Keeping an eye on things and reducing waste...

Hi everyone

This morning I have been looking at my food stores and removing anything looking past it's best. In the past I haven't done this and ended up throwing away a lot of food from the fridge, especially salad and veg or fresh cream. 

These apples were looking a bit soft and yellow, so I peeled, cored and chopped them (with Daisy's help...her eating knife not a sharp one) and put them on to simmer. Daisy will love stewed apple and custard later (a lot of the retro puddings I have been making contain double cream which I cannot buy lactose free) and I can make apple crumble for the freezer too. 

The cores and peelings will be enjoyed by our chickens.

The bits and bobs I took out of the fridge will be used up at lunchtime and go into our tea.

A little time taken to save money by not wasting it!

How much food do you end up throwing away...or is nothing wasted?

Thanks for reading,

Mandy x

Approved Food and making plans...

Hi everyone,

I just received an order from Approved Food and I thought you might like to see what bargains I picked up.

I have been shopping with them for many years now and think it's a great way of saving money on store cupboard staples and treats. It's not everyone's cup of tea because some items are past their best before date. As the food isn't fresh anyway, it's down to personal choice. The only problem I've ever had is crisps that have been stale (on one occasion) and have been fine eating other stuff. I am a person who never eats food that's past it's use by date. I do get a bit paranoid about being sick! However, food is either used up by other members of my family or I make sure it's used before it's out of date. I have been working hard to eliminate food wastage in our house.

I haven't ordered from AF for a while because we have been eating so much fresh foods over the summer and my meal planning has meant that I only buy what I need each week. This has now become a habit, but the seasons are changing and I need to prepare for the colder months...

Already we have been suffering with a cold in my house (I'm still ill) and it got me thinking. When I'm ill I really don't feel like cooking and I'm really not prepared for that! Luckily my lovely hubby is perfectly capable and a very good cook, but he has been working hard all day (normally on a roof) and I would like to provide him with a hot meal to come home to. I can cut corners with AF with jar sauces for example. I like to cook from scratch but sometimes life just gets in the way of how we want to live.

The colder weather means that sometimes we want a warm lunch as well as tea and not just a sandwich. Soup or beans are ideal for this and I can find bargains on AF. I picked up some cup-a-soup to have for my lunch. 

Stocking the cupboards ready for bad weather during winter is something I do every year and I'm looking for the cheapest way to do this...supermarket offers will be stocked up on too. 

Finally, life would be boring without a few treats and buying close to a best before date is fine by me...chocolate doesn't hang around long enough here to go bad! 

I really don't like processed foods, but I am saving money now to enable Christmas planning (it's never too early...we know it's coming) and I will be really concentrating on sorting things out over the next few weeks to save and prepare for winter and Christmas. 

So, this is what I got...

 Sorry the photo is dark, but the flash made it worse! It's a dull day here.

There are snacks and goodies to cheer us up after so much illness and a few toiletries and cleaning bits. There's medication (how expensive is baby nurofen and lemsip etc!!) I've been getting through a lot of ibuprofen for my back, so stocked up on the cheaper version. I also got some porridge oats for Daisy and I to eat for breakfast in the chilly mornings. Even the value ones seem to be really expensive now. 

As I spent a certain amount, I was offered a lucky box from AF for 1p. If had no idea what I was getting...

It looked ok for 1p.

There were a few things in date and a few out of date...

The soup will get used for lunches, the noodles I will use as a pad out to a meal and my daughter will use the chewing gum. All in date.

The date here is July 2014. Hubby loves pork scratchings and my daughter will eat the breakfast bars at work.

These are June 2014. They are snacks that I wouldn't buy, but they will be enjoyed I'm sure. 

These are the only packet that will probably be wasted. It's liquorice which I hate and the date is 2013. Unless anyone in the family wants them, they will head for the bin. Not bad for 1p though!

I am not being sponsored by AF. I'm just giving my opinions. My little old blog is not popular enough to be asked! Does anyone else use them to stock up or for treats?

I forgot that I also got some swimming nappies for Daisy because they were heavily reduced. These are not in the photo.

I'm still hoping to get back to normal blogging soon, but illness and being behind with my chores is slowing me down. 

There will be lots of winter money saving ideas to share with you soon. 

It's Daisy's birthday on Monday, so I will be posting up pictures of her cake etc next week.

Thanks for waiting!

Mandy x

Top Tips Tuesday...

Hi everyone,

Here are this weeks top tips...

Leisure Time

1). Walking...I love to go walking. Not only is it good exercise, but I think it helps to clear your mind and relax. It gives us chance to chat and Daisy can explore without having to be in her buggy. The dogs love to walk...Flo wants to run and Jake (who is nearly 13) is happy to wander along (sniffing everything!) We will walk locally. We have a reservoir close by and a public footpath literally just across the road. Sometimes we travel a short distance in the car to find a different walk, so that would be our only cost.

2). Reading...I've talked about this before, but we all love to read in my house. You've seen just how many books I've got to get through! Books don't have to be expensive. I have a huge amazon wish list, but I rarely buy new books, they are normally Christmas or birthday presents. Carboot sales are the places to go for cheap books. People just want rid of them and you can pick them up for as little as 10p. Charity shops always have a good selection too. Another idea is to pass books on to friends, family and work colleagues. You can share yours and borrow from others. We used to do this at my work with DVDs too. Finally, there is obviously the local library.

3). Watching...television is something I don't do that often now, but when I do, it's not sky tv! We have free view for the television, we watch old films and tv shows that we already have on DVD or video (yes we still have a video player, almost retro now!) and I watch YouTube. YouTube is fantastic to find tv shows from the past and to learn new skills. I sometimes buy DVDs at Carboot sales, but mostly I use my amazon rental service. When I buy a DVD I need it to be a film or tv show that I know I will want to watch over and over again like the 'Darling Buds of May' for example. With the DVD rental, it is a cheap subscription fee and I can have two DVDs at a time and watch many throughout the month if I want. If I need to be even more thrifty in the future, I can simply cancel this, but at the moment this is our treat. We never go to the cinema.

4). Eating out...picnics! Daisy loves a picnic and so do we. We went for a lovely walk and picnic on Sunday...

The swans were very friendly! We fed the ducks and ate a lovely picnic. We simply took what we would normally eat for lunch, so no extra cost.

5). Do something you enjoy...around the house there is always something that needs to be done, but it's also important to have hobbies and interests. It could be something like gardening or DIY and these can be done as cheaply as possible or really expensive. You may be interested in sewing, knitting or crafting, again this can be expensive if you want it to be or you can look out for cheaper alternatives. Sadly I don't always practice what I preach! I am trying to make more time for myself, I've got a lot of the resources I need, I just lack time! 

Thanks for reading,

Mandy x

Shopping Saturday...

Sorry it's late! I had a lazy day yesterday, no shopping, no carbooting. We were up really early (4am) with the thunderstorms. 

I have shopped today in Asda and last Sunday we received our first online shop for quite a while. We have switched to weekly shopping...one week online and one week instore. This is hopefully a change for the better. Our fruit, veg and salad bits are fresher and we don't run out of sandwich fillings. My meal planning which is saving us money and helping us to eat healthier, means I have a list and I'm sticking to it! Last fortnight our shopping trip was fast and cheaper. Today was slow... The Asda at Leamington Spa is being refitted and EVERYTHING has been moved around. It was so disorientating. 

Last Sunday I photographed my shop. It's so good to see just how much fresh food we are buying now. Here is what we got...

These photos didn't improve with or without the flash on, but you get the picture.

Dairy and other fresh foods.

Bread and meat. I only buy what I need now...not stockpiling anymore.

Store cupboard and other bits and bobs.

I'm not going to photograph my grocery shopping every week, but it does show how my shopping habits are changing for the better. Having a meal plan...then a list really stops impulse buying and saves money.

Thanks for reading,

Mandy x

Thrifty Thursday...

Hi everyone,

Since last week I have been doing all my normal thrifty things which I write about on Tuesdays, but on Thursdays I want to focus on things I have started to do or I am trying to do more.

Reading...

I love to read, I always have, but just lately I've been unable to get into a book and end up giving up. Reading before bed is relaxing but I find it hard to stay awake!

I have a huge collection of books and nowhere to store them. I have been through them when I declutter and really want to read them all. When I find an author I like, I will try to collect books by the same author. 

These are just some of my books, as you can see...no storage!

Another pile of unread books...again no storage!

Finally, some non-fiction books, some read and being kept and some unread...no storage!

These books actually do have storage in the kitchen where cook books belong!

That is my aim for all my wanted and needed books, but book cases are not high on my list of priority purchases, so I will have to put up with the clutter or get reading!!

Well I have made a start. This book is so easy to read and to pick up and only read a little bit too. 

So how is this thrifty?

Almost all of my books have been either given to me or I have bought for a small amount...normally 50p. If I don't like a book or I know I won't want to read it again, then I will either donate it or sell at the Carboot. I get some money back to buy another and someone else gets the chance to enjoy that book too. 

Reading is entertainment and costs very little. Reading is education and I love to learn new things. New skills can be beneficial to the thrifty lifestyle too! 

Is anyone out there like minded when it comes to a love of books? How big is your book collection and how do you store them? Any ideas?

Daisy and I have done lots of crafty messy play this week too...

One last thing I wanted to share is this...

The hens are laying properly again after being broody. I wonder which one laid this cute little egg?

Thanks for reading,

Mandy x

Thrifty Thursday...

Hi everyone

Thursdays are going to be all about what I've done to be thrifty that week.

Some things I do each and every day without thinking about it and these will be shared in my Tuesday Top Tips. Thrifty Thursday is for out of the ordinary stuff. This is what I've been up to this week...

Fresh, homegrown strawberries from my garden...delicious and cost very little...Daisy's favourite!

A maclaren Cath Kidston stroller purchased for £10. It was filthy!! Daisy and I scrubbed it and left it outside to dry. I washed everything else in the machine...

It came up a lot better but sadly still some black mildew spots (thank you lovely Sara ...aka...a frugal wife for all your help and advice xx) remaining. 

The other view of the stroller ended up at the top and I couldn't seem to move it here or delete it! Bella Tweenie is quite comfy there!

This is going to be kept in Charlotte's car for when we go out with her. 

Another thrifty thing I've done this week...I bought some living lettuce.,.

We get through a lot of salad bits, especially lettuce. These are lovely salad leaves and last a lot longer than a single lettuce. I will definitely be doing this again. I did plant some lettuces (kindly given to me) but nothing happened :(

Not sure what I did wrong, but they didn't grow. 

I really want to get better at growing my own veg, especially salad things. I need to dedicate more time to the garden! 

What have you done this week to be thrifty?

Thanks for reading,

Mandy x

Hopes and aspirations...

Happy New Year!

I hope you are all well and had a lovely Christmas.

Our Christmas was a little different to usual - it was just Daisy, my OH and me here on Christmas Day. When I got my turkey out to defrost, I discovered that it contained milk in the vegetable oil flavouring. This obviously upset me because Daisy couldn't eat it. Why did they need to do that? It wasn't even butter, but milk. So we didn't have a proper dinner :-(

Daisy had scrambled egg and beans and we had a turkey and stuffing sandwich. The whole day was strange and didn't feel like Christmas. Father Christmas did visit a very special little girl though and it took her several days to open all of her presents.

Boxing Day was better with my son, his girlfriend and Charlotte...Daisy loved the attention!

One thing I need to tell you is that Charlotte gave me an iphone 4s for Christmas and you can now find me on instagram. Just search mandymand95 and you'll have more chance of seeing photos on there than on my blog!

Right...2014...my hopes and aspirations...

I'm not making resolutions that I will fail to keep, I'm just chipping away at the parts of my life that I'm not happy with. I've got to realise that there's no point in feeling sorry for myself, I need to make changes for the better. I will not be talking about YKW, but I will focus on the future and try to make good things happen in 2014.

This year has to be all about positive thinking...I need to examine every aspect of my day-to-day life and how I run my home. My two main themes are saving money and establishing good routines...

Saving money - if we can save lots of money, we can finish renovating our house and move to a new area, not far away, but away from bad memories and people that used to be part of my family. This will hopefully mean a fresh new start for us, with new friends.

I will need to go back to some of my old ways and habits to save money where I can. I looked back at the beginning of my blog and I was doing much better than I am now. My blog is now 3 years old!!! I also need to learn new skills and actually use them, instead of just taking notes!

I can make money by continuing my carboot sales and by controlling any spending. The easiest area to change is our food shop which includes toiletries, baby stuff, cleaning and household items. I need to meal plan, waste nothing, stock up with approved food and make substitutions where possible. Some things will simply have to disappear for now because moving is more important.

Routines - to be able to save money in some areas, I need more time, so that's where routines come in. A tidy, uncluttered house makes it much quicker to clean, so the declutter continues and everything needs a home so it can be put away. I need lots of storage ideas and some throwing out sessions.

I need routine to keep up with the laundry and housework.

I need to take over the evening jobs my OH does around the house to free his time up for the house improvements. If I get more done during the day, I will have time for this.

To help with the happiness and positive thinking, I will learn new hobbies and create wonderful things for our home. My sewing room will be ready soon. I will read more and more and make time for myself. I started to keep a diary yesterday...I hope it will help me to reflect and get stuff off my chest when I feel stressed.

So what does this all mean for my blog???

Well, I will be sharing my tips with you and telling you how I'm getting on. I feel that I have learnt enough now about being thrifty and would like to share it properly. Some of it may not be relevant to everyone because it will be baby related, but each thing I do to save money will be posted here.

I will try to blog as much as possible, but I will be spending less time searching for frugal ideas on the internet because I need more hours in my day.

It's the thought that people are interested and reading that boosts my motivation, so please continue to read, comment and follow me on my thrifty journey to a new home.

Mandy x