Floozie does Frugal 2010

Intergalactic_Floozie

Days to payday: 7
Money in bank : £187.94
Money in purse: £2.10 +12.00 in a separate purse for bus fares.
Grand Total: £202.04

Money spent since last update:.£5.50
£3.00 - bus fare
£0.39 - Stamp
£0.99 - bottle of pop.
£1.12 - loaf of bread.

Grocery budget: £280.00 / £165.11 spent / £112.78 remaining
Petrol Budget: £110.00 / £105.79 spent / £4.21 remaining
My bus fare budget: £39 / £12.00 remaining
Everything else budget: £297.67 / £73.05

DS1 didn't go to school today after all so I should have £3.00 coming back from him!

After I have made corned beef hash for tea, we are now officially out of things I can construct food from, so have no choice but to go to Morrisons for some stuff tomorrow. However I'm only going to get enough in until Wednesday, and then go again Wednesday...then again Saturday....I'm amazed how little I have spent on groceries this month...the weather has really helped as although I have been able to go out, the weather has put me off so I have made do with what we have got in.

Mystery Shopping: The company I am registered with have uploaded some assignments at last, so I chose a sandwich shop for Monday. I will only get £4 fee, and £3 reimbursed but it will be a nice assignment! I was hoping they'd have put the chemists shops on as I will need a prescription during the next pay period.

One Poll: 2 x surveys @ 5p each - total balance £3.90.

Had an acknowledgement from Ipsos welcoming me to the panel (surveys etc) and the GFK What I buy site, not sure what reputations these two have however I found them through reading MSE so I hope I start getting surveys etc..

I really wanted to buy some proper Ugg Cardi boots, which had been £140 and were reduced to £84 on Shudoo. If I'd have had a credit card on me at work, I just know I would have impulse bought them! I still really want them, but I guess they will still be around when I am debt free and can afford to pay for a pair of genuine brand new Uggs.

PS - football training cancelled tonight so that's £6 over to my £365 in 365 challenge fund!!!

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. Put aforementioned load of washing on clothes airer.
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]. Don't need to bother as it's Saturday
10. [STRIKE]Tomorrow's food for DS1 / DS2 & Me[/STRIKE]. Don;t need to bother as it's Saturday
11. [STRIKE]Check DS2 book bag. Remind DS1 he might have homework[/STRIKE]. No book has come home with DS2, and DS1 didn't go to school.
12. [STRIKE]Go through DS2 reading book with him[/STRIKE]. As above
13[STRIKE]. Make evening meal.[/STRIKE] (it will be Corned Beef Hash)
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] Have done this by decluttering the pile of paperwork propped up on the worksurface in the kitchen
18. [STRIKE]Clear Hotspots (Kitchen table, Computer table) [/STRIKE]
19. [STRIKE]Feed cat. [/STRIKE]

OPERATION FATBUSTING

Yikes, put 1lb on since yesterday. Must try harder. It seems that because I have lost my spending pleasure, I’m getting my pleasure from eating L Was 1lb heavier on scales than I was yesterday.

OPERATION CLUTTERBUSTING (AIMS FOR TODAY)

• Do dailies.
• Find five items to leave the house.
• Clear the worksurface (this is a biggie as it’s actually a hotspot)

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” . Have given up on this for time being as I can’t find it. Also didn’t read any of ‘The Timewaster Diaries last night’ as I found a few magazines in a pile under the computer table that I didn’t remember reading so I read them instead.

I was really proud of yesterday’s clutterbusting, which was to clear the cupboard under the sink. There are two cupboards, one single, one double. I’d done the single one the day before and started on the double one yesterday. To be honest it was stuffed to the brim with plastic carrier bags. You couldn’t open the door without carrier bags falling out. Also I couldn’t remember what was in this cupboard other than carrier bags anyway. So I’ve stuffed four large carrier bags with smaller carrier bags (Morrisons types) and my plan is to give them to the sandwich shop lady near work who always needs them. There’s also one carrier bag full of ‘posh / nice’ bags such as the JD sports ones, and a Harvey Nichols one to carry stuff around in. I went through them all taking out receipts and was embarrassed to see them from as far back as March 2006! That’s nearly four years for goodness sake!! I took one of them to work with me today as I thought I would look silly taking them all. I’m keeping one behind for rubbish, and will take the other two to work through next week, then when it thaws walk to the shop with them. (although I’m starting to panic that the snow will never thaw, therefore my bin men will never come again, meaning the carrier bags will come in handy)

It might take me all year to declutter the house, but I know at this rate it will definitely happen. I’m reaping the rewards already as the kitchen just looks tidier even though it needs tidying now, if you know what I mean?

emmie26

You are doing very well :Tand are spurring me on to clear out some of my cupboards however I may need a little longer to motivate myself so I'll keep reading about your antics for the time being

Intergalactic_Floozie

Days to payday: 6
Money in bank : £133.44
Money in purse: £0.30 +12.00 in a separate purse for bus fares.
Grand Total: £145.74

Money spent since last update:.£56.30
£1.80 - bus fare (one way, too chicken to drive!)
£0.43 - mars bar for DS2
£54.07 - groceries (54 items)

Grocery budget: £280.00 / £221.26 spent / £58.74 remaining
Petrol Budget: £110.00 / £105.79 spent / £4.21 remaining
My bus fare budget: £39 / £12.00 remaining
Everything else budget: £297.67 / £70.82

Had to brave Morrisons this morning, as per usual, took a list but a few more things than intended went on it. Still, the weekend is always going to be my big shop with a top up midweek. Still there was an awful lot of yellow value items in my trolley!

Went into work today (for time). I had been about 3hrs down, and worked 5.5hrs this morning so I've banked a bit of flexi time towards Feb half term.

1 survey for me today at 10p but when I went to answer it it was a case of 'you snooze you lose' and they had enough participants.

Am currently in the middle of clutterbusting another double kitchen cupboard, this is the worst one though everything else is a doddle. I've got paperwork from Avon going back to 2005 in there. I'm filling a bag for shredding at work (see, a good job I kept some of those carrier bags back LOL), have a massive pile of recycling and a pile for keeps.

Intergalactic_Floozie

...and I've just finished de-cluttering the cupboard from hell. SEVEN years of paperwork!!!!

retrocircles

Seven years?! I can't even imagine how long that must have taken you!

Intergalactic_Floozie

retrocircles wrote: »

Seven years?! I can't even imagine how long that must have taken you!

Just over three hours! To be fair, it wasn't everything for the past seven years, that was just the oldest piece of paperwork I found.

Intergalactic_Floozie

Alright - are there any clever people reading this? I'm crap at Maths. I read my gas meter last night.

Previous reading = 3179 (29th October)
New reading = 3479 (9th January)
Total units used = 300

This is from my last bill (29th October)

Units used = 115
KWH = 3698
KWH split = first 778 @ 0.05788p = £45.03 / next 3531 @ 0.03056 = £107.91 (total bill inc VAT = £160.59)

So - how much in gas have I used since my last bill? I'm thinking it's looking like £500 (ish) in 2.5 months?

Intergalactic_Floozie

There was no life laundry post yesterday. I have decreed Saturday's as my lazy-itis / chill out day so only have to do the absolute necessary.

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]
10. [STRIKE]Tomorrow's food for DS1 / DS2 & Me. [/STRIKE]
11. [STRIKE]Check DS2 book bag. Remind DS1 he might have homework.[/STRIKE]
12. [STRIKE]Go through DS2 reading book with him. [/STRIKE]
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. Clear Hotspots (Kitchen table, Computer table) **NEW**
19. [STRIKE]Feed cat. [/STRIKE]
20. [STRIKE]Bath night[/STRIKE]

OPERATION FATBUSTING

Still managing to just cling on under that next stone up bracket. WW is back on tomorrow and I really should get back. I’m paying for a monthly pass which means if I don’t go, I am losing money.

OPERATION CLUTTERBUSTING (AIMS FOR TODAY)

• Do dailies.
• Find five items to leave the house.
• Set about as many cupboards and draws in the kitchen as I feel like (there are 7 single cupboards, 3 double cupboards and 6 sets of draws. So far I have done 2 double cupboards, 1 single cupboard)

OPERATION BUDGET (AIMS FOR TODAY)

I have identified a couple of tracks I want to buy for my I-Pod, so try and identify which is cheapest / more cashback etc..
Raid DS1’s bag and find his bus pass so I can reclaim the £3 he got out of me in case he went to school on Friday (he didn’t).

OPERATION BOOKWORM

Still ploughing through “The Timewaster Diaries” which are a good read. My book count for this year is pitiful though!

Last night’s tea was: Frying Steak, potato wedges, with Mozarella & baby plum tomato pasta salad with pesto & rocket covered in sweet balsamic dressing, followed by Syrup sponge pudding and custard. Omnomnomnomnom.

I keep opening my lovely decluttered cupboards and looking in them! Even DH is very impressed. I found three plastic concertina / wallet file things. I condensed all my seven years of paperwork into one of these wallets, and the other two I have turned into the kids memory boxes with school reports, certificates and any cute artwork / things from school I decided to keep. It was a real trip down memory lane for me yesterday! Even found old gas bills from when my direct debit was only £40 per month! If either of the DS’s get married, their best man is going to have a field day with the amount of material the school has provided.

Lurker1972

Floozie you are REALLY going for it & doing so well.

Am impressed & inspired....my kitchen is calling!!