Are you more frugal than me?

Justamum

valk_scot wrote: »

I'm flummoxed at the wig tbh.

I'm flummoxed too! I save up each week to go to the hairdressers and I make sure I go every 8 weeks. It costs me £15 a time. I'm not in the least bit vain (it's short and I don't brush it ), but I spent too many years looking like Catweazel to want to have it growing uncontrollably again.

Justamum

Dazi wrote: »

Don't be envious of your work collegues....you don't know the size of their credit card bills............

This is what I tell my DH when he moans about his boring packed lunch, and everybody else is buying lunch. He hasn't a clue about their finances - maybe they have paid off their mortgage/live in council houses/live with parents, etc.

Justamum

Dora - I think what everybody here will tell you is "don't get down about it". It can take a while to take on board the various frugal ideas. There is a grocery budgetting thread (which I can't find atm) which might help. Batch cook, make your own bread, cakes etc. It's not a competition, and nobody is judging anyone else - everybody is just here to help everybody else and point you in the right direction (if we can). I have to say I've found this site very very helpful. Good luck.

Justamum

Sparklyfairy wrote: »

One thought that got me through in my early days of saving money without the treats is that the money in my pocket ALWAYS feels better than that coffee/top/shoes/handbag (that will be out of style!) ever would!

That's so true. At one stage if we went shopping in town on a Saturday we would always go for a coffee and a teacake. We were averaging £100 a month on it :eek::eek: I put my foot down and told everybody that we wouldn't be doing that again, and it's really helped. It's definitely not worth feeling resentful about other people splashing out on stuff they don't really need.

Britneyspears

Dora2010 wrote: »

Hi,

I am new to this forum and find the posts very useful.

Our youngest daughter returned to nursery late last year which together with our debt has left us little disposable income. Our cutbacks include;

Spending £200-250 on grocery shopping (monthly)
Making breakfast and lunch for work every day of the week
I have been wearing a wig for over a year which has saved around £540 on trips to the hairdresser
Only buying clothes from New Look/Primark/George at Asda

Sometimes I get very down and feel resentful that unlike my colleagues I cannot afford to go to the high street for lunch or buy coffees at Starbucks. I also grow bored of eating leftover dinners for lunch but cannot justify spending £5-7 for lunch unless I have planned it in the monthly budget.

Life is hard at the moment but I know things will change. By nature I am quite frugal, unlike hubby! I always look for a cheaper alternative no matter how much I like something.

Hopefully I will pick up more tips from you guys on the forum.

Sorry but i just burst out laughing at the wig comment why on earth would you need a wig?

midnightraven3

we have 3 teens
i cant imagine what they would say if they DIDNT have their "leftovers packed lunch"
they each take a bento box with lots of lovely things for their lunch
their friends always want to know what they have and want to share

cant be the only one who thinks LOTS of things taste even better the next day? i get miffed if there isnt stuff left for me for lunch the next day (at home all day):rotfl:

**says nothing about wigs/hairdressers**

Britneyspears

You can get your hair cut free at local colleges or at toni and guy on certain nights...sorry but i don't believe this post

misscousinitt

I would say please don't get down about having to be frugal - keep the end result in sight to reassure yourself.

However, I would also say that a treat every now and then is nice. Is there anything in your budget for a £3 coffee once a month; and/or a bought sandwich (Subway - sub of the day £2.29) once a month? If not, could you ask for a Starbucks or Costa Coffee gift card for a present for your birthday or christmas if people are stuck what to get you and then eekk it out to give you a treat once a month or every now and then when you are feeling down.

Try to keep your chin up and good luck.

jackieglasgow

Is it possible that this is a windup?

CupOfChai

No comments on this wig fandango, but I could tell you how it is possible to spend over £500 per year on one's hair...

I don't spend AS much now, have never gone often (it's more like once every 4 months rather than six weeks, I have long hair so can get away with it) and had a lot more disposable income then so I was allowed! In my defence, I loved that hairdressers, it was reeeeeally nice and they always did an amazing job. Once or twice I was known to spend about £100 a pop on my hair though (it was not always this much, more usually about £70-80, it depended on what I was having done).

So if you went to such a place every 8 weeks, you could spend £600 a year just on your hair! Eek!