Fresh & Frugal

Although fresh and frugal has a worthy designer concept feel to it, it is just all about food today. Food is the best place to start when budgeting and on a economy drive. The first thing to do (as with fashion) is set a budget. Then the next step is to plan your meals. I like to do a monthly one but weekly is just as good.

When I plan the meals, I tend to think seasonal first, then healthy and then cost. Fresh food isn't expensive, seasonal food is cheaper and use lentils or pearl barley rather than meat to keep the cost down. I only plan for fish on a Friday night and meat for Sunday.

Yesterday I had to gather in the rhubarb from the garden as it was going wild. We've already had a couple of crumbles out it for a Sunday afternoon since March. I made the stew base for the delicious rhubarb and ginger crumble recipe we use all the time courtesy of the wonderful Fox & Anchor

fresh from the garden

Think the colours of rhubarb are glorious

Fresh grated ginger & star anise

After it had cooled down I froze the stew to whip out Nigella stylie when the occasions calls.


I also made a cost cutting (and calorie cutting) shepherds pie with lentils so Olive magazine calls it a garden pie. It is delicious and consists of puy lentils, celery, shallots, carrot, parsnip, veg stock and tomato puree then topped with mash. Quick 5 min grill to give it that vajazzeled look!

The garden pie

My next top tip is a great healthy summer breakfast for pennies. I mix porridge oats with grated apple and usually add 2 tablespoons of 0% fat free Total Greek yoghurt the night before and put in the fridge. It is such a fresh uplifting thing to eat. If I've got raspberries or strawberries I add them in the morning. I splashed out this week and increased the per unit cost slightly with Rachel's Organics Gooseberry yoghurt. I do love gooseberries.

The porridge oats

Half an apple to grate

The yummy gooseberry yoghurt from Rachel's Dairy -just two & a bit tablespoons

Mix up porridge oats, grated apple and yoghurt

Cover with clingfilm & put in fridge for morning

Porridge oats are 99p for a bag, I buy granny smiths for grating and the biggest expenditure is the yoghurt. You can add anything to the porridge oats, like raisins and chopped nuts or chopped dried apricots. I like to keep it simple with the grated apple.

A sign from Ye Economy Gods

After realising I was seriously on an economy drive and that stupid pointless clothes buying was out, I was nose deep in Net-A-Porter and then My-Wardrobe flitting between 2 yellow tops one priced £70 and the other £159 - WTF springs to mind. I lost 30 minutes of my life fighting a typical reaction to reality. There was the red devil on one shoulder saying 'oh it won't matter if your overdraft is dented a bit more.' And on the other was voice of reason pointing out 'I was bonkers'. Reason won of course, it always does but for one moment of madness I wanted a yellow top in a way that was ridiculous. I have no money, I'm writing a film script and don't go out much!

Once I had recovered from my brief flirtation with my past addiction, I felt so much better and felt immediately richer. I'm now in the midst of compiling a mood board to inspire me to ride out my period of hardship. It is the classic case of when you make a plan to diet you suddenly want to stuff your face with cake. The mind needs motivation not deprivation, so goal setting is key. I've worked out the basics of a Christmas ski holiday, it entails no birthday and Christmas presents, a certain amount put aside every week, all changes put in a tin plus a car boot sale. I'm going to buy our family Christmas presents asap - I've set a budget for this and a deadline to do it all by. I'm going to ask them not to buy us presents for birthdays and Christmas but give us the cash instead. My family are used to being given hints or directives so they won't be offended. I think their favourite year was when I said we could only spend £10 on our Christmas presents per person. It was good fun and made for some hilarious buys.

So yesterday was all planning and being organised. But I also had an errand to run, namely some speedo swimming briefs for the petit garcon. He's started swimming lessons at school, they have a small 15metre outdoor pool which is a complete gem for a primary school. However the regulation stipulations are swimming cap and speedo briefs for boys, no shorts allowed.

On the way to the sports shop, I walked past a charity shop and there in the window was the brightest yellow top - ever! I nipped in, tried it on and got myself what I wanted for £4.50. I'm sure it was the Vix and Sharon Rose effect. I was channelling both when I turned my back on conspicuous consumption for better things and found the perfect top thanks to the Economy Gods.

The offending Speedo briefs so beloved by those who shouldn't wear them!

The £4.50 top

Petit garcon unable to resist a pose!

The imagined outfit completed! Yellow top £4.50 charity shop, Zara trousers 2 years ago, Topshop bangle 5 years old, Zara gold clutch 6 years old, Marc Jacobs heels 4 years old bought in Matches sale

Closer view of the MJ heels

The Economy Drive, signing up

The trouble with money is when you realise you haven't got the balance right. Having just finished work to complete a project I've suddenly become stony broke. My income stream is almost dried up and mu outgoing stream is more like a racing river. I need to get on top of things and was reminded by two invaluable posts Fashion's Most Wanted 'Time for an economy drive' and Vintage Vixen 'Dream On' Both posts are brilliant - a must read to remind us how to do it on the cheap and how it is okay to mess up but rein yourself in and get on top of things.



It is hard to find the balance on fiscal sense for oneself and having hopes and desires. It is the blending of reality (your income) and what you can do (how to achieve goals). I felt spurred on by Christina and Vix - I spend too easily and I don't go the extra mile at times to do something on an affordable scale. I will buy new rather than hunt around. Sometimes this is fine but often by deciding to set a limit on what you can spend, it makes you more creative and look around for alternative ways.

In some respects I'm really good. I grow things, make bread, do monthly meal planners and have a household budget but equally I fritter things away. I will suddenly invite all and sundry around and go mad on food and drink so everyone has a great time. I still want to do this but need to think about not blowing the budget and make everything go further. I don't need to get olives and nibbles etc. Just a meal, pudding and a fun drink - I'm favouring the Venitian Spritz (recipe below post) - all homemade.

Vix made me think about how to focus. I really want to go skiing this year for Christmas so I'm going to have that as a goal. It is the same price as skiing in the February half term and neither Mr MDS or I have been skiing since the arrival of the petit garcon. We would like him to learn to and although this is indulgent I do think it is important to have a goal. We've got all the gear so all I need to get is a ski suit for the petit garcon - even he has got thermals due to all the cold weather we had last year. I even got him salopettes from TK Maxx two years ago but they are too small now.

I also want to clear the last bit of my student loan - only 10 months to go and get rid of my overdraft. Because I'm in the midst of writing it really doesn't matter if I don't go out. My mind is elsewhere and I've partied for Britain over the years, home and away. My best cure for jet lag is to go out to a club, dance a bit and then go to sleep. Of course that's not on the cards these days. My next step is to cut out all wastage, no processed foods, no more wine, no coffees and no ebay, amazon or anything.

To assist my endeavours, I will make a mood board. One that reminds me why I'm not spending money. After all I've been styling for years and creating outfits out of anything. I spent a few hours in front of the mirror trying on different combinations to remind me I don't need any more clothes! It did remind me that I do need to lose my spare tyre or two and that is a great motivator as clothes always look better when not so snug.


The most important thing is the roof over our heads, food on the table and the rest is just a bonus.

Venetian Spritz Recipe

Spritz is a popular apertif in Venice. It is reasonably priced and always served with a complimentary bowl of potato chips, making it the perfect beverage for tourists wanting to appear inconspicuous and save money at the same time. Italian bartenders will usually offer a choice between a Spritz made with Campari or Aperol, another bitter aperitif.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Prosecco*, Italian sparkling wine from Treviso
• 1 oz Campari
• Splash of Soda water or more if you want to have 2 glasses!
  
• Green olive and lemon peel twist (optional)
  

Directions:

1. In the glass add ice, Prosecco, Campari and soda water.
2. Garnish with a green olive and lemon peel twist impaled on a short wooden skewer.
3. Best enjoyed while sitting alongside a canal in Venice

*White wine can be substituted for Prosecco.