Bathroom challenge

Dear reader,
Yesterday I told you about why we are living frugally-because we have had to spend a lot on doing up our house. Some of it necessary, the boiler was ancient, the windows were hanging by a cobweb.
I have looked back over the photos we took when we moved in and have found the pink bathroom.

I challenge you to have a worse one!

This is the new one complete with heated floor and heated mirror wall, which you can't see but great for steaminess. ( the pic is now at the bottom-still learning)
We removed the boiler and subsequently the airing cupboard to make the room bigger and put in a combi boiler.
Anything in the house seems to cost a fortune and although big man is very able with DIY a bathroom installation was beyond even his abilities. Everything was wrong with this house, the toilet was too near the wall for plumbing regulations,the electrics were knackered, there were wasps nests in the roof and so I go on........

Ah well, if all goes to plan we can start to overpay the mortgage in a year or two. That's what I keep telling myself anyway as I make those sandwiches in the cold kitchen at 6am.

Waiting for the snow here in Buckinghamshire.
Log burner on-check
Fleece leisure suit on (its cheap pj's from Primarni)-check

Sarah x

Label snob suckers!

Dear reader,

It's always about now I start tempting myself and browse the net for holidays. I crave sun and heat when it gets really cold like this. I have relented and have the heating on low in the morning before we go to work and in the evenings.
We really need the double glazing in our lounge replaced. We have two large windows and although they are double glazed, big man swears he can feel a draught on his sofa. We have one each and I turn mine into a nest with throws and cushions. Mine is also near a little table on which I have perched a warming brandy tonight!

Our house was built in the early 60's and has not had much done to it since. We have replaced the critall windows in the rear and the hideous crazy paved chimney breast and must not forget the pink bathroom along with 4 layers of wallpaper in various pinks. I will try to post some before and after pictures tomorrow so you can appreciate the hideousness. Remember that bright pink medicine you had as a child? That's the colour.

It has all come at a price and that is why we did without a holiday in 2012 and won't be having one in 2013 either. Damn you glossy brochures!

I have 4 lovely days off work now and need to do some batch cooking. I will be off to Lidl tomorrow for provisions. (Never bought ready made burgers anyhow!)
I already have some homemade faggots and lasagne in the freezer so am trying to think of other meals I can cook ahead.
I guess I will do the usual, curry, shepherds pie and chilli but am trying to think of some new recipes.

I did a little survey of my colleagues at work today on how much they spent on food each week.
Here are my finding:

2 adults & 1 baby £85
2 adults & 1 baby £125
2 adults £65
2 adults £100
Us £40
They eat out at work as well!

They were shocked and asked how we did it. I told them we no longer buy pre packed meat for sandwiches, less meat in general and a lot of bulking out with veg and lentils. I also use a very small amount of washing liquid in the machine and don't have to buy often.
We don't buy much booze, maybe one bottle of cheapish brandy a month at the most.
The £125 family suffer from label snobbery and couldn't do Lidl. They never seem to have much money either and he works two jobs- suckers!

I don't do labels although I like the saying buy cheap buy twice and I don't mind paying a bit more for something to last longer.

Snow is on the way, -8 over the weekend. Hope you are all prepared. I am going to check on the two older ladies in my close and make sure they are ok.
Stay warm.

Sarah. X

Glis glis

Dear reader,

Sorry for the rubbish photo, I can't seem to find how to add pictures to my blog yet but this is a Glis Glis. This is what is living in my loft-rent bloody free! Thank you to Compost Woman who knew what I was moaning about. Not a Cous Cous!
We didn't hear it last night so maybe it just popped in. Cute though, probably curled up in my Karen Millen dresses that fitted me about 2 stones ago.

While I am writing my blog and wondering how to save money, worrying about my gas bill, car fuel and all the rest of it my mind has been drawn to the tv. A programme called the undatables.
It shows lots of people who find it difficult to,find a partner or even a date due to disability.
Learning disabilities and bodily ones.
It made me think how lucky I am and what I take for granted.

I have 7 followers now and just wanted to thank everyone who pops in to read this blog.
I will be having a giveaway of probably a frugal lifestyle book that I have enjoyed when I get to 15 followers so please add me if you read.

Thanks
Sarah. X

A lodger called cous cous.

Dear reader,

As you may know I am trying to reduce our monthly bills by cutting down on food and fuel costs.
Big man (he wants me to put 'cos he is tall and muscular, which is true) and I have turned off the heating and have been using the log burner to heat the house. We have both had terrible colds and now having returned to work have been working late and not had much time at home, thus not really wanting to build a fire when we get in.

Last night our bedroom temperature was down to about 8c and I had put on two pairs of socks, pj bottoms and a really thick fleece night dress on top. I was still shivering at 4am and just could not sleep as I felt so cold. I went downstairs and got the throw and wrapped that around me too, pulling it over my head. Still cold! Had headache which I blamed on the cold too.

I admitted defeat at 0530 and flicked the heating on.....I have to say, it was bliss until..........

0608 am- there was a strange noise under the floorboards of our bedroom, right near the radiator.
I immediately thought the hot water was doing something weird. It continued and I listened to a terrible scrabbling.
Our bedroom is in a loft conversion so we are actually in the loft with a small door that leads to the rafters where we keep the usual stuff, Christmas decorations and suitcases. I know you have the same stuff in your loft probably.
It took me a while to figure out that we have a visitor of the small, furry type. I am hoping for a squirrel and nothing else with a long tail!
Honestly, this thing was having a disco under our floorboards. As soon as I had managed to shuffle about a bit in bed, you know, when you want to wake the other half but kind of innocently without him knowing, the little rodent must have gone to sleep as it had all stopped.
Now I was warm but well awake and decided to sod it and get up. Not a good nights sleep.

Someone at work has told me we have a, ( can't remember the name but it kind of sounded like cous cous) a squirrel looking creature with bigger ears? They are in Bucks and Herts and are illegal to release into the wild, he told me. He went on to say I had probably woken it from hibernation by putting the heating on! Great!
 Anyone got any ideas what it is called?
I don't mind paying B Gas to heat us but not so keen on this lodger.

There was a smattering of snow this morning on the road and the cars but the council had done a good job with the gritters.
Big man went off to work before me and I half wanted to look in the loft section upstairs but was scared of some flying, screaming squirrel launching itself at me.
Will see what happens tonight.

Goodnight.

Sarah. X

Living on less but I like it.

Dear reader,

Welcome to a new bloggie friend, No more spending. Thanks for following.

As you may know, I have decided that fast food at work was eating into my budget as well as making me fat and unhealthy. So for 2013 my partner and I will be taking packed lunches to work.
As I am now a yellow sticker and cheap supermarket shopper I find it increasingly difficult to find healthy foods to use. Most of the reduced stuff is processed or baked goods. Pasties, breads and quiches. All things I can make myself for a fraction of the price.

I read Cath Kelly's book recently about a teacher who sets herself the target of living on a pound a day. She also discovered that a whole packet of digestive biscuits is about the same price as one orange. I want to spend less but don't want to store more poundage on my body.

I am trying to be imaginative with the food we take to work. I am making proper meals for when we work late like chilli and rice, curries, jacket potatoes, meatballs and pasta. Our food has to be portable and microwaveable. Salads are great but not exactly what you fancy when it's freezing outside.

I am happy with my £40 per week budget but do have to be careful when I shop. I quite enjoy the challenge and nothing much gets wasted anymore. I discovered a nice recipe on a slimming world you tube clip which is nice to eat especially when you have cravings for a colonels fried chicken meal. I don't eat from any take away place anymore. I am concerned about the quality of the meat, the cleanliness and obviously the health implications of the calorific content.

The recipe is simples and as follows:

Chicken portions-drumsticks or thighs are best and I think more tasty than breast.
Breadcrumbs
Chicken flavoured bovril
Herbs that you like.

Boil the chicken pieces, I remove the skin as it contains all the fat. Yes, boiling sounds yuk and it does look a bit pasty. I cook for about 10 mins.
Let cool so you can handle and coat with the bovril. Sticky job.
Then roll in your own mix or breadcrumbs, herbs and spices. I usually use a bit of garlic salt and any other dried herbs I have. Like spicy? Chilli flakes or paprika.
Then roast for 10 mins to crisp up.

This is a really nice chicken dish that makes you feel as if you have had a treat at a fraction of the price and calories.

If you have any good ideas for packed lunches that are a bit different to sandwiches I would love to see them.

Have a great weekend.

Sarah. X

Welcome and thank you

Dear reader,

Forgot to add this on my latest post. I have 4 followers and wanted to say a big thank you to

SFT-saving for travel. Her excellent blog started my reading and inspired me towards a more frugal life.

Flour girl-thank you so much for following.

Ragged wren- as above, so nice to see people are actually reading my blog.

Compost woman-am envious of your 4 acres, must be wonderful.

Many thanks to you all.

I am hoping for more followers so I can do some giveaways. What do you think is a good target?

All the best to you all,

Sarah. X

Smart and practical

Dear reader,

Have made a nest for myself on the sofa with throws, tissues, menthol rub and tablets.
After 4 days of wearing pj's and being curled up like a hamster I am now felling better.
I have been doing a lot of reading online, blogs, news and the like.

I read with interest the article in Daily Mail online about the crops that are not harvested and the vegetables that are discarded as they are not the right size, shape or colour. Not beautiful enough!
Frugal Queen is rightly furious as well as I saw on her blog.
It got me to thinking about looks and how some people judge on looks alone.

I had a conversation with an old friend the other evening. She is very label conscious. Channel handbags as £2500 a go, specific face cream which I think is about £100 plus a go, you get the picture.
I was at her house one evening some years ago and had on a cheap top. She asked where it was from and to test her i said it was Karen Millen. She loved it and wanted to try it on.....when I laughed and confessed it was from some cheap top she totally went off it.
Now I am all for enjoying your money but to disregard something because the name is not right is just pathetic. I suppose these sort of people feel better when they say, "Oh this bag is by (insert some designer name with £2k price).
Does it make me a failure if I am not sporting the latest bag, trainers, shoes or car?
Do people look at you differently if you wear designer stuff?

When I told her that big man and I had bought a nice house in a nice place(too rural for her) she sounded a bit miffed and asked if we had won the lottery.
No, we don't do the lottery for a start. We saved and saved. We went without. No meals out, no holidays, no booze, no new clothes. We lived on a budget and we did free things on our days off.
We went for walks and went exploring. We got really lost one day and had to walk for miles to get home. It was fun though and it was free fun.
She didn't sound that happy my old friend and that hurt. We were friends in an old life and we haven't seen each other for over a year. I guess we are on different paths now and that's fine.

I don't mind spending money on quality that will last. I bought some black leather winter boots in 2008 for about £300 because I knew they would last and they have. I wear them loads and they will last another 5 years at least. They are not high fashion just smart and practical.

That's a good description for us frugalies, we are not interested in whether its beautiful enough or who it's made by as long as it does the job.

SMART and PRACTICAL

Have a good day

Sarah. X