Our Frugal Lifestyle

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Passionate about eco-frugality. I used to party hard, clubbing my way from pay-packet to pay-packet. Never getting ahead, just getting by. Then came our much wanted baby with no savings in the bank - only an old car. Changes were made to our lifestyle and we didn't turn back. In the past 6yrs we purchased a flat, found employment, lived below our means, built an emergency fund, purchased a reliable car and saw the financial benefits of our frugal lifestyle. Our only debt is our mortgage. Our aim is to manage our cash flow wisely, pay off our home quickly and eventually work for pleasure, not necessity. Join us on our journey, share insights, tips and tricks to help us and others to get ahead while having a good time.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Frugalicious Lunch

The party is over, the gluttony of the festive season has ended, The Rambling Expat had his birthday and now there are no more excuses until Dolly's birthday at the end of February and that will need to come from the weekly groceries budget.

Penny pinching does not mean unhealthy bland foods for us if we keep gardening. I want to show you the delicious lunch we had which cost us 1 cup of Rice, 1 table spoon of Olive Oil and 3 cloves of Garlic, the rest came from the garden.




The photograph is not magazine beautiful but the meal was an explosive taste of delicious flavours and extremely moorish. When I finished weeding, pruning and planting, I filled my basket with with just enough produce to make lunch for 3.

I stir fried in a little olive oil:

  • garlic (shop bought)
  • lemongrass (my plot)
  • ginger (communal plot)
  • chili (communal plot)
  • chocolate mint (my plot)
  • snake beans (my plot)
  • brazilian spinach (my plot)
  • basil (my plot)
  • eggplant (my plot)
  • malabar spinach (communal plot as mine has died)
  • sweet potato leaves (friends plot)

Served on a bed of rice. (My rice bag was shop bought).

For dessert we had pawpaw with lime. The pawpaw was from the communal plot and the lime I found on top of our green waste pile. I don't know who threw it there or where it came from as I don't think there is a lime tree in the botanical gardens. But it was in perfect condition so I took it. And happy I was to do so, as I love lime squeezed on rice, fruit, veggies and in a glass of water.




Lunch for 3 cost about 50 cents and was delicious. Cutting back on food costs means we can still have a great lifestyle, be healthy and save for the important things in life such as Dolly's future education, retirement, cutting back on work hours and a house.

Are you doing some penny pinching too?
Posted by Frugal Down Under
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6 comments:

  1. UnknownJanuary 7, 2012 at 12:44 AM

    50c!! thats amazing. I have wanted to start a vegie garden for a while but i have the brownest thumb to man:( I do hunt out all the cheap fruit and vegies sold around though. I got a huge box of strawberries for $5 on friday. You garden meal looks delicious!

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  2. Rhianna January 7, 2012 at 3:39 AM

    How awesome to have a plot at the gardens there! Your are a penny pinching inspiration I can tell you

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  3. UnknownJanuary 7, 2012 at 11:59 AM

    OH, that's an amazing lunch! You are such an inspiration.

    We need to start planning next year for the plot in our garden.

    Sft x

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  4. LisaJanuary 7, 2012 at 5:19 PM

    Sounds delicious, cheap and healthy, you can't ask anymore than that in a meal can you? Looks like you are doing awesome work in your plot.

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  5. JeanJanuary 8, 2012 at 1:23 AM

    Your lunch looks so delicious and healthy. I love foraging in the garden for our meals but not much out there in the winter except herbs and spinach.

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  6. BryallenJanuary 8, 2012 at 5:03 AM

    Mmm, looks so good! I want it to be March so I can start planting!! :D

    ReplyDelete

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