Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

mooomin

Yesterday was a reasonably frugal day - around £10 spent, although I'm not allowing myself to leave the house today unless I update the Spreadsheet of Wonder. It's been a week since I have put my spends in!

I got some good whoopsies yesterday in Morrisons including Warburtons wholemeal for half price and some half price eggs too. Although I spent £8, by my reckoning it should have been £15 so I was really pleased with that.

We had slow-cooked venison chops for dinner with "winter veg" which was the contents of a half price stew pack from Morrisons which should probably have been used a couple of days ago. Total cost of dinner was 50p for the veg as we didn't pay for the venison

Today I'm off to Aldi. Although I wasn't going to do a supermarket shop again until after payday on Wednesday, I wombled a newspaper on the bus the other day which had £5 off a £30 spend at Aldi. I'm going to stock up on things like fresh meat and get all my fruit and veg for the week.

Today we're having ham for dinner as I bought a gammon shank. I've had some split peas soaking overnight so I'm going to make a few litres of pea and ham soup too. I like being able to take home-made soup into work as it's more filling than a boring sandwich!

rising_from_the_ashes

cw18 wrote: »

I actually sum up the Whoopsie spend and Whoopsie value on a 'per receipt' basis, so on mine I'd only see the 'total' matching 'W sp' and 'Real Val' matching 'W val' if I only had one entry on a receipt. But this means some manual work each time I enter purchases that include Whoopsie buys, and isn't something I can automate......

Your spreadsheet is showing the correct values for the totals at the top of the page to show the correct figures

flying_fresian wrote: »

Explanation above. Took me a while to get my head around too!!

Hope this makes sense...!

Awwww, thanks! It's much clearer now! Phew (I've spent hours trying to figure this out:o!)

NualaBuala

cw18 wrote: »

I'm in the same boat as you....

I am putting some money into 'savings' each month, but it's earmarked for annual bills due later in the year (July, August and December), replacement of essential appliances when needed, and my emergency contingency fund (for car/house repairs and emergency vet bills etc). Nothing else I can afford to 'save' at all

Same here ... lets hope what we've put by is enough to cover what it's intended for!
:rotfl: at you and your "big boy"! I'd better not call him your "wee chappie"!

apple_mint wrote: »

NualaBuala I've been silver for almost a year now. Well actually its white OH loves it and several people have told me how distinctive it looks and how much it suits me. It's saved me a fortune on hair dye too :T I have a short trendy style which is cut every few weeks. I went cold turkey and had the colour cut out over 3 haircuts, so I went from a red head to white (though still have some dark hair in there) in a about 4-5 months.

Sounds beautiful apple mint! I love how women seem to be getting the confidence to do this. I'm sure the hair dye companies are not too happy though, they work so hard to keep us feeling that grey/wrinkles = old = unattractive = unworthy. When really it's natural progress and looks very beautiful.

My hair is brown and I colour it with henna and sometimes other herbs in it (to try to be more environmentally friendly plus it is great for the overall condition and a pleasure to use - and pretty cheap too). In the past year or so I've noticed I have more grey, it used to be just a few strands in one spot and now it is a proper streak, mostly hidden. though. I don't know if I'm confident enough to grow out the henna and leave it natural - it might look like something from the Adams Family! :eek:


Saorsie, well done on dying your shoes, great idea!

I have had several NSDs and today is set to be another one because I'm not going out. My fridge is starting to look bare though and I will need to do quite a big shop in the next day or so.


I've got someone due to call to collect some stuff I'm freecycling - will be nice to be rid of it. I'm not sure what to do though, a girl was meant to come on Friday to collect something else. I asked her to text me if she was late. She never turned up and no text. So I texted her and she replied by email saying she couldn't find the house and hadn't got her phone with her. She says she will come tomorrow if I still have the thing and has also replied to new ads I've put up wanting all that too. Not sure whether to give her another chance. I suppose I will give her one more chance and that's it.

redglass_2

If it wasn't for a neighbour, (((Spiral))), I wouldn't have been able to pursue the man who wrecked my car. My lovely neighbour not only alerted the emergency services but took photos of the scene of the accident so I could give them to my insurers, which saved a lot of describing and messing about and also disproved a few lies. I'm eternally grateful to him, as I'm sure your neighbours will be to you. As for the flamers, Ceridwen is right, they hunt in packs and no matter how much you explain that you didn't mean to be racist, only to point out that this might be a problem for your neighbours, they will probably continue because they're enjoying the sense of virtue and self-righteousness (compared with genuinely helping someone, pointing the finger is a very cheap holiday). It can be very upsetting but fortunately you don't have to engage with it.

I'm afraid I can't rise to the challenge of saving next month. If I can keep on target it will be a first for this year. Good luck, everyone who is up for it.

apple_mint wrote: »

I'm a little older than 43 but to be honest I wish I'd been braver earlier. I'm lucky in that I've always looked younger than my age - a pain in my 20's and 30's but great now. I took a look around the web and saw people in their 20's and 30's who were choosing to stop dyeing and they looked great. So I thought 'why not' and just did it.
Great for my hair (it's lovely and soft and so easy to manage) and it revitalised my look as I can now wear lovely silver jewellery and a completely different set of colours. It gives people a shock though if they haven't seen you for some time :rotfl:

I'm starting to consider this but I think mine is badger-coloured underneath the dye, grey at the front, nearly black at the back. Not sure how that would look with short hair. I also find it's softer and better behaved when dyed, not when grey, because of all the conditioner they use. I'll keep the possibility in mind, though...

flying_fresian wrote: »

I wombled a newspaper on the bus the other day which had £5 off a £30 spend at Aldi. I'm going to stock up on things like fresh meat and get all my fruit and veg for the week.

:T:T:T And I love the word 'wombled'.

Can I ask if people on the thread always eat 'breakfast food' for breakfast? Visiting a friend abroad some years ago, I discovered that the local people didn't have anything particular for breakfast, they just ate up the remains of the previous night's dinner (usually rice with some sort of sauce). Ever since then I've found it interesting that in this country we have a special category of food that we eat in the morning. Usually I have it too, but occasionally I have a 'leftover breakfast' and today it was broccoli and potato soup. Is there anyone else out there who has 'odd' breakfasts?

apple_mint

NualaBuala wrote: »

Sounds beautiful apple mint! I love how women seem to be getting the confidence to do this. I'm sure the hair dye companies are not too happy though, they work so hard to keep us feeling that grey/wrinkles = old = unattractive = unworthy. When really it's natural progress and looks very beautiful.

Thank you NualaBuala what a lovely thing to say

My hair is very white round my face and OH says the whole effect is better than the expensive multi-coloured (pre MSE days) hairdo's I used to have. My OH tells me that I'm getting better with age (he's lovely ).

It's probably not for everyone, but choosing to go silver has been brilliant for me. It seems to have kick-started a new sense of freedom. I think I'm turning into the woman in the last verse of Warning: 'I shall wear purple' (which I do by the way ).

Back on topic ... have to fill the car with diesel today, so not a NSP or even a LSD. Though I haven't filled the car since the 25th of January and I do a 34 mile round trip to work 5 days a week. I'm being very careful with the accelerator pedal.

redglass_2

[/QUOTE] a girl was meant to come on Friday to collect something else. I asked her to text me if she was late. She never turned up and no text. So I texted her and she replied by email saying she couldn't find the house and hadn't got her phone with her. She says she will come tomorrow if I still have the thing and has also replied to new ads I've put up wanting all that too. Not sure whether to give her another chance. I suppose I will give her one more chance and that's it.[/QUOTE]

Unless the stuff is obviously all related, like all gardening stuff, or all baby stuff, it sounds as if she's FreeCycling and selling the stuff on: 'Gimme the lot' is usually a carbooter. I know there was quite a debate about this on FreeCycle - our group adopted a policy but I can't remember if it was for or against people taking stuff for car boots.

I would give her one more chance but not more than one. I have sometimes had to keep re-arranging with people over several days, with both of us having to change arrangements, and that's fine as long as we keep in contact. I do understand life is complicated. But if someone stands me up and doesn't get in touch, I try once to contact them and then offer the item again 'owing to a timewaster'. They are getting something for free, and manners cost nothing.

edited to add: I'm reading this and thinking, blimey, I really sound fierce...but it's so rude to ask for something and then not bother!

apple_mint

redglass wrote: »

Can I ask if people on the thread always eat 'breakfast food' for breakfast? Visiting a friend abroad some years ago, I discovered that the local people didn't have anything particular for breakfast, they just ate up the remains of the previous night's dinner (usually rice with some sort of sauce). Ever since then I've found it interesting that in this country we have a special category of food that we eat in the morning. Usually I have it too, but occasionally I have a 'leftover breakfast' and today it was broccoli and potato soup. Is there anyone else out there who has 'odd' breakfasts?

I always have porridge - the Tesco value range one. (add water, 2 1/2 minutes in microwave and eaten with milk). I can't stand sweetened cereals and they are not filling enough for me. I'd be snacking all morning if I relied on breakfast cereals. The budget wouldn't stand it either. The price of some them are ... :eek: Left overs are usually frozen or taken for packed lunches here but if I didn't do that I'd be seriously tempted to have a leftover breakfast.

We no longer have a traditional roast on a Sunday. I do something on a Saturday now (often in the slow cooker) and then work the leftovers into meals on the Sunday to have in the week. It works better for me as I'm at work Monday to Friday.

I think we are conditioned to have meal traditions, but I'm gradually breaking away from them to do what suits OH and I.

miss_empty_piggy

Good morning all
I've had a very quiet couple of days as DDS are at their dads this weekend. I have spent this time, enjoying the non-disney channels on my TV which I never knew I had!!! Also I have started to paint my kitchen red. I have always wanted a red kitchen, evil ex OH would never allow it saying it would look s**t, so we had it olive green and then he decided to paint over it gold (which didn't look s**t at all especially as he is colour blind and could hardly make out the green from the gold). So for the past 2 years it has been green and gold patched. My new BF bought me some red paint and paintbrushes yesterday and told me to get on with it (he's also not convinced) but the first coat looks absolutely lovely and I can't wait to finish it - just waiting for it to dry before I put the second coat on.

Have a quandry though, DD1's friend rang up to see if she and 3 other friends (all aged 11) can go to the cinema in the city 25 miles away on the train tomorow. Am not too sure that I am happy with this from a security sense. I know that I have to let go sometime and give her more freedom, which I find extremely difficult. The main reason being that both exOH and myself both used to work with with some very bad people. I know that this is daft and I know that I am particularly sensitive to this kind of thing, probably oversensitive, but really don't like the idea of 4 eleven year olds being in a bit city on their own. Plus, it will cost me in terms of money for the train, cinema, lunch etc and I really can't afford it. Not too sure, I just need to mull it over and think about it for a while I guess. One of the other girls is my neice so will ring my sis and see what she thinks.

Oh well, hope you all have a brilliant day, am off to watch the paint dry now (exciting life I lead!!!)

enjoyfinancialchallenges

NuBu and cw18 I also put one twelfth of my annual expenses away in a savings account for use later on when insurance, car ins, etc are due, this saves me from having to pay monthly on D/D which costs more as someone else ( ???? who ) was discussing here, however that was used up when DD had her financial crisis and I just grabbed money to use from anywhere. So am now starting from the beginning once more which seems to be more difficult because everything has gone up so much. This is one reason why I'm the Nell Gwynne of my village now. A pan full of marmalade is cooling a little as I write/speak, need to pot it up in a minute, There are a couple of thinks I like to watch on a Sunday so want to keep my evening clear.

elly68

miss_empty_piggy wrote: »

Good morning all
I've had a very quiet couple of days as DDS are at their dads this weekend. I have spent this time, enjoying the non-disney channels on my TV which I never knew I had!!! Also I have started to paint my kitchen red. I have always wanted a red kitchen, evil ex OH would never allow it saying it would look s**t, so we had it olive green and then he decided to paint over it gold (which didn't look s**t at all especially as he is colour blind and could hardly make out the green from the gold). So for the past 2 years it has been green and gold patched. My new BF bought me some red paint and paintbrushes yesterday and told me to get on with it (he's also not convinced) but the first coat looks absolutely lovely and I can't wait to finish it - just waiting for it to dry before I put the second coat on.

Have a quandry though, DD1's friend rang up to see if she and 3 other friends (all aged 11) can go to the cinema in the city 25 miles away on the train tomorow. Am not too sure that I am happy with this from a security sense. I know that I have to let go sometime and give her more freedom, which I find extremely difficult. The main reason being that both exOH and myself both used to work with with some very bad people. I know that this is daft and I know that I am particularly sensitive to this kind of thing, probably oversensitive, but really don't like the idea of 4 eleven year olds being in a bit city on their own. Plus, it will cost me in terms of money for the train, cinema, lunch etc and I really can't afford it. Not too sure, I just need to mull it over and think about it for a while I guess. One of the other girls is my neice so will ring my sis and see what she thinks.

Oh well, hope you all have a brilliant day, am off to watch the paint dry now (exciting life I lead!!!)

i get accused of molly coddling my daughter she is 10 and for the first time i let her and a friend go into a different cinema to watch one movie whilst we watched another,think by this time next year she will be getting bus to big school lol so going to train her so in the last week she can now make tea,scrambled eggs ,sausages ect feels weird and good at the same time iyswim

ps what kind of paint did you buy