Saturday 3 March 2012

Super Scrimping is in my blood.

Oooooerrrrr, they're talking about me over on Money Saving Expert Forum, my name has cropped up again on the Super Scrimpers thread. Gone but not forgotten eh,  ha ha, that's nice.
This second series is nothing like the first, quite a lot of stuff in it that isn't relevant to life as we know it today. A lot of make do and mend which people don't have either the time or the inclination for. Making cushions, redesigning your clothes, but they don't show you how. Buying ingredients to make perfume when it would be cheaper to buy the perfume, or cheaper still not to buy any at all. Showing people who are not short of a few bob how to economise. Why bother, if they can afford their lifestyle good luck to them. Some of them don't look very impressed when shown a cheaper way of doing things. I doubt very much if the couple who stayed in the Youth Hostel will ever do it again. Why don't they get some people who are really skint and help them out with some ideas. 
I see it as a bit of light hearted entertainment now. Bye the way, Mrs Moneypenny was on The Bottom Line on Radio 4 this week, you can watch it as well on iplayer. She has a very high powered job in the city as a headhunter. Admitted she probably knows her business, but I don't think she is the right person to dish out money saving advice when she obviously doesn't have to be frugal herself. I'll move on. 
Someone has asked if I have noticed a change since starting on smoothies. I assume anon means health wise. I think it's early days yet, though I will mention that I have had absolutely no digestive problems, as you do when you you eat too much gunk. My internal workings seem to be in tip top condition. As you may remember I went for some tests at the hospital because I had stomach pain. All that has gone now and I have no need for any medication. I also sleep a lot better, and my skin is fresh and clear. When you think about it there has to be lots of benefits from eating raw vegetables and fruit, I couldn't eat it at every meal though.
This is my latest concoction, my afternoon snack. 3 brussel sprouts, 3 small carrots, broccoli, 1 plum, 1 banana, 3 teaspoons of pumpkin seeds, and a small carton of  juice. It tasted ok, not one of my better ones, but it was good for me that's the main thing.
   
I went to town this morning, had to take the car as I needed cat litter, and it's bloomin heavy to carry on the bus. I went to Morrisons and found some reduced plums and cherries, bananas were £1, and I got a tub of cheap yogurt. I'm going to use some of it tomorrow to make some more, with condensed milk, in the slow cooker. I also got a bag of sprouts for £1. Then I called in at Asda, and bugger me, they were selling the same size bag for 50p. I cursed myself, for not doing my research. I bought a bag anyway, because I love sprouts. 
On the way home I called in the cash and carry and got two tubs of Utterly Butterly spread for £1. So a bargain there. While I was there I got talking to a woman who was loading up her trolley with bargains, it seems she is a frugal shopper just like me. We had a lovely chat, it was nice to talk to someone who doesn't think I am totally bonkers about saving money. She said we ought to wear a secret sign like a safety pin in our lapel, so frugal people could spot each other when out shopping. A good idea I thought. There must be more around here like us. 
Well what have you done with your week? I have been writing all my activities down on the calendar, so I can check that I haven't been wasting time doing nothing. I did a big litter pick on two mornings in the woods. Youngsters had left their camping gear there from last summer and it looked unsightly, so I dragged it all out, tents duvets, pillows the lot. I also went all over picking up bottles and cans, as well as a lot of bags of dog muck which had been chucked in the bushes. Now it is all in a heap awaiting the council truck to come and collect it. I rang them on Wednesday, wonder when they will show up. 
I am walking Rocky dog quite a lot now, he doesn't get out much and spends long hours in his garden. He is such a happy little fella, a real joy to walk and so much fun. He loves to visit Barry and Scruff who live nearby, and he enjoys socialising with other dogs while out walking. 
Of course every day I am on the trainer. I put my sixties music on and stride away to it, singing as I go, ha ha. I'm upping the resistance a bit now to make my legs work harder. Phew, doesn't half make my pulse rate go up. I feel good after a session, will keep it up. I'm going to watch a bit of tele now, on the computer. Bye bye.   

20 comments:

  1. I need a transfusion of some of your blood with the Super Scrimping in it!!! Actually your inspiration has helped loads the past year and other than my food issues (wasteful, take out)I've followed your lead on more walking, less spending and doing without...

    the brussel sprouts and broccoli must have put that smoothie off...the rest sounds yummy...

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  2. I always laugh at people who swear by 'how to get rich' books...EASY!!! write how to get rich books instead of buying them!
    Jane x

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  3. Completely agree that the new series of Super Scrimpers is so 'frothy'. Glad you are feeling so healthy Ilona, think I need a bit of that, have been really poorly this week and struggling to eat properly with just these useless men around, I usually look after them too well!

    Went to Morrison's today and got 12.5kg bag of spuds for £2! Bargain, that will last a couple of months I think :0) It's so annoying when you find something cheaper and you've just bought it, not always possible to avoid unless you dash around all the shops making notes before you actually buy anything....

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  4. I do think that people who don't have to scrimp can be good teachers. Actually, who knows what their background is? Plus, if they have had the leisure and not the need to learn to scrimp, they have taken some of the work out of being frugal.

    So far, I haven't gotten up the nerve to eat a green smoothie. When I get some strawberries to hide the green, I will. It has to be good for a person.

    I still cannot access any of the programs on the sites you listed. It said something about the person not putting them on to be available to US. What's that about? Can you do that? Or, do you have enough pull with the program to get them to put up videos your American fans can access?

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  5. Cold and snowy here in Chicago but went to Aldi s yesterday - avocados 49c and huge bags of gorgeous oranges for $1.49.
    Bananas 44c and strawberries $1.29. We dont have the outrageous markdowns that you have (there would be a stampede) but the loss leaders are usually quite good and the produce at Aldi s is so fresh although they dont have quite the same range (no leeks ).
    I dont buy any prepared foods so I get the most bang for my food buck.
    Too cold to go out cleaning up the neighbourhood but in April we have Village Cleanup Day when lots of volunteers come out and clean up after the snow melt. Then we all go for coffee and donuts at the village hall !

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  6. well done on cleaning up your neighbourhood. Once the snow goes it will be interesting to see how much garbage people have thrown in our ditch over Winter, some people are so selfish,

    Gill in Canada

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  7. I am demolishing my old studio, an old holiday caravan, and doing my best to recycle it. I will sell any metal I don't use. I am learning.

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  8. I just started a 80% raw diet this week so your blog is so inspiring to me. Am new to this so I am learning a lot from your blog, especially about living more frugally.

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  9. Another one here in agreement about Supercrimpers. - it's all getting too 'twee' and has lost it's way.
    I've been garden tidying and getting the beds ready for spring sowing - I 'found' a bed of potato's that I forgot to dig up last year ! they will last me a while, don't know what sort they are, I just plant bits of peel with tiny shoots on - they're lovely large red ones !
    Apart from that I've been crafting, making some more rag rugs, and place mats, and for the kitty kats - little circular beds - I don't know why I bother though, cos they all end up in/on my bed anyway.
    Would you like on MQ ? a cat bed I mean, not a cat ! (oh I don't know though, I've got one here that is the sperm of the devil !)
    if you send me your address, I'll make one for you.

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  10. ha ha - that should be Superscrimpers !! sounds like a group of hairdressers ! - another senior moment !

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  11. I watch SS and agree its not particularly educating is it. Most people of MSE would see it all as very light weight, its just voyeurism into the lives of the utterly feckless in our society. The man who threw everything away on a Sunday, the wife who couldn't cook a basic lasagna, the young couple who go to B&Q for a brush and end up spending £100's on redecorating...etc etc. Do people really live like that? Possibly but it all seemed a bit staged to me. As for the Superscrimpers - well yes they do seem quite posh don't they? I sometimes wonder if they are playing at being frugal or have ever been in the situation where they have struggled to pay the bills and keep it together - I would descibe them more as "careful". The term Superscrimpers I think of hardcore frugality. I wish you were still in it Ilona. Debs x.

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  12. I completely agree about the uselessness of superscrimpers. It is, like so many things, just made for tv entertainment, rather than containing anything useful.

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  13. You are an absolute inspiration Ilona, another brilliant post - agree with you about superscrimpers although haven't seen many of the episodes from the current series. I think the only thing I've picked up from it is using cheap bubble bath to refill liquid hand soap dispensers.

    Must try to replicate some of your smoothies one day - how about you give us your top 5 or 10 recipes Ilona?

    Wean - the rag rugs sound lovely, even though I don't own a cat these days (or should that be I am no longer in the employ of a cat??).

    Happy Sunny Sunday all.

    A x

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  14. Hi PP. I do not have any say about what Channel 4 or youtube put on their sites. I have just discovered that Hunt for Britains Tightes Person is no longer available as a whole programme, but my clip can still be accessed by putting the programme title in the search box of youtube.

    The whole of the first series of Super Scrimpers is on youtube. I can't understand why you cannot get that, unless Channel 4, the owners, have a clause with youtube that it is only made available in the UK. Sorry, I can't do anything about it.

    Thank you annei, it's not Sunny Sunday here, it's snowing.

    That's very kind of you to offer to make me a cat bed, Wean, your kindness is much appreciated. I really ought to pull my finger out and make one myself, I have enough materials. I tell you what, you could make one if you like, but to save the postage, I would be happy if you gave it to an animal charity shop, or a cat rescue centre. That would be nice.

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  15. I looked at the Asda 50p sprouts and then at the frozen Asda sprouts and really the frozen work out cheaper plus no having to remove outside leaves.
    Its worth keeping a cardi at hand when exercising , the postie and the meter man always catch me in my sweaty PE kit and it doesn't take long to get cold if you have to wait a bit before you can get back to it.

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  16. Some of the people on SS are ridiculously wasteful this season. Especially the last episode with the guy who threw out all the food before going to the shops. It's called FOOD ROTATION, DO IT! And how he absolutely insisted that he couldn't eat non-brand food and then preferred the value meal! Hah!

    But I do enjoy some parts of it. I really love Barbara. She has some top frugal tips. Did you get to meet any of the other scrimpers as part of the show, Ilona?

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  17. Hi Bryallen, No I didn't. They came to my house and filmed almost non stop for eight hours, it was very tiring. Mrs Moneypenny was supposed to come a week later and do some filming with me, but she had to cancel, she didn't have time.

    Hi OSD. I am not a fan of frozen sprouts, broccoli, or cauliflower. They go mushy and I like mine only slightly cooked so they keep their freshness. I'll keep it in mind about the cardi, though at the moment I am keeping my layers on while on the machine, it's still a bit chilly in here.

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  18. I was just clicking on the sites you gave. I will try to find it on youtube, but then may not get you. Oh, I thought maybe you had some pull after being one of their stars...lol...just kidding. Thanks.

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  19. Sorry Ilona it was me i think who brought your name up..

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  20. Don't be sorry Athyn, it's all a bit of fun.

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