting how many steps he had in his hair . I have improved now, though...promise

DH just rung from work. He has been contracting after being made redundant last year. There is talk of the contractors being let go after the company having to make cuts . So, it looks like all my frugal practising may come in handy . Ah well, it's not set in stone and he was talking the other day about applying for other contract jobs that he has seen come up ... fingers crossed. for that.

Was going to canvass you frugal lot about opinions for joining my local W.I.? Thing is, fees are £31.00 so that might have to be put on the back burner ...

I can see lots of vegetable casseroles in my future ...

£15.00 spend on carrots, leeks, cordial, milk, fish cakes, other bits of fruit and veg in M&S. Mash on to have with chicken and veg later, will also make spag bol and chicken soup for later in the week. Should be NSD tomorrow, Wed and Thurs. Will break duck on Friday at much deserved works pub lunch. Brilliant knitting chat - plan to unravel a poncho thing someone knitted DD and teach them to knit in half term. Need to plant sweet peas too for lots of lovely cut flowers at the start of summer. Onwards and upwards all!

P37 for those of you who just want a quick peek in Woman's Own

It's a shame I am back at work tomorrow, finding all this home baking very theraputic and money saving made some mini quiches today with some pastry cases nearly out of date in the cupboard. Feta cheese, smokey bacon and par boiled potato with some egg and milk poured over. Fingers crossed they are yum

Lexi, how very dare he? Not even using a nectar card??? And he bought 2 meals when he only needed one, if that cos he could have taken lunch from home. Leave the bastard! Or at the very indoctrinate speak to him about his behaviour till his ears bleed.

Today envisioning a $1.25 spend on a coke and a packet of cupcakes for work - coke really helped me to focus last night and felt I was having a treat as I don't get them often. Packing ham and mayo sarnies for my supper there along with some crackers. Need to do better on the fruit eating...

Apart from that no spend.

Everything seems so darned cheap over your side Fishpond! Can't imagine having enough change from £1.25 for a packet of cupcakes from buying a coke here... Must be out of touch with US prices...

$1.25 in america is about £2.50 here though isnt it?! So not totally unbelievable.

or have i got that the wrong way round?! I dont DO exchange rates!

Ok, i got it wrong $1.25 is 78p! Cant even get a coke for that here!

I think it was chickens asking about freezing bread. I just do it when it's fully cooked and then defrost to use as normal. For pizza dough I freeze at the point when it's ready to be rolled out, so defrost and roll then bake. Although I think you can freeze the bases already cooked. But this takes up more room in the freezer than a small ball of dough!

Good day here. Just £6 something on emergency teething items - boy has been off food for the last few days, only eating breadsticks and the like. But got some Anbesol, which either did the trick or coincided with happy gums.

I have actually started leaving my purse at home when I go out!

Rather than take my bag for the sake of taking it, and therefore having no will power, I leave it behind and just stick my mobile in my pocket!

£7.00 spend in £land - think it might be my favourite shop (this week) . Then spent £5.78 on juice!!! Bought Tropicana though as it's not made from concentrate...pricey but worth it, I think.

Other than that and the oyster bus fares...no spend .

mouse, I find that's the best thing...if you don't have it with you, you can't spend it .

Made risotto tonight and am making rice pudding for dessert - all cheap and cheerful using leftovers and store cupboard supplies.

Hi it was me, it is 80%, i will try it next time, i wanted the crusty crust which i loose when e freeze it.

Will let you know how it goes.

Half price cupcakes (6): 75p plus can of Coca Cola 59p = £1.34. Could probably get it cheaper in Lidl.

And to think that our food prices are distinctly cheaper than in continental Europe! I can't imagine how they are coping at the moment (apart from the lower accommodation costs).

Mouse my husband always says im like royalty, never have a purse or cash or card!
Years ago wheni was massively poor i would withdraw my weekly spends and that was it! It was amazing how much i saved. working in a big city is lethal for spending at lunch, waiting for a train etc.

This thread ought to become Miserly March at this rate, ladies, not just Meagre! I do that very thing, Danjar whenever I have to set foot out of the house. It seems to completely halt impulse purchases.

Have to confess now to having had 3 photos enlarged at Photobox this week- £21

It just seems to make sense, if I dont have my purse, I cant spend!

DH has just bought me chocolate supplies though, so another £5 gone!

Duchesse - check out truprint too - they can do some excellent sale prices too.

DanJARMouse - I'm taking out my £10 spends a week in cash and that's helping me keep a lid on spending. And making sure I'm drinking lots of water (and taking a bottle of water with me) so I dont mistake thirst for hunger while out and about.

I have a bit of a pizza dough problem. I used to make my own pizza very successfully, but I seem to have lost my mojo somehow. I have been making the bread dough the same, in my breadmaker, with the same ingredients, but when I tried to roll the last batch out, it would not go properly flat and rose like some sort of alien effigy in the oven. It tasted OK, but was more of a doorstep than a proper pizza. Any advice?