Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

cw18

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Just had a "lightbulb" moment - can't find the post (been back quite a few pages!) or remember who was talking about loo rolls @ Mr M.....

Anyone know how long this is on for?

Given "my" store has run out and isn't expecting any more in before the offer ends, I suspect it's due to end this Sunday (most offers start on a Monday and end on a Sunday).

And the days we have had some in they've fair flown out the door (even with a limit of 3 packs per person), and we've often been out of stock by lunch time !!!

SandraScarlett

Good evening everyone. Now before I forget - beware the Tesco 3 for 2 pet food deal! I ordered 12 lots of 6-pack dog food, and was only charged for 8, saving me nearly £16. I then added a few more things on special offer, BOGOF, like Flora and wraps and by the time I'd finished my grocery bill was £45, delivery next Tuesday was £3, and the invoice read "you have saved £20.16", or something like that.

I then noticed we were low on the dog's snacks, like meaty strips, and other treats, and as they were on 3 for 2 as well, I got 3 packets of each. I'd calculated that on a 3 for 2 basis, I should be paying about another £6, but my bill shot up to £61 and the savings down to £11! :eek: :eek: :eek:

After a l-o-n-g maths session, I realised they were taking two of the six packs, grouping these with a cheap packet of treats, and putting the treats through as the "third item for nothing". :mad:

Sorry Mr T, that may work with some of your gullible customers, but not me, cos I'm a Frugalista!!!! So I removed the treats, which we'll get from Mr S tomorrow, and reverted back to the original figures. I know a lot of you have pets and will take advantage of this offer, so just be aware of the way it works.

I'm so sorry that so many of you are having a rotten day, one way or another - alas, I'm in gloomland too. The friend who was in Seville starts having to inject herself with insulin tomorrow, and she's terrified, the one who's becoming a Hospice Nurse has heard that her sister has heart trouble, and she's worried sick and then I met another good friend for lunch, who's DIL was diagnosed with BC at Christmas - and she's only 42.

They live the other end of the country, with 2 small children, and she's had the op now but has a further 6 months of treatment, at least. My friend's DS has managed to get unpaid leave of absence, to look after his wife and children, but their mortgage is massive, so the whole family are worried about that as well. My friend also helps look after DGC that live near her, doing school runs, as well as her 95 year old MIL.

What can you say? All I could do was hold my friend's hand, and put my arm round her, whilst she cried her eyes out. Life seems very unfair at times, don't you think.

Collected DGD from school and then we made lasagne and she managed most of it unaided, and it was delicious! Whilst it was cooking, she asked me to give her long mutiplication sums, and I sat there working them out too. Boy, was my head aching after! She's been chosen to represent her school, as part of a team of 4, in an inter-school quiz, so I'm a very proud Grandma! :j

Meeting another friend in London on Saturday, using our Freedom Passes and we are off to Croydon Shopping Centre, for a good ol' mooch! Hey - we're half way through Feb at the end of the weekend! I know I haven't saved much, but I've spaved, so that's OK. Hope everyone who is going through a rough time gets a bit of a breakthrough soon.

Have a good weekend everyone.

xx

SandraScarlett

JayneC wrote: »

DS homework tonight (he's 12) was to write about what he would if he only had 10 minutes left to live - nice!!:eek:

Well that must have cheered you up, and I don't think! What did he decide to do in his last 10 minutes on earth? Knowing the testosterone that floods through the veins of boys of 12 upwards, I could hazard a guess what he would have liked to put .......

xx

enjoyfinancialchallenges

RFTA have you thought of planting potatoes in a bag or container you should be able to do that in a small space and have a few home grown meals from them. Another alternative is to ask a friend if you could use their garden or look and see who has a unused garden around you and ask if you could plant some vegs in their garden. I'm sure if you offered them some vegs in return they would be pleased to let you use it. I suppose it all depends on what sort of area you live in and how safe you would feel approaching a neighbor.

Earlier somebody was asking about soap nuts and what happens at the rinse cycle. The instructions I had with my bag said thats a mystery as there seems to be nothing to rinse away. I just leave the soap nuts in and there is no suds or soapy residue left on the clothes in fact there is no visible soap suds at all even whilst the washing is being done.

Approved foods are still selling loo rolls at £2.60 for 9 and I dont think there is any restriction to how many you can buy.

midwinter

Received an email today, so a heads up for you all:

Ebay is having a free listing weekend this weekend

Various conditions apply

And thanks FlyingFresian, will have another look and see if I can see that link this time!

HowlinWolf

Midwinter- thank you that's really useful information

Erme

enjoyfinancialchallenges wrote: »

Erme sounds like you need to take care of yourself and let your mum look after herself, when you are having problems and not feeling so good its not the right time to be generous with your time. Hope you are OK and looking forward to hearing how things are going for you. How about letting the phone ring and the answer phone picking up the message to be answered later on.

Welcome Artichoke and anybody else I havn't said hello to. I expect you might think we all post in rhyme but its not so I can barely write two lines of verse but its super to read what has been written by those clever gifted folk. Your life and that of your family seem to be very interesting and how wonderful that you eventually realized that actually what you just put up with as a child is now of merit.

I also learned how to make do and mend from my mother, she was a Cockney from the East End of London but escaped to the country soon after she and my Dad married in 1932. She was never happier than when she was out in the garden talking to her chickens or walking her goats along the road on a lead looking for fresh grass. I remember also when I was a teenager that she rescued this piglet that was the runt of the litter and had the scours, she called it Horace and it survived with her TLC and would also go on a lead up the road with her for a walk. In the end Horace just grew to big and had to go the way of all pigs, Mum never ever ate bacon again in her life. Dear old Mum I miss her still.:A

seriouslyfrugal wrote: »

Hi Everyone,

Welcome Artichoke :hello:

I had a NSD today but was treated to dinner out which was nice ( I did drive )

I have found out that I will be starting at montisfont on the 21.02.11 so when I know my monthly incomming I will update things here of course this is just a 6 month contract but it's work in this current climate i'm not complaining !! I think I will be going to a monthly budget from march onwards

Erme : you take care hun and if you need me - just say


I've been reading the poems - they are fab - well done everyone :T:T


Have a good frugal wednesday everyone

Thanks for the kind wishes....If anyone is worried about me one or two of you can have my email addy to keep an eye on me...no worries...

Monday was pants....I wanted to hurt myself so phoned GP who put me straight back on high dose AD's (well it's actually a mid dose)...she confirmed this tuesday am (just after sewing class :j) but obviously with the depression and the psychosis it's been a few days in bed (my AP's got upped for a few days. Hoping to slowly reduce them tonight).... Then on Wednesday dopey I had a fixation about getting a pet - initially it was cos I had a dream about pet rabbits - then I ended up thinking I wanted a pair of rats - but not wanting to pay £75 for the cage from PAH...so got a cheap cage from a charity shop (it doesn't look too bad but maybe not high enough) - though that never happened....cos I had really bad stomach ache and black stool. And the GP closed @ 1pm so had to get a taxi there. I just couldn't get out of pain

So eventually it's a trip to A+E and you know me and A+E don't mix. I freaked out as soon as I got there and could hear various lies about me every time the shift changed and ripped my dress fighting with security. (more like wrestling)....but the pdoc was really good and liked the details I'd given them but said I need to write what helps so they also know what helps me in A+E (cos of one of the nurses lying I wasn't even allowed out for a cig which would have really helped to get some head space)...eventually I just got gaviscon which they wouldn't even prescribe saying I had to buy it. I'M NOT BUYING GAVISCON...:mad: so yesterday I got some homeopathic sodium something (I think it's phosphate) from the health food store (wish I'd gotten it Wednesday cos it really works) so that was that....It was only £1 more than the G.....

Anyhow just catching up on posts and I have a visit round a new training scheme @ 11 so will have to get my wee act together. Then this pm I'm making a cover for my sewing machine and more cards...

SandraScarlett wrote: »

If I had a no-bra day, I'd hit everyone in the face!



Aaah, but we can still feel young ...... and still want to learn how to be more frugal. You, for instance, have generously posted a load of tips. Thank you. :T



Oh ...... I see (penny drops), but why couldn't you just tell the social that you sold some unwanted clothes/gifts etc, on ebay? Or would you have your benefits cut if you did that? I don't know much about benefits, except when I've helped friends complete claim forms for Attendance Allowance, which is like writing War & Peace!

And I wish I knew more. I only know what I glean from the media, and I know that those reports can seem biased. I was pleased to see the banks are going to have to pay a tax levy, but it's not enough IMHO. It's shameful when you read the salaries of some of the officials, whose actions have caused so much misery for so many.

I do hope that those who have been made/are going to be made redundant are having/have success in their searches.

xx

Sandra Pics please :rotfl:...You can only get away with not wearing scaffolding if you have fried eggs. Every woman needs scaffolding......LOL.... What size are you after all SS? LOL...tee hee....

I'm a DD something or other...like I said previously best get measured somewhere decent then get off ebay

Technically with the benefits agency you don't have to declare all your earned income if you're on benefits...I think for IS or JSA it's the first £5 (not sure) and for Disability it's the first £20 though I've earnt the odd £30 busking in my time and been told by the BO not to declare.....So you just have to use common sense..If it's one off then no....you have to check the rules...if it's regular then yes

Just use common sense but don't defraud....it's just not worth it no matter what your views on the rights and wrongs of the government..

E

23rdspiral

flying_fresian - thanks for the info on the pens, their results look really good, i'll keep an eye out for them, but might try the normal felt tips i have first! that's really very kind of you, i wouldnt want to feel like i'm 'sealing' though! maybe i could send you something in return? i'll try to take a pic of the cards i made for you to see. (fingers crossed computer can 'see' the camera.)

Erme

SandraScarlett wrote: »

Good evening everyone. Now before I forget - beware the Tesco 3 for 2 pet food deal! I ordered 12 lots of 6-pack dog food, and was only charged for 8, saving me nearly £16. I then added a few more things on special offer, BOGOF, like Flora and wraps and by the time I'd finished my grocery bill was £45, delivery next Tuesday was £3, and the invoice read "you have saved £20.16", or something like that.

I then noticed we were low on the dog's snacks, like meaty strips, and other treats, and as they were on 3 for 2 as well, I got 3 packets of each. I'd calculated that on a 3 for 2 basis, I should be paying about another £6, but my bill shot up to £61 and the savings down to £11! :eek: :eek: :eek:

After a l-o-n-g maths session, I realised they were taking two of the six packs, grouping these with a cheap packet of treats, and putting the treats through as the "third item for nothing". :mad:

Sorry Mr T, that may work with some of your gullible customers, but not me, cos I'm a Frugalista!!!! So I removed the treats, which we'll get from Mr S tomorrow, and reverted back to the original figures. I know a lot of you have pets and will take advantage of this offer, so just be aware of the way it works.

I'm so sorry that so many of you are having a rotten day, one way or another - alas, I'm in gloomland too. The friend who was in Seville starts having to inject herself with insulin tomorrow, and she's terrified, the one who's becoming a Hospice Nurse has heard that her sister has heart trouble, and she's worried sick and then I met another good friend for lunch, who's DIL was diagnosed with BC at Christmas - and she's only 42.

They live the other end of the country, with 2 small children, and she's had the op now but has a further 6 months of treatment, at least. My friend's DS has managed to get unpaid leave of absence, to look after his wife and children, but their mortgage is massive, so the whole family are worried about that as well. My friend also helps look after DGC that live near her, doing school runs, as well as her 95 year old MIL.

What can you say? All I could do was hold my friend's hand, and put my arm round her, whilst she cried her eyes out. Life seems very unfair at times, don't you think.

Collected DGD from school and then we made lasagne and she managed most of it unaided, and it was delicious! Whilst it was cooking, she asked me to give her long mutiplication sums, and I sat there working them out too. Boy, was my head aching after! She's been chosen to represent her school, as part of a team of 4, in an inter-school quiz, so I'm a very proud Grandma! :j

Meeting another friend in London on Saturday, using our Freedom Passes and we are off to Croydon Shopping Centre, for a good ol' mooch! Hey - we're half way through Feb at the end of the weekend! I know I haven't saved much, but I've spaved, so that's OK. Hope everyone who is going through a rough time gets a bit of a breakthrough soon.

Have a good weekend everyone.

xx

Thanks for the warning hun....@ Mr S on my £2.20 coffee gotten for £1 with the card just before my training scheme appt (a while since I've had a Mr S and boy it tastes good so will try and catch up on posts later...Am on page 142 right now (think when we get beyond a certain no of posts we have to start a new thread...must check with folk that know)...Sorry I haven't been padding Fresian...So sorry...will try and do better..

I am a BAD frugalista but then you knew that already

Now did I warn you guys about cabbage in Mr A? Last week when I went it was clearly marked @ 67p per PACK and yet at the checkout they charged me per kilo which added up to over £1....I duly had a row with the supervisor cos I had ages for the bus and said I knew my rights and he'd picked the wrong customer.... He said take it up with head office because this also happened in a Mr A by the airport...

So yeah...BEWARE OF CABBBAGE IN MR A

Sorry to shout but feel I have to...

Everyone have a good day...gotta skoot for this appt now

E

enjoyfinancialchallenges

Erme so pleased to have you around again and see you are doing the best for you. Perhaps I should contact you with PMs but as you have mentioned your illness before on this thread I'm sure everyone understands what you are going through, no! I don't mean they understand only you can understand yourself but many frugalistas are offering support to you for what appears to be a very disabling condition, perhaps you will tell us what way of communicating is best for you? Do you have a CPN to look after you I haven't heard you mention one, maybe though I'm a bit out of touch and its now one of the cuts the coalition are making. If there was one around for you at least there would be somebody to rely on and get you through the bad patches. Keep your chin up and continue taking care of you.

I'm off to visit my DD and her two delicious boys aged 5 and 3, so yummy and such little tykes, what one doesn't think of the other one does, so they run rings around my DD. I must make some lavender scones for her before I go...her favourites....then going to meet her first at the Cheap shop in Tiptree, anyone know it? before going to spend the night with her and my DGSs. My DD positively shakes with excitement when we visit there but I will have to keep my hands in my pockets as I find all the things Ive managed without for years and didn't know I needed until I see them there. IYSWIM.