Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

minnie2

youngmummy wrote: »

has anyone else lost track or is it just me ? was going too rebudget starting today till 1st jan 2012 but dont know weather this is alllowed. im really anoyyed with myself. also could anyone reccommend a good family cookbook with cheap and easy recipes. including making bread, cakes ect. many thanks

Im losing track too this month!! Hoping next month to get right back on it! and infact March I am going to clamp down like never before!!!!!

minnie2

ok so this month has not gone very at all!!!!!!!!!!!!

So changing my ways for March serious changes!!! I am going to be so ridgid!!

Been expensive with insurance for car and bills and also shameful selfish spends - which I should have not done as i know i havent got as much money coming in next month!!!!

So next month is going to be hard!! plus i have an important interview tuesday and I am in a very big panic about it!!!!!!!!!!!!! which is not helping!!

enjoyfinancialchallenges

Oh Dear Erme, I've just had a laugh at you taking your two rats out for a walk with a crocheted coat on. Sorry not actually at you but at my minds pictures IYSWIM. Anyway you certainly seem to be enjoying them and taking care of them every well. Maybe you should look for a job at your local vets as you seem to have a lot of love to give to these creatures. I know how animals do seem to take over your life because I have a one person cat sitting on my lap as we speak who really only wants me, she does not like other people and runs a mile when they appear which concerns me because it seems to indicate she has not had a good life before I took her into my home...and yes my heart...I stayed in bed this morning late because I wanted to finish a book then when I did rise found the hot water was cold so waited for it to heat. In the mean time my cat decided the only place she wanted to be was on my lap and seems intent on staying there for some time......so what does a cat lover do except stay and fuss her. Now I'm not sure I should have laughed at you Erme because some people would say well shove her off and get on with your day. Oh well, sorry this is not a very frugal post, I must do better.

Have a good day everyone, I have planty to do and want to sort out my finances from yesterdays unfrugal day and make some scones for the man who cut my hedge with his tractor the other day. Catch up with you all soon.

rubytuesday

Erme, Tinks who posts in the Arms has loads of hamsters and belongs to a hamster forum - no doubt they have rat forums where you could get information and advice. They do sound great.

EFC I am a cat person too with four cats, all but one came to me by default - one from someone at work whose husband said either the cat went or he would be off! Another from someone at work who decided she couldn't afford to fed her and another found with her mum and siblings in my friend's friend's shed!

A frugal tip gleaned from the Green Kitchen http://www.amazon.co.uk/Green-Kitchen-Techniques-Recipes-Reducing/dp/1856268047 to cook pasta place in boiling water, bring back to the boil, place lid on turn off the heat and leave for allocated time ( I give it a minute or two longer) - perfectly cooked pasta and saved fuel. I got the book from a book store that sells books cheaply.

A tip of mine - I use Nutella jars as drinking glasses, they even have a nice pattern on them now.

NualaBuala

HI everyone,

Sorry, haven't read most posts as I'm not spending much time online - (supposedly!) while I rest my wrist and catch up on real life chores.

Just had a quick read of this page and wanted to say thank you to Erme for making me smile with the rat stories and to EFC for your cat story! It's lovely to see how much love and care you're lavishing on your pets. :A

I'm still being frugal - will probably go shopping later but I WILL stick to my list!

Hope everyone is doing ok.

Hugs,
Nuala

slowlyfading

I am back after a lovely week away - have lots of catching up to do!

enjoyfinancialchallenges

minnie2 wrote: »

I'm losing track too this month!! Hoping next month to get right back on it! and in fact March I am going to clamp down like never before!!!!!

rubytuesday wrote: »

Erme, Tinks who posts in the Arms has loads of hamsters and belongs to a hamster forum - no doubt they have rat forums where you could get information and advice. They do sound great.

This is not a competition to see who can live on the least amount but about managing your own budget, if you afford to pay for all the things on your list then thats fine, its not so good when you get into debt, or like myself at the moment having to use some of my savings...but then thats what they are there for I suppose. No good getting screwed up about it, just do the best you can in the present circumstances with the money you have got. If we could do better then we would have done and there would be no need to be on this lovely site. :cool:

EFC I am a cat person too with four cats, all but one came to me by default - one from someone at work whose husband said either the cat went or he would be off! Another from someone at work who decided she couldn't afford to fed her and another found with her mum and siblings in my friend's friend's shed!
A frugal tip gleaned from the Green Kitchen http://www.amazon.co.uk/Green-Kitchen-Techniques-Recipes-Reducing/dp/1856268047 to cook pasta place in boiling water, bring back to the boil, place lid on turn off the heat and leave for allocated time ( I give it a minute or two longer) - perfectly cooked pasta and saved fuel. I got the book from a book store that sells books cheaply.

A tip of mine - I use Nutella jars as drinking glasses, they even have a nice pattern on them now.

slowlyfading wrote: »

I am back after a lovely week away - have lots of catching up to do!

I think I may have got this post well and truly mucked up, sorry but somehow the comments I'm making don't appear to fit the post I've saved. Ooops!

Just checked it and wondered where my comments were, somehow though they are in with the original messages, I don't know how I did that or how to remove them....How embarrassing +++

minnie2

so now going to spend sometime sorting through my finances again!!! think i may do another budget thing in general too as my finances have changed so much since January - oh the joy!! but we dont have two cars now and all our money is different so think it needs to be done - see if we are any better off!!!

Erme sounds like your rats are a big part of your life like our animals are to us!!!!! though i am total phobic of rats and mice (bad experience as a child had lots of different therapy but nothing has worked!!) but my selfish spends this week were animal related - we have ended up with 3 new additions - granted not everyones cup of tea but they are already a part of our family and we love them, they are the children I cant have. So on top of the three very demanding dogs we have already - we now have a baby spider who we have named Matilda and who will eventually grow into a curly haired tarantula, a baby snake who we have named Maddy and an austrailian gecko my little boy who weve named Bertie!!!!! All of which at present are nice and snug and warm,curled up in our bedroom!!

It is so bad - and apparently I am his best customer this week!!! Spending nearly £250!!!!! argh!!!! I am presently looking after my mothers bearded dragon - which i have been looking after since August!!!!!!!!!!!! hope it will go home soon!!! So I went into shop to buy her food as usual but my hubby had the day off and came with me and thats how it happened!! he wants a snake and I want a spider again (as i miss Rosie my old one). And then mums car was in garage so i had to drive her around and she wanted to go to shop as my sister wants some crested geckos - and what happens?!! i saw this gorgeous gecko and suddenly Ive bought him and called him Bertie!!!!!

So now working out my finances eek!! We have been eating out alot this week too - though using vouchers aswell as paying for them with money vouchers too - but sometimes had to put the odd £5 towards it rather than wasting a £10 voucher etc. But i have bought and paid for our car insurance, not on a card of anthing £485 we could have done without shelling out for!!

Got to get rid of hubbys car this weekend but no idea what to do with it!!!

Right I am off to do budget again see if we are any better off now!!

Hope everyone is having a wonderfully frugal day!!

SandraScarlett

After a traumatic few days, I've managed to have a quick skim read, and it seems that most people have had a worst financial month than they did in January, and Erme is going to take her rats for walkies, wearing coats, and obeying her commands!

Well, fortunately it was dry on Thursday and Friday, so my roofers were able to work solidly. They arrived at 8, both days, didn't leave till 6, only had their radio on quietly (so no neighbours were upset), and cleared up every scrap of mess, for which I was grateful. Whilst they were on the roof, I got them to do some other jobs, involving the chimney stack, and the gutters, so though the bottom line was £1400, I'm praying that my cheque book can now live quietly in the drawer.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

xx

23rdspiral

hello everyone, i hope you're enjoying your weekend?

i've been very good and done some overtime today (v.rare where i work), but it meant going past the Huge craft warehouse, so as it wasnt my petrol i felt obliged to pop in... and am Very pleased that i spent under £4 !! that's unheard of for me. i just asked myself if i needed it and if i would definately use it within a month. and to almost everything the answer was no. i'm please with what i did get though and that was on sale too. (i also bought the bits i need to make my cousin a sampler for her wedding, but they come from the 'gifts' budget, not my own). My OH is out with the lads so the rest of the day is my own. and the SC is bubbling away with a whoospied ham hock and dried peas - for tomorow's dinner with roast pots. nom nom.