Frugaleers chatting and saving even further into August...

[AGenie]

Just setting up the new thread for the chatty Frugaleers.

Useful links copied from last year:

//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.

[Unescorted]

AGenie thanks for setting up the new thread.

I take frozen food for the first 2 days only & use it to keep the other stuff cold. After that we just get something fresh each day. Anything that you cook on the stove at home can be cooked while camping - obvious statement I know but one that people forget. Useful things to make before you go are tomato sauce for pasta, garlic herb butter, spice mixes, stir fry marinade, salad dressing. Other top tips to keep you out of pubs & cafes for meal times - take your best saucepans, good chopping board, utensils & knives. There is nothing more frustrating than using a "camping" cook set - if you are in the car weight is not an issue. If your budget runs to it get a camp kitchen - it means you have somewhere to store all the food and a surface that is bench height .... I have this one from Decathlon

[northender]

Signing in from holiday. Thanks for the new thread AGenie. There are some great camping threads on here about cooking, simple meals to do etc, definitely worth a look. Don't give up on the idea.

We're having an overnight stop in Plymouth with PIL before going over the river to Cornwall this afternoon. Dh and I had a lovely peaceful 2 nights in Exmoor while the dc had fun with family here.
I'm trying to keep a close eye on spending so we're going to be having more meals in than originally planned but that's fine, it's what we usually do. Doing a supermarket shop this afternoon. Tried to do Click and Collect but found the Sainsburys site wouldn't accept my order, very frustrating.

I'm feeling much better now, the headaches have pretty much gone now. Had a bit of a wobble yesterday when the hospital rang to try to book me into the pre assessment clinic for the repeat angiogram I have to have. It was awful the first time and I'm really not looking forward to having it again. Anyway I'll just have to deal with it like all the stuff that has already happened, and if it's clear then I can properly move on.

Have a lovely frugal weekend everyone.

[Fluffycloudland77]

It'll be over before you know it North. I hate things like that too but it's got to be done.

Unescorted Have you ever used coconut powder in cooking? I need some but it's a minimum of £7 mail order so I'm thinking of grinding unsweetened dessicated coconut instead.

[AGenie]

Unescorted that's a good idea. When you go camping, do you have a lot of contact with the other families camping round about, or is it a fairly private family thing? I've never done campsite camping, only wilderness camping. I can't really imagine what it's like sharing washing facilities and everything.

Good luck with the angiogram north. I know just what you mean about worrying about medical things. I'm starting to think that I should just ask for a horse tranquiliser before stuff like that. Staying calm during medical prodding is not my strong suit. ds is to go to the hospital for a blood test on monday. I have no idea how they think they are going to pull that off.

[AGenie]

I just had a weird frugal win. I went to order ds's uniform and new clothes for the year and realised he has finally grown into a bunch of stuff that I bought two years ago that was hopelessly over-large at the time. Score!

I must admit, I do love that embroidered uniform costs so little from Tesco. I bet the folks at the private schools are not paying so little.

[Cagliostro]

Yes Fluffy think it probably was a cat, due to the rip in its wing. Thankfully it was only a small hole, and once it had dried/warmed up and calmed down it was able to fly perfectly! SO cute though, I love bats.

[Colliefeatures]

AGenie camping is so much fun. Don't give up on the idea. We have a camping kitchen unit too. It makes it much less stressful! If its only for a couple of nights I would eat out instead. Like you say - It's your holiday too choose a campsite near good pubs.

north enjoy Cornwall. Don't let the weather put you off (its not as bad as I expected) I would love to go to Exmoor for a weekend. DH and I have many happy memories there.

Fluffy I've been ticking off stuff from my Pre Winter to do list. I was actually cold last night! we assume we're moving to a relatively crap house when we sell this one so we are looking to stock up on bargain fleeces, blankets, bedding, rugs etc.

Many of the houses in our budget require updating. So I have a new "new kitchen / bathroom" fund. Which will include a range cooker and a dishwasher. So I better get saving! we can do this!!

[Unescorted]

Fluffy yes - when I couldn't find coconut milk or cream block. If the recipe has any liquid adding just use a tin or block (reduce down the fat content as well). I think I got mine from the "world" section at Tesco (the bit where they sell Hershey bars and other expat randomness) - there is no way I would have paid £7.
AGenie we do a lot of cycling events, wild camping and the rougher end of organised camp sites. The Cycling events are one big party & we know quite a few people before we go. The wild camping is walk until we can't see anyone and camp. Campsite camping depends on the people about - sometimes we blank them or other times we are sociable. I earwig for the first couple of hours before deciding if I can tolerate them. If the wife is doing everything while teh husband is willy waving I generally give them a wide berth.... just because I know I will have to stab him & I hate digging large holes while on holiday. Shared facilities is all about keeping an open mind about when things need doing - otherwise you end up queuing for the sink / shower. Take a washing up bowl and bath mats - both make life so much easier. I will have a think about our packing list and post it later. I assume you are car camping so weight isn't going to be an issue.

North hope it all goes well. I can understand your dislike of medical things. I always feel out of control when I am at hospitals.

Italian glad your dd is back home

[Colliefeatures]

cag he's gorgeous!! I love bats!

[Unescorted]

Fluffy I forgot to say it is dehydrated coconut milk so not like dessicated coconut at all. Think milk powder with a coconut undertone.

[AGenie]

Thanks unescorted. The camping thing would probably be super easy except that I've got some kind of PND health problem that means I'm living on really plain food and I get a dodgy stomach every time I get even a tiny bit slightly stressed. Possibly camping in the garden is the best thing for our first go. That way I can spend the day in the bath and they can go camping.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Oh I see, I thought coconut powder was coconut flesh dried & ground

I have coconut cream in a block. I think I need to do a practice curry.

[needastrongone]

I agree, Sainsburys are poor for 'world foods', but they do do little pots of pastes etc, like umami, harissa, chermoula that really enhance a dish.

A bat! Wow. Flappy little things though, aren't they? They scare me a touch.

Are you on a retainer Fluffy for the Lidl cheese?

Aldi today, but that's it. Just stuff for a competition.

[Unescorted]

Agenie that sounds a plan

Fluffy it is weird stuff. My favourite coconutty curry is "Bengal" curry- thinly slice 2 onions - fry them off in 4 tbl spn of oil or ghee until they are golden brown ( this takes about 10 minutes). Drain them off and keep the oil. In the same pan re add teh oil and fry off 1tsp off tumeric (for a minute) add 2tsp of garam masala, 6 green cardomons, 2 cloves, tsp corriander, tsp cumin & chilli to taste ( I grind the spices just because dh has a face on if he bites into a whole clove). Fry for another minute. Add in 6 cloves of chopped (grated) garlic, 4cm of grated ginger and a large bunch of chopped corriander - add a few spoons of water to stop it sticking, reeduuce the heat down really low and cook for about 5 minutes ( it looks like a sludge that you would find at the bottom of the vege box). Add in meat ( I use chicken leg meat usually). Coat meat with the masala & fry to seal. Add tin of coconut milk, bring to a simmer - when you are ready to eat, season, adjust chilli, add onions and small amount of corriander to garnish.

[Girliefriendlikesflowers]

AGenie maybe look again at a caravan or cabin type set up, it would be lovely for you all to have a little trip away. I have IBS so feel your pain as my stomach is exactly the same, it does not travel well but I still wouldn't let that stop me from going away iyswim. We have had some lovely holidays at the Parkdean places.....

Right going to see some relatives who are on holiday in Devon today, hopefully will be a LSD going to take food/snacks with us........

[Unescorted]

Bats cost me a fortune.... I have a £per bat calculator for my building sites. They are lovely - but most people see a small bird in dim light and claim it is a bat so that they can delay the developments. I suspect a proportion of these people also complain that house prices are astronomical (they are, but...)

[BertieTodd]

Sounds like a nice recipe unescorted, I might borrow that one, haven't made a curry in ages.
Hope everyone is having a good weekend, great to hear you and DD are home Italian.

[needastrongone]

CentreParcs or similar AGenie?

[Cagliostro]

I had no idea bats (or the claimed presence of them) could cause such problems! I just think 'ooh that's cute and fluffy' :o

[Mummyshortlegz]

unescorted that sounds delicious! I'll be trying that.

[AGenie]

Yes I have been wondering about self-catering thing Girlie and Need. I hadn't hear of Parkdean before. That's a good thought. I realise now that there is one about two miles from my parents house. I always wondered which website they went through.

I love bats too Cag. We have pipistrel bats in our garden and I love the way they move in the air when they whoosh by at dusk. I do remember my Mum clogging up all the little holes in our attic though, when it became illegal to evict them from houses.

[Ememem84]

starting today with a breakfast of champions. Fish finger sandwich! Yum.

Then must go to charity shop to drop some things off, then riding, then to the shop for things for dinner tonight. Just need chicken thighs beers soy sauce and veggies. And maybe a dessert.

Was going to go to boots but that can wait.

[Fluffycloudland77]

No need but it's really good cheese. I need you all to try it. All of you.

My curries coming out of 'takeaway secrets". It's a low brow curry. I'm going to try rice again after agenie proved Tilda rice is worth paying extra for. I'm going to try doing onion bhajees and pakora too. I just need to set the deep fat fryer up outside because otherwise the house will smell. Our kitchen extractor is on the list of things that need to go.

Annoyingly my DM can do perfect rice WITHOUT TRYING AND USING SUPERMARKET OWN BRAND And she acts like rice is easy.

[Ememem84]

fluffy I hear you - rice isn't easy. I just can't get it fluffy. stupid rice am trying the Jamie Oliver method tonight - which I think involves a tea towel (it's in the ministry of food book I'll read before I cook).

Have just seen on a local fb page a crowd funding request from someone to buy a pony. Maybe I should start one. For a new house....

[Fluffycloudland77]

In the takeaway book it says to rinse it etc, cook it, then cool with running water & store in an air tight container.

Then the next night you fry it with egg for egg fried rice. As rice food poisening is vile it adds a certain frisson to any meal.

Omg the cheek of some people. I bet someone's donated too