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

[roguepixie]

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

Wooooo hoo a NSD here today! I meant to say too, last year I started putting £1 in a jar every day so by Xmas I would have (ideally) at least £350 ish. It worked a treat and it made such a difference at Xmas. I've started doing it again this year but instead of £1 every day I am trying to put in £10 or so every week or more if I can afford it. And on NSD's I try to pretend that I actually spent £X on tat / cafes / magazines etc and instead of actually buying the tat I put the money in the jar. I put in £20 today and so far since Jan I have saved nearly £100!!!

Even if you put a pound away every day, it soon adds up! :)

Hoping for another NSD tomorrow but I'm meeting a friend in the morning so we may end up in the cafe at the park...

That is a great idea, a daily saving for Xmas. I will definitely do that, although I seem to have already done a fair bit of my Xmas shopping for next year!

Just a quick post as my dinner is nearly ready but for you ladies talking about bread, DH makes a lovely naan bread-equivalent when we have curry, using just flour & water (& seasoning) - costs mere pennies & does the job nicely!

Is it a chapati Jenduck? Gram flour and water and some salt - hot pan and bit of butter and ta da, you're done and dusted.

Thedodger - did your root veg curry for DH and I and its lovely - thanks for posting it.

jenduck DH wants to make naan bread. He used to use a packet thingy but none of the shops seem to still do it. Any good recipe would be much appreciated.

boffinmum I think my pizza dough recipe is still on this thread if you want to give it a go. I mix it all with a spoon in a bowl and then knead. Ive even used the food processor in a hurry (as I get carpal tunnel and kneading hurts my wrists quite quickly) and the dough was the same. No need for bread maker :)

Love your Dickens name dinky. I was thinking about it with regard to my own but I couldn't think of what to do with roguepixie that was Dickensian .

Oh duchesse, it does seem like that doesn't it? I think it is going to be a hard, hard year, tbh. I am very much a "glass half full" kind of person but it does seem truly tough at the moment. I do hope it improves as the year moves on? 'Till then I (we???) will just have to tighten everything, not only our belts (as my DMum used to say) and get on with things. The "Dunkirk Spirit" is what my DGrandma used to say ...

So, off to train a client this morning ... jeez it's cold out there . Then home to make soup and bolognaise. If I buy a couple of aubergines today or tomorrow I can make it with them instead of pasta. So, it may be a NSD or I may succumb to the lure of the mighty aubergine ...

Anyway, good morning all . I hope it is a good day.

Morning all!

Re: my yummy dinner dinky it sounds very much like a chapati, except DH uses plain flour & then fries them in oil in our frying pan. He seasons with whatever we have around - garam masala, coriander, salt & pepper or can even just have them plain. A great thing to counteract the spicyness of the curry & wipe the plate with afterwards . reckoner don't think there's a recipe as such, just mix plain flour & water to a gooey consistency, shape into patties (not too thick or they take forever to cook) & fry. Sorry I'm not much help, DH just follows his nose when cooking!

I tried the jar thing with 10 pence pieces before Xmas, but ended up having to spend it! I do collect 1p, 2p & 5ps for the DSes, though & if something is 22p & I have 25p or 30p in my purse I will give 30p so I can have the small coins for the piggy!

Today will definitely not be an NSD! Have Edward Bear this afternoon (50p donation), then browse charity shops & Co-op afterwards so will get eggs at Co-op (about £2 for 10 free-range eggs) & see if there are any yellow-label bargains. Will probably get DS1 a 10p car at charity shop #1 (DS2 too small to notice or care) & will look at 10p books & 50p clothes at charity shop #2! So, estimate a spend of up to £10 today.

Should also receive free nappies to trial today & my 2nd Graze box, which is half-price! If anybody out there fancies trying one for free, I have a code I can pass on to you (which also gives me something towards my next Graze box, so win-win)!

Did my freezer inventory and then spent £53.36 at Tesco yesterday - stayed within the shopping list which was written from the menu plan, but also needed loo rolls and was tempted by wine. Got a few deals on meat/fish which will probably keep us going till the end of the month. The total on the receipt was actually 62.54 before multibuys and my £5 off over £40 spend.

Did another of my rich bolognese sauces and now have three portions in the freezer. Only just fitted them all in - have a tall F/F not a chest freezer. But I realised that meat in those plastic packs wastes a lot of space so when I got my shopping home I wrapped things individually in cling film and/or sandwich bags, then put them in the freezer in a more space-efficient way.

I may be going to spend about £50 on a case of wine soon. We do like our wine. I have been saving recipes to the 'binder' on the BBC Good Food website and there was an offer for a £40 credit on a home delivery wine merchant. Most of the bottles are at about the £7-£10 price point so a case takes you to nearly £100 - minus the voucher. Always good to have a stock of wine for a gift when going to dinner at people's houses.

DH confirmed yesterday (and it didn't require mention of the Sainsbury's receipt!) that he would like to take packed lunches more. His trouble is that he eats like a hobbit - first breakfast, second breakfast, first lunch, second lunch... so I may now join you all at Approved Foods to see if they have the Sunbites sweet chilli flavour which he wants. And bloody Frazzles.

naan recipe - and what a coincidence it's curry for tea at mine tonight!! we have frozen parathas

easier and quicker I think

these look yummy

made these Dosa for a party last year with great success

chapatti

We had a pizza from M&S (?4 something) for dinner last night between 3 of us. Which was fine in theory except that DD decided she was hungry, liked it, and ate dinner propoerly for a change. I can't argue with her eating though. So the au pair and I had a snack later when she was asleep - I was chopping up the spare pork chops for the freezer, and rendered the fat, fried the little end pieces of the chops, and then heated the leftover mashed potato and cauliflower from Sunday in the pan - so bad but soooo delicious. And I have 2 bags of pork pieces for easy dinners another night.

I need to go to Lidl this week as DH is away again (work), so I need to stock up on their Pinot Grigio. And they have started a multi-buy offer on wine - buy 6 bottles and USE the CARDBOARD CARRIER (for the voucher) and you'll get ?2 off - when I usually buy wines between ?4.70 and ?5.25, that is not bad at all!! (Between 6-8.5% off, compared with a set 5% off in all other major supermarkets that have such an offer).

I try to save for Christmas in advance too (usually have a chunk taken from my pay straight into the credit union at work) but I have a loan out there at the moment (building works) so can't access it. We had been giving DD our small change a lot for her piggy bank over the past 3 years or so - we counted it recently and she had ?45 in it!!

I live next to a market so I am buying all my fruit and veg from there. I buy meat from the butcher and it works out much cheaper than the supermarkets, although I have to hold my nose as I can't stand the smell! My biggest expense seems to be in boots although I have just ordered some cheap makeup from this site www.makeupstop.co.uk so hopefully I can make some cuts there as well. I have a flask which I fill with coffee in the morning to stop the temptation of Starbucks. I love vanilla lattes!

I like are you me?? Last year I decided to do the £1 a day trick and had a nice lump sum to spend on Christmas treats.
BoffinCan't quite get organised enough to buy everything a year ahead - respect.
Will be having a nsd today and planning an at home birthday party for DD. Anyone got any tips for entertaining 6 demanding 11 year olds? So far, have thought of decorating fairy/cup cakes but that'll not keep them occupied for long.

Very proud of myself. Had to go into town today to drop DD1 off at college, then go to a thing at the museum with DD3.

Ended up spending £1.14 on the car park (should have been £1.20 but the lady I asked didn't have change for my note and instead gave me the 6p), went to the museum (free), was sorely tempted by Boston Tea Party (moccacino + Babycino) but changed my mind at the last minute and took DD3 to the library instead. Also free. Took out 8 books.

So whole morning out for £1.14.

Little- have it at home. Get them to make their pizzas for tea from scratch (maybe make the dough in advance though- see what you think)- make it into a competition with a little prize for each judging the pizzas on different criteria, then pop em in the oven and introduce them to charades or a similar game while they're cooking. Then video and pizza. That would easily take 3 hours.

Pizza, watch a film, popcorn, play wii games, mess about with make up... isn't that what 11yo girls love? DD who is 10 would love something like that. If you do have a bit of money to spend, what about bowling or ice skating?

Cant get these No Spend Days right at all!! In fact, I dont think there has been a single day this month I havent spent something!

Today should have been £1.50 for Brownies for DD1 and rolls for burgers for dinner, so £3.50 max.

My clothes airer BROKE!!! The leg snapped! So, cue, £15 on a new one!

I neeeeeed a NSD!!! Tomorrow is £40 on the car valet and £1.50 on Rainbows for DD2. Friday could possibly look ok for a NSD........ we will have to wait and see!

Hi everyone one of my FB Penny Pinchers brought this excellent offer to my attention : So I know we are trying not to spend but if you wanted a cheap romantic evening it beats paying £40+ for a meal in a restaurant.

Valentines Dinner For 2 @ Sainsburys

• Bottlegreen Presse Carry Pack or Sainsburys Cava Brut or Taste the Difference Pinot Grigio or Taste The Difference Australian Shiraz

                                   +           Taste The Difference Beef Bourguignon & Potatoes or Taste The Difference Catalan Chicken or Taste The Difference Paella or Taste The Difference Skin-on Salmon Fillets or Just Cook Chicken with Sage and Onion Stuffing or Just Cook Chicken Lattice with Cheese & Bacon or Sainsburys Sea Bass Fillets with Ginger & Lime butter

                                  +            Taste The Difference Green Veg Selection or Taste The Difference Dauphinoise Potatoes or Taste The Difference Rustic Chips or Taste The Difference Roast Potatoes with Goose Fat or Taste The Difference Garlic Flatbread

                                  +             Sainsburys British Cheese Selection or Gu Hot Chocolate Souffle or Gu Passion Fruit Souffle or Taste The Difference Pot Au Chocolate or Taste The Difference Red Berry and White Chocolate Tortes or Taste The Difference Milk Chocolate & Hazelnut Tortes    

Choose one from each section for £10.00

I pay £20 per month into a Xmas Club at work and am looking into joining a Credit Union. Its the only way I can afford Xmas as I am a nightmare at keeping money in a saving account.

Will most likely do the pizza thing - thanks for that suggestion. Am stumped as to which video to show as they all seem to go to the cinema frequently. Anything 'classic' isn't cool (from bitter experience a few years ago).

Thanks for the recipes Lexi the mango chutney naan breads look lovely

Just seen the wii suggestion. We don't have one, but the neighbours might lend us one... Now have the beginnings of a plan....

Latest chick flick then. Little madams. Or something that came out 3 years ago that they won't have seen at the cinema (27 wedding dresses style). Or Marley an Me. Who doesn't like a weepie about a dog?

Today is looking good for a... negative spend day!

One of the things I didn't successfully sell on ebay last week is perfect for someone in my office who gave me £5 for it.

Brought a very nice lunch in which has completely sated me and even got up early enough to have breakfast at home! Tomorrow's spend levels will entirely depend on whether I'm expected to hang around with some (morning) visitors for lunch which would not be expensive but would be above zero. No chance of taking my home made soup in - not that kind of place.

Night out planned on Friday so off to scour the boards for vouchers/discounts/deals for restaurants on the South Bank...

Would the 11 year olds be interested in following the eating of said pizza with decorating their own cupcakes? You make the cakes (or they do earlier at pizza making time), and leave out bowls of different icings, sprinkles, choc chips......and see what emerges. It can be fun!! (I was let down by local kiddie chef school with less than 24 hours notice that they couldn't do my "pizza and cupcakes" party for 11 6 year olds (exactly the opposite to you), including a couple of boys. I bought pizza bases and made 4 dozen plain buns, left out the pizza toppings for them to make their own, cooked them while my sis played outdoor games for 20 mins, they ate pizza and some random muck, sis and DH cleared while I played "pass the parcel", and they then decorated the buns and were so quiet and absorbed when the parents arrived it was great!!).

Oh, and the DIY version cost me about half the catered version would have - when I was buying at the last minute and non-planned. I could have done it a LOT cheaper if I knew from the start I was doing it myself.