Frugal Feb gives way to Money-Saving March. Now featuring austerity health and beauty tips!

[Lexilicious]

Third thread after first and second

Let's get saving and enjoying our frugal wins!

summary of links so far
www.organizedhome.com
www.supersavvyme.co.uk/
womenfreebies.co.uk/
www.lovemoney.com/
www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/discount-voucher-codes/
www.poundland.co.uk/top-tips/gardening-2012/
www.purlbee.com/
www.familyandfriends-railcard.co.uk/halfterm
www.makeupstop.co.uk/
www.approvedfood.co.uk/
www.goodtoknow.co.uk/money/cheap-food-deals
www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/perfect_portions

Hi all, can I join? After a bit of advice. I was sick yesterday afternoon ( with stomach flu) for the first time in 5 years, so I wasn't up to making the casserole I planned (ready chopped veg in a Co-op pack for £1, Quorn pieces, stock and sherry, which is left over from Christmas, so trying to use up in cooking). I am feeling a lot better today and might be up to cooking later, although I have only had a slice of toast and a cup of tea so far. The veg should have been used by yesterday and I would normally be fine with using them today, but just wondering if it's a bit risky, bearing in mind I am only just getting over a stomach bug. Chances are, I might not be up to cooking later, but would you be happy to take the risk in my circumstances?
Loving this forum btw. Thanks.

CremeEgg - rule of thumb is only dry and/or bland food for 24 hours post stomach bug. So fine to cook up the casserole but dont eat it today - eat it up tomorrow or freeze it.

Hi there (have posted on here lots but have breifly name changed...) this "approved foods" business. I just loaded a whole trolley and was super excited but the sell by dates on the website were things like March 2011, June 2011 and the nearest in date thing was Jan 12... what's the score with that?

Is it because they are tinned/ dry etc that sell by dates aren't as important? I've never been one for following sell by dates religiously and the odd week for fresh food or month or so for dried and tinned food but not sure I could go with six months or a year...!

Can I pass on the tips of Sainsburys basics cupasoups - fairly tasty and only 20p!

Also, who has tried Savvycircle? What's the craic?

Thanks, dinkystinky. I think it might have been a bit ambitious of me to think about making the casserole today and I will leave it until tomorrow and raid the freezer for potato waffles tonight, if I am still ok. About to chance a banana for lunch and have a shower afterwards, which is all I'm capable of for now.

Hello! Found you all!

Had a pretty good week so far, only spending on essentials. Shopping for week came in at £60 so not bad.

Will need to put fuel in the car today or tomorrow, but we last filled it nearly 2 weeks ago when we got the car, so good going for us!

Been doing lots of baking this week - homemade cakes and biscuits not only taste better but cost a fraction of the cost! I love my hummingbird bakery cookbook!

Bananas are good CremeEgg - dry toast (or thin scraping of butter), bland biscuits (rich tea), potato and rice are also good. And lots and lots of water.

Hey everyone. Really bad spend day today but on holiday so don't feel guilty at all ! Tomorrow nothing planned so will more than likely be a NSD or very little if we decide to get a morrisons meal for two. Heads up for everyone though starting today at morrisons spend £60 and get 15p per litre off your petrol. Might come in handy for some people - I usually shop there but went to tesco for first time in ages and filled my car which I never do! Typical lol

Oh, DanJar, I love that book. The refridgerator cake is fab, seriously .

CremeEgg, I hope you feel better soon, and welcome.

So far, a NSD, which after yesterday is a good thing. Have to buy some potatoes later for Shepherds Pie and need to buy some wool tomorrow for Wubbly's blanket (another thread). Any knitters on this thread may want to contribute - WubblyBubbly sadly passed away a few days ago. Knotty and RatherBeOnThePiste are organising a blanket, thread here is anyone wants to contribute:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/1412555-A-Blanket-for-WubblyBubblys-family-knitters-crocheters-and-donors-sign-up-here

and

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/1412604-Mumsnet-Blanket-Knit-and-Natter-Sign-In-Here-Please

Hi all,
Great thread! I love this kind of thing.

I also grow some of my own veg (well, I started last summer!) and will do more this year. I read a great article which said you should grow things that are expensive in the shops. So unless you really want to grow them, don't use your space on things like onions, potatoes, carrots (although I will if I have space as it's so satisfying) but do grow strawberries, raspberries, asparagus, things like that. That way you get the biggest saving.

Following the River Cottage veg series on tv last year I bought his recipe book and so far I'm saving £50 a month cutting right back on meat, and I don't miss it at al.

I also now clean most of my house with vinegar and bicarb. It works fantastically and is so cheap!

Hi, can I join? There are some great tips here!
Have had a relaxed 6 months or so due to having a bit of cash, but things are getting close to being tight again and I really do not want to be in the position we were in this time last year.

So budget, budget, budget is the aim! Mainly on food and crap buying throughout the week!

Right I'm off to attempt to catch up with the other threads may take me a while

ooh marking my place!

Had a good day today.
Sold some unneeded baby stuff to a friend for £35, and she then treated me to buffet lunch at Pizza Hut, ate so much I felt rather sick but now I don't need tea either!!
Went to the butchers on way home and spent £24.18, but for that I got:
5lbs pork chops
2lbs minted lamb chops
5lbs chicken portions
8 large sausages and
3lbs of good quality mince

So a £10 profit and enough meat for a good lot of meals. Also tax credits tomorrow - Yippee!!

Took a friend out to lunch at a local organic farm, to celebrate my divorce. Spent about £11.00 for two, I had farm lamb moussaka, he had stilton and broccoli quiche, lovely fresh salads with both. I had latte, and then tap water, he had tap water. Bought 6 organic free range eggs from the farm's own hens, and some bacon from the farm's own pigs. I claim pound wise

I have just gone through my coat pockets and found 2 packs stamps, a doz each 1st and 2nd; an annual pass to a local museum valid till 25th Feb ie. Saturday (no time to waste, then ; 4 Cafe Nero loyalty stamp cards, with 5 stamps between them (must buy at least four coffees from Cafe Nero soon then, musn't I?), and a Monsoon electronic voucher, don't know how much for or how long ago it dates from.

So I think that balances the lunch and the petrol

ladyH, I'd eat that cheesy spinach pasta. What could go wrong with it? Perhaps I'm dense, but it's only meat that I'd be a bit wary of if it were frozen that long.

£1.95 spend today on soft play thing, then a day of visiting friends and family (although this did incur lots of petrol usage).

Welcome newbies, all welcome here.

pinky, glad you enjoyed your lunch and can I ask ... "how deep are your pockets?" Was the trawl through one set of pockets or all the pockets on all your coats????? That's one heck of a lot of stuff. I mostly find empty chocolate wrappers .

Minimum spend today. £5.00 on potatoes, bottle of water and small drink/snack for DS. Walked from home to collect DS from station - so saved a bus fare and got some exercise . I think I walked it quicker than the bus would take .

Sorry, LadyH, forgot to say that I would think the pasta would be fine.

We didn't have sell by or use by dates in our young day. Humans have not evolved as the kings of the beasts (only cats can claim royalty ), but as scavengers who have general knowledge and their sense of smell to guide them. Ex and I spent several years persuading adolescent DS that he would not drop dead if he ate cheese that was a day past its use-by.

Yesterday I made a stew with some beef that was on the edge, washed it in water, then in vinegar, then in water, it was cool and in the fridge in a reasonably short time. Ex and DD are eating it tonight, reheating it thoroughly, I wouldn't risk their her health . And if it does taste off, I assume they won't eat it anyway.

I washed the raw meat not the cooked stew, obviously

Thanks for all the gardening tips. I'm hoping to get started with some seeds on the window this weekend. Will ones I find from last year be OK?

NSD today

Quite likely not. I suggest you google for each different plant you've got seeds by and see what they say. AIUI most seeds can remain fairly viable if kept in the fridge since last year, it might be worth a go if it is not going to cost in compost and seedtrays.

Often if you can find a slightly richer gardener, they may give you left overs of this year's seeds - they don't like waste, in general :) or you could offer to split a packet with someone, depending on how many plants you want to grow vs seeds per packet.

I had a bit of the stew, it was very nice.

I think I may have tried to grow 'old' seeds..fail.

Thanks for the pasta advice. However, we are on our second night of my veggie chilli...(preens...!) and I am going to remain very firm with myself and ensure we eat what's avail in the fridge first...think will roll out pasta on Sunday or Monday.

Caldron veggie sausages...swoon.

Do approved foods do things like Quorn ever?

Aldi? Lidl?

Mmm... I thought so. Will split with DM then.

Going out for breakfast with DH today - should cost less than going out for lunch! I'd try and get him to pay but it's his birthday on monday so I'll be picking up the bill

And then picking up DC early from nursery to visit a friend for a couple of hours. I promised to take treats so I'll be whipping up a banana cake with two very sad looking bananas.

Seed packets have use by dates on them too. For example, some I got free with a magazine recently say 'packed year ending dec 2012' and 'sow by year 2014'. I did try some significantly older peas in the autumn but nothing sprouted. I would still use last year's seed packets, and possibly the year before's too.

Something else that can make the difference is fresh compost, especially if you're using containers, as the nutrients will have leached out with rainwater runoff and pots won't have as many worms and beneficial soil bugs to add back goodness as in the ground.

NSD yesterday, that's the second in a row! Will need milk today but that's it. Didn't manage to get up and go to the park gym though, but have a two mile round trip walk to put ds into nursery.