FRUGAL LIVING CHALLENGE part 3, July - Dec 2010

Kerry_Woman

Still trying to keep a track on the finances. Been temping in a school office for the last 3 weeks. Booked there until next week. Went on an EcoTeams event, which looks at reduced energy usage, waste, water, transport, rubbish and recycling. Was really interesting. Have to look at a certain topic each month and keep a record. Got an energy monitor, still have to fit it.

Hugs to those who need them.

candygirl

I'm still reading and inspired by you all, but so unfrugal it's untrue :o

Erme

Hope to write more later..bad day yesterday so blew the cashback on a kindle :eek: but only got the wifi one (just about covered by cash back) as the 3g would have been ridicule with the budget....

Off to voluntary work for first time in months in a bit so you might see me later if it's quiet (but doubt if it will be with receptionist goone)......

Anyhow...the choc from approved foods was much needed...everything is yummy...the only thing I regret buying is the mayo but that was only 99p. Choc was only 20p a bar :j....

And like I have flour now for the year near enough by the time I've mixed it ...

Also plusnet aren't charging me for first 3 months broadband despite being in an area 2..(so they say) so no complaints there..

Love this thread...thanks so much frugaldom and MSE...

Running late now :eek:

E

Kiwisaver_2

Feeling sorry for myself full of a cough, I've been crunching the numbers yet again in my cashflow *rolleyes* and still very pleased with the way its all looking - if I can stick with the program. There are only 10 more shopping weeks left of this year :eek:

I have been mostly reading the Greenfingered board this week and backtracking the threads from the Spring in the UK. I have thus been inspired to treat myself to a blackcurrant and a raspberry cane, among a pile of other things that have made it onto my desperately*wants/needs* list. Last weekend I sowed a good mixture of seeds, salad stuff and veggies but no signs of life there yet. I think it will take a lot of self control not to blow the rest of the years budget in the garden.

I upgraded our broadband and land-line this week, some la-la-land deal whereby it cost only 5 cents per month more to upgrade to the next level rather than accept the price increase and additional VAT they were going to impose on our existing package. :T

Just to keep idle fingers busy I'm also going to start working on next years budget over the next few days.

Fishcake_Random

Hello strangers,
I have been such a bad panda at following and joining into this thread sorry guys, but I have also been a good panda as thanks to all the little nuggets of info I've learnt on here I now how a fair few months worth of saving plus a small wedding fund, most of xmas sorted and a well stocked kitchen for the winter.
As my MA money has now officially run out we have lost a fair bit of money a month but as we treated it as extra money and not as "living" money we won't miss is nearly as much. It does meen being more carefull again though, but so nice to have a safety net finally behind us.
Off to catch up on all your gossip and knit some winter socks.
Love to all
Fishcake
x x x

knithappens

Just checking in, I am still readin but stil not posting as much, life is hectic with little one. almost finished xmas shopping, making mincemeat in the slow cooker tonight for mince pies for my brothers xmas hamper.

I really need to start saving again, and do some ebaying for extra pennies, I made it through threshold at work so that will be a few pennies extra a month, which i am going to use in upping my credit card payment, once that is dealt with will add all that to my mortgage over payments.

Fishcake_Random

Hello all,
Popping in again to see what the gossip is. I see the thread has really really slowed down which is quite possibly a good thing as those first few weeks were hectic as anything.
Today has been a spend day but a low one, I picked up a few more homepride jars from the offer, a small gift bag for a birthday pressy and 6 cans of ginger beer for 50p in MR T's. Also treated myself to a crochet hook with my birthday money as once I'm done knitting socks I'm planning to learn to crochet. Kept meaning to for ages and I'd love to make Fishfinger some of those little crochet dolls I've been seeing everywhere lately.
x x x x

NualaBuala

Hope you're feeling better soon Kiwisaver and good luck with the budget.

Wow, you are organised with your Christmas preparations knithappens! I hope the ebaying goes well, the credit card will be clear before you know it!!!

Fishcake, I've got into sock knitting too. I am still on my first sock but very pleased that I am managing the DPNs. I had a go at crochet but haven't managed to get beyond chain stitch!

Kerrywoman, that Eco thing sounds fantastic. I have wondered about getting an energy monitor but they seem quite dear anywhere I've seen them so for now I just take meter readings every week and put them in iMeasure so I have some idea what I'm using overall.

Erme, I'm a choc fiend and wow, that is a great price!!! Hope volunteering goes well - good for you!.

I am curled up for a frugal Friday night in - a bit of telly (decided to keep it and pay the licence fee since I can't go out much), sock knitting, pizza, homemade apple crumble and gallons of tea.

Hope everyone is doing well and hugs to anyone who isn't. x

P.S. Candygirl, do tell about your unfrugalness (not that I am super-frugal - more of a wannabe) so I can live vicariously through you lol!

hollysmum22

hi all i'm a bit of a newbie to frugal living but since moving to my own home with hubby and baby i've needed to tighten the purse string slighty this week i have brought lots of the homepride jars from MR T so stocked up well for christmas and i've started making my own christmas stockings

this may not seem like much to some but for me it is a big differance

JayneC

Hi everyone,

Kerrywoman I echo what Nuala said:D sounds the kind of thing I'd really like. I'm with Eon and they are giving away energy monitors so I've applied for one but it may be a while cos apparently demand has been high! Just got a letter from then to say they are reducing my monthly payment from £89 to £45 so that'll be great as long as that's realistic!! I get scared that I'll run up a big bill! But they said they've been monitoring my usage and based it on that so YAY!! DD2 has now got a job (at last!) so will be out of the house more and not on the computer all day so that wil help! She's also spending a lot of time at her boyfriends so not costing me as much in food and such. I wouldn't be suprised if she and boyfriend decided to rent somewhere together before long...
All alone at the mo - DD2 is out with boyf and others are at their dad's so might have a lovely long soak in the bath and read some magazines (got a stack of Home Farmer mags from someone on freecycle), am so glad it's the end of the week seems to have been a very long week - don't know if the nights drawing in is affecting me but am so shattered!

Take care everyone xx