Flat Eric's 130 day challenge

nattyt

Well done flat eric thats great. I'm putting all change in different jars. 2nd week in December will count them up. Whatever I have i'm going to use for a treat i reckon!

searching_me

flat its seems you're doing so well .. you must be proud of yourself ...

natty i open my jar last week or so of november and use them for xmas whether it be for the kids or food or whatever eases some of your pay round that time ..

so proud of myself .. last 3 days ive took food in to work and ive had porridge to fill me in the morning .. i did have to go to the shops today but DD needed pack up stuff and i need pack up for work on friday and whats left is going to be used for a picnic on saturday (if weathers nice) and bramble picking to make a bramble and apple pie for pudding on saturday ...

ooo get me as well ive managed to find a cheaper xmas present for my DD and for myself (so long as its still at work when ive saved the money for it - no CC usage) ... and im still searching for OH's cheaper and DS ... nearly finished SIL's MIL's nephews and BIL's just need the last bits from B&M (cheap but good) and they're done x

tellmeitsfriday

You're doing well - I can't go 10 minutes without perving on ebay! I solved my addiction by changing bank accounts and "forgetting" to update my card details on ebay/amazon.

I don't let myself take any money or cards to work, so I can't change them....

Now more importantly - how to I tag this thread as a favourite?? xxx

Ah - I am not as thick as I look - i worked it out x

miss_empty_piggy

Flat_Eric wrote: »

Evening all :wave:

welcome svb53 / miss empty piggy miss empty piggy (love the name have you searched on here for green cleaning ? im sure I saw a thread somewhere or hire http://www.amazon.co.uk/Make-Mend-Bake-Save-Shine/dp/1846013674
from the library. it has some great tips in it

Thanks for the tips Flat Eric. That's a great idea. I do already use some MS/ old style cleaning tips, but think that I need to expand on this area further when I've used up the surplas. Used up some Windolene that I found at the back of the cupboard the other day (don't remember buying that). It did a great job and reminded me of my mum cleaning windows years ago.

Also, love your name too.

searching_me

flat i also forgot to add im doing the same as you and using up my last dregs of shampoos .. conditioners .. shower gels .. i have lots of little bits of everything so using them up and the using own brand .. ooo superdrug intensive coconut conditioner is really good and only a £1 x

Hippeechiq

nattyt wrote: »

I have only bought neccessities too although not happy as the ex got a contract phone out for eldest daughter which annoyingly i've ended up paying for the past god knows how long. I never agreed to this but he just went ahead and did it anyway. Its 35 quid a month!! Crazy money for a 14 year olds phone. Anyway to stop her having calls barred i've had to pay it yet again. !!!!!!ed me right up. Had budgeted every penny and this feels like another set back. The contract ends in November.Very tempted not to pay it anymore and let him deal with the consequences. Will get her the contract i have - £10 a month 200mins and unlimited texts. What do you reckon?

I reckon, that come November you need to put a PAYG sim into the phone.

If she's used to a £35 per month contract, she'll be getting quite a few free minutes and texts for that. If you cut her down to your contract (as good as it sounds) there's nothing to stop her going over the 200mins included. My 21yr old DSS has done this repeatedly and has run himself up some silly debt.

If you get PAYG sim and put £15/£20 credit on it (it should include x amount of free texts anyway, and maybe some minutes) then when the credit's gone, it's gone. No credit means she can't make calls or texts, contract means she can go over whenever she feels like it - that's where the phone companies get people, especially youngsters.

Hippeechiq

Flat_Eric wrote: »

Evening all :wave:

I hope this finds you all well. Yesterday marked one week into my challenge ! Im pleased to report that I managed to avoid spending any money over the weekend either on amazon or on ebay or elsewhere. :j

In a typical weekend I would have spent quite a bit of time on ebay searching for all my favourite crafty things and placing bids on stuff I don't need so I do feel pleased that I managed to avoid the site.

I have even considered adding ebay to my banned websites list ! so the page won't even load but think I am motivated enough to avoid the site at present!

HIPPIECHIQ I included books from charity shops on my banned list because at £2.50 at least a pop, it is an unnecessary expense when I think of all the books I have waiting to be read at home and with two libraries at my disposal ! It shows you how expensive charity shops are when I managed to pick up (pre ban) The Ice Cream Girls for just £2.80 brand new on Amazon.

Good luck mrsgibbs1503 and welcome :j

Welcome asc / searching me its great you all sharing your ideas and money saving tips

Thank you boultdj for your good wishes :T

welcome svb53 / miss empty piggy miss empty piggy (love the name have you searched on here for green cleaning ? im sure I saw a thread somewhere or hire http://www.amazon.co.uk/Make-Mend-Bake-Save-Shine/dp/1846013674
from the library. it has some great tips in it

thank you natty t and welcome 415sanfran. its great having you all on board and sharing tips and ideas

hippiechiq why not round up your shopping save the odd amount into a jar ? so you spend 45p on a pint of milk - round it up to 50 p and put the odd 5p in a jar. not much but over time, all those pennies will add up :j

Well done to you so far :T

Re saving change. Although all mine is accounted for during the month, what I've been doing is this......(you may have seen this on the gc thread).....I need my groceries to come to £275 per month for it not to have a knock on effect to other bills, however I do have a £25 floater.

This floater is in case I go slightly over £275 but it's also there to cover my broadband fee (every month) and topping up my mobile phone (not every month) so there's really not much spare, but, at the end of the month, if there is still like £5.75 or some such figure left, I am saving that, and although it won't be much, whatever I have by Christmas, will be used towards paying for Christmas nibbles and sweets

Charity shop books must vary in different parts of the country I think. I live in a small town, and the books in the shops here range from 99p - £2.50. Personally, I never used to pay more than £1.50. But recently when I've been to the next smaller town near me having a mosey around (it doesn't hurt to browse ) I was surprised to see some of the shops there charging 50p per book!! and they were in superb condition too. This town has 5 or so charity shops, and the dearest paperbacks are £1.50, so it even must vary from town to town, although, I agree, in general, they have mostly put their prices up.

searching_me

just thought id add .. i went to the shop and for the first time i only bought what i need and not a penny more x

nattyt

Hi hippeechiq........my daughter very rarely uses her minutes prob only about 100 at the most so i trust her to have the one i've got and not go stupid. Also you can put limits on them so you can't go over it. (of course they don't tell you these things!) Its sim only so she can put it into phone she has. If she abuses it she'll lose it!!

Well today had to get a few essentials so went to Poundland. Spent £17 but all stuff i needed so thats then £8.30 in the co-op again all essentials so feel ok about that. Then spent £106 on having my hair cut and coloured and my 2 girls hair cut! Ouch! Although in my defence i've decided 1) I am not skimping on my hair as decided to dye it myself and messed it up and she cuts my hair perfectly. 2) My girls rarely have their hair cut so its not a regular thing and my eldest has hard hair to cut and hairdresser is only one thats never cocked it up!!

I'm cutting back on other stuff instead!! :rotfl:

searching_me

yer but natty its not like you get a haircut every month and spend that much ...

lunch for work tomorrow is leftover dinner ... its treat night tomorrow night but will only be coke zero and i'll be using it for picnic on saturday as well strech it as far as i can ..

ooo speaking of books me and my friend do a thing where the books we have we send or give to each other .. no extra spending but something new to read x