Growing veg without a Garden

I have always wanted to grow my own veg however for the last 15 years I havent had a garden. 

The year before last a work colleague gave us some tomato plants to grow in our window which has a huge ledge, but they didnt grow very well.

Last year my friend gave me a chilli plant which produced 2 chillis. However, although its an annual it currently has 13 chillis on it!  See below for an example. Its my husband that has been assisting them by using a paintbrush to pollenate the flowers.

Its handy that these have been successful as we eat quite a lot of chillis in veggie chilli.

We have planted more chilli plants from the seed of the existing ones.  We are also growing peas from a box of dried peas having seen this over Easter on a TV Programme.

Finally, we consume lots of lettuce expecially in the summer so today my husband has planted some which are in a propagator in our front room on the window ledge.  We are not sure that these will be successful but if they are it will save us a small fortune - fingers crossed.

Meal out Frugul style

Its my husband's 39th Birthday today.  I took him out to our favorite restaurant.  Its a chinese restaurant where you can eat all you as much as you like for £15.95 but its not a buffet, its waiter service.

I am a veggie and they have veggie duck, veggie pork and chicken.  I do go to other chinese restaurants but they do not have veggie style meat.

Well before we went I bought our pudding for our return which cost me £1.70 and is a lemon sponge pudding - not something I would normally get but as it was a special occasion!  Thats my first saving as its about £4.00 for a dessert.  Second was coffee - we just came home and had it.  I do not seem to be able to justify dessert and coffee when we go out its just so expensive. 

If anyone else has any other tips I would be grateful to hear those!!

Cheery post 1

I did ,manage to spend my Next vouchers during the Easter Break - got some clothes at my target weight - I lost 2 stone 7 altogether yippee.

Now new challenge is not to spend any more money on clothes - I need to decorate and guess what over Easter  we managed to get 6 rolls of wallpaper for my hall at 4.98 reduced from 9.99 then 2 tins of paint for 20.00 and some wallpaper paste and then got 15% off it came to less than 45 quid!!

Hard Decision

Had to do something thats been coming a long time.  I cannot go into the specifics  needless to say it was difficult.  How do you guys deal with difficult decisions.  I had to upset someone I had known for a long time and think a lot of but how can you continue without doing anything about it and it gets to the stage where you feel unwell.

I will try to explain more in due course if I can but needless to say I am about to have a few more difficult days before things improve.

I will ensure my next posts are more cheerful to include I think some pics of my holiday in Northumberland.

Target

The heading relates to Slimming World.  Yes I reached my target on 10th March 2010 yippee.  I now need new clothes.  But as ever the frugalite I will be doing this over a period of time.

Firstly, after purchasing Gok Wan's book of Work your Wardrobe (never even seen a program that he presents yet tee hee) I did out my wardrobe and threw lots of stuff out (don't bother to send to charity shops now as they seem to turn their noses up and its no good for ebay) and gave the rest to my sisters.  I then found some items with tags on for ebay and one or two still fit!!

In the Next sale last weekend (and no I didnt get a VIP invite) I bought a new work top for £8.00 and a new cardigan for £12.00.  The latter I had considered buying before but decided not to at £25.00.  I have also bought 5 longer length t-shirts from primark and other than an indulgent purchase about 6 weeks ago on a long cardigan from M & S (which although it cost me £35 I got free P & P and wear it all the time with everything).

I know some moneysavers will think I am extravagant but although I want to save money and will buy what I need I will pay more for something I need, that I can wear again and again, and that washes up nice which in my view saves money in the long run I also need to look presentable for my job.  Moreover I need something that fits being 6 ft tall! I mainly buy my clothes from Next, then M & S and of course the supermarkets and last but not least Primark.

In order to make sure I can afford new clothes and I do not splurge I set aside £50 per month for clothes and no I never spend that amount so it goes towards something else.

Changing the subject I know I am not a regular blogger as I never seem to have time but I do log in most days to read those that I am subsrcribed to I will try harder.

Glad January is over

Not that I particulary hate January it just seems to pointless.  People have less money thats a well known fact (I have the same as usual as I am a Money Saver), but its not just that there is nothing special in the shops.  I have over £100 of next vouchers and I cannot seem to spend them.  I did manage to spend my  £10.00 boots voucher yesterday on some Simple moisteriser and Maybelline foundation.  I just about ran out of foundation last November but I managed to get a free sample of olay which I have been eeking out.  Then yesterday I got some for less than £7.00 when my usual is £15.00 which of course I realise is a ridiculous amount.  I know that wearing make-up is not for everyone but I need to looking good in my job and I always feel good about myself when I make the effort. I am not one to plaster it on mind there is nothing worse and I am not an orange girl either.

Still using up all my smellies that I have.  Lots of bath and shower stuff.  I won a prize at Slimming World this month and got some more shower gel and it smells divine. 

Well on to February with its Valentines Day - bought hubby a rather large card for under a pound in the card factory.  No present this year other than we are going to get a take out pizza on the day.  He of course has booked tickets for us to see Phantom of the Opera in March with a stay at one of the Raddisson Hotels which I am looking forward to.

Well back to today have to do a small shop to make sure I stick to the meal plan.  Am really making an effort to keep within budget.

Free films

Sunday I went to see yet another free film.  I go to the cinema more than ever on occasion we pay for the tickets, but  more often than not we have free tickets.  One of the best films I saw was Slumdog Millionaire.  Last Sunday I saw Invictus which starred Morgan Freeman, who is one of my favourite actors, and Matt Damon.  The film was about President Mandela and all the good he did.  Obviously, I was aware of some of the good he did but had no idea of the actual impact he had on South Africa.  The film was so good I now believe Morgan Freeman is Nelson Mandela - a very good film.

The last film we  paid for was Avatar and I must say that was the best film I have ever seen the technology was outstanding.

I wonder what free film I will see next, I cannot wait.