Dear reader,
In an attempt to make something healthy yet frugal as we are on the bare bones this month I rummaged around in the cupboards and fridge and came up with, a butternut squash and a tin of chickpeas. Here's what I did with it.
Peeled and cut up the squash.
Boiled it in water with a chicken stock cube
Mashed it up when soft, leaving a few lumps
Added some coconut milk powder
Added some curry powder
Put in a tin of chickpeas
Served with some instant noodles.
It was surprisingly tasty.
Good luck to all of you living below the line this week. Some creative menus.
FIB. X
Monday, 29 April 2013
Friday, 26 April 2013
Fuel or food?
Dear reader,
You may notice my progress bar for my overdraft, which was £1700 has now been completed.
I have just ploughed all my money into my bank account and left it there. When we get paid we transfer a set amount into our bills account. This pays the mortgage, food, fuel and all the bills which we have on direct debit. We also have a loan which we got to do up the house.
After everything has been paid, there is not an awful lot left. I do manage to put a little bit away into my car fund and my Christmas fund.
My bank charges me a pound a day to be overdrawn upto £2000 and £2 a day over that. I was sick of paying their fees every month and have now paid off the overdraft. Yipppeeee.
On the downside, this means I have absolutely NO MONEY, nil, zilch, nothing in my bank account.
There's hardly enough left in the joint account either. We may have to decide between fuel or food this month. We have to have the fuel to drive to work. There is no hope of public transport where we live. I have some supplies in the freezer and some cupboard staples but it will be tight.
I have about 2 days of diesel in my car and estimate I will need £80 for fuel until payday again in 24 days. Big man probably the same. That's £160. That will leave us with about £50 for food. I do have a gift card for something I returned at Asda for £14. That will do for milk and eggs.
I am stalking past my sealed pot like a hungry lioness.
I read a very good menu plan from Scarlet over at
The other stuff http://stillgoingstrong1981.blogspot.co.uk/
I am going to try to make more vegetarian meals for us both. Some pasta for lunches
and veggie curries and chilli for dinner.
Will keep you updated, any frugal recipes, please send my way.
FIB. X
You may notice my progress bar for my overdraft, which was £1700 has now been completed.
I have just ploughed all my money into my bank account and left it there. When we get paid we transfer a set amount into our bills account. This pays the mortgage, food, fuel and all the bills which we have on direct debit. We also have a loan which we got to do up the house.
After everything has been paid, there is not an awful lot left. I do manage to put a little bit away into my car fund and my Christmas fund.
My bank charges me a pound a day to be overdrawn upto £2000 and £2 a day over that. I was sick of paying their fees every month and have now paid off the overdraft. Yipppeeee.
On the downside, this means I have absolutely NO MONEY, nil, zilch, nothing in my bank account.
There's hardly enough left in the joint account either. We may have to decide between fuel or food this month. We have to have the fuel to drive to work. There is no hope of public transport where we live. I have some supplies in the freezer and some cupboard staples but it will be tight.
I have about 2 days of diesel in my car and estimate I will need £80 for fuel until payday again in 24 days. Big man probably the same. That's £160. That will leave us with about £50 for food. I do have a gift card for something I returned at Asda for £14. That will do for milk and eggs.
I am stalking past my sealed pot like a hungry lioness.
I read a very good menu plan from Scarlet over at
The other stuff http://stillgoingstrong1981.blogspot.co.uk/
I am going to try to make more vegetarian meals for us both. Some pasta for lunches
and veggie curries and chilli for dinner.
Will keep you updated, any frugal recipes, please send my way.
FIB. X
Thursday, 25 April 2013
USA readers-for you.
Dear reader,
Am up really early, 0430 as I have to be at work extra bright this morning!
I had a quick look at my blog readers and saw that USA, Germany and Malta are up and reading too.
This is a quick message to my USA readers after the awful events in Boston. I watched the news and we were horrified, along with the rest of the world.
What I admired though, was the clip of the people all together all rallying round each other and the united chant of USA,USA, USA. They was a real sense of refusal to be defeated, bullied or scared and faces of all colours, nationalities and races stood together.
FIB. X
Am up really early, 0430 as I have to be at work extra bright this morning!
I had a quick look at my blog readers and saw that USA, Germany and Malta are up and reading too.
This is a quick message to my USA readers after the awful events in Boston. I watched the news and we were horrified, along with the rest of the world.
What I admired though, was the clip of the people all together all rallying round each other and the united chant of USA,USA, USA. They was a real sense of refusal to be defeated, bullied or scared and faces of all colours, nationalities and races stood together.
FIB. X
Wednesday, 24 April 2013
Not too late for £30 for 30 tips!
Dear reader,
Just a quick late night note to my followers to say, if you haven't sent your 30 tips for £30 in to Money Supermarket for fear of being too late, get it done now, they say they still have money to give away!
An update from me is that, I am rubbish at dieting, have no money at all despite having just been paid but my over draught is nil. (This may change as I have to live) We are eating frugally and tonight had an omelette each.
Goodnight, speak soon.
Love
FIB. X
Just a quick late night note to my followers to say, if you haven't sent your 30 tips for £30 in to Money Supermarket for fear of being too late, get it done now, they say they still have money to give away!
An update from me is that, I am rubbish at dieting, have no money at all despite having just been paid but my over draught is nil. (This may change as I have to live) We are eating frugally and tonight had an omelette each.
Goodnight, speak soon.
Love
FIB. X
Monday, 22 April 2013
Booty called
Dear reader,
A lovely, sunny weekend here in Buckinghamshire. We rose early on both days and Sunday we went to a boot sale. I wasn't on the look out for anything in particular but fancied a picnic hamper for our days out at National Trust house where I want to take a really nice cream tea and sit on one of the superb lawns at a big house somewhere.
There is a green grocer stall there that also does some food items. I got three 200g Bovril tubs for £1.75 each. They are £3.09 in the shops and I use quite a lot of it in gravy and love it on toast so into the store cupboard for them.
I also found some really pretty hat boxes which I love for storage and on top of cupboards. I got a stack of three in cream and a red one, all for £5.
A lovely, sunny weekend here in Buckinghamshire. We rose early on both days and Sunday we went to a boot sale. I wasn't on the look out for anything in particular but fancied a picnic hamper for our days out at National Trust house where I want to take a really nice cream tea and sit on one of the superb lawns at a big house somewhere.
There is a green grocer stall there that also does some food items. I got three 200g Bovril tubs for £1.75 each. They are £3.09 in the shops and I use quite a lot of it in gravy and love it on toast so into the store cupboard for them.
I also found some really pretty hat boxes which I love for storage and on top of cupboards. I got a stack of three in cream and a red one, all for £5.
I also found a nice, new hamper for £4 which I will add nicer crockery and cutlery to.
I got a lovely little wooden chair, very intricate with a wicker seat area. I know some people don't agree but it will be painted white and a pretty cushion made/found for it.
I spent £28 including entry, yes they charge us £2 each to get in! So that's my 30 tips money gone. The change went into the sealed pot.
Do you boot sale and what's your best bargain?
Have a good week.
FIB. X
Sunday, 21 April 2013
Frugal fried chicken the healthy way
Dear reader,
I'm so pleased that many of us did the 30 frugal tips and got the £30. It was very generous and money received promptly. They said it was valid until the 17th May. Was it a limited number allowed, does anyone know if its still on? Some of you have said you are too late-maybe check this.
Yesterday we were up early at 0700 (that's early on a day off for us). I had a couple of things to take back to Asda and we were there before 0900 and it was still busy.
The diet has crashed and burned this week and I found myself at the i store McDonald's ordering two breakfasts. Not frugal. Not low calorie. How bad am I? The sun was out and I had the devil in me.
That little voice in my head always says, "Well you both work hard, surely you deserve a treat"
It's so easy to be bad and so hard sometimes to be good. Today is a new day.
I duly withdrew my £50 shopping money to go to Lidl but we ended up spending £89. We did stock up on some bargains so I'm not too disappointed as these will last us for ages. I also picked up some geraniums for the garden and a house plant that was reduced from £18 to £10. They had half price packs of bacon for 99p, some nice sausages reduced to 74 p for 6, a couple of reduced gammon joints and some cheap cheddar. All the meat just goes in the freezer.
The shopping should last 2 weeks with a milk and eggs top up or 2.
We use a lot of mouthwash at about £3 a bottle. Lidl had a new product in and it was on offer for 49p a bottle so we got six. Cheaper than one of the usual bottles.
Big man loves chicken from KFC so I made my own healthy version which went down a treat and it very tasty. Here's the recipe.
Chicken portions, drumsticks, thighs-remove the skin (the skin has the most fat in it)
Breadcrumbs-blitz a couple of slices in food processor (use wholemeal)
Crumble a chicken stock cube into breadcrumbs. I added some chopped garlic and other herbs. You could spice this up with chilli flakes, Cajun spice, whatever you like. Don't add salt if you've used a stock cube-will be too salty.
Dip the chicken portions into beaten egg then dip into the breadcrumb mix. Push the breadcrumb onto the chicken to make sure you get a good coating both sides.
Lay on baking tray (I lightly sprayed mine with fry lite first)
Bake for 30 mins at about 180.
Came out slightly crispy and extremely tasty.
I served with sweet potato chips and potato wedges with cheese and bacon.
(No picture as it was too nice to wait)
Today I will make faggots which I then portion for dinners through the month. I make about 25 and these freeze really well. I have chopped a load of onions which I freeze into little portions in my muffin tin, I also did the same with garlic in the ice cube tray. I find this saves me loads of time as I do use a lot of both. I just grab a portion from the freezer when I want it.
The sun is out again here so very happy. We had a good day in the garden yesterday, I planted lettuce seeds, chilli, peppers and spring onions. I have saved other seeds from butternut squash as well so will see if I can grow them. I use old cardboard egg boxes for my seeds and then just rip the box with the seedlings still in place and plant the little compartment in the soil. The box rots away and I don't disturb the seedling.
We started a compost heap with a free bin from the council when we moved in. We put all our garden waste in and yesterday I was very pleased to see the lovely compost it had made.
Do you adapt any favourite take away recipes. I would love to hear them.
Have a sunny Sunday.
FIB. X
I'm so pleased that many of us did the 30 frugal tips and got the £30. It was very generous and money received promptly. They said it was valid until the 17th May. Was it a limited number allowed, does anyone know if its still on? Some of you have said you are too late-maybe check this.
Yesterday we were up early at 0700 (that's early on a day off for us). I had a couple of things to take back to Asda and we were there before 0900 and it was still busy.
The diet has crashed and burned this week and I found myself at the i store McDonald's ordering two breakfasts. Not frugal. Not low calorie. How bad am I? The sun was out and I had the devil in me.
That little voice in my head always says, "Well you both work hard, surely you deserve a treat"
It's so easy to be bad and so hard sometimes to be good. Today is a new day.
I duly withdrew my £50 shopping money to go to Lidl but we ended up spending £89. We did stock up on some bargains so I'm not too disappointed as these will last us for ages. I also picked up some geraniums for the garden and a house plant that was reduced from £18 to £10. They had half price packs of bacon for 99p, some nice sausages reduced to 74 p for 6, a couple of reduced gammon joints and some cheap cheddar. All the meat just goes in the freezer.
The shopping should last 2 weeks with a milk and eggs top up or 2.
We use a lot of mouthwash at about £3 a bottle. Lidl had a new product in and it was on offer for 49p a bottle so we got six. Cheaper than one of the usual bottles.
Big man loves chicken from KFC so I made my own healthy version which went down a treat and it very tasty. Here's the recipe.
Chicken portions, drumsticks, thighs-remove the skin (the skin has the most fat in it)
Breadcrumbs-blitz a couple of slices in food processor (use wholemeal)
Crumble a chicken stock cube into breadcrumbs. I added some chopped garlic and other herbs. You could spice this up with chilli flakes, Cajun spice, whatever you like. Don't add salt if you've used a stock cube-will be too salty.
Dip the chicken portions into beaten egg then dip into the breadcrumb mix. Push the breadcrumb onto the chicken to make sure you get a good coating both sides.
Lay on baking tray (I lightly sprayed mine with fry lite first)
Bake for 30 mins at about 180.
Came out slightly crispy and extremely tasty.
I served with sweet potato chips and potato wedges with cheese and bacon.
(No picture as it was too nice to wait)
Today I will make faggots which I then portion for dinners through the month. I make about 25 and these freeze really well. I have chopped a load of onions which I freeze into little portions in my muffin tin, I also did the same with garlic in the ice cube tray. I find this saves me loads of time as I do use a lot of both. I just grab a portion from the freezer when I want it.
The sun is out again here so very happy. We had a good day in the garden yesterday, I planted lettuce seeds, chilli, peppers and spring onions. I have saved other seeds from butternut squash as well so will see if I can grow them. I use old cardboard egg boxes for my seeds and then just rip the box with the seedlings still in place and plant the little compartment in the soil. The box rots away and I don't disturb the seedling.
We started a compost heap with a free bin from the council when we moved in. We put all our garden waste in and yesterday I was very pleased to see the lovely compost it had made.
Do you adapt any favourite take away recipes. I would love to hear them.
Have a sunny Sunday.
FIB. X
Friday, 19 April 2013
Where is your £30 going?
Dear reader,
Good morning to you and welcome to my new followers. My list of followers appears in no particular order so I have to use my memory to see who is new. Does anyone know how to see your newest followers first?
I will say hi to the following people and hope they are right.
Catherine Brown, Catherine Febrey, Daryll F6 and G Hodson, Susan Cuthbert and Jill McClinton.
Some of the names are different to your actual blogs but hey, hello anyway. Xxx
I have slipped a bit from the diet due to being disorganised which I am going to blame on my work schedule to make myself feel better. I'm finding it difficult to take lunch to work unless its a sandwich or a salad and I have run out of salad and trying to avoid bread!
A few people I know are doing this fast for 2 days diet where you severely restrict your calorie intake for both day. I think it followed on from a tv programme, was it, east, fast and live longer? It claimed to show that restriction in food intake was good for you and the thinner people lived longer. Well it was two rats actually, a fat one and a thin one. Is anyone else trying this? Do thin people live longer?
I am doing the Slimming World diet which I have joined online. I have been to the meetings before and done really well. It would be difficult to go to one regularly now so I have joined online. I have to say, it's difficult to do on your own without the thought of going to be weighed every week.
You do need to be very organised and have the rights stuff in the house. I do find it hard to eat salads without the nice dressing as well and forget a drizzle of olive oil or an advacado anywhere!
I shall keep trying until my memberships runs out at the end of June.
I received my £30 for the moneysupermarket top tips on frugal living so I was well chuffed with that. The quickest £30 I ever earned. Thank you very much. Mine has gone into the overdrawn bank account and was swallowed up and lost forever. I can't wait until we are debt free so we can then attack the mortgage. I really fancied a holiday next year but I think it will have to wait at least another year.
We only spent about £20 on shopping for this week and are living from the freezer. I have a lot of meat to use up so will be making the usual batch of faggots and probably a large curry and a chilli.
I am enjoying reading the lists of everyone else and there are some great ideas. Everyday life on a shoestring did a good one which I read this morning. http://www.everydaylifeonashoestring.com/
I think I was led there by the cakes in the picture!
What is everyone else doing with their £30? Answers in a comment please for inspiration.
FIB. Xxx
Good morning to you and welcome to my new followers. My list of followers appears in no particular order so I have to use my memory to see who is new. Does anyone know how to see your newest followers first?
I will say hi to the following people and hope they are right.
Catherine Brown, Catherine Febrey, Daryll F6 and G Hodson, Susan Cuthbert and Jill McClinton.
Some of the names are different to your actual blogs but hey, hello anyway. Xxx
I have slipped a bit from the diet due to being disorganised which I am going to blame on my work schedule to make myself feel better. I'm finding it difficult to take lunch to work unless its a sandwich or a salad and I have run out of salad and trying to avoid bread!
A few people I know are doing this fast for 2 days diet where you severely restrict your calorie intake for both day. I think it followed on from a tv programme, was it, east, fast and live longer? It claimed to show that restriction in food intake was good for you and the thinner people lived longer. Well it was two rats actually, a fat one and a thin one. Is anyone else trying this? Do thin people live longer?
I am doing the Slimming World diet which I have joined online. I have been to the meetings before and done really well. It would be difficult to go to one regularly now so I have joined online. I have to say, it's difficult to do on your own without the thought of going to be weighed every week.
You do need to be very organised and have the rights stuff in the house. I do find it hard to eat salads without the nice dressing as well and forget a drizzle of olive oil or an advacado anywhere!
I shall keep trying until my memberships runs out at the end of June.
I received my £30 for the moneysupermarket top tips on frugal living so I was well chuffed with that. The quickest £30 I ever earned. Thank you very much. Mine has gone into the overdrawn bank account and was swallowed up and lost forever. I can't wait until we are debt free so we can then attack the mortgage. I really fancied a holiday next year but I think it will have to wait at least another year.
We only spent about £20 on shopping for this week and are living from the freezer. I have a lot of meat to use up so will be making the usual batch of faggots and probably a large curry and a chilli.
I am enjoying reading the lists of everyone else and there are some great ideas. Everyday life on a shoestring did a good one which I read this morning. http://www.everydaylifeonashoestring.com/
I think I was led there by the cakes in the picture!
What is everyone else doing with their £30? Answers in a comment please for inspiration.
FIB. Xxx
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