Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

rising_from_the_ashes

miss_empty_piggy wrote: »

Managed to finally get the plug onto my free freezer which is now in the garage, stood next to my tumble drier which is in there so I won't be tempted to use it (but is there in case of emergencies).

Was chuckling when I read this as I've hidden my TD in the garage too! (out of sight, out of mind as they say).

Welcome to Tumptyteapot and Winchelsea.

Well, has been pretty dull here all day (the sun did appear about 1/2 hour ago but has gone again already) but at least it's not snowing anymore.

Quick trip to the beach with the dog as needed to pop to Mr A - only spent £12 which is really good for me (bought a paper which I don't usually do).

Have been pottering around cleaning, washing with heavy spells watching the news - poor Japan, I know we moan about our weather but at least we don't have to worry about earthquakes/volcanos/tsunamis/typhoons/hurricanes etc.

Have been working my my CV and have discovered it needs a lot more work than I thought:( but I will get there, thanks again for all the tips.

SoW partially updated - I've def lost some receipts (very unlike me as I have them dating back for years) so I'm off to have a hunt for them now.

Hope everyone's having a good Sunday.:)

tumptyteapot

I popped my NSD cherry :-) There was no one to buy a train ticket from and we walked home so that was a free day out! I felt a bit weird just taking a fiver with me though - usually I'd have card backups in case of emergency

diddly74

Before Hubby and I went BR last year - I wouldn't go anywhere without my mobile phone, car keys (even if I wasn't driving) and credit cards. I always knew I could get home in the event of a problem - it was like a security blanket. But since we haven't got any CCs anymore I have had to learn to get over that fear!

Winchelsea

Thanks for your welcome rising from the ashes .

Have just been looking at my finances folder, and have worked out that, after all bills and regular unavoidable expenses, I have £7800 a year to live on. This is definitely do-able.

In Jan and Feb I spent £919.85, which leaves me (from 1st March) £6880.15.

Will put this in my sig. in a minute.

Had to buy milk today, as it was my turn to take it to my Sunday meeting, but otherwise haven't let the moths out of my purse. DDs 3 and 4 took DH and myself out for lunch (DH in wheelchair and obviously pleased to be at the pub!) - and the girls fought off my efforts to pay towards it, bless them.

23rdspiral

coming home to a chicken supper bubbling away nicely in the slow cooker, after a fun, healthy and very sunny-pretty 3 hour walk with friends, is surely one of the nicest sunday afternoon pleasures.

and then i consider it's a very cheep dinner and i'm even happier = i've a woopsied whole chicken from my freezer (woop i rememberd to defrost it!), woopsied carrots, woopsied onions, 3 week old flat cider, tarragon and reduced whole grain mustard... even with all these woopsies, i'm still managing to follow a recipie in my s/c book! to be served with woopsied roast pots too

i'll catch up soon, but just wanted to share my old style frugal happiness. i hope everyone else is having a nice sunday.

tumptyteapot

Can someone please explain what you have in your signatures please and how you change them. 23rd Spiral has this -
Frugal Living Challenge - eek! NSDs J:13/14; F:12/11; March: 3/14
No toiletries/stationery till April. (1.50 slip). £365 in 365 days #102 : - 90/90 to end of March

Rising from the Ashes has this - NSD: Jan (12/12), Feb (12+/12), March 4/12

and what is the Sealed Pot Challenge? My mind is boggling!

mooomin

tumptyteapot wrote: »

Can someone please explain what you have in your signatures please and how you change them. 23rd Spiral has this -
Frugal Living Challenge - eek! NSDs J:13/14; F:12/11; March: 3/14
No toiletries/stationery till April. (1.50 slip). £365 in 365 days #102 : - 90/90 to end of March

Rising from the Ashes has this - NSD: Jan (12/12), Feb (12+/12), March 4/12

and what is the Sealed Pot Challenge? My mind is boggling!

Click on User Tools at the top of the page then on the left you'll see Edit Signature.

Each person has something personal to them - 23rdspiral has totals of her NSDs (No Spend Days) and the Sealed Pot Challenge is where you seal up some kind of pot, throw all your spare change in it then treat yourself at the end of the year.

Hope that helps

Winchelsea

tumpty teapot - if it works, the link below will take you to the Sealed Pot Challenge. Those of us who do it have - you guessed it? - a sealed pot that we drop loose change into. Big opening in December gives you cash for Christmas, or whatever you want.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2899192

To do your signature, go to the top of any page - on one of the green bars it says"user cp". Click this. Control panel appears on the left. Click on "Edit Signature" .

silvasava

Oooh - my second NSD this month (Only because I sent DH to get my Sunday paper & some Tbags!!!) I know it doesnt really count but I'm going to as I bought his friends birthday present so there!

cw18

tumptyteapot wrote: »

and what is the Sealed Pot Challenge? My mind is boggling!

I round all my spends up to the next 10p, and drop the loose change into pots - then at the end of the year I use it to treat myself to "wants" rather than "needs"

Last December I bought myself a new TV (last one was bought early in 2002, and the pictures were getting really grainy, with the colouring often not being 'quite right') and a loooaaaad of discounted DVD box sets (which give me something to watch now I've cancelled my TV licence )