Join the Fantastic Frugaleers for a February full of frugality

[northender]

Shiny new thread ready for Sunday. Newbies very welcome. This is a wonderful thread full of encouragement and support

Ohhelp - here's the brownies recipe. Our microwave is 800W and it took 1 min 30 secs. It was VERY hot when it came out! We had whipped cream on top.
www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/brownie_in_a_mug/

need here it is:
Apple & Orange Chewy Bars (in the style of Organix)
200g rolled oats (could blitz in processor to make finer like in the bars)
140g raisins (I chop these up a bit)
at least 50ml sunflower oil - I accidentally doubled the amount last time and it came out fine smile
at least 25ml apple juice - cheapest available - I usually add more though or it seems a bit dry.
1 teaspoon of orange extract - expensive to start but lasts a long time in the fridge

We have a Rayburn, but it works the same as a gas oven (or a really preheated conventional oven) so it needs to be 160 degrees Centigrade.

I simmer the chopped raisins, sunflower oil, orange oil and apple juice for a few minutes stirring on a low heat. Usually add another splash of apple juice at this point. Then stir in the oats until they're all coated. Tip the mixture into a small oiled square tin, or a large oiled loaf tin. Press it down with a spoon to make it firm. Then bake for at least 25 mins. It seems to be ok to cook for longer but get it out before it starts going too brown or the raisins burn.

Spent hours yesterday (feels like) making my brother homemade jaffa cakes for his birthday. I know! It would have been cheaper to buy a packet from the shop but that seemed mean for a birthday present. Also promising him a scarf (found a shop that does cheap wool).

May have to spend on petrol today (my turn) but otherwise should be NSD. DM treating us to lunch, then off to bro's for party tea.

One more week to go until I next get any money in from a client...I've had £300 paid to me so far this year. My poor underfed bank account.

NSDs this week thin on the ground, but lots of LSDs.
Yesterday £8.24 on fruit and veg in Lidl, that's all we need for the whole week and beyond as I'm trying to keep using up stuff in cupboards etc.

Am driving us to a nearby village for practice today, will buy coffees there probably. my hand is still badly swollen so have a Drs appt tomorrow at 3, two fingers are huge and red with swollen knuckles, a matron at school said raynauds syndrome, does anyone here have experience of that?

Meals this week

Asian noodle soup with last of frozen shredded veg
Bubble and squeak with poached eggs
Dodgy frozen risotto (don't ask ) with salad stuff
Bean burgers and spuds with salad
Gnocchi with sundried tomato paste, mackerel and salad
Ribollita
Veg broth with barley and crumpets/potato bread from freezer

Should be nsd today. Off to dm's for Sunday lunch and nice catch up with family. Yay. Walking there too as am trying to track my steps.

Yesterday was a LSD. Only spent money on eggs. Spent afternoon helping at the stables with a pony party (so cute) and earned myself a riding lesson. So didn't have to pay the £30 I'd allocated for this.

Yesterday
7/2
£5.20 bus
£5 pound world on random snacks/popcorn (DH!)
£3 to DSD for a folder for college

Have ordered tesco for today, quite a dent on the food budget but hoping to do loads of batch cooking for the freezer with what I've bought. I was knackered when ordering though, so hopefully I've not forgotten anything important!

Peonies please could you tell me how to make the bean burgers?

MissA I'm a nurse, Raynauds is normally a circulation problem and generally cause pain and problems in the tips of fingers. What you have doesn't sound like that to me, I may be wrong though! It sounds more like an inflammatory reaction or infection in the joint, did you injure the knuckle or graze them?

So no other hamster owners on the thread then?! May have to buy her a new house as she doesn't seem to like her current one which to be fair I had kept from the previous tenant cheap skate but am thinking maybe she can smell the gerbil on it or something

No there spends though, dd has swimming later, it's her bday tomos - 9 yo am getting all emotional thinking about where my baby has gone also it brings back memories of her birth which sadly wasn't the best. Think we are both lucky to be here really, in a lot of other countries don't think we would be.

Our meal plan is:

Roast chicken
chicken and pesto
sausages and mash
spaghetti and meatballs
jacket potatoes
macaroni and cheese

Thinking of starting a small craft business - trying to be sensible about how I get started so costs are low but also don't want to launch until closer to Christmas so need to build up stock etc. In the prepare for the worst side of life if it all goes horribly wrong it's the kind of things I cam give as gifts!

I'm quite pleased to be starting on project to make money (even if not that much!) as well as saving, feels a bit different psychologically.

girlie no it just happened randomly. Matron thought RS because my hands go blue and purple a lot.
Sorry for tmi pics... Just hoping someone might know something. The finger only is swollen right index with normal left one for comparison.

Dibdobs I use Jack Monroe's kidney bean and carrot burger recipe it makes loads and is delish - www.greatbritishchefs.com/community/budget-carrot-cumin-kidney-bean-burger-recipe

I get RS - it turns my fingers (and at times my whole hand) white, but not swollen or red. If anything they shrink as the blood just seems to drain away, to the point I no longer wear my wedding ring because it falls off. I have worked out that swinging my arms around like a mad woman makes it a bit better.

Ouch MissA that looks painful! I get Raynauds but mine don't swell up.

My spin cycle is not working on my washing machine. Not sure whether it's worth getting it repaired or just to replace it. I think it must be 8 or 9 years old.

£33.52 on my debit card in Tesco, using a £3 off voucher. This included a £5 bunch of rainbow tulips- a treat for my birthday week! I should only need milk, bread and possibly eggs between now and next weekend.

My meal plan:
Today: Quorn and veg stir fry with noodles.
Monday: veggie sausage casserole with nice bread.
Tuesday: same.
Wednesday: Pizza Express, using a voucher for my birthday. Yum!
Thursday: pasta and pesto with avocado and borlotti beans.
Friday: veggie burgers and oven chips.
Saturday: macaroni cheese with spinach and petit pois in it(homemade and in freezer).

Lunches: cheese salad bagels, cup - a- soup, crisps and fruit. Cheesy beans on toast.

Breakfast: brioche rolls with nutella and honey and coffee for 3 more days , cereal or toast.

574 if you can afford to replace then do so but get an A+++ rated machine so it's cheaper to run. My new one costs the same to run as my old one but is nearly double the capacity so I do less washes and wash on cold most of the time. Even broken machines can be sold for spares.

Did you check the filter? Some won't spin if the filter is clogged. Or the outlet pipe.

NSD & dh bought me a superdry cropped mac off their eBay outlet as a valentines day gift instead of flowers. He's asked me if I want a staffie & a can of tennants super to go with it.

Is it a gorgeous sunny day for everyone else too?.

Yes fluffy, but cold.

Nsd for me but we went to the co op and dh bought an apple pie for pudding yum! Whilst we were there I saw some microwave pasta meals reduce to 59p. I got three and that'll be a meal for all of us one night. We're not ones for micro meals but it's so cheap and will be great on a Friday when I cba. They were originally nearly £3 each

Gorgeous weather here too. Am off to check the filter on washing machine now.

NSD today

Gorgeous day so just been in the graden playing but had awful nights sleep with both DS' being up so too tired to go anywhere!

Bit of a spendy weekend...£30 lunch out yesterday with friends...£37 ikea...£7 Chinese supermarket...eek!

I've got a few things on ebay - let's see how much of this I can make back!

House question: the water in the bowl of our downstairs loo keeps dropping low. I've done a bit of googling and suggestion is a blocked drain. Can I call the water board out to check for free or do I need to call in dyno-rod or something similar? We haven't got any funny smells and Google search suggests it could be a blockage 'somewhere down the line'. We're in a terrace. I don't want to pay to clear someone else's block!

...and 'ouch' missa

Gorgeous here, Fluffy. Just had a lovely walk. Walking in the sunshine has to be one of the most life - affirming things we can do. Even better, it's free.

Six- if your water level is HIGH would suggest a blockage, the water would drain slower and the bnoel fill more.
Get a black bin bag and a towel, put you hand inside. Push the bag/towel down the bowl. Pump/plunge up and down like you would unblock a sink.
The below water or blockage should push out. Flush, wait a few minutes and repeat.
A plumber charged £50 to do this at mine. Now I can do it myself.

*the towel inside the bag with your hand.

Miss a. It looks like an infection of some kind? Maybe? Does it feel hot? May be worth drawing round the swelling to see if it swells more before the doctors tomorrow? I'm sure more medically trained people will be along in a moment. Just thinking to when I got thorns in my hand once. Looks sore though.

Mixed day today. Lovely weather so local park with the scooters/duck food before swimming lessons. Have no snack stuff left so had to go to a mini express supermarket. £7 before swim lessons. Pool packed so saved that on entry fee after lessons. £24 on body warmers for each child.
Just made £46 on eBay and £10 on facebook selling if everyone coughs up/collects.