End of the month finances.

Hello everyone,

Thanks again to everyone who dropped by yesterday. Again, almost 2000 of you clicked onto Frugal Queen and in total, since I began blogging, you have logged 4845 comments and to date, 311, 281 have logged onto the site at some time or other. You say the most complimentary things. It's the end of the month, finances are low but spirits are high. In the main, because so many of you have: stopped by, said hello and since last week, over 100 more of you have become followers. It's lovely to know who you are and would be wonderful if you read, to let me know who you are by becoming followers.

I was left some interesting advice yesterday, from using 'pop bottles' as cloches to get my plants started early, to using loo roll inners as seed starters to promote long and healthy roots. I was also asked a question by Sandy, if I knew of any ways of making hand cream or face cream. I will go back through the blogs I read as one blogger did just that. I can not suggest how to make it, but I have found the answer to Frugal beauty. A long time ago, I was recommended the Lacura beauty range at Aldi. It really is top end at bottom shelf prices. Their anti-wrinkle day cream is £1.99 and now, I'm a bit more financially safe, I also use their eye cream. I find the face cream lasts well over a month, if not two and the eye cream is just fantastic. I feel really indulgent using it, a real luxury and it smells wonderful

Pay day seems a long way off this month and we need to carry on being tight as duck's bums as we're putting away every penny for a short holiday soonish (not saying when in case you rob my house for my charity shop books!) and I'm finding the money by making further cuts on everything. Even though money is tight, everything is budgeted for. We have enough food to last well over another week, there is money for transport and every direct debit goes out on time, every month. Even by drastically over paying and snowballing, we are able to live on less and less every month. Today, thanks for Approved Foods and bargains from Lidl, we ate like kings for pennies.

Today,we had salad, with potato salad and chicken, stir fried in a sesame, spring onion and garlic sauce. Quite indulgent for us and a hefty 77p each, due mainly to the high cost of the salad. Two large Lidl chicken breasts were £1! They were on offer at £1.99 for four chicken breasts, so I bought several packs and decanted them into freezer bags and stored them for days like this. I bought three jars of stir fry sauce for £1 and 9 bottles of low fat mayonnaise for £1 and three bottles of honey and mustard salad dressing for £1. Items like sauces and condiments don't usually make their way into my shopping basket but I have a stash of goodies in my pantry because of Approved Foods.

Spciy chicken, salad with posh dressing, home made potato salad

The finished result was a belly busting plateful and as ever, for an encore, we'll eat the same again for lunch tomorrow. I'm having a great day today and really heartened by those of you who comment; drop by and become followers. However, a dear dear friend of mine in blog land and the real world is not having a good day. She/Foster Mummy  helped me through some incredibly hard times in my life, she is the most loving and genuine person I have ever met and today, she's hurting. Just as you sustained me, pop over and see her and let her know you care.

Today, she's under here. Let's make sure our love is with her.

Until tomorrow,

Froogs xxxxx