Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

seriouslyfrugal

Hi Everyone


spend day for me


I have just watched the itv news apparently food prices have risen from 4% to 4.6% - tell us somthing we don't know & it could only get worse :eek: It will probably be on the 18.30 news or the web if anyone is interested


Have a good day

natnat13

HelenPie wrote: »

Hello all,

How is everyone. Sorry I've not been about much, I've been working on setting up my baking business following the inspiration given by you lovely lot last month.

I've completed my first commission, found people to do free marketing, branding, photography, and web design (all in return for free cake, of course!)

I've got a few pictures here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=317402&id=679411053

It's meant my Frugal-ness has taken a bit of a hit and my debt free target is moving a little away from me, but there shouldn't be many more costs and hopefully it should pay dividends soon

Take care and I'll try and catch up with everything IU've missed over the next few days.

H x

Helen your cakes look scrummy! I have suddenly got busy with work this week too, it's hard to concentrate on work, ebay, planning meals, looking after kids etc!! You should set up a page on facebook, I get a lot of business from mine. x

rubytuesday

saorsie wrote: »

Hi ruby ~ I use my credit card for all purchases {it's a cashback jobbie} and then pay it off in full by direct debit each month. To make sure I have enough put aside to do this, every time I spend on it, I transfer the money to a separate account from the appropriate 'budget pot' be it groceries, car costs, clothing, pet food whatever. It can be a bit of a faff but it does stop that panic when the bill lands and I 'earn' 1% on all my spends into the bargain ~ it's not a lot, but I like it! (said in a very poor Paul Daniels voice)

HTH

-s-

Yes thank you, I will have to do that I think but I tend to use it for online purchases for the added protection or when cash is a bit tight. I am living within my means when I add it all up so I'm not really sure where I'm going wrong at the moment!

rubytuesday

Wow Helen those cakes look amazing.

Off to stock up on cat food online too. Have a ten pound off voucher in OH's name.

artichoke

HelenPie wrote: »

Hello all,

How is everyone. Sorry I've not been about much, I've been working on setting up my baking business following the inspiration given by you lovely lot last month.

I've completed my first commission, found people to do free marketing, branding, photography, and web design (all in return for free cake, of course!)

I've got a few pictures here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=317402&id=679411053

H x

Helen - what outlets are you using for selling your cakes? have you approached your local farmers market? they look fantastic..


Well joining this thread has had the wrong effect on me:o i have just spent £84 on grocerys and wholefoods- my top up shop turned into a monthly shop as i have menu planned and bought food for the first two weeks of march as well.

But i have bought 18 kgs of wholemeal bread flour and lots of rice, and have got all the other meat and fish for my menu plant to last until mid march...

so i should not need to spend anything now for a while - i just joined this thread at the wrong time i should have waited until after i had restocked the pantry:cool:

ok - now lets see how many NSD i have before i embarrass myself by another splurge..

and i said i would not come back on here until bedtime:eek: I am off to pick up kids from school now lasagne is in the bottom oven

art

rubytuesday

Very pleased just made a saving of forty pounds on my Tesco shop. Don't let them have my money much anymore but it was worth it this time. Had problems with coupon sent to us so had to ring them! Why is online shopping so stressful?!
Need a cuppa now then I am going to have a trial run to the local court where I am witness in an assault case tomorrow. Not looking forward to that one bit especially on my outdoor swimming day!

23rdspiral

artechoke - you might have spent more now, but it's good plans for future! and that sounds like good 'spaving' to me!! :T

my day can be summed up as follows:

The Good: its sunny! i have sheets drying outside! i went for a walk, got my money back on the mouldy scones, popped in the libary and read a magazine for free! i felt guilty i didnt check out a book to add to their numbers but hoped the door clicker was enough (New Scientist, very interesting - thanks to whoever suggested that for mag desires). Spent 1.00 on hairbands - could have bought in tescos yesterday and have a NSD, but i didnt so i have a Low and Local Spend Day instead! And i have a whoopsied beef & sweede stew bubbling away in the slow cooker.

The Bad: i had to argue with the man in Tescos to get my money back on the mouldy scones! that shop doesnt stock Tescos Finest(!) cheese scones, and this return would come out of his profits and add to his wastage list. I told him firmly that the man on the phone said i could return to any store. He said it shouldnt be his and would i mind driving into the big town? err, needless to say i said no! Then he said i could have eaten them anyway as mould is penecillin and that doesnt harm people. I couldnt believe this. Not only was he very rude, but not all mould is penecillin and anyway some people are allergic to it! i was literally gobsmacked. he did in the end relent. but what a palarva. needless to say, i've filled out the online comment card!

The Ugly: in putting together the stew i got out my big jars of pulses, wanting dried peas & barley. and found little weevel type things in the barley! i was horrified! there were lots of them. but luckily i couldnt see any in other containers. yugh! needless to say our dinner doesnt have any barley in now.

rubytuesday

My goodness 23rdspiral that is awful! I keep forgetting to write to them about some salmon I bought on the 28th of December which was dated the 26th! It was only because it smelt to awful that I checked the packaging. I hot footed it to Tesco to get my money back but it had just closed I was so cross I hammered on the door and they let me in. The trouble was we'd had a disastrous evening all ready with potato peeling crisps falling down the back of the oven into the gas flame and it was too late to buy anything else so we ended up having eggs chips and beans which was really nice but we'd really been looking forward to something light after Christmas far!

rising_from_the_ashes

redglass wrote: »

Thanks for all the responses on my ####. The first time someone (I think it was Flying Fresian) said it meant the figure was too big for the column, I thought it was a joke! Now I've tried expanding the cell and sure enough there is the figure. All I have to do now is recover from the fact that my overspend was so big it BROKE THE SPREADSHEET OF WONDER :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

:rotfl:Just have to say I've been catching up and chuckling away all over the place so "thank you" - I've had a carp day and you've all really cheered me up.

Especially love the "what are we wearing tonight" posts - it's funny how you build pictures of people (and they never turn out how you expect when you meet them). I'd def be part of the "knocking out" brigade!

flying_fresian wrote: »

Has anyone been and stocked up on petfood in Tesco? It's all on 3 for 2 and I'm going along tonight.

I tried to do the order online and had put into my basket:

3 x cat biscuits @ £5.40 each
3 x wet food @ £13.25 each

I was expecting to save £18.65 but it took off two packs of cat biscuits instead. Bah! Does anyone know if the tills will do that instore or if I will have to do separate transactions for the things I'm stocking up on? I also need to make sure that I do a proper list of things to buy so I spend £50 in one transaction to get the 5p off fuel. So much for a low spend week.

I get really annoyed at shops that do this (Mr A & Mr Bts also bad for it): I've seen me standing at checkouts with multiple small buys to make sure I get the more expensive item free.

saorsie wrote: »

Hi ruby ~ I use my credit card for all purchases {it's a cashback jobbie} and then pay it off in full by direct debit each month. To make sure I have enough put aside to do this, every time I spend on it, I transfer the money to a separate account from the appropriate 'budget pot' be it groceries, car costs, clothing, pet food whatever. It can be a bit of a faff but it does stop that panic when the bill lands and I 'earn' 1% on all my spends into the bargain ~ it's not a lot, but I like it! (said in a very poor Paul Daniels voice)

HTH-s-

That's a really good idea! I pay mine off each month (have finally cleared the last off the old card with a balance on) but am always worried I'll overspend, thanks.


Apologies if I miss posts/comments for me, I'm afraid I don't recognise myself with this username (will take some getting used to as used the old one for years) - I always look for my last post to catch up on the thread and was hunting for ages!

Ohhhhh, those cakes look fabby! Good luck with your new venture, I'm sure they'll go "like hot cakes"!

cw18

helenpie - love the cakes. the wedding (?) cake with buttons on is fantastic.... and really unusual