I introduced myself yesterday as a newbie and expressed an interest in frugal living - by necessity and choice. Somebody greeted me and suggested I start a thread - so here I am.
There are certain things I don’t skimp on - e.g the dog gets the best food and my car is essential to my quality of life but I’ve started to think more carefully about my supermarket shop each week.
Since food prices have begun to rise I have become more and more interested in vegetarian food and have been astounded at just how much money I can save. This is for 2 reasons, firstly and obviously the ingredients for vegetarian dishes are much cheaper but also it involves me in having to think ahead and cook from recipes. Prior to this - say - if I had minced beef I’d make a bolognaise that we’d probably demolish in one sitting, now if I make a lentil bake (delicious), it probably last for 2 or sometimes 3 meals.
In terms of energy - we haven’t had the central heating on all winter, we have a gas make-believe coal fire in the front room and that stays on low all the time.
Does anybody else have any frugal living tips - in point of fact the small the tip the better I like them i.e newspapers for cleaning windows etc…
Sandy darlin’ - you don’t have to turn vegetarian to save lots of money. You will find on the ‘Food & Drink’ section a whole section devoted to recipes which I and others have contributed to over the months and years we’ve been here. If you haven’t got one, I would seriously suggest you invest in the purchase of a slow cooker - its fabulous to use and a real time and money saver.
Sandy, bear in mind with vegetarian meals that you will need to watch your iron intake. You can get iron from lentils, beans, spinach (don’t eat too much of that though) etc but it is poor quality iron and not easily absorbed - make sure you get enough protein as well.
I’m an out and out omnivore so not much help with vegetarian dishes I’m afraid.
I eat vegetarian by choice and economy really and since investigating different recipes have quite enjoyed the challenge and it does mean I’m not eating horse!
Hi Sandy… we took early retirement in our 50’s and have become pretty good at ‘frugal’, but very good omnivorous living. We grow as many vegetables as possible (mainly things you can’t get easily), forrage for wild fruit etc…
We’ve also been given pheasants from local shoots and obtained a number or whole roe deer which we’ve learned how to gut and butcher.
I was going to say that no way would I feed pets better than myself, but I must admit to spending a bit on feeding the wildlife round the place.
We have oil central heating which is expensive, but we’ve invested a lot insulating the house which has helped greatly. We buy logs for the fire in bulk - about 2 tons at a time - a fraction of the price of bagged logs.
I don’t mind eating horse - but I want to see accurate labeling.
Sandy darlin’ - I’ve (knowingly) eaten horse meat many years ago whilst in France. There’s nothing wrong with horse meat per se, its quite tasty actually. However, its about 1/4 the price of premium beef and the furore over the food scandal has been that we’ve all been charged premium price for beef, when the contents of the food sold is primarily horse meat. As you will see from reading some of my posts, I’m game for trying most things, and apart from eating horse meat per se, have a good butcher near me who sells ‘safari meats’ from African and Australian animals - meat which is very healthy because there’s no fat on it at all - just good wholesome solid chunks of flesh.
I must admit since deciding to live more frugally it’s become a hobby in itself. I feel quite proud of myself when I can save a bob or two here and there. Lots of people in the neighbourhood have started growing their own fruit and veg. my husband tried it once but the veg weren’t very nice!
We’d love a log fire - as we’re planning on moving in the next year or two it wouldn’t be economical to replace the pretend fire we’ve got at present but when we move it will be the first thing we do as there is a large amount of discarded wood in the area.
Well, one tip I can give that I learned a few days ago that vinegar kills weeds. I’ve put it on some weeds and grass that’s growing through the patio slabs and they are actually dying! I was looking for a weedkiller not harmful to pets and came across that bit of advice - and cheap as anything! I will be watching over the next few days to see if they die off altogether - it will make life so much easier and not wasting money on toxic chemicals.
Always bulk cook and freeze portion sizes - I do this with puddings/cakes as well (more out of laziness than anything else but if the oven is on, it is filled).
I like water and keep a jug filled with it but flavour it with orange, lime, grapefruit or lemon slices or, for a different taste, cucumber slices - lovely in the summer and cheaper than other soft drinks.
I heard recently about a clothes swapping idea that sounds good, you can contact Clothing Swap and Buffalo Exchange or host your own by inviting friends, set a minimum number of pieces for each to bring, and trade away.
Men’s hankies tend to have a tailored look to them so you can use new ones (quite cheap) to make a window valance which can look very nice.
Hello Sandy, and welcome to the forum.
Frugality living is fine by me, but I feel you mean more a healthy living, now that I aspire for it makes feel that much better in yourself.
Take no notice of Williow, you do right to feed your dog well, as it can’t fend for itself now.
Hi Sandy, I quite like vegetarian food, but I’ve found some recipes quite expensive! I think we waste too much … so I try to use up all the odds and ends of vegetables, meat and the odd slice of bread by making something that I can freeze. I also make batches of food, like lasagne and freeze in portions.
I like my heating - ours is on 24hrs a day - very low over night, then up to 15C during the morning. We turn it up to 18C for the evening. It’s not too expensive and comfortable for us.
You must be a mind-reader Wrinkly - I’ve just read that! It states that the smell of vinegar goes when it has dried - I hope that’s true as I shall give that a go on my kitchen floor (with the dogs in and out all the time and traipsing mud in from the garden - my soon to be weedless garden )
Just a thought: my kitchen floor is quarry tiled (I think that’s what they’re called) and they’re porous - would that make a difference do you think?
I don’t think so, once dried the smell goes.
But why not clean you worktops cutting boards etc as well.
The best anti bacterial man has, is Iodine, unfortunately it stains.
water, vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice was what I used once a week on unsealed hand made quarry tiles (not mine) then mopped over with plain water. Boy did it fetch the muck up. On ordinary tiled floor use cheap bath foam I usually add a cap of bleach for bathroom and kitchen tops too. Works well and cheaper than Flash etc.
Just like to comment about feeding pets better than yourself - you do well to do so as it can save you hundreds at the vet. We always make sure our dogs have the best, they return that by staying healthy and not needing expensive treatments at the vet.
That’s all well and good, but I doubt if there is a very direct relationship between cost and quality. I’m sure you can give dogs a healthy diet without spending a fortune. I also suspect that good health comes from exercise, welfare, living conditions etc… not just food.
If people look after themselves well - then they generally don’t have many visits to the doctor!
Janela, I don’t find vegeterian dishes particularly expensive, but they do seem to take a lot of time and effort to make.
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