Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

minnie2

silvasava wrote: »

Good Luck Minnie 2 & well done RuTu (my cat always manages to waft her large plumey tail either across the screen or under my nose!)

23rdspiral wrote: »

grandma247 - so sorry to hear you're going through the ringer at the moment. congrats on saving more than you realised though.

Minnie - i also dont know what that is, but if youre scared thats not good so Good Luck and i hope it isnt as scary as you fear.

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re The Big R - HR still havent called me in... just asked for the dates i'm working, and not in appointments, so they are still thinking of it. Probably this Thursday then. ho hum.
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Went to MR T after work - i found a 2.00 voucher last week that runs out today so thought i should spend it! :j So i bought a magazine i Really wanted, CrossStitcher with a free kit, even though i wanted to get it next month for the SoW (i got the French one so shouldnt have 2 in a month for frugality), but thought the Saving was worth it. So that makes 2 Mags this month, but it was 3 last month... so at least i am cutting down and really thinking about it.
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i'm off to spend some quality time with my SoW... fingers crossed! i havent updated it for a week, silly me. and i dont know where to put the French spends - some were groceries i'd have had to get anyway (bread), some were spaves (capers!), and some were treats for me and my other half (wine! cross stitch mag, belgium beer). humm, i might just ignore them for now! they are all in Euros and i should check what rate mum got on the exchange as that's what i owe her.

Good Luck everyone with your SoWs!!

patentgirl wrote: »

Morning all
Been away for long weekend paid out of last years budget xmas pressie to ourselves! managed not to spend too much tried to keep within budget walking alot and only going in charity shops
Hugs to Cheryl and Cranky
Aril thanks for link those cheap bean burgers sound yummy
Flyingfresian and Applemint well done on being under budget, had a quick tot up and think we have managed to come in ok for February just paid car tax and had DDs car bill but with no council or water coming out has evened itself out
Good luck Minnie not sure what it is though
Still not had a date for leaving work yet rumours going round should be here till end of year which is good news try and save as much as can to go with redundancy we will certainly need it cant believe how fuel keeps going i agree most people seem to be keeping to the speed limits or drivng along at a steady 50
off to allotment this weekend playing catch up as missed last weekend will be glad when we can go after work for an hour or two, miss the social life down there too
have agood frugal day everyone x

thank you everyone!!! its graduate teacher program! and it did no go well

Erme

redglass wrote: »

(((((Cheryl))))) I really hope the news is good and am keeping my fingers x'd for you.

and (((((Cranky))))) you are in my thoughts too. As someone else said, take your own good time in deciding what to do and when.




Eating a beanfield? I usually make jelly from the japonica fruits in the garden - method is the same as for crabapples -and last year I put in some chilli. It was fab.

Aril, I like the look of those beany burgers.

:grouphug:Hugs to anyone that needs them. We seem to be going through one of those rough patches where lots of people have bad news and/or very difficult situations at the same time.

My own bad news is only financial so not as bad as serious illness in family or friends, but I have had a run of household equipment breaking down/car repairs which have really hammered the budget so not too happy about that. I haven't come to the end of it yet as the first repair on the car didn't solve the problem so it has to go in again.

Edited to add: Erme, I agree with you about Bosch. I won't have any other kind, now. They are so reliable that it's cheaper and far less trouble in the long run. (I could say the same for Miele vacuum cleaners. Bosch and Miele should pay me for this!)

Yeah my vacuum is Bosch and fab...I got it when my scavenged one died beginning of January...I agree with you though about Bosch and Miele...the FF (a bosch) is yonks old but got it from charity shop last year (same time as WM) and like kept milk 2 days past BB date fresh last week

silvasava wrote: »

Hi All - Big hugs all round to all who need them.
EFC - been trying to think of a large veggie alternative to the elephant - how about the moon? Everyone knows its made of cheese!
Grandma247 - I know it can get quite soul destroying when you are trying to manage a budget and so many things are neccessities and totally outside your control but you're a woman - you can do it!!
Erme - wonder if you've thought of buying a Hotpoint washing machine? They usually have a 5 year guarantee. I must admit I won't spend a lot on one & the only time I deviated from Hotpoint (Candy) the damn thing needed a new door seal every year!
Tip - If your machine is not spinning properly quite often it just needs new carbon brushes & these are very easy to fit - take old ones out put new ones in! (Got to take the lid of first) They usually cost between £15 -20, often cheaper than a call out and worth checking first

I had thought about hotpoint but they just don't seem to last as long as Bosch - that's all

Anyhow day 1 of no cigs (don't expect me to last more than a day though guys)....so was anti frugal and bought the perfume early...It was a frugal cost just not a frugal spend considering it's less than 1 day :eek: (perfume = sunflowers by Arden for £4.99 for 30ml for Mr Sa)

And I forgot to say yesterday that which do a gardening guide for free if you just phone their contact no on their website and it has free seeds apparently :A

Freebies are getting very hard to find ...went round nearly all the stores this am looking for samples of perfume and no joy ....

Anyhow I got a wee note from Governor Palin thanking me for my New Year present - yay

It was even signed - if she becomes the USA's first female president that could be a wee expensive envelope...

E

mooomin

midwinter wrote: »

FF, could you think of changing banks? I notice that you pay current account fees. I don't pay any current account fees, and they pay me each month for having a current account with them

My account should charge me £12.50 per month but because I am staff it is half price For this I get travel insurance, breakdown cover (15 year old car makes this essential) and mobile cover (£400 value smartphone - eek!) Having flooded my neighbour a couple of times, I do appreciate the home emergency cover too

I get a £5 Reward payment for each of my three current accounts, so I don't really feel as though it costs me anything at all My account costs me £75 per year, but I get £180 per year in Reward payments

twiglet98

Just catching up as I've been in hospital having scars from the big op tidied up.

Hugs Cheryl, thinking of you and your friend, hang in there xxx

Minnie I'm a snake fan, and have a lovely cuddly royal python, lizards are a bit too high maintenance for my liking. Not terrified of spiders as I used to be, but I wouldn't handle one. People do tend to think it's weird when you have exotic pets.

Horrible huge vet bill paid yesterday for DD's old pony, vet out again this pm, not sure how much longer the pony will be around. Also have to tax the car, will do a cheque later so it won't go through before this week's pay goes in, also 500 litres of oil to pay for, delivered four weeks ago. Hope the kids will transfer their rent over today. Forgot I'd ordered a whole lamb and had to do a cheque for that last Friday, and c/card d/debit went out yesterday, when I was in hosp and hadn't checked the balance. Printed shopping list from MySupermarket on Sunday, went to Mr T expecting to spend under £40 and actually spent over £80 as I forgot meat, fruit and cheese on the online thing. Splashed out on whoopsied beef rib joints, half price down to £7 each, and wished I hadn't as the freezer is full to bursting with lamb, and already had two beef joints in there At least this time DD didn't complain about having had lamb two Sundays in a row, last week my neighbour brought some of theirs round, as they'd just thinned out their small flock. We regularly swap eggs, fruit and veg over the fence - a bit of lamb is a yearly bonus!

Off work for a couple of days and will update the SoW. Really worried about car insurance (and MoT) in April, and council tax kicking in again. I already work over 50 hours a week, will only get the basic 40 this week as I'm off, and missed the busiest day, Monday, when I usually work 12-13 hours instead of the basic 8 hours. Might apply myself to eBaying some stuff while I'm at home, also have some bits to send to MusicMagpie that just need wrapping and boxing up. I don't think ALL the bubble wrap went on the windows, there must be some under the bed...

alec_eiffel

Hi everyone, just catching up on the hundreds of posts since I last popped in! Nothing to report here, everything is on target, on budget, going well. No news is good news. Hope everyone else is going ok, I'm just off to find out.

Having my hair cut tomorrow for the first time since 2009 and am almost looking forward to it (remind me of that when I hand over £25!)

enjoyfinancialchallenges

twiglet98 wrote: »

Just catching up as I've been in having scars from the big op tidied up.

Horrible huge vet bill paid yesterday for DD's old pony, vet out again this pm, not sure how much longer the pony will be around. Also have to tax the car, will do a cheque later so it won't go through before this week's pay goes in, also 500 litres of oil to pay for, delivered four weeks ago. Hope the kids will transfer their rent over today. Forgot I'd ordered a whole lamb and had to do a cheque for that last Friday, and c/card d/debit went out yesterday, when I was in hosp and hadn't checked the balance. Printed shopping list from MySupermarket on Sunday, went to Mr T expecting to spend under £40 and actually spent over £80 as I forgot meat, fruit and cheese on the online thing. Splashed out on whoopsied beef rib joints, half price down to £7 each, and wished I hadn't as the freezer is full to bursting with lamb, and already had two beef joints in there At least this time DD didn
't complain about having had lamb two Sundays in a row, last week my neighbour brought some of theirs round, as they'd just thinned out their small flock. We regularly swap eggs, fruit and veg over the fence - a bit of lamb is a yearly bonus!

Your Williams seem horrendous, I hope they are not often like this. Hope you are fully recovered now from your stay in hosp. not the Williams I hasted to add.

minnie2 wrote: »

thank you everyone!!! its graduate teacher program! and it did no go well

Now we know minnie2, sorry it didn't go well though and maybe you did better than you expected to. Thumbs crossed for you.
XXX

Erme wrote: »

Anyhow day 1 of no cigs (don't expect me to last more than a day though guys).
E

Erme if you expect to fail you probably will, try and be positive about it. Have you ever been taught to visualize your positive thoughts. Its about imaging you will succeed and setting the scene in your head, try it. Hugs XX

I wish I could ask you all to save jam jars, I put a wanted message on freecycle but so far no replies. Surely everyone uses something that comes in a jar! I ordered 96 on the 14th Feb and now only have 9 left the rest have all been filled with marmalade.:D No wonder my credit card is groaning.
Doing a 3 fruit recipe today as the Seville orange season has now finished so useing lemons and grapefruit now with sweet oranges to make the 3rd ingredient. :cool: Tastes good.

I will be rich when all have been sold, I will be rich when all have been sold, I will...............I will honestly.

midwinter

flying_fresian wrote: »

My account should charge me £12.50 per month but because I am staff it is half price For this I get travel insurance, breakdown cover (15 year old car makes this essential) and mobile cover (£400 value smartphone - eek!) Having flooded my neighbour a couple of times, I do appreciate the home emergency cover too

I get a £5 Reward payment for each of my three current accounts, so I don't really feel as though it costs me anything at all My account costs me £75 per year, but I get £180 per year in Reward payments

It certainly pays you to stay with those accounts then!

elly68

hi can i ask whoever painted their kitchen red what paint they used

silvasava

EFC - shame you are too far away from me 'cos I always save my jars & then end up either Freecycling them or venting at the bottle bank!!

enjoyfinancialchallenges

Thanks ss you are right Hampshire is a long way from Suffolk to collect jars but thanks for the thought anyway. I cant believe how quickly I'm using the bought jars up, at this rate I will have to order again very soon. XX