Floozie does Frugal 2010

rictus123

19 things on a daily list.....thats how you keep busy!! Keep up the good work, im also doing some frugal living this year, on a strict budget, i love it

Lurker1972

flying_fresian wrote: »

Our Christmas tree is one of those that has the lights attached, so my fairy lights are currently over my headboard and won't be getting taken down EVER!! I don't use them often but they make the room look pretty

I have a set on the wall in my bedroom for prettiness too!

Happy New Diary Floozie!

kate_pixie

Have subscribed to your new diary Floozie. I love your methodical approach to all things, it brings out the geek in me! Keep up the good work! xx

Intergalactic_Floozie

LIFE LAUNDRY POST

DAILIES LIST.....
1. [STRIKE]Tidy Kitchen [/STRIKE]
2. [STRIKE]Tidy Living room[/STRIKE]
3. [STRIKE]Tidy Bathroom[/STRIKE]
4. [STRIKE]Go round, collect mucky washing[/STRIKE]
5. [STRIKE]Do 1 load of washing[/STRIKE].
6. [STRIKE]Put aforementioned load of washing on clothes airer[/STRIKE].
7. [STRIKE]Take yesterday's drying off clothes airer, and put away[/STRIKE]
8. [STRIKE]Washing up[/STRIKE]
9. [STRIKE]Tomorrow's clothes for DS1 / DS2 & Me[/STRIKE]. V V easy seeing how the school uniform's placed on the bannister yesterday are still there cos today was a snow day
10. [STRIKE]Tomorrow's food for DS1 / DS2 & Me.[/STRIKE]
11. [STRIKE]Check DS2 book bag. Remind DS1 he might have homework[/STRIKE]. chuffing bags have been ready to go for the last two days!!
12. [STRIKE]Go through DS2 reading book with him[/STRIKE]. Still hasn't got one, as not been to school
13. [STRIKE]Make evening meal[/STRIKE]. Tagliatelle Carbonara - I made the sauce myself
14. [STRIKE]Do MSE daily update for anyone who is interested[/STRIKE].
15. [STRIKE]Check internet banking[/STRIKE]
16. [STRIKE]Check e-mails[/STRIKE].
17. [STRIKE]Find 5 items that must leave the house the following day[/STRIKE].
18. [STRIKE]Clear Hotspots (Kitchen table, Computer table)[/STRIKE]
19. Fe[STRIKE]ed cat.[/STRIKE]

OPERATION FATBUSTING

Yesterday wasn’t too bad from memory although not sure whether it was a Weightwatchers ‘not too bad’ or just a Floozie one. (v v different ideas). Didn't dare weigh myself today because it was too cold.

OPERATION CLUTTERBUSTING (AIMS FOR TODAY)

• [STRIKE]Find five items to leave the house.[/STRIKE] Cheated a bit and am counting the things decluttered from the window: Dead plant, vase containing loads of old toothbrushes, tealight holders, 1 decorative candle which had been part of a pair and a half used, gloopy nail varnish.
• [STRIKE]Dailies[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]Declutter the kitchen windowsill[/STRIKE] and it got a clean too, even used an old toothbrush to brighten up the grouting.
• [STRIKE]Do shredding[/STRIKE]
• "encourage" DH to put the Xmas tree in the loft.

OPERATION BUDGET (AIMS FOR TODAY)
Don’t need to go shopping or leave the house for the rest of the day.

OPERATION BOOKWORM

Make sure I read some of “Beyond the Breadline” Seem to have misplaced it, so read some of "the timewaster diaries" instead. :rotfl::rotfl:

natsplatnat

I'm glad I can get into work. If I were at home, I fear I may feel obliged to do some housework after reading your list!! Phew, thank goodness we have virtually no snow! lol

Intergalactic_Floozie

Days to payday: 9
Money in bank : £187.94
Money in purse: £6.60 +18.00 in a separate purse for bus fares.
Grand Total: £212.54

Money spent since last update:.£28.18
£19.50 - hair (cut & blow)
£0.50 - £365 in 365 jar
£2.40 - tea fund
£3.00 - bus fare
£2.00 - 2 x bottles of pop
£0.78 - I had forgotten I had shifted this over to my £365 earlier in the week.

Grocery budget: £280.00 / £165.11 spent / £114.89 remaining
Petrol Budget: £110.00 / £105.79 spent / £4.21 remaining
My bus fare budget: £39 / £18.00 remaining
Everything else budget: £297.67 / £75.44

Another snow day here in Bradford, it's looking like the schools might be shut for the rest of the week with snow forecaste from 6pm through the night. I finished at midday with the vague notion I might make the time up on Saturday (hooray for flexi time). Good thing is that I don't have to pay bus fare home for DS1 so I've shifted £2 over to my £365 in 365 jar. Hopefully Friday night footy training will be called off too! (prays). Kids also had their lunch at my parents (who were babysitting) so I don't have to feed them. Dad also made me some lunch, but I'd had some at work so wasn't hungry, so he's put it in a lunchbox, so one of the little blighters can eat it for their tea instead.

When I was at Morrisons t'other day they had a reduced price curry (600g in weight for £2), so I split that into two portions and had one for my lunch today.

One poll - two surveys available for me, 1 @ 10p (balance now £3.70) and one competition survey, which I entered, for an i-Pod. Nothing of interest via e-mail.

Remembered I hadn't claimed mileage for when I went to a meeting in October (worth nearly £10.50!). Also bothered to claim the mileage for when I went in on overtime (8 x 37p). Not sure whether that will be paid in Feb or March. I also have to go to a meeting in two weeks so that'll be another tenner for me to claim. Woohoo.

maman

I was reading your great thread for the first time this afternoon and felt inspired. I turned off the computer and went and cleared out/tidied 3 kitchen drawers, wiped all doors and surfaces and washed the floor Then I took some bits from the drawers to the charity shop. What an inspiration you are:T

floozie do you live/work very close to Morrisons? I'm asking because it seems that the more often you go the more it costs you and I was thinking of the price of petrol too. I find that if I go to shops the absolute minimum and only then armed with a list from my meal plan then I spend less. Just a thought, hope it doesn't come across bossy.

Intergalactic_Floozie

Yes, I live very close indeed. I can walk it in fifteen minutes (not on compacted ice obviously). I'm just trialling things at the moment. If I try and go once a week I'm spending £80+ on a weekly shop (last time I did a proper big shop it was £134) so I thought I'd have a go at smaller ones. Ideally I'd do a big shop at Farmfoods, and then go to Morrisons for top ups but I;m not getting the time. I've no idea how my grocery budget has been so small (for me) this month. I hate grocery shopping, by the way. It sends me into a rage.

Intergalactic_Floozie

Days to payday: 8 *high fives people of the internet*
Money in bank : £187.94
Money in purse: £4.60 +15.00 in a separate purse for bus fares.
Grand Total: £207.54

Money spent since last update:.£5.00
£3.00 - bus fare
£2.00 - DS1 for lunch in case his school is back tomorrow. He's sleeping at his friend's house tonight and I didn't have time to pack a lunch before he sprung the sleepover on me, so I had to give him two quid with the hard word that if he didn't go to school, then I got it back.

Grocery budget: £280.00 / £165.11 spent / £114.89 remaining
Petrol Budget: £110.00 / £105.79 spent / £4.21 remaining
My bus fare budget: £39 / £15.00 remaining
Everything else budget: £297.67 / £73.44

Today was another snow day meaning both of the little blighters at home again and I had to finish early. It's a good job I have such wonderful parents and flexible employers. I'm now looking at working all day Saturday to make up the time I have lost by finishing early this week (boo hoo). I hate working weekends for time, it's bad enough when it's to save time to take off at a later date, but making up lost time is well depressing.

One poll - 2 surveys (1 @ 5p, 1 @10p & a competition). Balance now = £3.85

No emails from survey companies / Mystery shopping company. Only 1 job available on RE which I don't fancy (nightclub 25 miles away - as if!)

Moved £1 into my £365 in 365 jar because DS1 didn't go to school today so he hasn't needed bus fare.

I had a phone call today from a mortgage broker (L&C) as the discounted 2-year period on my mortgage is up on April. She rang me when I was on the bus so it wasn't convenient to talk so I asked her to ring back later. When I got home I phoned Scottish Widows to find out exactly how much it will cost me when my rate rises.

Balance outstanding: £81,046.
Current Rate: 0.34% above base rate
New Rate: 1% above the baserate
Current payment: £361.46
Payment if base rate stays at 0.5% in April: £385.50 (difference of £24.04)
Term left: 244 months (20 years, 3m)

When the L&C lady rang me back, I told her the above and she said she didn't think she could better me a variable rate mortgage, but insisted on trying to get me a quote for a fixed rate (SW said they could offer 4.39%) although I'm not interested in a fixed rate product at the moment (things may change once interest rates start going up) but I'm glad it's made me ring up and see how much I owe etc...

Intergalactic_Floozie

LIFE LAUNDRY POST
DAILIES LIST.....
1. [STRIKE]Tidy Kitchen [/STRIKE]
2. [STRIKE]Tidy Living room[/STRIKE]
3. [STRIKE]Tidy Bathroom[/STRIKE]
4. [STRIKE]Go round, collect mucky washing[/STRIKE]
5. [STRIKE]Do 1 load of washing.[/STRIKE]
6. [STRIKE]Put aforementioned load of washing on clothes airer.[/STRIKE]
7. [STRIKE]Take yesterday's drying off clothes airer, and put away [/STRIKE]
8. [STRIKE]Washing up[/STRIKE]
9. [STRIKE]Tomorrow's clothes for [STRIKE]DS1[/STRIKE] / [STRIKE]DS2 [/STRIKE]& Me[/STRIKE].
10. [STRIKE]Tomorrow's food for [STRIKE]DS1[/STRIKE] / [STRIKE]DS2[/STRIKE] & Me[/STRIKE].
11. [STRIKE]Check DS2 book bag. [/STRIKE][STRIKE]Remind DS1 he might have homework[/STRIKE].
12. [STRIKE]Go through DS2 reading book with him[/STRIKE]. Still not back at school
13. [STRIKE]Make evening meal[/STRIKE].
14. [STRIKE]Do MSE daily update for anyone who is interested.[/STRIKE]
15. [STRIKE]Check internet banking[/STRIKE]
16. [STRIKE]Check e-mails. [/STRIKE]
17. [STRIKE]Find 5 items that must leave the house the following day.[/STRIKE]
18. [STRIKE]Clear Hotspots (Kitchen table, Computer table) [/STRIKE]
19. [STRIKE]Feed cat. [/STRIKE]
20 [STRIKE]- wash hair[/STRIKE]

OPERATION FATBUSTING
Not bad. But not good. Plucked up courage to get weighed this morning and it's roughly the same, still not in the next stone up bracket.

OPERATION CLUTTERBUSTING (AIMS FOR TODAY)

• [STRIKE]Do dailies.[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]Find five items to leave the house.[/STRIKE] Got rid of my five items already by taking five books into work that I'd tried (and failed) to read. "PS I love you - what a pile of sentimental old claptrap" Tsk. I told the girls at work if they wanted them they could have them, if not, the next time I work a full day I will pop them to the library or charity shop.
• Tidy out the dreaded cupboard under the sink. AAAARRGGHH I HAVE FAR TOO MANY PLASTIC CARRIER BAGS!!!! But the cupboard under the sink is looking great, really uncluttered. I have kept one carrier bag stuffed with bags (for rubbish), one carrier bag of nice looking carrier bags (to pose with when carrying stuff - Harvey Nichols anyone!!!) and am taking a massive carrier bag stuffed with bags to the lady who runs the sandwich shop near work. Have MUCH room in my cupboards now!

OPERATION BUDGET (AIMS FOR TODAY)
Don’t need to go shopping or leave the house for the rest of the day.

OPERATION BOOKWORM
Make sure I read some of “Beyond the Breadline” . Still can't find this chuffing book, but I'm up to August in "The Timewaster Diaries"