How double the quantity of tinned soup for 1.5p!

I've been experimenting today.  We get through a lot of soup.  I make my own when I can, but I do find having some tins in the cupboard handy.  Being in the mood for frugality and dieting I thought I would try and eek out a tin from the cupboard.

This 400g Morrisons Chicken soup was 40p and 99calories for 1/2 a can

I mixed one stock cube (1.5p) with 400ml of boiling water.  Whisk until dissolved.  This serving is 20 calories

Mix with the soup     

 

 

 

Lunch today cost 20p (plus a slice of reduced priced bread ) Soup was 50calories bread was 100 calories.  I will freeze the rest.

 

Was it any good?



 

The soup was a little thinner than usual (I don't mind that because I rarely thicken my home made soup anyway).  But the flavour was really lovely.  The stock cube really added to the flavour and I felt full after I had eaten it.  If the freezing experiment works out ok I will do it again.

 

Have you any clever tips for eeking out food either for slimming or thrift?                                        

 

 



Are you a free-skate?

FREE things!

Yay for free stuff!  It seems I'm the kind of person who attracts free stuff.  I could give you a whole tour of my house because since the age of 22 when I first left home (yikes nearly 18 years ago!)  I have collected free second hand stuff that I have scrubbed, painted, re-covered,  upholstered....

Here are just a few free things I have received since January


A cute old fashioned Sunday School bench.  Doesn't look too comfortable does it? But it's perfect for the back of my sofa.

 A footstool.  This is a different colour to my settee.  I think I will re-cover this or make a cushion for the top when I have the right fabric.

And this bad boy!  I was given this last week, from a lady whose shop was closing.  It was used for a window display.  It is an old fashioned travel trunk, complete with voyage stickers which I love.  No idea how old it is but it weighs a tonne.  Can't imagine carting this on holiday these days.  Anyway, it's now a much needed coffee table in my living room.  Board games are kept inside.

A lovely standard lamp.  I had actually been looking to buy a lamp for this dark corner of the room but the ones I saw were very expensive. This looks quite old, made of turned oak, its heavy and solid.  It was in a friends garage waiting for the tip!!

 

 

A Dyson vacuum cleaner.  When my vacuum cleaner broke I put the word out that if anyone had a spare I could borrow until I replaced mine - I would really be grateful.  By the end of the day I was offered this and told I could keep  it.  It needed a good clean out but works perfectly.  The lady who gave it to me was older and found it too heavy and had replaced it with a light weight model. Result!

 

 

Books. These were given to me last week by a regular book donor.  She seems to spend a fortune on books each month, but her partner doesn't like them cluttering the house.  I will give these a read then pass them on to Oxfam - hopefully they will get a few quid for them.



 

 

 



Tips for getting free stuff

Let people know you welcome free stuff. 
Some people don't like to offer their free things incase it may offend, or that someone will feel obliged to take it out of politeness.  Talk about the amazing things you have previously been gifted, with friends and colleagues.  They may think of you the next time they have a sort out.

Put the word out
If you are in need of something specific, drop it into conversation, ask people you know, use facebook to spread the word.  Obviously if you are asking for unwanted things keep it to things that may be junk to other people.  For example when I started rag rugging I asked for old tshirts that would be thrown away.  (Don't ask for plasma tvs and playstations lol).

Freecycle/Freegle
It's always worth a look.  Don't be travelling miles to pick something up you are not sure about or don't really need as it is costing you in petrol.  Remember to be super polite as people will remember your name if you are friendly and prompt. Don't forget to give things too.

Be polite
When I have been given free things, I always write a thank you card, send an email or in sometimes a bunch of flowers from the garden.  Not only is it polite but you are more likely to be offered things in the future if they know you truly appreciate it.  Once a year I get a bag of clothes for my son from a lady I have never met (it's a friend of a friend).  So of course I write her a thank you card showing my appreciation - because I really do appreciate it.

Think outside the box
Be prepared to upcycle other people's unwanted stuff.  Be creative and consider what something could be with a lick of paint, a change of handles, funky fabric or just a good clean.  Could clothes be altered? Or could you use the fabric to make something else?  Jumpers can be unravelled to make scarves or woolly socks, tshirts, fleece, leather and boiled wool are great for craft projects. 


Skip diving anyone?
If you are walking past a skip and you notice something useful, do go and knock on the door and ask if you could please take it.  Skips are expensive to hire so most people are actually grateful for reducing the amount of stuff to be shifted. It is also reducing the amount of stuff going to landfill.  Everyone is a winner.  

Remember about the cost of refurbishments
Strictly speaking if you have to go out and spend money on materials to make something useful or presentable it is not actually free.  Try and be creative with the things you already have.  Pots of paints in the garage, and old clothes for fabrics for instance.

Don't be tempted to hoard
If like me you get excited about the free-ness of free stuff you may need to curb your enthusiasm if you do not have tonnes of space for storing all this useful stuff. Anything you receive as a project piece should be finished and in use before you go out and get anything else or you may find yourself with a garage full of furniture and broken odds and ends. Have a regular sort out and come clean with yourself if you are never going to finish a project, give things away to other free-skates!

So are you a free-skate?  Do you see other peoples unwanted items in a whole new light?  I'd love to read about what you were gifted with recently.

When you are careful in the good times the tough times aren't so bad...

Last Summer I was out with three friends, sitting in a posh cafe when we began discussing imminent changes to the benefit system and how it would effect our family lives.  I was, in short, staggered at how three of my friends, who all have decent jobs and dual incomes,  would be seriously struggling as a result of Working Families Tax Credit and Child Benefit stopping.  We were sitting in a overpriced coffee shop, dressed up as ladies who lunch, and yet one of us was seriously suggesting her children will no longer be able to go on school trips as a result of the benefit changes.

It was time for a serious chat about money........this is what I learnt about my friends I have known for years

1) 4 of us had debt and considered it normal
2) 3 of us where deeply unhappy in our jobs but felt stuck because of debt repayments
3) 2 of us were having relationship problems as a result of money issues
4) 3 of us were not paying any extra towards mortgage repayments, or saving for future events
5) 2 of us were wanting to increase hours at work, for the extra money, rather than decrease hours
6) 2 of us expect to go abroad on holiday once a year as a reward for working hard
7) 2 of us had paid money to go on a organised shopping trip to Liverpool, regardless of money anxieties and debt
8) 3 of us pay for gym membership and or slimming/fitness clubs
9) 3 of us have aspirations to move into a bigger home
10) 3 of us were blaming George Osbourne for our financial woes

Now I'm not wanting to write a political blog and everyones circumstances are unique.  I know there will be real hardships for many people in our country over the next few years and we should be supporting the most vulnerable in our society.  But it was a real eye opener to witness a couple on a joint income of £60,000 in debt who are unable to prioritise their spending or take responsibility for future events that will surely happen. 

I came away feeling deeply sad that we had valued stuff over family security and relationships.  That we need to travel far and wide to have a worthy family break, and that we were already discontented with the heaps of stuff we had already accumulated, bored of their same-iness and in need of something new and exciting to make us feel great about ourselves once again.  One of my friends declared "I'm not materialistic. All I want is a new kitchen.  Then I will be happy!" Saddest of all is that we were prepared to work extra hours in a job we hate in order to feed the beast of debt, insecurity and neediness and an inability to be ok with what we already have and save for future wants.

So....as we paid our bill for our posh coffee and carrot cake I suggested "how about meeting in the park next time, I will bring a flask and cupcakes!". The stunned silence was deafening.

To make the tough times not so tough.....

Put money away into a 'do not touch on pain of death' fund.

Some saving accounts even allow you to give your accounts names. This is a good idea. It gives a reminder of what you started the fund for in the first place before you dip into it for something frivolous.  It doesn't matter how much or little, it will slowly accumulate.  Even £5 a week will add up to £260 a year and after 5 years that would be £1300 (plus interest). Consider giving something up or reducing a spend to allow you to squirrel even more away (smoking, a bottle of wine, walking to work, chocolate, Sky, fizzy drinks, take aways) Pick something and stick to it.  Eventually you might want 3 months salary resting in an account for emergency situations, but for now think small and gradually build it up.

Kick start your fund by selling old unwanted stuff on ebay, amazon, car boot sales

There is nothing more sobering than doing a car boot sale and having all your past tat buying mistakes laid in front of you on a tressle table for the whole world to see (learn from it). But on the flip side it is a great feeling to get some money back on the stuff that you no longer need or want.  Do not be tempted to buy anything.  You are there to sell not buy, so stay focused.

Put extra non perishable food in your trolley each week

As we know food banks are popping up all over the country.  It is incredibly depressing.  I have seen many times on money forums of families who have a pitiful amount of money for food to last until payday.  Do not get into this situation.  You do not need to go mad and start throwing food into your trolley willy nilly. A few extra tins of beans, or a packet of rice (when they are cheap) each shop will soon add up to an impressive World War III cupboard.   Having a well stocked cupboard will buy you time until payday or benefits arrive.  Don't rush, keep it in budget, and write 'use by dates' in big black permanent marker to avoid waste.

How about you?  Do you have a plan of action for future setbacks?  Do you have a 'when zombies attack' food cupboard or set money aside each month for emergencies?  Would you be ok if your income dropped unexpectedly?