New frugal week, New frugal start!!

Well that was my statement to myself as I lay awake at 4am this morning unable to get to sleep for the 5th night running, Maggie Thatcher may have been able to cope on less than four hours a night but not this gal, beauty sleep is very much needed I think.
Anyway about this new start, yesterday I threw away the following:
1 x full head of celery
1 x half cucumber
half a bag of spinach
full bag of rocket
nearly full pack of polenta
full pack of radishes
full bunch of spring onions
tub of houmous
half a tub of coleslaw

All in all about £5.00 worth of good food just gone to waste just because I couldn't be bothered to either prepare and eat it or prepare and freeze it.  I know it doesn't sound a lot but that could pay for a nice coffee or glass of wine at the weekend so I have had a good look and have decided that apart from Yoghurt, milk, apples and rocket I won't be buying anything else till all the food I have already is used up.  I have a few meals in the freezer that I batch cooked last week, some bits in the fridge and my pantry cupboard is full with pasta, cous cous, beans, rice and noodles so I am sure I can come up with lots of meals for the next couple of weeks especially from all the great blogs Ive been reading lately.

Speaking of food its now 10.30pm and I have forgotten to eat dinner (that is not like me, i'll put it down to tiredness) so I'll have a banana as I can't face anything else.

So porridge for breakfast with a banana, Just used up new potatoes, to have with a boiled egg and tomato salad and a pack of low fat chilli crips that Ive just found in the cupboard for lunch tomorrow, have taken out a chilli and will have that with Jacket potato and rice for dinner.

So NO spending this week on food, fingers crossed I can do it.

Night all.

GYM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes I did it, dragged my butt to the gym after work for an hour, god it was hard work and shows how unfit I have become lately.  Discovered I have put on half a stone since May!!! so I am now at the heaviest I have ever been so need to sort it out.

Jacket potato and chilli for dinner, glee and film about Shirley Bassey's life that looks good so thats my evening sorted.

Another spend day grrrrrr

Well another day where I had to spend money, two presents to buy one for a male friend so decided on vouchers from All Saints as I know he will shop in there - he's very fussy and I wouldn't dream of buying him clothes really also picked up a funny book and some jelly beans!!

Secondly it's my friends little boys 5th birthday, I'm his honarary Auntie M.  Decided to team up with his other honarary Auntie Sue Sue and club together for his pressie which is a fireman sam engine, figures, dvd and a felt jungle book which reminds me of the felt boards I used to play with when I was younger so I couldn't resist.  Spent £35 on the first pressie and £22 on the second although my friend is going halves with me on the second, so final costs for today are

Presents - £46!!!
Lunch - £3.26 (sausage roll, tuna sandwich and a vanilla slice) I know I know!! bad girl
Garnier make up and moisturiser - £1.98 (had a £10 voucher so thought I would try that new garnier BB stuff which was £8.99-will let you know if its any good)

Total - £51.24 flamin eck good job I luv em.

mx

A Little Vintage Look around

Had a great day today, went to Vintage Village at Salford Museum and Art Gallery with mom, it was a really great place to have a vintage fair and there was loads of stalls to browse.  I'm half glad a lot of vintage stuff is made for slightly smaller ladies otherwise I could have spent a fair bit as there were loads of lovely dresses and lots of coats that I was lusting after.  Anyway I did purchase some scarves ( I have a thing about scarves I have about 60 in total) and now 3 more to add to it.  There were all £1 each and I have plain V neck jumpers in each of the colours that would go perfect with them.

I also bought a brooch for £2.00 which was put in a fab handmade gift bag made out of newspaper.

Gift bag

 I also bought another brooch I couldn't resist for £3.00 knocked down from £4 as I'd bought the scarves from here as well.  It needs a bit of a clean but other than that I really like it.

After a coffee and a cake in the tea shop we went to see the victorian street that they have in the Museum, wow it seems really authentic and working in a Museum myself Ive seen a lot of exhibits that don't really live up to the hype but this one does.  Couldn't get many pics really as it was a bit dark for my phone camera but there was a replica pub, room sets and shops.

Set for tea.

Pub - not much changed there then.

Olde style shelf stacking

oooh a shop selling fans!

Then back to moms for a coffee and a play with this little fella!

So a really good day, stopped at the Co-op on the way home and got a few bargains so as I am off work tomorrow I am going to have a batch cooking day and a freezer sort out.

Time for Spooks then Downton Abbey with a nice brew - I do love Sunday night TV.

Bye for now.

mx



Comfort food and comfort TV

Well bit of a none day today really, was supposed to meet a friend for coffee as we are both off work today, but it didn't happen, shame as I was looking forward to getting out of the flat really.  Sometimes although I enjoy time off work I get bored just sat in the flat, there are loads of stuff I could be doing in the flat but sometimes I just need to get out.  So went for a wander round local shops and picked up a few bits in Tesco well £23 worth!! am going to cost out exactly what I can cook with that and see how long it lasts.

Anyway as I am still feeling a little low there is nothing like comfort food and comfort TV to fill the gap so its cheesy mash followed by a magnum ice cream (sounds weird I know but it works) and An Idiot Abroad on Sky TV.

Here's for a better day tomorrow :)

Chicken Dinner

Made a nice chicken and bean casserole in the slow cooker, bit of an experiment really using stuff I had lying around (rather than throwing it away for once), and decided to cost it out too.  Excuse the burnt stockpot it always goes like that!.

2 x chicken breasts = £2.66 (its 8 for £6 is that good value i'm not really sure, i'm not very good with meat prices really.
handful frozen onions = 15p
half can plum tomatoes = 7p
half jar pasta sauce = 20p
half jar baked beans = 20p
dried herbs = 1p
tin of canneloni beans = 20p
Total cost = £3.49 for three portions so £1.16 per portion.



Served with Rice and some rocket cost = £1.30 that seems okay to me but I bet I could do it cheaper.

List update!!

Okay lets see what/if I actually acheived yesterday from my list.

1. Finish sorting out kitchen cupboards - Yep finished list as you can see below:

Spice cupboard before

Baking cupboard before

Spice cupboard after

Baking cupboard after - hmmm not such an improvement on this but as I am hoping to do more baking this weekend and use up some stuff.
2. Clean cooker (oh god hate this) - noooooooooooooo will leave for friday i think
3. General kitchen clean including kitchen floor (hate this as don't have a mop so its a hands and knees job, thank god its only small!!) - done
4. Tidy livingroom - partly I got distracted by Aussie Masterchef!!
5. Put washing on (bedding mostly) - done
6. Change bedding - no am leaving till Friday
7. Hoover all of flat (not done for over a week so desparately needs doing) - nope will do on Friday
8. Clean bathroom - Done
9. Take Recycling out - Done
10. put soup on for lunch tomorrow - Done
11. Iron stuff (only two days at work this week so just two days worth - Done

Seven out of ten aint bad!!

Lists, lists and more lists!

Well slept in today till 10.30am not happy as wanted to be up with the lark to start my decluttering.  Never mind I must have needed the sleep.

So have decided to start this morning by writing some lists and I think this will help me if I can see some things being ticked off it will spur me on to try the tick everything off the list so here goes.....

1. Finish sorting out kitchen cupboards (did most yesterday just pan and under sink cupboards to do)
2. Clean cooker (oh god hate this)
3. General kitchen clean including kitchen floor (hate this as don't have a mop so its a hands and knees job, thank god its only small!!)
4. Tidy livingroom.
5. Put washing on (bedding mostly)
6. Change bedding
7. Hoover all of flat (not done for over a week so desparately needs doing)
8. Clean bathroom
9. Take Recycling out
10. put soup on for lunch tomorrow.
11. Iron stuff (only two days at work this week so just two days worth - hate ironing)

ooooh and last but not least pop across to charity shops and cheapo shops to have a mooch, on the look out for some xmas pressies.

So lets see how many I can tick off today, well definately the very last one as I'm off to do that right now.

See you later
mx

Blog Post 1 - It all starts now.

Hi everyone and welcome to my blog.

I have decided after a weekend looking a various aspects of my current situation and reading lots and lots of blogs that have been very inspirational by the way, that its about time I had my own blog where I could document my day to day attempts at being a bit more frugal, paying off my debts, losing some pounds (in weight) so I can wear all the fabulous vintage dresses that I love so much but just can't fit into.

I am a single gal and day to day manage okay, I have a good job, but there are some 'things' going on at work at the minute that could mean restructure is on the cards so who knows what will happen in the next 12 months and I would like to be as prepared as possible if something does happen.

I love looking in charity shops, thrift stores (and we have some amazing vintage outlets in Manchester, spoilt for choice really) - just need to be able to fit into the damn clothes!!

So this blog is hopefully going to be my little outlet where I can document all the changes I am going to make, sometimes have a little rant (although not all the time), or basically just ramble on....