Frugal Living 2010 -The Cost of Living Challenge, INTRO

bails

A pimped bed sounds great IHPC, and fits in exactly with the Frugal challenge - reusing and recycling instead of throwing away, saving money, being creative :T What are you going to do to it?

I suggested to my OH the other day that when we have our first frugalmite, we get them cardboard boxes for their first Christmas, as that's the bit kids always play with anyway. He wasn't so keen and thinks my frugalitis is critical :rotfl: Watching the kids out here make toys out of nothing but rubbish, and have the time of their lives with them, there is a serious point behind the suggestion though, and not just a money-related one. I can't wait to get creative in how to have wonderful fun with my kids without it costing the earth, literally and metaphiorically :j

Welcome to the newest Frugallers

knithappens

well I had a big sort out yesterday organised all my bills, and made a ig list which i laminated of all my goals, e.g pay off credit card, new car , new bathroom, 3 months wages saved. I know all this is not attainable at once, but it is to motivate me to keep me on the right path, I have laminated it and popped it on the fridge for motivation.

also had a serious clean out these past few days, selling what is in good nick and freecycling or taking to the charity chop things i cannot sell else where and paying the money i make off my credit card bill. feel so much better for doing this, clean house, clean mind, clear goals, so feeling very positive right now.

grandma247

Bails I think kids here get too many toys that they do not even need to use their brains for and most end up under the bed because after the first ten minutes they are boring. I brought home an enormous box once from work and ds3 who was 3 at the time played for weeks with it before it collapsed. It was a house,acar,a plane and goodness knows what else. You can actually buy cardboard box toys now with things printed on them but they are very very expensive.
A couple of weeks ago I wanted some wooden bricks for my 18mnth gd and had to search every shop. Finally got some very small alphabet ones. lidl got some in last week which would have been better.
I tend to buy or make things that get the brainbox working because they are fun for so much longer. The thing is they need not cost much money.
I even bought my sil some wooden puzzles and he thought they were great. it took him a few minutes to crack the first one but the other took a few days.

bails

Thanks for the vote of confidence Grandma :T I'll definitely be doing the same when it's my turn

Aril

One of the most popular presents I bought my small person ever when he was a toddler was a blackboard. He got hours of fun out of it and erm if the chalk ever found its way onto other surfaces it was easy peasy to clean off:D
Am having a bit of a practice run this month- am fairly disciplined [says she having just spent £20 on a ticket to see the Brian Fortuna of SCD fame next year:rotfl::rotfl:] but have found an old diary which I've set up to record my spends. Am gradually decluttering the house to simplify it all but the proof of the pudding will be tomorrow when I do my first weekly shop. My Mum gave me a surprise gift of the Delia Frugal Food hardback that she'd got in the charity shop [see being frugal is genetic:rotfl:] so I'm going to sit down with that and other frugal recipes and make a menu plan tonight.
Have a mad frugalling weekend and remember that a plastic reindeer with a flashing red nose that sings jingle bells repeatedly is a want not a need:D:D
Aril

tiff

I'm not joining in, but will definitely be following the thread. We live fairly frugally but sometimes lose our way and then get back on the wagon, its called being lazy lol

I try not to buy new if I can help it for a lot of things, love freecycle, cook from scratch and used to follow the old style forum but got a bit fed up of the thread merging that went on. This is definitely an old style thread, imho.

Grandma247 kindly directed me to this thread. We are on the final stretch of clearing our credit card which is on 0% and we have a small amount of savings. Most Christmas presents have been bought and paid for. Hopefully, some time next year we can start saving properly.

weezl74

nykmedia wrote: »

Success depends, very much, on the theory that (A) A PENNY SAVED IS A PENNY EARNED

I wanted to add my huge agreement to this, and to say that if you are a tax payer with NI and a pension, It's more like £1 saved is £1.60 earnt! Plus earning the extra penny often costs travel and rewarding yourself with treats

bails wrote: »

I suggested to my OH the other day that when we have our first frugalmite, we get them cardboard boxes for their first Christmas, as that's the bit kids always play with anyway. He wasn't so keen and thinks my frugalitis is critical :rotfl: Watching the kids out here make toys out of nothing but rubbish, and have the time of their lives with them, there is a serious point behind the suggestion though, and not just a money-related one. I can't wait to get creative in how to have wonderful fun with my kids without it costing the earth, literally and metaphiorically :j

Welcome to the newest Frugallers

Bails I really agree. My son will be 10 months old this christmas, and honestly wouldn't know what to do with a present! We have got him a ball pool from the car boot sale which he can have a play in for the first time on 25th, but that's just us being sentimental, and it only cost us £3 I'm going to save pennies for when he absolutely must have a DS (and even then it'll be via quidco )

xxx

nikki20022008

nikki20022008
can I join pls

nikki20022008

My yearly budget is as follows

diesel £480.00 food £1,560.00 hair £346.67 nails £376.13 clothes £600.00 presents £520.00 misc £117.20 total £4,000.00
Have I done this right any advice would be good

Iheart2poundcoins

bails wrote: »

A pimped bed sounds great IHPC, and fits in exactly with the Frugal challenge - reusing and recycling instead of throwing away, saving money, being creative :T What are you going to do to it?

I suggested to my OH the other day that when we have our first frugalmite, we get them cardboard boxes for their first Christmas, as that's the bit kids always play with anyway. He wasn't so keen and thinks my frugalitis is critical :rotfl: Watching the kids out here make toys out of nothing but rubbish, and have the time of their lives with them, there is a serious point behind the suggestion though, and not just a money-related one. I can't wait to get creative in how to have wonderful fun with my kids without it costing the earth, literally and metaphiorically :j

Welcome to the newest Frugallers

Thanks for your reply!
Well it has holes where the posts to hold the upper bed would have been so my dad has got some big knobs (lol, don't laugh!) that i can put on the ends, then it needs a bit of filler of places, a sand down and a paint job. I may even do something with the headboard bit as it is slatted and I would like it solid, so might board that up and pad and cover it. Not totally sure yet.
It's just a nice height off the ground incase she falls out and I'm sure will last her till she's 10 or something.:T As long as the mattress is new I think this is the important bit.


I was quite frugal as a kid. i never wanted much, was happiest just with drawing books and pens. My mum did used to give me the catalogue and get me to make a xmas list of what i wanted but i never got what was on it! Just give me pen and paper... I hope my daughter tuins out the same. Right now she has loads but 80% is from charity shops I can just see the day when she refuses to set foot in them though! She's not qwuite 6 months so I have time yet though :cool:

I've also been thinking about this challenge and have had a few cutting down ideas - like fabric conditioner, I'll use half a cap and I have got the big curtains out of the loft to put up at the front door as there is some draught there, not much but it all adds up.
I'm also thinking of making some of those snuggies they are advertising by JML. My daughter has loads of £1 shop blankets so I could make her a few too with them!