£2-a day: Week 4

22nd Jan:

Budget: £11

Work meal tonight in Hemel, and we decided on a curry. I had enough 'spare' cash to pay for it, as Les Mis money had come through and I had a budget saved for it, but even so I decided to try and eat before I went. Gool and Nibs donated more M&S reduced price food today, which was unbelievably kind of them, and in it included a chinese meal for two, bottle of red and some beef mince. At lunch time, I went out and bought an onion and tried making my own burgers for the first time at home, and they were gorgeous! I pan-fried mine, but Tom grilled his in the evening and said they were even better :) That one pack of mince made 8 burgers, so we've got several dinners for the rest of the week.

The curry house were doing a meal offer of a starter, main course, naan bread, a rice dish, and a veggie side dish for £9.95, which I thought was pretty good and anything I didn't eat I could have taken home in a doggie bag. But after a pint of coke each too, we ended up paying £16 each for the meal...?!? The bill was, annoyingly, correct, and I begrudgingly handed over my cash. It made me think about how often Tom and I eat out and spend double that amount of a meal several times a month. Apart from our frugal fish n chips meal a few weeks back, we haven't spent that much in a supermarket shop, let alone a restaurant!

23rd Jan

Budget: £2
Not a penny spent today; we went swimming (did 60 lengths, get in!!) and had more home-made burgers. Winner!!
I should probably say, I've changed the look of this blog today, and should post here the link to the website that sells these beautiful ceramic buttons that I have a picture of as my backround. They're STUNNING, don'tya think? Buy them here, and start using them on your own designs, I know I shall be once I have money again...!!!

24th Jan
Budget: £4
I was treated to lunch today courtesy of Tom's poker winnings :) Spent £2 very carelessly on the table-top video game console in the restaurant, super damn cool though! It had Pacman, Donkey Kong and Frogger on it, to name but a few. And whilst in the restaurant, we had a massive brainwave of an idea for cushion designs... watch this space! I looked into craft fayres in Berkhamsted today, and once I have a collection I think I might head down to it.

25th Jan
Budget: £2 
I am an angry lady, right now!! I went to St Albans Hospital today to have a check-up, and forgot that to park in their car park you have to pay a minimum of £4 for a ticket... £4?!?!? Luckily, I had a £5 in my purse (but not all budget) and got pound coin change thrown at me by the staff in the hospital cafe... ridiculous. I then boarded a train to Manchester to see my friend Pat from Sam's. Luckily I was treated to dinner with her and we stayed at her place for the night. Good times.
Seriously... £4 for a hospital car park. What if it's an emergency???


26th Jan
Budget: £2
On the way back from Op'North, I got talking to none other than the owner of the Afflex Palace 'The Bead Shop'!! This'll mean nothing unless you eve visited this place, but it was truly an honor! That shop was decked from floor to ceiling with beads to make your own jewellery with, and they run workshops and classes throughout the year. Read their blog and get links to their website HERE. 
Before going home, I dropped round to see my grandma, Gool, and her friend who lives completely self-sufficiently (she was the one who came up with the pepper-and-plum dinner). I looked around her backgarden and met her ducks and chickens she keeps there! All the chickens were rescued from battery farms and when they first got to her, they were completely bald and no more than a skinny bag of bones. Now, all of them have their feathers back, they live outside with a cosy shed to go in and out of at their will, and they have the gaggle of ducks to be friends with. Jo has people lining up for fresh boxes of eggs every day. She also makes her own jams and chutneys, and her hubby Gary is an ex-pastry chef too, so all their homemade meals (made using a stove heated from the woodburner in the centre of the house that is so hot it also heats the 9 radiators in the house) are to die for. Now THAT'S frugal living, kids!!

27th Jan
Budget: £4
Tonight was the belated Christmas Do at work, and I totally and utterly ruined this budget month thing... spent £20 on drinks in all :( Mainly because I was buying them for others. Ah well! Happily deposited the remaining earnings from Les Mis into my savings account today though, and so I didn't feel too bad about it. Our team went dressed as The Pink Ladies from Grease, but were pipped to the winning post by my lover's team who went as the cast from Batman... it was a no-brainer really, especially as they did kareoke after they accepted their awards.


28th Jan
Budget: ?!?!?!?!
Yet another party today at work, this time it was the relatives of the lady I support celebrating her birthday more intimately at home with a tea party. Consumed nothing healthy whatsoever, but the cake made me very happy indeed! I contributed a plate of mini burgers made from the mince left over from my grandparent's donation and homemade cindertoffee:

Mmmmmmnice! So all-in-all a freebie day. I'm going out in a little while to a house party, but won't be drinking as I'm driving home solo. :*(