Frugal Living 2011 - the preparation stage

stiltwalker

Hi all, this thread is so inspirational aand I have been lurking for a little while - thanks for all your wonderful ideas. I am very frugal by neccessity and I have been trying to do a yearly budget however I don't think this is going to work for me this year as there as income and outgoings are not not fixed yet as I am pregnant with our second and due at the beginning of May which will change everything. Up til that point the baby will be cost neutral as I shall be fleabaying my little girl's old clothes in order to buy blue ones - again on fleabay but we have all the other baby stuff we need from last time. I usualy do a monthly budget as we know what my OH has been payed and then work the monthly allowances for food etc from there and shall continue to do this until after DS arrives and then will try to do a more long term plan from then on with the aim to have 2012 all organised in advance. So if it's ok with you guys I'll carry on lurking in the mean time but just thought I'd pop on and introduce myself. Good luck and happy new frugal year to everyone.

itsallinthemind

Those of you doing your budgets may want to think about the 4th of Jan https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2946158 I am thinking of (if possible as I am brassic currently!) getting ahead a bit and borrowing some money from Feb and Mar budget. Not just because of the VAT increase, but because each time I shop, staples-especially oats and lentils, have shot up!

cw18

I've already bought a years worth of loo rolls to beat the VAT increase (plus there were on a really good offer, which made it worth stocking up anyway )

Other than that, I don't seem to buy much on a regular basis that attracks it. My biggest spends on vat-able goods this year seem to have been DVDs (bought from my sealed pot money, so hoping not to get any more once I've spent that last of my 2010 pot until I allow myself access to my 2011 one next December) and clothes. But the clothes have been necessary due to weight loss, so I can't even pick up loads of sales bargains as I'm still not sure what size I'll be in for the summer or next winter....

itsallinthemind

I'm not sure that I do either! I can't use soap nuts on my youngest's things, even with soda crystals added and soaking before-the child is just filthy. So I guess stocking up on that, toilet rolls, beeswax, washing up liquid, toothpaste, bin bags, foil etc may help, offers dependent. All the things I hate forking out for!

NualaBuala

Welcome everyone!

cw18 wrote: »

You're definitely not a 'sad individual', as I think everyone on the challenge feels the same way..... question is, does that make us a 'group of saddos' or 'all totally sane'? I prefer the latter option myself, even though I know a lot of people (family / friends / colleagues) who would opt for the former

Yep, I'll vote for 'all totally sane' here!:D

Ches

May I join you? My budget is;

council 1180
water 396
bb/phone 384
Electric/Gas 960
Ins 208.68
Dental 255
TV Licence 146.94

Total £3818.62 but as this is based on this years figures I will round this up to £4000 for the coming year. Surplus from my pensions is for holidays, Christmas and all large house purchases and maintainance.

OH pays for all car expenses and most of the entertainment budget. He also gives me £100 per week in cash which I use for food/cleaning/clothes/mobile phone costs/presents and anything else we need on a daily/weekly basis. So thats another £5200 bringing the total budget to £9200 for the year.

I know this seems generous but unless I keep to the figures quoted we wouldn't be able to afford holidays which are also only achievable now we are morgage and debt free.

xnatalie81x

itsallinthemind wrote: »

xnatalie81x I may have to go read your old posts then, as that is wherre I am at now. I can see you are alive and have not starved, which is most encouraging

lol i actually paid for everything as he never worked :eek: and refused to help with childcare - i am finacially much better off. I allowed myself a new laptop (500) and a dog (600) and loads new maternity clothes (200ish) over the space of the last 7 months since i left - plus i have saved around 2500 (i had to pay dad back 1200 for deposit he leant me for new house) all in the 7 months since i left. Funny that i had alwasy struggled before that - even on the same income - now he has to give me £5 a week from his JSA lol Although i have had no payment for 4 weeks now!

If i can be of any help then let me know but i do have staples like pasta bake (value pasta, tin tom soup, tinned toms, some veg if i have any and cheese) or rice bake (rice cooked in hm chicken stock, carrots, peas and sweetcorn from a tin with tinned tomatoes and cheese) which are so so cheap and filling and kids love them!!!! - have started buying bread flour and tinned tomatoes in bulk from makro as i have kiddies (one is only 5 weeks old tho) and me!!! One huge catering tin of tomatoes does 1 pasta bake, 2 rice bakes and one goes into a jar for making impromptu pasta sauce for lunches with oil basil and sugar I also grow my own on a small scale but am upping that this year as the kids really enjoy it and we can all do it together as a family

Pink_Mummy

Hello!! I am totally new to this.. Can I join in pleeeaase!?? Thank you sooo much x

seriouslyfrugal

hi

to beat the vat increase i have bought all the adult birthday and christmas pressies for next year

going out tomorrow to get the birthday cards and wrap I think

itsallinthemind

xnatalie81x mine never worked either, but cash was paid to him(I'm a carer and awiting payment still). Apparently he was destined for greater things, due to change the world, working did not fufill him spiritually. Serious Jesus complex.

I have just got my IS through, had nothing except store cupboard bits and co-op vouchers of £7. I coped fine, over three weeks. My Mum always has had a good store cupboard/freezer full(I have tiny one unfortunately) and I can't thank her enough for that, we would have been in serious trouble on just child benefit! I will be better off this year by miles, but saving 6-7k for my eldest/holiday is going to be harsh!

I'm pretty good with food on the cheap and hiding veggies(eldest) but am AWFUL at bread, even with bread mixes! Either under or over knead I'd love to work out how to do pasta bake from dry pasta though, my children stuff that down them!

I have £55 to spend at thompson and morgan...want veggies/salads only, we eat TONS. Can't decide whether to get plugs or seeds/what's easy/what I have time for etc. I am so naive with that side of things! Such a lot of money, so I keep looking and not deciding as I do not want to waste a penny!

I have tried most things value, no issues with it, mainly I prefer the taste! But value pasta seems to stay so firm even if I boil the hell out of it. Must be me! Shame as we use a lot more pasta than other carbs as sometimes I need dinner in a hurry/whilst doing other things, if my eldest is being challenging.

I have the basics of OS as I was raised that way. But I know I can do much better, not just cash wise, but getting a better quality for that cash. If I can get this GYO underway, I dare say it will help massively. Our diet the last 3 weeks has been great by a lot of peoples standards, but not mine.

Sorry for going on and on and on!!!