Thrifty Thursdays #5 – Final Roundup

The fifth and final one in this series of posts. Thank you to everyone who has joined in with posts and/or comments. I suspect some of you may continue with the odd ThTh as the autumn progresses- but I’m stopping now and will maybe resurrect the idea again next year.

I have decided to look back through the past month or so and see what thrifty actions I have taken each day – thrift has become part of the pattern of life, and it is easy to take good habits for granted.

Here is a random list of things I have done which have saved a few pennies here and there – and if appropriate I have linked to a blogpost which gives further explanations…

1. made chutney from neighbour’s windfall apples
2. made a greetings card for a friend [here]
3. found a single portion of pasta sauce in freezer- added one can of budget baked beanz to make topping for two servings of spaghetti.
4. cleaned some silver even though I had no ‘proper’ polish [here]
5. split one pot of budget yogurt into two glass dishes and added a few chopped up windfall plums to make two desserts.
6. used fabric scraps to make Log Cabin Patchwork [here]
7. saved money by using coupons on products which I would buy anyway
8. swapped some of my chutney for jars of jam and jelly with another blogfriend [here]
9. used florists ribbon to make silk blooms to ‘pad out’ wedding flower arrangement [here]
10. arranged to swap chutney for a cake next month [meeting up with blogfriend at a Conference in October!]
11. made an Eve’s pudding, with free windfalls, in a slightly smaller dish than usual [better for diet!] and had leftover sponge mix - that made 4 fairy cakes for tea next day.
12. altered Florence's babygros so they will fit her for a few more weeks [here]
13. cooked a large casserole – and portioned it out immediately to make 6 servings [take the whole pot to the table and we either serve ourselves too much, or second helpings we do not need!]
14. turned two old duvets into one ‘new’ bedlinen set  [here]and a pair of pyjamas [here]
15. picked a small punnet of blackberries in lane beside the school to add to my 5-a-day fruit portions.[here]
16. mended a friend’s leather handbag for her by re-sewing the strap [just needed a tough needle and a thimble and some button thread- all of which I had and she didn’t]
17. found some meat with ‘yellow stickers’ greatly reduced in the shop when I went to buy milk. Bought it for the freezer.
18. made some Larkrise Potted Apples with final remainder of windfalls
19. used my Boots points to buy some medication, rather than using cash.
20. cleared out veg drawer of fridge to make a huge quantity of roasted veg with all that stuff that is almost past its prime [aren’t we all?!] portioned and froze the resultant Mediterranean Melange. Carrots, onions, pepper, potato, courgettes, squash, garlic, plus rosemary and thyme.
21. sent an e-card to a friend for her birthday because postage abroad is so expensive
22. arranged some flowers for a friend in a jam jar [wrapped in more of that florist’s ribbon] so I wouldn’t need a vase
23. bought a ‘new’ dress for my Special Bletchley Events in a Charity Shop [pictured here]
24. planned trips to bank/GPO/shops/doctors /market carefully, making efficient use of car and Park’n’Ride service
25. resisted temptation to buy bag of chips on the way home [that was so hard for both of us!]
26. used outside washing line as much as possible for drying laundry
27. read news online rather than buying papers [well, apart from the Leicester Mercury last Friday!]
28. borrowing books from friends, or the Library, rather than buying them
29. resolutely sticking to my budget!
30. like The Balancing Kiwi [here], I have started making Stash Reduction Plans [click on the attic picture in my sidebar]

I have analysed these, and colour coded them – it is not true that only crafty people or good cooks can be thrifty – there are dozens of different ways to stretch the budget.

blue = sewing savings

green = food savings

red = using what is already there to save money

purple = efficient shopping

brown = making my computer earn its keep

I hope you have found something useful in this series of posts – I know I have picked up a few good tips from some of the other bloggers involved. Thanks again for joining in!