Christmas is over, many of us are feeling a little skint and it feels like a good time to take control. Regular readers will be aware that I am doing a no spend January, so I am kicking off with a little new year’s frugality.
You can’t really do a truly no spend month, unless you live in a caravan rent free with a wood burner, a big pile of logs and plenty of food in your stores. Most of us have mortgages or rent to pay, not to mention utility bills, fuel or transport costs. For most of us, a no spend January will actually mean a low spend month.
However, there are always lots of little expenses that can add up to a considerable amount over a month, like lunches, magazines and coffees. Or you see a nice outfit in a shop window and buy it on impulse, you get lots of invitations out with friends or come in exhausted from work and order a take away.
I’m determined not to give into any of these temptations and, instead, give our emergency fund a little boost. A brand new decade is a great time for a bit of new year’s frugality! Here is what I have been up to this week.
Turkey soup
Why would you not make a good stock with your turkey or chicken bones? It really does make a fabulous base for a hearty and nutritious soup.
I froze the carcass as I didn’t have time to deal with it during Christmas, but defrosted it and used this method to make a good stock. After half an hour, I pulled off all the bits of leftover meat, then left the rest for a couple of hours.
I strained it and added veg from the bottom of the fridge – carrots, celery, potatoes and parsnips – along with a large bag of frozen home grown courgettes and some peas. Because I don’t use whole onions in my food now (although they did go in the stock) I added some hing powder * too and seasoned it well. When the veg was soft, I whizzed it up then added the chopped up turkey meat. It was delicious!
Some people would have chucked the carcass in the bin. Instead, I have made us lunches for the whole week.
Bargain bed
I think I mentioned previously that my eldest daughter is about to move into a new flat. As her housewarming present (and to help her out), I promised to buy her a bed.
I have been keeping an eye on the sales, the charity shops and also on Facebook Marketplace. On the latter, I found an Ikea frame in excellent condition for just £65, which I collected yesterday. My daughter is really pleased with it. Still need to get a decent mattress but I’m not spending a fortune on one. It will be a new one, though.
Using up the leftovers
We have been munching our way through most of the Christmas leftovers, eating the cheese, ham, salads, mince pies, cream, etc.
However, we do have a lot of chocolate in the house and I don’t want to put back all the weight I lost last year on Slimming World. I have gathered it all up and put it in a cupboard in the spare bedroom. When we really fancy a bit of chocolate we can help ourselves to just a little.
Having temptation sitting looking at me is not good for my waistline!
Banana muffins
As if I didn’t have enough food here, I popped into my daughter’s to find two bunches of bananas on the turn. To stop them being thrown out, I took one bunch home.
We had delicious vegan muffins at a friends just before Christmas and she gave me the recipe, so I am making those later! If they work as well as hers did, I will share the recipe.
I think baking is a good activity for a no spend January. Most of us have flour, baking powder, etc in the stores anyway, so a cake or two will cost hardly anything and keep the grocery bill low.
Honey and lemon
I didn’t toast the new year in with a glass of bubbly…. instead, I had a nap in the afternoon and was drinking water at midnight! It’s not like me as I usually have a really strong immune system, but I finally succumbed to all of the cough and cold germs that have surrounded me all Christmas. Nearly all of my friends and family seem to have been infected.
It is one of those coughs that attacks you and you cough and cough until you are bright red and gasping. I have even had to sleep sitting up. Not nice at all.
I decided to use up some of the lemons we bought for Christmas G&Ts by making my own honey and lemon drink. The honey is has soothing antiviral properties and the lemon juice is full of vitamin C.
To make it, I use the juice of half a lemon (about a tablespoon) with the same amount or slightly more honey topped up with hot water. It’s simple to make, cheap and very comforting.
So, that’s my five frugal things round up for a bit of new year’s frugality. I am starting the way I mean to go on! Have you managed to be thrifty and save money this week?
As usual, I’m linking up with this Cass, Emma and Becky in this week’s ‘Frugal Friday’ linky.
serena says
You always inspire me to reduce my spending on food. today i will make turkey soup with the remains of a turkey leg, adding some frozen leeks 90pence for a big bag of frozen leeks and potatoes, will add some stock , so that makes a few dinners .
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
Sounds delicious! I love leeks but they give me a bad belly so I am jealous.
Mo Finn says
I thought once you used the cooked turkey to make soup you could not heat it again ?
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
You’re probably right, Mo. However, I risk it rather than waste it and make sure it’s very hot
Julia says
Hope you’re feeling better soon.
We all had a cough like that a couple of years ago. It started at Christmas and was still knocking around 2 months later! DS2 had bloods taken at uni because he was not shaking it off, and it came back as Whooping Cough – even though we’d all been immunized against it! I didn’t think it even possible to still get it!
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
Blimey! That tops my irritating cough. Hope it doesn’t hang around long
becky says
get well soon, HNY and thanks for linking up! #5frugalthings
Linda says
Turkey soup is on the menu here too, ours will be quite hearty with chunky veg and should make a couple of good suppers. We won’t be going out much this month so that will save $$, but when we do it will be at happy hour for a low cost drink and snack. The weather can be very nice here in January, and we have Christmas present money set aside for these treats. I’m planning meals with what we have in the fridge, freezer and pantry so the only grocery purchases should be milk and fruit, and fruit will be whatever’s on offer at Aldi. Since I joined WW in November I’ve been enjoying planning and cooking meals (and the resulting weight loss!), and found that starting well before Christmas really helped me stick to making healthier choices over the festive period.
My no-spend month got off to a bad start when I succumbed to a bargain pair of needed exercise leggings while returning some defective Christmas gifts, but that’s it for the month. I’m not going to be tempted as I am staying away from the shops and going to the gym to use those leggings!
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
A one off purchase won’t matter. Sounds like you have the rest of the month sorted with a few treats thrown in too
Meg says
We have been using up leftovers too. I made a leftover beef stroganoff with a small amount of leftover roast and lots of mushrooms. Served with rice.
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
Sounds delish!
Elizabeth says
Can we have your banana muffin recipe please?
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
I will try to put it in my frugal Friday round up.
Judy Tieger says
I have a turkey carcas in the freezer that I will be making a soup with and freeze any left over stock for future meals in my no spend January. We also had a ham over the holidays, and I made a double batch of split pea soup with the bone and pieces of ham. I shared that with my sons family, and we still had enough for two meals for me and my husband. We had a lot of mashed potatoes left so I make potato cakes, which we had with some more of the ham.. The rest of the potatoes I put in my husband’s lunches for work with ham and turkey as the protein and froze them.
I have enough meat in the freezer, bought at reduced price, and have frozen. I have spent about $75.00 for food this week, but don’t think I will spend much next week accept for fresh vegetables. Speaking of vegetables on one of your post you kept mentioning Swedes, which I had never heard of. Googled it and found out it was what we call a rutabaga here in the U.S.Translating English to English I love finding out new things and so enjoy your posts.! Also enjoy comments and tips from your readers.
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
Hah! I would have had to google rutabaga! You sound super organised, Judy