Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

enjoyfinancialchallenges

Erme wrote: »

Just a quick wee note before I dive out in the freezing cold and rain with the Mr L sewing machine to take back...(think I will go to the one with the nearest bus stop to my house )...just to say if you heard 'rumors' I got discharged this am...they are true

Will catch up later...so much to do today...so little time - my main frugal things of today being darning socks @ 6.30am and getting a free lunch in the hosp pre psychologist. Still daren't look at discharge note just yet and still quite short tempered for some reason (did the horrid dog like behavior of texting someone's landline @ 5.30am cos he said on Sat he couldn't be A* to text....I'm like....red rag to a bull after I've been oh so nice to you...Lazy so and so - he doesn't even get up till 10 and he's not much older than me with less MH probs....He reckons starbucks is unethical (as is Mr A) but yet working in a Bookies is fine...so I said to him 'oh so it's okay for folk in this country to live in absolute poverty due to gambling but not if ya in africa'...sorry. I told you I'm having a few dog like moments right now )

E

Erme Yes the rumours reached East Anglia, I'm so pleased you have been discharged but why did you rush off again without giving yourself time to get back into the world in a relaxed way. This is why I keep telling you to look after yourself, was it really essential to return your sewing machine this morning, surely tomorrow or Wed would have been OK and soon enough really IMHO. Congratulations for recognizing your horrid dog moments that sounds like a break through for you, recognition is the first step to changing you behavior so this is your big chance. :j I look forward to hearing more from you about how you are coping generally and financially, I seem to be failing at the first jump each month no wonder the money is disappearing so fast.XX E

Ive just reread my message and I really sound as though I'm moaning but honestly Erme its distressing for the some of us on this thread to see you going through difficult times....and thats why I'm nagging you to try and look after yourself. XXXXXXX

23rdspiral

gosh it is quiet today on here. i braved the wind and rain to go to the shops and spent a tenner and now have a huge batch of chilli in preparedness for me being out with family, to try to encourage OH not to get a takeaway!

mooomin

I didn't have much to update on tonight but thought I should comment as the thread is quiet!

Today I spent money posting a couple of card sales, but they're already paid for so I'm not counting it in my budget.

Apart from that, I've made lots of pea and ham soup and will take it in to work tomorrow for lunch. That's about my frugal lot today

rubytuesday

:hello: Everyone. I am very tired I have had a long day. I went to a discussion group at Mind HQ about a new members website they are setting up. It sounds very good but I don't think it will really be my cup of tea - I'm quite happy to stay with you mad lot!:rotfl:Anyway we'll see. I got a fifty pound payment and a lovely breakfast spread for that so that was a lovely bonus.
In the afternoon I went to the diet clinic at the Homeopathic Hospital and have lost another few pounds since my last visit there.
No joy with the acupuncture unless I hassle my doctor more which I am loathe to do, I don't know.
My daughter is working at the Ministry Of Sound tonight so I probably won't be able to relax until she's hope safe and sound. At least she will have a few spare pennies.
I am wearing my 20p top from the jumble sale and my daughter can't believe how nice it is!
Glad to hear you have been discharged Erme but yes take it easy and slow down a bit x

miss_empty_piggy

Had a really lovely day today - Everybody has been so lovely to me today. My family are so wonderful. Sister1 came around and gave me £20 for DD1 to go with her friends, I did try to give her it back but she was having none of it. Sis2 washed and dried all of my towels and tea towels in her laundrette (big saving in time and money); M&D said they'd got me a chimney liner but it turned out it is not long enough, but my uncle is coming round in the morning to have a look to see what could be done. Then Sis2 popped round after clearning out her rental property after her latest tenant has left and brought me 2 carrier bags of frozen food they'd left; a toaster and a really lovely photo album. What a bonus. PLUS, My kitchen looks amazing and everyone has told me how fantastic it looks. So am feeling really good as although I am the poorest I have ever been, it is so lovely to have so much support from all of my family and friends (including you guys on here!). Thanks so much. x

Puddleglum

I had a great find in the CS again today - brand new label still on't M&S 2 piece top for £3.50. Wonder why it was taken into the shop?

JayneC

Hi everybody,

Sounds like there's quite a few people having probs, especially spiral you know you did the right thing, some people just completely miss the point don't they, making trouble from nothing. You take care.

Sandra - hope all goes well for your loved ones in hospital

Nuala -thanks for thinking of me - my meeting is actally on Fri 4th of march - I mis read the e-mail!! Got to wait until then before I know what's happening, which is shocking considering any changes could take effect ftom beginning of April and it's not just whether my job changes there's 2 schemes that could potentially just close down - or at least radically change and that gives absolutely no time to prepare people or make plans. And we're supposed be caring for people - sorry I do get into a rant about it...

Been off work today which was nice. Got plumber out to look at my waste pipe as toilet keep blocking and he found a blockage which he cleared but whilst doing so dripped cr*p all down my kitchen window - lovely!! He also ran a hosepipe out of the bathroom window to rinse it out and bathroom window already had a broken hinge, now opening it has caused the other hinge to break and I can't close the window - it's just hanging on!! I hate plastic windows they're just rubbish a hinge breaks and you need a whole new window - aargh!!! So now I have a lovely peice of cardboard taped over my window to stop the freezing air. I paint such an attractive picture of my home at the moment don't I?

On a completely different topic one of my hens has gone broody and my friend (who I got then from originally) has given me some fertilized eggs for her to hatch so we're going to have chicks - is it sad that I'm unbelievably excited by the prospect? :jMy kids not that impressed just rolled their eyes! DGS quite excited tho, but he keeps wanting to go and see the chicks - I have to keep telling him that they won't be here for a few weeks:D.

We've just had a festival weekend here and our theatre company did some sketches throughout the weekend which was great fun and I got chatting to people in between shows and it was amazingly productive - lots of ideas and links for self employment:j plus I even got offered somewhere to stay overnight in Leeds when I'm there for my permaculture course next weekend:D Only drawback was taht I didn't get much chance to go and see some of the other stuff that was on. There was loads on and lots of it was free so a really good weekend.

Sold most of my listings on ebay this week, so well pleased. Now got over £50 in PayPal. Not sure whether to leave it there or use it towards CC.

Anyway think I've rambled enough so going to get off now. Take care all xx

redglass_2

Puddleglum wrote: »

I had a great find in the CS again today - brand new label still on't M&S 2 piece top for £3.50. Wonder why it was taken into the shop?

You do sometimes wonder, don't you? Perhaps it was bought 'for when I get slimmer' but the dieter lost motivation. I bought a very nice secondhand cardi with big hearts on it - sounds twee but they are part of a folk motif - sounds worse - sorry, you'll just have to take it from me that it's a nice garment. The shop assistant told me it had come in immediately after 14 February. :eek: Oh dear, think there's probably a sad story behind that....

Edited to add: JayneC, just read yours, you seem to be incredibly busy! Glad you got some good ideas from the festival and hope the chicks don't take too long to appear. I would be very, very excited if I had a broody hen sitting on eggs.

mooomin

JayneC wrote: »

Sold most of my listings on ebay this week, so well pleased. Now got over £50 in PayPal. Not sure whether to leave it there or use it towards CC.

Do both - £25 towards your CC and then keep £25 as your "wages" from the sales and buy yourself a wee treat from somewhere that accepts Paypal.

That way you're paying something to debts, but not demotivating yourself by never doing things for yourself too.

NualaBuala

Evening all,

I have just read through all today's posts but cos I'm so tired I've already forgotten what everyone said! I had a long day involving 3 supermarkets and freecycling. The person who didn't turn up last week came today. Turned out it she had genuine problems getting to me last week and was very apologetic so am glad I gave her another chance. I was out but had left things for her including some extra stuff I hadn't posted and she took the lot. Am very pleased as wasn't sure if anyone would want most of it. And I got given a blender from another freecycler - yay! I have a stick blender but thought a jug blender would be great for smoothies. I wouldn't make them often enough for it to be worth buying one though so I posted ages ago on freecycle. I'd totally forgotten the ad till I got an offer out of the blue - really nice surprise!

I am well stocked up - and got several whoopsies which always pleases me. I was doing the spreadsheet and thought uh oh, I don't have much money left for the month until I realised there's only a week to go, so am not doing too badly!

EFC - I hadn't heard of Nell Gwynne but she sounds like quite a character! Hmmm, wonder if she made marmalade!


(((((Spiral))))) I know where you're coming from re the Too Much going on. When I'm overwhelmed I'm vulnerable to depression. Thankfully I have been able to mostly keep it at bay lately but am always wary of it taking hold. Hope you'll feel ok soon. You should be very proud of yourself for what you did - the world needs more people like you who are willing to stick their necks out for other people. x

Crikey Jayne, rant away! It's bad enough having services cut and job cutbacks but when it's all done so quickly without notice it's even worse. I'll have my fingers crossed for you .. but even as I type that I thought to myself that you are going to be fine. Your approach to life is incredible - you're being so creative and actually doing all the things most of us dream of. So I think you will make your dreams happen! Oh and I empathise with the annoyance of workmen making causing damage - have had that happen and now I hate having them in. Wish I could learn all the trades myself!

Erme, glad you're discharged, that's fab news! It does sound like you're very busy and I wonder if that does more harm than good. I think there must be a happy medium between having too much to do and not enough to keep occupied. But especially when you've been ill I think taking things at a slower pace is no harm, might be less stressful. xxx

Oh, and I said I'd dig out henna info for you:
Here's a link to one of the sites I got a lot of henna info from. http://www.hennaforhair.com/mixes/index.html
And I also got a lot of info here http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=21 - it also has info on homemade hair conditioners and things.
I just mix henna with warm tea (normal black tea). I sometimes add cassia to lighten the colour. I've also started mixing in honey - anything sugary seems to improve the consistency and make it easier to apply. But since it's VERY permanent, I wouldn't advise anyone to rush into hennaing their hair until they're sure they can live with it.

Hope everyone is doing ok - hugs to anyone who'd like one. x