Great '2011 MoneySaving resolutions' Hunt

Angel_Jenny

As it is January I am on a healthy eating and fitness kick.

I aim to......

Walk at least 30 minutes every day (bit of a cheat as it takes me 25 mins each way to work!)

Go to bed earlier so that I am not tired when I get up.

Spend 10 minutes a day just being quiet on my own.

Learn new skills.

Join the WI.

Read more books.

Smile more!

Gossip less and control my sarcastic side.

Forgive everyone for everything.

Restart my gratitude journal as it really helped me in the past.

laineyc_2

This year I am making/have made some changes. I have been too much of a consumer despite a lot of OS changes from reading here. I am fed up wasting money and look to things to make me happy.

1) I have stopped smoking.
2) I am taking control of my finances.
3) I am changing the way I shop and trying to shop 'clever'.
4) I am going to grow fruit and veg. I am partucularly interested in Polyculture
5) I have been walking everywhere.
6) I am going to do a sewing course so I can use my sewing machine properly.
7) Actually have no spend days.
8) Use freecycle and Gumtree. I have already bought 2 terracotta pots and 2 self irrigating planters on Gumtree for £10.
9) Try to be more aware and thankful for what I have.
9)

zarazara

, i orgot to add that I am changing the bed once a fortnight instead of weekly, this will halve that washing and so save elec and oil. And I am wearing clothes for an extra day before washing. sounds so dirty and yucky but if it saves pennies they will turn into pounds and help with the budget. Its the cost of several things thats getting to me, but most of all fuel, its costing DH £200 a month to travel to work and hes on below average wages so its a big item for us.

LJM

read more books sounds good to me as i have a ton to get through lol, watch everything i have recorded, get out in the garden more often,walk more,and my biggy not to care what others think last year i let myself get upset to easily over a few waster people who just wernt worth it i am determined to stick my head high and say polite words (maybe rude ones in my head lol) and also finish all the crafty projects i have started

Justamum

zarazara wrote: »

1. walking more I only go out when I need something from the shops which are 2 miles away, so I use the car
2. trying to do more than 1 thing when taking the car I do this too as I have a strict £100 a month budget for diesel.
3. menus have radically changed ,am using more lentils and mince and doing more home made bread soups and stews
4. am making laundry gloop
5. cant afford new cloths,even in the sales Me too
6. not going out I'm the ultimate non-sociable person :rotfl:
7. not buying newspapers,magazines or flowers or plants Ditto
8. no chocolate or other unnecessary stuff like crisps etc Ditto
9. watching all dvd's twice before ordering anything new
10. already have no TV and will not be getting one anytime soon
11. not using the central heating unless absolutely desparate,its oil and is too expensive.:eek: I've got ours on as low as possible 24/7. Our house is old damp and draughty so we would all seize up if we didn't have the heating on :eek:.
12 unfortunately coal and wood is also expensive so am wearing a hat and fingerless mittens indoors with a blanket on the sofa to wrap around me. trying to use as little heating fuel as possible. I agree about coal and wood. We only use the fire if we can get free wood. Last time we used coal it was costing about £60 a week :eek:
13 aiming to grow more fruit and veg, sadly the price of tree saplings eg apple is vry expensive and is getting me down. It's too expensive for me to try and grow my own - I don't have a single green finger and it's always an expensive waste of money.
14 putting a hot water bottle into bed. I need to buy some.

I am trying to save up for a few more items for next winter , another hot water bottle,a couple of rugs [ we have wooden and tiled floors], more fleece blankets to keep out draughts. money is very tight and we need to be really careful.


any other ideas? what are you changing for this year?

unfortunately I have begun to feel a little down and fed up. its going to be a long hall.

Things are very tight. My main hope is that our landlord renews the lease this year because we can't afford removal costs. I don't think DH and I could cope with all the move ourselves again.

I've been saving up each week money towards car insurance so that when it comes up for renewal I can pay it off in one lump and that will save about £50 as I won't have a direct debit which costs more. I am hoping to make a dent in the overdraft. My aim last year was to have got rid of it completely by the end of 2010, but no such luck. In fact we have just under £2.50 of it to play with this month :eek:

nattyt

Mine are quite similar to yours
1) Borrow books from the library
2)Mealplan religiously
3)Keep my house tidy (thankyou flylady!)
4)Spend quality time with each child
5)Get my finances under control once and for all
6)Cut down on driving
7)Maintain the veg plot that the ex had been doing. (kids love this too)
8)Let the past go. I can't control others but i can control how i react.
9)Buy absolutely nothing unneccessary but when I do want/need something look at freecycle/charity shops etc first
10)Finish all half done projects including decorating (have all the stuff and the time now so no excuse!)

Like ZARAZARA i'm also trying to use the car less. Haven't used it since sunday! Have to tomorrow, friday and saturday though but will try next week again to really limit it. In fact may try not to use it from saturday until friday. Not sure if i can do it! I try and do all my jobs in one go if i'm using the car as well. I'm paying off gas and electricity arrears so am trying to be really careful. Its hard as i love being cosy and warm.
I have minus £2.17 until tomorrow and have literally been living out of the cupboards and freezer and its been great using everything up. Apart from fruit and veg, bread and milk, cheese and ham i reckon i've still got nearly a weeks worth of meals. That includes lunches and breakfasts when i get aforementioned bits.
Good luck everyone. xx

Penelope_Penguin

I want to improve my sourdough bread, improve my raised pies and make more cured meats

As thia has fallen from the front page of OS, I'll add it to the existing thread to keep ideas together.

zarazara

Thanks PP :-)

kitschy

Got one to add. Just emptying my airing cupboard as the landlady is coming with a plumber tomorrow to fix my hot water, and I will have to promise to not buy any more bedlinen. I have one bed, and 8 complete sets of bedlinen, so that's 8 fitted sheets, 8 duvet covers and 32 pillow cases. And I gave two sets away in my new year clear out

zarazara

kitschy wrote: »

Got one to add. Just emptying my airing cupboard as the landlady is coming with a plumber tomorrow to fix my hot water, and I will have to promise to not buy any more bedlinen. I have one bed, and 8 complete sets of bedlinen, so that's 8 fitted sheets, 8 duvet covers and 32 pillow cases. And I gave two sets away in my new year clear out

You could always make a rag rug with the excess.