Erm...Not a great day, moneywise. Or calorie-wise, either I suppose. Met my Mum and my aunt in town for coffee before work. Very gallantly, I allowed my pensioner mother pay for my cup of tea and bagel (hadn't had a chance to get into the bank, kids, not my fault), and walked - or splashed - my way to work. Finally liberated €100 at lunchtime and slipped into my regular coffee shop where I dropped €7.50. How? I felt bad about spending "just" €5 when all I had were 2 crisp €50 notes. I know, I know... really, that should be Rule #2 There's no Minimum Spend. I need to remember that cash won't actually burn a hole in my pocket.

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Well, this is interesting... I've been surviving on €100 since last Wednesday, and I may just last until tomorrow (Monday). Really, my biggest extravagances have been food: sprang for lunch with my friend on Wednesday. Naughtily got a takeaway on Thursday & Saturday (but I'd been working late I can hear myself whinge), and treated myself to reasonably priced (for D4) lunches at work. Oh, and I had to get petrol last night. Today, I've yet to have anything to eat, but I still have 1 carton of hummus left from early last week - if I shell out for slightly fancy bread, I should be able to hold off going to the ATM until tomorrow. And as my laser card isn't working (hmm... need to talk to my bank about that), the only alternative to living very frugally today is putting goods on the credit card. Which in itself isn't usually A Bad Thing. It's just that I was living on it for a good 2 weeks, and when the credit card comes out, it's very hard not to justify its use by buying other items for the week ahead.
We'll see how I get on...

Just. Don't. Ask. Don't ask about how I ended up coming home from town yesterday with a skirt when all I wanted to do was return a blouse and 2 CDs. Or about why I ended up spending €9 because I had a yen for some fruit (okay, a smoothie, which seemed too skimpy to order by itself in my local rip-off café, which is why I ordered a €5 bagel alongside...). Or forgot to send my brother a birthday card. The important thing is that although I indulged in an Insomnia latte & sandwich combo (and really, €5 in Dublin's swishest postcode is pretty good), I'm back on track.
This evening's tea was the leftover paella from last night. And I have the makings of a gorgeous wrap tomorrow. Did enough grocery shopping until at least Wed lunchtime this evening, and feel confident that I'll be eating very well until then without spending much cash.
Tonight's haul at Tesco came to €13.78 doesn't sound too thrifty, but it does include washing up liquid and cotton wool; tea bags, coconut milk and chickpeas (to replenish the pantry) and Tesco's own-brand of moisturiser which cost €1.86. In design terms, the moisturiser is almost comically stark (I'll take a pic and upload), so I'm curious to see how well it works. The fact that it was in among the goodies aimed at teenagers rather depresses me, as it reminds me that I still have the "problem" skin most thirtysomethings have shaken off by now, but let's see how it goes...

So... it's been a long time since I was last here, and to tell the truth, I've been quite bold... Today was actually a pretty good day: I only spent €7.20. €2.20 on newspapers (I work in the media; today was my first day back at work after a holiday, and I needed to play catch-up) and €5 on the sandwich & coffee deal at my local coffee shop.
I know - what's Rule #1? Don't waste cash on those pick-me-up fancy coffees. But you have no idea how naughty I've been over the past few days and weeks. I'll just say "credit card" and "new camera" and let you draw your own conclusions. What's worse is it's not over yet. Badly need to get my capsule wardrobe up and running, and my car insurance is due this month, so my plans to pay a large wodge off CC are unlikely to come to pass.
Look. I've the makings of a nice veg paella for tmw, which should see me into Monday. In the meantime, it's a matter of making out my meal list for the week and shopping accordingly.
Wish me luck!

Man, I'm getting lazy. Last night's curry turned out very well. Wolfed down 1.5 portions (returned to the pot for a helping of sauce, mopped up with my very expensive rice) before bagging up four portions for the freezer. My frozen food reserves are looking healthy once again. All in all, it was a pretty cheap deal. Today, I'm taking the lamb I bought in the local butchers (about €8 - I know, I know, but bear with me) and making a tagine with winter vegetable couscous. So yesterday's outlay also included a parsnip (€1.16, gulp), ginger (17c), garlic (49c), fresh coriander (€1.29), flaked almonds (€2.35) and a swede (89c) - as well as a honeydew melon (€1.93) and parma ham (€4.69) for the starter. Jaysus. No wonder I walked away €40 lighter. Erm, hope my parents like their introduction to Moroccan food...

So far, so mixed. Picked up eight oyster chicken thighs in the local centra for €2.99 and settled down to make a curry. Had all the ingredients here - apart from yogurt - so it was shaping up to be a very, very cheap meal, something I could eat this evening before bagging the leftovers up and freezing. That was before I got to Tesco to stock up on groceries ahead of tomorrow. The 1kg bag of brown basmati rice ended up costing me an unbelievable €6.62. I've actually had to check that once more. Almost seven euro for a kilo bag of rice. Is this the future? Paying exorbitant sums for cupboard staples?

Yet another day of enforced thrift. Went a little crazy with the laser card on saturday so I'm taking a raincheck on updating my wardrobe and concentrating on planning my holidays and organising flat for visit by the folks tomorrow. Best part of all this is planning how I'm going to use my slow cooker. Thanks to boards.ie and this website I'm all excited about learning to cook cheap cuts of meat verrry slooowly and efficiently. Honestly, I won't know myself...

Very thrifty day in the end... As good as my word, for dinner I made koshari - an Egyptian carb-tastic dish I found on the Frugal Cook's student site. My only outlay was a packet of brown rice, a bag of onions and a tin of tomatoes (still came to over €5 in Centra. grr) and by simply making a yummy garlicky tomato sauce, cooking a few lentils, rice and pasta, I had a feast. My own particular twist was to stir in the gorgeous seeds from a pomegranate. Yum. So that should be lunch sorted for tomorrow. And taking care of the lentils should make for a delish dinner tomorrow night too. *deeply contented sigh*

I spose this counts as being thrifty... Not venturing out... breakfasting on fruit (pakistan orange and - a first for me - half a pomegranate) and bread but it's not mentally healthy, is it?
Just as soon as I figure out how to use up the rest of that blessed pomegranate, I'm off to the shops to buy the makings of a light dinner. You know, after my nap...

Well, I've been rather bold. And not just in failing to update this page. Had to apply to the Bank of Mum last week in order to get the cogs of the de Winter economy rolling again until my invoices were paid on Friday. When I got a fresh shock. One-third of my income being swallowed up by taxes. As a result, my 'income' is less than the carefully calculated 'outgoings'. I hate being poor...

hick... well, hickory actually

Guh. Not a good day. Fretful night's sleep. Really not liking Netherland at the moment. Then, late afternoon, I headed for Blanch shopping centre to buy a present for my niece and ended up spending e55 at Borders, e40 at TK Maxx, e10 at Smyths and e11.20 at Bombay Pantry on way home. In a fit of domestic fiscal efficiency, I'd already whipped out the credit card to pay for my long-overdue TV licence (e160) and my mobile phone bill (e61). Worst of all, I started the day by going over to the Centra at around 8am, buying a packet of hickory rashers, and eating them all. That's not a good sign, is it?

A pretty good day for cash-conscious old people like myself. Fairly modest outlay over the day: about e5 went to the Centra across the way for paper, bread, milk; another e2 to the chemist for plasters and tissues; and about e1.50 for yogurt (to go with homemade curry) and an apple (because I've been skimping on fresh fruit). AND the pensioners got their medical card back! Yay! You see? Who needs a pension? *sticks fingers in ears* La la la la

Candle light supper burnout...

I'm tired. Feel like I'm approaching the end of some nasty project. Woke up with scratchy, burning eyes. Need to get going and prepare for the three friends who are calling over this evening. Found myself under a bit of pressure yesterday. Thought it would be thrifty to invite my cousin over for lunch. Which it was. And it was kinda smart in that I was forced to make a nice midday meal AND I partially cleaned the flat. So the burden ahead of tonight isn't so great. But there's been a lot of washing up in the last few weeks.
After a lot of too-ing and fro-ing, the menu tonight will comprise a vegetable moussaka and - perhaps - broccoli in red wine. Easing the pressure a lot is the fact that Soos has to leave at 9 and it won't be a late night for any of us.
Meanwhile, a friend who has loads of holidays to take has suggested a quick break away in the sun for next month... Mmm, tempting...

Hillwalking... It sounds so worthy and cleanliving and cheap - doesn't it? Sigh. It should have been. The e12 for the bus and walk, nobody could begrudge. But the taxi ride from my office (I had to swing in to do a favour for a friend) to my thrifty friend's dinner was a waste. And the 90 minutes it took me to get home, with my sore legs, was not pleasant. Still, I slept like a log. And had a pleasant day with my Mum, badgering her to buy much-needed sensible sweaters and jackets. It's the pensioners of this country who are keeping the economy afloat, you know...

Well, it's one way of beating the recession...

... Forgetting your wallet when you leave for work, that is... It was lunchtime before I realised I'd left it at home. Took car to work, didn't buy a paper or coffee on the way... it happens. Thanks to the girl I was sitting beside, I was able to get my lunch of a E4.95 bowl of soup (with 1 slice of brown bread, hm) so I owe herself E20. No, it's not quite the cost cutting I was hoping for. At any rate, at least I was obliged to go straight home after work. Though, facing into a dinner comprising a defrosted homemade coq au vin, I decided to treat myself to an apple and posh-looking potato with gruyere cheese from Tesco. How swish, I thought. Harrumph. Stodgy, greasy, heavy as a brick... so not worth the E2.99 the portion cost me...

falling off the wagon

Okay, I've slackened my hold on the purse strings. Going to the hairdresser to day was a non-negotiable - a e135 (e145 with tip) non-negotiable - buying four balls of wool yesterday probably wasn't. But there are days when expenditure is inevitable. Sending a birthday package to a friend had to be done. That card to a former colleague who recently lost his mother, ditto. But at least I talked myself out of visiting that fortune teller. Right? And resisted the temptation to drop into Penneys. Right? Amn't I right?

Entertaining on a shoe string...

Hey! I'm really proud of myself: I fed and entertained three friends for just E12 on Monday night! Cheap-as-chips bean chilli followed by apple and plum pudding. And, if I may say so, it was a pretty decent spread - on any money. The following day, I spent the morning cooking a chicken curry, had naughty hummus on bread plus a banana for lunch, and then had leftover chilli for my tea at work. Actually, on Tuesday, I spent a total of one euro over the entire day. Had my bus ticket to get me to work... Had my dinner in a lunchbox in my bag... And then booked an office taxi to take me home. My only expenditure was a newspaper!
Of course, I undid all my good work yesterday by going for a burger with a girl at work... Sigh. But I'm getting there!

I can't believe this: I've just arrived in from my weekly shop with a paella dish in my hand. Followed same routine as last week: made out a list of meals for the week, and made a list accordingly. Ended up spending E46.36 - including E2.49 for little plastic food containers (kinda justifiable: think of the dinners I can freeze), E4.99 for a cable to connect my laptop to the stereo (good for entertaining...) AND E7.99 for a paella pan... A fugging paella pan! I'll end up in the poorhouse thanks to my inability to stop picking up useless Things!

Well, this is thrify, isn't it? Sitting in on a Friday night, watching the Late, Late. I can't bring myself to turn the sound up but at least I cooked my own dinner (from supplies in the fridge) and did not have to spend a heap of money today (as long as you don't count the E6 I fed into the parking meter at work). With my new crush on a celebrity (Mark Ronson, you're so dreamy...) I've definitely come full circle. The only difference between myself now and the 14-year-old version of myself is the fact that I can drive. Ah, it's like having your whole life open out before you once again...