30 Ways to save £1

30 ways to save £1

1. Ask to pick up windfall apples if you see someone isn't using them.
2.ALWAYS try value range of supermarket brands most are good.
3.Don't start pets on expensive brands, if started on a cheaper one they will never know different.
4. Re-read the instructions for you washing machine, could you use a shorter cycle?
5. Buy refill packs of things if you can.
6. Have a look around local industrial estates and see who chucks what - pallets for wood, containers for water butts.
7. Christmas is the same day every year don't let it creep up on you, start shopping in January sales and carry on at car boot sales.
8. Swap an expensive hobby for a cheaper one.
9. Cut down on how much toothpaste, shampoo, lotions and potions that you use see if less will do the same job.
10. Before you buy anything new STOP and think if you already have something that could do the same job.
11.Invest in a flask and take tea or coffee with you on days out.
12. Don't waste money on bottled water- stand a bottle of water in the fridge and take it with you next day.
13. If you need more than 2 regular prescriptions a month always buy a NHS prepayment card.
14. Find out about free events at local museums or NT free open weekend vouchers etc.
15. If you have an answerphone set it on the longest number of rings so you get there in time to answer and don't need to phone people back.
16. Poundland and 99p shops are sometimes very good value but not always so know the prices of the things you buy - keep a little price book in your bag.
17. Make Xmas gift tags from old xmas cards or cut an 2 inches off the end of wrapping paper, stick on a piece of card and cut out to make matching gift tags.
18. Borrow recipe books from the library and see how many recipes you will actually use before buying the book.
19. Tip bottles up-side down and leave to drain to get the last bit  of things out.
20. Cut the end off tubes of toothpaste and creams etc. to get to the last bit.
21. Every time you come home put any 5p in a jar. They are so small they get lost easily, you won't miss them from your purse and they will soon turn into a pound.
22.Read your local and national papers in the library or persuade a friend or neighbour to save them for you.
23. Never buy notebooks for phone messages or shopping lists. Cut up cereal packets or similar into neat squares and keep them in a little box in the kitchen or buy the phone.
24. Grow something to eat - even one tomato plant in a pot can produce more than a pounds worth of tomatoes.
25. Never use 1st class post - get organised and post early with second class stamp.
26. Make you own bread everyone is doing it - it's easy and much cheaper.
27. Do you REALLY need to buy a book straight away - wait for paperback version or buy from amazon later or USE YOU LIBRARY.
28. Eat less meat- start by swapping one meal a week to veggie things then 2 or 3 a week.
29. Chutney is easy to make, the ingredients can be cheap and men like jars of chutney for Christmas presents.
30.Drive wisely - accelerate and brake slowly and don't carry more weight than you have to, take off the roof rack.competitions@moneysupermarket.com

Good gardening day

Yesterday our local TV weather lady said the temps here today would be up to 18 C but they were wrong 'cos we had horrible sea mist drizzle first thing and then a chilly wind for the rest of the day but at least it was fine and we got several more jobs done in the vegetable beds and I got more climbing french beans and pumpkins sown.( not outside, but in pots in greenhouse). The broad beans that we covered with two layers of fleece are OK and even a few early potatoes up under black plastic - now ridged up and recovered until the weekend frost is past then we will cover with fleece.
The most exciting thing happened an hour ago as I was washing up the dinner things, and glancing up outside saw 2 swallows on the wire. Rushed out to take pic. but even with zoom they are just dots,but they really are swallows ! Summer MUST be on the way. Is it 2 swallows that make a summer??

I expect most frugallers get the Martin Lewis Money Saving Expert regular Wednesday email. In case you don't - There was a message today about downloading a voucher for a free visit to most NT properties for this weekend. Could be a good day out for just traveling costs. It is for up to max 2 adults and 2 children.Our only near NT is Sutton Hoo but we've been a few times (when we still had an income that afforded membership!) so may go somewhere else except we've already used most of this months allocation of diesel money, so maybe just a trip to the car boot sale up the road!
My favourite thing about NT properties is their shops and secondhand bookshops = NOT VERY FRUGAL. When the children were small membership of English Heritage was very good value and we spent many happy holidays climbing castles which are more fun for kids (and me) than posh houses - although I like looking at the kitchens.
Must stop blethering on and  get my a book finished before Friday library van. Thanks to everyone for birthday wishes, my present from Him Outside - the camera that we couldn't fathom - is being looked at by the man in the local computer shop.

Now Spring is really here

Yesterday I saw a bumble bee, today I saw a butterfly and guess what popped up in the garden overnight - the first two shoots of ASPARAGUS! You have to look closely to see them- small purplish shoots but they are there, which means in just a week or two we shall be eating our first scrummy serving of this wonderful treat.

The lovely thing about having penfriends is lots of pretty cards for a special day, with books from the wish list from my children, I'm one year older  but a  happy simple Suffolk smallholder!

Moving seedlings and cutting grass

What a lovely day it's been here, lots of sunshine and a good breeze to get the washing dry. We seem to have gone from winter to spring at last. A few days ago the trees and bushes looked lifeless but today sticky buds on our Horse Chestnut and lots of little leaves on the gooseberry bushes

I put the bread to rise in the conservatory,which was fine while I was indoors to remember to look at it, but then when it went into tins for it's second rise I went outside to my potting shed and moved several dozen tiny seedlings of cabbages and calabrese from their seed trays into little modules, forgot to look at bread and it had gone mad overflowing the tins so that when I moved them to the oven they collapsed making flat topped loaves which will taste OK but look weird.
Him Outside is getting on well with the campsite shower and then he got the ride-on mower out to cut the campsite grass. We used to do it with the tractor and gang-mowers but when the mowers seized up he bought another set off eBay which appeared to be fine but actually were complete rubbish. So until we can sort them out he goes back and forwards on the small mower which takes an age. After that he moved a bit more chippings on to the campsite driveway and then his next job was to go and finish a bit of work on a shed for a customer which he thought he HAD finished but they found another little job for him. They've paid their bill so that's good.
I thought the schools were back today but maybe not as there has not been much passing traffic and there are still eggs left unsold, which is a pain. At least this dry spell means the eggs are nice and clean when I collect them.
One of my favourite things for dinner tonight - Pork belly slices done in Hoisin sauce ( With added ingredients of water, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and Chinese 5 spice) 20 minutes in oven without sauce, drain off fat, add sauce mix, then another 40 minutes basting regularly. Lovely, sticky, Chinesey flavoured meal without leaving the house to fetch a takeaway. We will have with noodles and stir-fry veg - carrots( value bag from Tesco at this time of year) onion (home grown) and peppers( home grown last year, sliced, open freeze on trays and then tip into a bag, thaw in a sieve so they drain a bit then add to stir fry last.) YUM

Sunday rest

The world and his wife have gone to the seaside today ( we went too but got back before the masses arrived) from 3 miles away we can hear the constant stream of traffic down the A road, loads of motorbikes too they are sooooo noisy!
We fancied a blast of sea air and we certainly got that because at the time we went it was still really chilly with drizzle in the air. This is our cold grey north sea and the boats on the river behind.

This afternoon the weather was much improved so after doing one job outside ( putting some wire netting around the inside of the old goat paddock to give the chickens some fresh grass) we declared an afternoon of rest.We soon got our feet up in the conservatory and Him Outside snoozed while I finished my book. The library van is due Friday and all this playing in blogland means I still have 5 books unread. Better get reading :)  although maybe not ALL 5!

Forgot to say.....

Back again! I forgot to say thank you to everyone who is now reading the blog, I'm enjoying writing it. Youngest daughter tells me 9 followers in a two weeks is quite good?
I will try to answer comments hope the right bit is working and you are able to read them.

A good busy Saturday

As usual another busy day. Him Outside was off on his tractor quite early this morning. He was going to plough a part of a field that is to be used for allotments in one of our local villages.It has been delayed for weeks  because someone in an office somewhere has sat on legal documents for the owner of the field to pass it on to a newly formed allotment association.Hopefully all the eager people waiting to get started won't have to wait much longer. This afternoon he changed the plough on the back for the loading shovel on the front and shoveled up some shingle to put on the muddy bits of the campsite driveway. Then he cleaned out a chicken shed! Which is why he was really ready for this good plate of home made curry, home made naan bread and home made onion bhaji.

The total cost of this big yummy meal is not a lot really. The curry ingredients are 2 small leeks (home grown) half an onion ( home grown), 1 apple (reduced at Tesco). Knob of butter, 1 desert spoonful of curry powder, 1 desert spoon of flour, teaspoon sugar, 1 Tablespoon of home made chutney and some cooked turkey that's been in the freezer since Christmas( given to us for helping some new smallholders with some work and advice).
Rice is not as cheap as it was once but still good value bought in a big bag from Asda.
Home made naans are flour, yeast, baking powder,milk, an egg( our eggs are the ones we can't sell because they are too big/small/odd shaped) and lemon juice and pinch salt. ( I make a big batch and freeze and will do the proper recipe to post next time I make them).
Onion bhaji is a new recipe using the ingredients list on the back of a packet of bhaji mix sent to me by my Penny Pinching Friend Sandra. ( she got them from approved foods, and we tried the ready mix last week ) This was interesting to work out and try and I nearly got it right except for making them a bit too wet. The main ingredient is Chickpea or Gram  flour (50g = 12 pence) plus tiny bit of turmeric,cumin,chilli powder, bicarb,baking powder, coriander, garlic powder and salt. I didn't have dried onion, black onion seed and dried jalapeno pepper which are also listed but figured that wouldn't matter. You mix this powder with a little water and then a sliced onion and then deep fry 'til crispy golden.  Result according to Him Outside was that they were better than the original packet mix  as they were not quite so hot - making a different flavour to the hot curry.
This morning I got small courgette seedlings moved into bigger pots, sowed some squash and pumpkin seed and did a big heap of ironing - HATE THAT JOB! - but don't like crumpled clothes and tea towels so has to be done now and then. At least I don't iron undies and socks like my late mum did!