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Friendly Frugaleers chat their way into February...

999 replies

Ipsos · 26/01/2016 12:51

Just setting up the new thread for the chatty Frugaleers.

By popular request - copied from last year Grin

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/other_subjects/1324074-For-those-who-cant-afford-to-use-central-heating-this-year-How-are-you-going-to-cope

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1543785-your-top-tips-for-money-saving-and-a-more-frugal-life

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1600030-Small-money-saving-habits-petty-even

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1628874-Gas-Elec-Bills-monthly-and-SKY-so-angry

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/1911061-NO-MORE-COLD-MUMSNETTERS

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2209167-Slow-Cookers-are-shit

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2224969-saving-money

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/legal_money_matters/2258202-Debt-mutual-support-thread-number-6-start-the-new-year-with-a-clear-purpose-and-keep-moving-forwards-even-by-tiny-steps?

orchard.tesco.com/ Sign up to this.

www.topcashback.co.uk/home And this.

www.quidco.com/home/ And this

www.moneysavingexpert.com/ And this

www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub ditto.

www.checkoutsmart.com/ Plus this.

www.hotukdeals.com/all/deals/new?page=3 Check this daily.

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Thread gallery
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fuzzpig · 29/01/2016 15:57

Oooh I could so murder a blood orange right now Envy yum

CremeEggThief · 29/01/2016 16:10

Yum, a blood orange would be just the thing for me too. I have a really sore throat since late last night, so aI expect I shall shortly be on the lurgy bench. Still, at least the company is goodSmile.

Spends for today: £7.70 travel, £1.79 on a pizza slice and flapjack for lunch from a local bakery, £6 entry to the Arts and Craft House exhibition, which closes on Sunday (very well worth it), £4.99 on a William Morris colouring book, £3.65 on a latte and slice of orange and polenta cake (yum!) in the gallery's coffee shop and £7.99, on a pair of mint skinny jeans in TK Maxx, that will be perfect for summer. So, £32.12 total (I think, if my mental maths is right).

eastmidswarwicknightnanny · 29/01/2016 16:16

Very much looking forward to the weekend after last weeks events hoping for a quiet one. I like Fridays I finish early to collect ds1 from school n we come home for an hr or so get a few bits done then collect ds2 from nursery. In the summer we will prob enjoy some time at the park instead.

Take away tonight as a treat unsure what yet I am not fussy if it means not cooking dh will get it on way home from work.

CremeEggThief · 29/01/2016 16:21

Nearly right. £32.11.

Happy frugal weekend, everyone Smile.

SpottyTeacakes · 29/01/2016 16:25

I put pasta back in the oven. Meh. Best to save money though.

SpottyTeacakes · 29/01/2016 16:26

Pasta bake Hmm

Ipsos · 29/01/2016 16:27

I just tried cooking a pork loin joint for 2 hours at 160 degrees and it was very soft and nice when it came out. Must do that again. Most of it's going in the freezer, sliced. Much cheaper than buying pork chops or sliced ham.

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Ememem84 · 29/01/2016 17:28

made it!! 5pm!! Quittin' time!! Can't quite believe it!! hot toddy was a reality

Popped into shop on way to the car (dh is driving so please don't think I'm breaking laws) and bought wine. and Doritos

Dinner tonight is spicy sausage pizza (homemade not takeaway) and then movie night. I think we're going to watch gone girl.

Hopefully a nice sleep and tasty dinner will fix me.

Pointlessfan · 29/01/2016 17:36

Happy weekend everyone!
I'm very tired and my knees hurt but glad it's Friday and an NSD.
Hope you all survived the wind, it was bad here too, I was on playground duty in it!
Hope poorly people have a restful weekend and feel better soon.

Ipsos · 29/01/2016 17:42

Pointless are you still ever tempted to hold your coat up over your head and get blown across the playground now that you are a teacher?

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Laska5772 · 29/01/2016 17:55

Frug l win here!

Ever heard of the 'hay box' method of cooking? You bring something like a casserole to the boil and then stuff it in a box of hay cover it and leave it several hours and it cooks itself .. ( or something like that) ..

Anyway, I was making my slow cooker chilli last night and it wasnt really long enough to cook it .. so before i went to bed I swicthed it off (and unplugged it!) then wrapped the whole hot slww cooker in 3 old bath towels.. this morning it was still warm , so before I went to work I swicthed it on again and brought it up to bubbling, then did the same just before I left (unplugging it , so not to have a potential fire risk) .

This evening have come home to Perfect slowcooked chilli , and even more frugal than usual slow cooking!..its just coming back up to tempreture again.. (of course I wouldnt recommend this if it was a chicken dish , .. )

'Hay box' cooking is interesting idea , but Ive never tried it , apparently you can cook legs of lamb etc ,over several days..I dont think im that 'ecological'

Anyone ever tried it ?

Ursulatodd · 29/01/2016 18:00

I'm un-skulking in time for a fresh start in Feb. I'm just so damn spendy all the time. I feel like my whole frugal mind-set (which was once pretty strict) has gone all floopy!

Hello everyone Smile enjoy your weekends x

Pointlessfan · 29/01/2016 18:00

ipsos that would be so much fun! I'd love to see the look on the kids' faces!
laska the Mortgage Free in Three lady has instructions to make something like that on her blog. Not hay but works through insulation.

fuzzpig · 29/01/2016 18:00

Thinking we will go to town after dancing tomorrow as it's actually easier (due to the bus routes, it means I can get a different bus between the two rather than having to walk to get our bus home) and I can pay my cheque in. I really don't want DD to miss dancing, she is doing so well and loving it. Think we might have a McDonalds actually, just realised the DCs haven't had their allotted one a month Wink and I'm majorly craving junk food!

I have asked DH to look out for blood oranges (he's doing the top-up shop at Tesco) :o but for now I shared a yummy tin of mandarins with DD. Must remember that if I keep a supply of tinned fruit in, it's not quite such a disaster if we run out of fresh. Hmm I really do want to get into the habit of NOT top-up shopping (emergency cold and PMS supplies excepted obviously! :o) and just doing a weekly, well planned Tesco shop. Anyway I'm trying to be sensible with stocking up and only doing what's on offer. I bought lots of tinned peaches because they were on offer, but held off on the pears because they weren't, I'm sure it'll come round soon enough.

Good grief that is such an incredibly BORING paragraph even by my standards. I'm sorry.

Well done folks for getting through the week. Seems to have been a strenuous one for many! And well done Spotty for resisting the takeaway urge!

Em I LOVED Gone Girl. I hadn't read the book so it was very intriguing. I watched Child 44 (ok) last night and Persepolis (loved it - foreign animation is one of my nerdy obsessions) the night before... it's funny how DH and I react totally differently to having colds, he went to bed really early whereas I was unable to sleep until very late and dozed propped up on the sofa. Hence watching the DVDs he wasn't interested in (I do love getting free DVD rentals via my job). Tonight though we will all be watching the last of the Ri Christmas Lectures (space project this 'term' :)).

Ursulatodd · 29/01/2016 18:00

Laska 'mortgage free in 3' lady does lots of thermal bag cooking

Ipsos · 29/01/2016 18:08

I'm not even brave enough to use an actual slow cooker let alone do what you just did. I made the error of reading the scientific evidence for safety online.

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Whataboutnodetox · 29/01/2016 18:09

Fuzzy I keep frozen fruit and veg and spare milk and bread in the freezer as much as I can. It really does help avoid junk or top up shops.

Whataboutnodetox · 29/01/2016 18:10

Ipsos was your concern about the lead in the ceramic coatings or to do with bacterial growth?

fuzzpig · 29/01/2016 18:20

Thanks What :) we do use mostly frozen veg now, and I'll definitely keep bread in the freezer. Does frozen fruit taste a bit weird though when you defrost it? I've used it in cooking and things like Eton mess but not just to eat 'as fruit' IYSWIM.

JeepersMcoy · 29/01/2016 18:21

You can buy these bags for thermal bag cooking. Works on the same principal as hay box. I kinda want one: www.wonderbag.co.za/Default

Of course really frugal types would make something I guess.
Was supposed to be a nsd but had to spend £2.75 on an emergency birthday card as I had forgotten to get one for a friend. Ended up writing it sneakily in the toilet and then nonchalantly handing it over like I had absolutely remembered well in advance Blush

fuzzpig · 29/01/2016 18:22

Ipsos I feel that way about reheating rice or eating it cold. Did a food hygiene course :o didn't do anything about slow cooking though, it wasn't as fashionable then. I do use our SC but not often, I'm a bit nervous of stuff tasting rubbish :o but the things I have done were mostly good (chili and spag bol especially)

fuzzpig · 29/01/2016 18:27

Freezing milk is an idea. Again does it taste normal when defrosted? It might be an idea to keep one of the tiny bottles in there (wouldn't have room for more anyway) as that'd be enough for cereal/tea for a couple of days - we normally buy 2 of the 4 pint bottles which sees us through most or all of the week.

I am really funny about certain foods, freezer stuff etc though, I grew up never knowing what food was safe (hoarder parents, mouldy food etc, now have OCD issues with it) so it takes me a while to adapt to these habits! Blush

CremeEggThief · 29/01/2016 18:27

Ha, Pointless, I'll see your playground duty and raise you almost an hour outside with a bunch of 2 and 3 year olds. It was good fun, actually.Smile

Ipsos · 29/01/2016 18:31

What it's the bacterial growth I was concerned about. I read up about it and decided not to take the risk. I realise that for most people it is not a problem but I have dodgy inards and I reckon it's better just to slow cook in the oven in my case.

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Ipsos · 29/01/2016 18:34

fuzz I'm the same with rice. I did a microbiology course at University and they specifically said never to reheat rice. The frozen rice in the supermarket is different as it is cooled super-fast, I believe.

I know what you mean about food tasting odd too from a SC. Even boiled rice tastes odd when I do it in a SC.

I realise that I'm asking to be flamed here as there are many SC enthusiasts here. Please do just ignore me. It will save a lot of energy. Smile

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