FRUGAL PLANNING FOR 2012

Well almost 2012 and I have decided not to make New Year resolutions that I will never be able to keep, instead I am making plans that I am determined to follow in order to reach my goal.

1. Continue with my £35 a week food/cleaning/pet food budget.
2. Plan a meal menu for each week with a view to being flexible if a bargain comes along.
3. Not waste anything - food, clothes etc.
4. Recycle, repair where ever possible

5. Keep a small notebook in my bag with lists, measurements of items required for home so no buying without first a check if it is the right thing or size that i need.
6. Keep monitoring gas and electric comsumption and using only when necessary.

If I can keep to these simple plans then I should be able to reach my goal of being debt free by the end of 2012.

I hope some of you will join me on my journey over the next year and help me stay on course
Happy New Year to everyone from wannabe frugal

JUST COULDN'T LEAVE THIS BEHIND!!!!

I love handbags and they are my little weakness. Although I have loads i just can't resist. I had to make a promise to myself not to spend on any NEW bags but I  still find a bargain from time to time either at boot fairs or charity shops. I bought this little 1960's evening bag in a charity shop today for £1.
This summmer there were so many handbags at the local bootfair that I was spoilt for choice. I did stay strong and only bought at a maximum price of £1, in really good condition, vintage and if I was sure I would use it.
I tend to stick to quite simple clothes, (as I am only 5' tall and a size 10) and ring the changes with bold jewellery and bags. It is sometimes an item that I have found for pennies that attracts the most attention.
Tomorrow i will go through my list of things to do in 2012, if i write them here it will help keep on plan.
bye bye for today wannabe frugal

DIDN'T MEAN TO BUY BUT I DID!!!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas Day, now it is Boxing Day and we needed to get out of the house and have some frest air. The weather has been so mild.
Had a brish walk and then O/H discovered that there were newspapers today so we walked back through the town. Amazed how many shops were open as ours is a small town and usually the shops don't open till the 27th.  Decided to pop into "The Works" for a quick look see and found this beautiful photo album for 99p. I have some beautiful family photos dating back to late victorian times and have wanted an album for the best of them and this is perfect. I will post the album again when i have filled with some of the photos.

best wishes to all wannabe frugal

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL FROM WANNABE FRUGAL

SIMPLE EASY SUPPER

Made an easy toad in the hole made with 4 sausages and baked beans tonight and the quiche i should have made yesterday with the left over gammon and a few muchrooms added.

We will have this tomorrow with a salad so not too heavy or rich before Christmas Day.

Went into town for a look around and while in the supermarket picking up a small french stick i ended up at the till behind a lady with piles of shopping, she spent over a hundred pounds and turned to me and said she had already spent £200 there yesterday. I was gobsmacked, to make it worse she said they were not going to be at home for Christmas Day. Over £300 and going to some else for the big day. You have to wonder how much was going to be wasted!!!! £300 would last me for over 2 months.
Hope everyone is ready for the big day and has it all planned as it will make it less stressful.
Back soon best wishes wannabe frugal

BUTTERFLIES IN DECEMBER ?

The bulbs are poking through, the seagulls look like they are pairing up and today a butterfly flitting around the garden.In  December!!
The weather today has been glorious, blue skies and sunshine with temperatures in double figures. It seems crazy with Christmas just 3 days away and to top it all a butterfly in the garden.

It's been hard to get in the Christmas mood but the shopping is done and the presents wrapped and I have been very good and not overspent and hopefully will not have any waste after Christmas. Planning in advance has helped to keep the cost down - a list with items ticked off to remind me when i went shopping.
See you soon wannabe frugal

MY VERSION OF BOGOF

Hello again sorry to have been away so long but just had too may family and work commitments .
This is my version of BOGOF -  These huge gammon steaks are on offer at Aldi down from £1.99 to £1.49 (by now you will have noticed that i am an Aldi girl). They are so large that i will get two meals for two persons from them. I will cut about a third from each and tonight we will have the larger portion with saute potatoes, peas and carrots with cheese sauce. tomorrow will either be penne made with pesto and the remaining ham diced and muchrooms and or a cabonara of if I feel really good a ham and muchroom quiche where there will be enough for lunch the day after. So at least two for one and maybe even three.
Well off to cook now
Best wishes wannabe frugal

18p - HOW LOW CAN YOU GO?

Hi everyone

Has anyone else tried this pasta sauce from Aldi's? Only 18p a jar.I thought i would try it out and use instead of tinned tomatoes at 31p a tin. So two jars of sauce instead of two tins tomatoes, one large pack of mince, onion, mushrooms, carrots and green pepper ( had one lurking in the fridge). Added extra garlic, oregano and tomatoe puree  and crushed pepper corns for added taste. then into the slow cooker for 3 hours. I have to say it smelt wonderful.

Now all in trays (recycled of course) ready for the freezer. I got 4 good 2 person portions.

I costed this out and it comes to less than 50p per one person portion. Not too bad. could have been less if I had used more veg to stretch it further but I have to think of O/H who does like his meat.
See you all soon. Best wishes wannabe frugal.

FULL TUMMY AT LAST!

A year ago this little sweetie wandered in to our lives via the french windows.Very thin and scruffy looking. After asking around we found out that he was homeless and although i had said i would not have another cat, he worked his way into my heart. We called him Crybaby now shortened to Baby. I have never known such a vocal cat with the full range of meows. Now a year later he is a nice healthy cat and so affectionate. always purring and loves to be petted. We don't know how old he is but no spring chicken, so at least he now has a good old age to look forward to as we look him dearly. Only i do wish someone would tell him we are supposed to be on a budget. My own fault i have spoilt him but he repays me with so much affection.
bye for now will be back soon Wannabe frugal

WELL THAT'S THE CHRISTMAS TREE SORTED!!!!!

We ventured out for a shopping trip yesterday. Yes, we went the frugal route. first stop was a small table fair where i found this little beauty for the massive sum of 20p!!!!! So sweet and i think is from the 1950's, all complete with candles, glass baubles and bells. Reminded me that  i have 2 brass reindeer put away that i bought at the local bootfair in the summer. Just got to remember where i tucked them away.

I also went mad and bought these beads etc., all at 20p a piece.

and this little touch of vintage glamour

A pure silk hand rolled edge scarf for £1. Signed in the corner "Thirkell of Old Bond Street". Lovely colour and design. Can't wait to wear it. I buy very few clothes but pretty scarves and beads can change the look of an outfit for very little.

After this we parked the car just outside of the town centre and walked in. Saved £2.20p on car parking!!!  A little wander around but all we bought was 3 items in Poundland -

Can of WD - 40. car sponges and a stocking filler book for a 9 year old, at that age they enjoy all those gross out things. And we managed to get 2 boxes of the half price PG Tips teabags in Morrison's.

Then it was back home for a welcome cup of coffee. I felt very virtuous as i managed to stay out of all the clothes shops and didn't feel tempted or that i was missing out.

Well off to hang out the towels in the brilliant sunshine we have today (long may it last). Bye for now.

FREE AND PRETTY CHEAP

FREE -Big bowl of cookers from a friend so yummy apple fritters on Sunday and the rest i will cook and freeze for apple crumble etc.

PRETTY CHEAP - Had to do a bit of shopping in Morrison's last night and they were reducing items. bougth two chicken balti pies and a large stir fry for less than a pound so that's dinner tonight sorted. It was going to be sausage and mash but that will wait for another night. I do a menu each week but try to be flexible when a bargain comes along. We have a strict budget of £35 a week for food, cleaning products and catfood so it has to stretch a long way.



DIRTY FILTHY SATURDAY

I applied for free loft insulation and cavity wall insulation under the goverment backed scheme. Had the survey and we were eligible. That was back in July and at long last they are coming on Tuesday to do the work.

So this Saturday afternoon we went to clear the loft. Didn't think this would take long as we keep very little up there, just suitcases and boxes with Christmas decorations. O/H takes a light to check that all is clear - air turns blue, in the dark regions of the far end of the loft were old rolls of carpet, sacking with straw, wood etc. old nowspapers dated back to the 1950's. Everthing was filthy and falling apart. By the time we had finished we were filthy dirty and the hall was covered in bits everywhere. Luckily have only stripped the hall ready for decorating so no carpets etc. to worry about.

Looking forward now to the difference it will make to the warm of the house. Being an end of terrace we have a long outside wall which gets no sun so should make a difference.

Will be having slow cooker roast pork and bread and butter pudding for dinner. The smell of the pork is driving our little old adopted cat nuts!!!!

best wishes to all
wannabi frugal

Keeping warm without the heating on

This is always hard for me as I do feel the cold. In the good old days when gas was cheap ( can just about remember...), flick the switch and on it went without a thought. Today, very different, almost scared to put it on as the prices have risen so fast. We are quite lucky here in the south east as it has been quite mild but i am dreading it when it gets colder. Now it is layers of clothes and blankets over the legs in the evening.
I had a great bargain at out local bootfair on sunday. Spotted this quilted bedspread poking out of a bag. Asked the price and was delighted to be offered it  for £1.50p. The lady had even had it cleaned. Very warm and a lovely teal colour.

This is on top of the duvet and my very old hand quilted spread which my mum gave me years ago.

The quilt is a soft cream colour and hand quilted. I know some will think that I shouldn't use it as it is so old but that is what is was made for and I do treat it kindly. So when we are snuggled under all this we stay warm and toastie.

so here I am

I am taking baby steps to get the best I can for my family and make our budget stretch as far as i can. i have learnt a lot from some other blogs and here i am to show what i am doing and would love others comments and tips as i still have so much to learn. To me being frugal means getting the most you can out of your resources and still having a good  and enjoyable life. There are some things that i know would make me unhappy to give up and it would be silly of me to try.