FRUGAL LIVING CHALLENGE 2010, part 2, April - June.

Winchelsea

New month, new thread (thanks Frugaldom) and new challenges for me!

Finished March with a nice NSD day - went to Bristol on the bus with free pass, went to art gallery (free) and enjoyed packed lunch and flask of coffee.

Spent a fair bit today though, out with DD no.4, but got some good bargains in Wilk*ns*n, like toilet cleaner (24p), toothpaste (17p), a waterproof mattress protector (for DH with dementia) for £2.98, and T/tissue (6 for 69p). Got half price decaff coffee in the Oxfam shop, and a pr. of huge wooden knitting needles for next to nothing in a little shop - I'll use them for knitting a bath mat from cut up t-shirts. Got a ball of blue wool (just the shade I've been searching for) in a CS, to use in the knitted log cabin throw I'm making. (I started the latter when on hols in Cornwall last Autumn - sat in the cottage on the 1st evening regretting not bringing any craft stuff with me. Next morning went to CS in Helston and bought a bag of odd bits of wool and a pair of needles. Didn't know what to make, but with the aid of the back of an envelope I designed a way of doing log cabin.) Looks good, but am now running out of some colours, and am trying not to have to buy any new wool for it.

Then, after all this shopping, had lunch of mushrooms on toast for £2.20 in a little cafe.

Started my little notebook, and am shocked to find I spent £56.41 today! Though it sounds a bit better if I say this includes train fares.

Winchelsea

Winchelsea

Just realised my total for the day includes a bulk buy of bicarb (for cooking, for deodorant and for cleaning), so did not spend so much while out!

Winchelsea

A_fiend_for_life

March spend

a) Groceries................£40.16
b) Gas and Elec.............£30.47 (s/sheet)
c) Line Rental..............£00.00 (quarterly)
d) Eve WE calls.plus BB.....£13.62
e) Mobile....................£0.00
f) Clothing..................£0.00
g) Bathroom..................£0.45
h) Cleaning..................£0.00
i) Entertainment............£41.49 (?)
j) Travel....................£0.00
k) Gifts / SO................£0.00
l) Books.....................£4.74 (New)

Total spend for the month is £130.48

Total spend so far is £462.46 / £2000. (23.1%)

Overall £38.54 under budget for the quarter but is probably inaccurate because of getting used to it in Jan and Feb. Food is under budget entertainment is over budget. More so with books which was lumped in with ents.

Actual monthly spend is higher than listed as I received the quarterly bill for gas and electrcity which I had been paying off before the bill arrived. This is accounted for in the previous months usage.

Groceries has seen a lot of budgeting, opportunism and using stock so is still low. Some improvement in the five a day but need to record it - a diet sheet might be a good idea.

Line rental is quarterly and is due in April so Jan, Feb and Mar was quarterly and will be DD once I can set it up probably in May. This should save £1.50 a month. Looks like this will be delayed.

Entertainment is still higher than I'd like it to be.

No spend on mobile, clothing, cleaning, travel and gifts though this will change.

Books is a new category / spend which was lumped in with entertainment. I have been restricting things like CDs and books for the last two years.

stitching_witch

Frugaldom wrote: »

Hi guys, I've just updated the challenger list but suspect many, many of those names have vanished. Leaving it as is, just in case, but I won't have much time for updates, changes and posting on here.

Please don't take me off! I'm doing the Challenge quietly here. I'm guilty of reading but not posting on the previous thread.

I feel very down having gone £309.69 over my first quarter's budget of £1500. I'm really, really struggling as DH has been off sick for two years and I was made redundant in September.

There's just too much month for my money!:eek:

Mollymop5

Frugaldom wrote: »

Hi guys, I've just updated the challenger list but suspect many, many of those names have vanished. Leaving it as is, just in case, but I won't have much time for updates, changes and posting on here.

Hiya just wanted to let you know that although I'm not posting much I do read to keep updated and I'm also managing my own personal challenge thanks to this thread

JayJay14

I've managed to get through the first quarter without too much of a crisis.
DD has returned to live with us while she gets her life back in order. The good news is that she had an interview for a job this morning and they have rung back this afternoon to ask her to start on Tuesday. She won't get paid for a month as the pay day was yesterday but at least I can look forward to a contribution from her then.

OH has an interview for a job next Thursday si /i am keeping my fingers crossed (and toes:rotfl:) in the hope that we can hit a double whammy. Of we do get lucky we will be able to start hitting the debts while we continue with the frugal living.

The accounts are looking ok for the moment. Clothes and shoes are still at zero, groceries are on target though I will have to be doing some stocking up soon. Diesel is well under target but that is because OH has been out of work - if he gets the job next week we may continue to be under (taxes and governments permitting) as the job is just down the road, very near where I work (though I don't think we could car share as there is an annoying river between us).

Anyway onward into the next quarter and hope I manage to do as well as I have been.

candygirl

Had a fabbily frugal day today.Got my Mum's off cuts from her new carpet, lovely black sh ag pile:rotfl::rotfl: and they have fitted my bathroom and hall:T:T:TGot it free plus my ex fitted it for me so yipeee:j:j
I'm doing lots of cooking and form filling for him, and he's doing garden, decorating etc for me so all's good:D:D
Shame I couldn't get him to be as helpful when we were married;)

grandma247

Stitchingwitch don't feel down. I am sure your spending is not frivolous since your oh has been off sick so long. It is hard to cope sometimes when it has gone on that long. We are all here to listen and help if we can. Sometimes it is as simple as getting another view (or several views ) on something that helps.

We went to dd1's yesterday to pick up a couple of sofas she was getting rid of. Ours were shot at and uncomfortable. These are lovely and comfy but a rather big so I am going to have to do a lot of shifting round and getting rid of stuff till the room looks less cluttered. We even managed to collect them using works van so no cost to us. The weather was horrid though, sleet and hail all the way.

top_drawer_2

hello,

Happy Belated Birthday wishes Nuala!!!

Well Ive been away for a few days and am glad to be back .... New month and new start hopefully as looking at my money book I have done terrible - not sure how when I am so careful ..... feel like im living like a pauper but paying out like a king!

I have decided that I need to watch the overall picture of my spends as well as my daily spends but am not sure how to go about this. I enjoy (lol) writing down exactly what I have bought in my book and it seems to help me realise how much different things cost something which I wasnt as aware of in the past. However, the overall picture is easily missed here - I dont really want to spend ages having to do both a spread sheet and a money book really. What does everyone else do?

I also made some really yoummy potato wedges this evening for tea - I bought the spuds for 39p discounted stuff at Mr M and the spice from the discounted shelf for 9p. My flatmate and I cut them up like potatoes and covered them in the powder and they were amazing!!

Does anyone know of any recipes for making this type of powder as at normal price it would be 75 for enough to cover a large batch or maybe a cheap one that is good? Also can I freeze cut potatoes?

I want to keep some in the freezer ready to put in the oven when I just want something quick and easy.

I'm very concerned about some of my lettuces - they look very floppy in the trays and my herbs dont seem to be regrowing either after I trimmed them fo using .... are they one yield only maybe?

Happy Aprils Fools everyone

Jen

A_fiend_for_life

top_drawer,

I make a note of the items I buy without a receipt.

What's the powder? I guess some kind of spice Asian stores are good for these but it could be good to experiment with your own.

Potatoes should be ok to freeze though but I think they need cooking or blanching first.

I haven't done wedges. :eek: I usually boil enough potatoes for three of four meals.

see here and next post:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=31383003&postcount=1982