Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

midwinter

cw18 wrote: »

I don't mind paying for water, but it's one of the bills I have some control over (in terms of the part for how much I use) so I have to try and cut back to a 'not dirty, but not over-using' level in order to balance my books over the year.......

I agree the water should be used responsibly, and not wasted.

If that also helps reduce costs, then it's a win win situation.

There are other areas I'll tackle long before water, to reduce outgoings

cw18

midwinter wrote: »

There are other areas I'll tackle long before water, to reduce outgoings

G&E already tackled (though still being worked on, especially in terms of extra layers instead of boosting heating - but I have to keep an eye on the dog at the same time)

Home phone/broadband tackled - I rarely pay for any calls (evening/weekend are included)

Mobile - good deal negotiated with provider (and when I have to make a call to a landline during the day - other than my DD or local council, who use the same landline provider as me and are therefore free to call at any time - I use up my free mobile minutes rather than pay to use my landline

Groceries - do a lot/most of my shopping from Whoopsies, and don't honestly think I can get it much lower

Dog Food - buy in bulk when on special offer, as he's on a special diet and there's only one type I can feed him

Insurance (car and home) are run through comparison sites every time they're due, though I struggle to find anywhere else that will give me what I need in terms of content cover. Currently have a named driver on my car policy (who won't ever actually use it) as it reduced my annual premium by £20

TV Licence - cancelled (and aerial disabled) as I wasn't watching it enough to justify the cost

I don't have a valid passport, and I don't even have holidays in this country. Even if I could find the money for the accomodation, I'd also have to find kennel fees for the dog - and that makes even a budget break quite an expensive one

rubytuesday

Beans on toast - so pretty frugal. A NSD for me.

tumptyteapot

cw18 wrote: »

Groceries - do a lot/most of my shopping from Whoopsies, and don't honestly think I can get it much lower

are you allowed to say what Whoopsies is please

mooomin

tumptyteapot wrote: »

are you allowed to say what Whoopsies is please

Whoopsies are the things you see "yellow stickered" or reduced in the supermarket. Most of us take advantage of them when we see them - I get nice bread that way as I won't pay £1.50 for a loaf if I can avoid it

tumptyteapot

flying_fresian wrote: »

Whoopsies are the things you see "yellow stickered" or reduced in the supermarket. Most of us take advantage of them when we see them - I get nice bread that way as I won't pay £1.50 for a loaf if I can avoid it

Aha, thank you, I thought it was a specific site or place :-)

cw18

flying_fresian wrote: »

Whoopsies are the things you see "yellow stickered" or reduced in the supermarket. Most of us take advantage of them when we see them - I get nice bread that way as I won't pay £1.50 for a loaf if I can avoid it

I get all most all of my meat and fish this way (and pies as well)

I won't pay full price for any bread other than a very basic white sliced (but do prefer seeded, mutli-grains and a few of the more 'unusual' ones we sell from the bakery - so I always keep an eye on the reduced to clear sections here), and I never pay full price for bread rolls

If I have any treats (cakes or ready made puddings) then it's very, very unlikely they weren't greatly reduced in clearance

If there's fruit/veg in clearance I'm likely to use, then that gets picked up

Can't remember the last time I paid full price for cheese (other than what I bought on Saturday, 'cos DD didn't have any in her fridge and my GDs asked very nicely for cheese & ham toasties for lunch while I was baby-sitting)

If it's a type I use, then I pick up milk that's been reduced (though it's not a regular purchase this way, as it doesn't often turn up in that section ) and decant larger containers into a variety of 250ml and 1pt containers I've washed out - and then freeze it until I need some

I also pick up fresh fruit juices and smoothies this way - the only time I'll buy them, though I do enjoy them

chika

Hello Frugalistas, hope everyone is well.

I've been busy trying to spend earn money to try and balance the books and pay for the new frugal mobile. I listed 15 items on ebay last week and made £323.23 so I'm rather chuffed! I'll try and get some more up this weekend. My monthy rent is £325 so almost rent neutral this month I've also decided to do some tutoring and spent a bit of time doing some adverts and registering with agencies. Hopefully I'll get some clients, I live in an area where they still sit the 11+ and have been advised to charge £25ph for tuition. Fingers crossed I'll get some work soon.

Erme I need to sort out meal planning too. I hate going to the supermarket but need to get over it so I can save more cash. I think if I have a plan I can do one big online shop for a month which will save me buying takeaways. I'm going to try Weezl's vegan plan. I promised I would be vegan for Lent but i'm struggling. The link is here, I may need to play with it cos it is for a family of four and there is just me but hopefully it should work well.
http://www.cheap-family-recipes.org.uk/planners.html

I'm just watching the news about Japan. Those poor people. I sometime moan about how hard life is but thank God I have no troubles that are even close to what they are going through. I hope they begin to return to some sort of normality soon.

Has anyone heard from NualaBuala?

LolaLemon

dizzy_lizzie wrote: »

It's not rambling it's a good 'outpouring' and it does us good, you know we're here for support :grouphug: (dodgy hug)
Things sound really hectic for you and I sympathise with what you're going through. Hold on to the fact that it won't always be like it is now, though I know it's not much help at the time.
Have you been on the 'flylady' thread? Has great little coping strategies for getting jobs done around the home but the main thing is doing it in 'babysteps' Also Lola go on you tube and type in 'flylady' and there are videos explaining what it's about and how to get started.
There's a '27 fling boogie' were you put some music on and throw 27 things out, or you can recycle/charity whichever you chose and do this everyday. I bought a timer and set myself tasks for 15 minutes at a time.
Anyway there's a lot more to it than that but it may help.

Take care everyone.
Luv Dizzy x

I had a look on the flylady thread on OS, it scared me!! haha i do normally do a few things each day - washing, dishes and clean one area... but my main problem is im a hoarder (i know this stems from when younger and my mum put all my fav stuff in a jumble sale, or the time we cleared out my wardrobe and i only had 1 or 2 outfits for ages - this makes my mum sound really horrible, she wasnt, i was just low in priority as she had just had my wee sis and i never went in town with her... the jumble sale was another story tho! haha) Im hoping to go to a car boot sale soon, and sell millions, all my stuff is in fantastic condition as we have soo much that the stuff doesnt get used much.
will check out utube tomorrow. thanks
oh your pie looked amazing!!

chika wrote: »

Hi Lola hope you're ok. Do pursue the student support at your uni. You will be given an appointment with an independent person who will assess what you need. If you tell them that you travel a lot you they will give you a laptop. They also take you through all the software that can help and you can say yes or no. I didn't like the voice activated one but loved inspiration and read and write gold. You get some nice useful bits of kit to help you. Good luck!

Ive been dealing with them since nov, then i got snowed in so didnt see them till end of jan then i got ill with the flu, seen them again in marcha nd now im just waiting on SAAS sending me a letter with a number to call and reference no for my new pc with all the software and a voice recorder for in lectures CANT WAIT! got appointment tomorrow for help with writting essays, bit nervous of that... but will help

cw18 wrote: »

(((hugs))) for LolaLemon - sounds like you've had waaaaay too much too cope with on your own in a very short space of time

Thank you, it doesnt seem a lot at the time, its when i write it all down that i see how/why my depression is here.

I did click the multi q button, but it has missed many out so here goes to another loooong post from me hehe

rubytuesday "A messy house isn't the end of the world - we're used to it, although it's nice when it's done but children prefer happy memories to a tidy home!"

i do agree, but i cant even open my front door as im scared people will see how bad itis!
and i know its really bad when my son pretends he's on the fone to me and he asked me 'have u tidied up yet mummy, i want to ask my friend in nursery to come and play with my toys' - hes only nearly 4!

EFC "LolaLemon hang on in, when you are down the only way is up so it will all change soon. Can you threaten not to send your son until you know they have bought suitable washing powder. It must be very uncomfortable for your boy. Chin up. XX "

Thanks I have, so no more staying at his dads for him, no big deal to me, it was only 1 night a month (that i got off without feeling as though i was burdening my parents again), but its a big issue for my son. he wants to be near his baby brother, he wants to spend time with his dad, but she wont change products (i know im sounding like the jealous ex, but im not, since they found out she was pregnant, she has put her foot down loads over silly things and big things, and he has said loads that he has asked her to buy the same as me, but she forgets, same as she forgets to get him goats milk/yoghurts that he has to go to Mr T when he picks up my son, and they only spend a max of 3/4 hours on a friday.) But when her son was born bought special washing powder (which doesnt work as she doesnt 'clean' her machine out). the silly thing is, it would help them as he has excema and psorisis and she apparently has sensitive skin. im now waiting on an appointment with my solicitor to see where to go with this legally. i can stop all access but that only hurts my son, and i always said i wouldnt be the parent to stop access, he will do that himself or my son will when he's older.

Erme "Also a tactic I learnt from the psychologist the other year is say 'I would like to tidy the house but I don't have to....that takes the pressure off and it's amazing how much you get done....there's no pressure then...Same with uni - I would like to get this essay done early and revise but if I don't the end is not nigh..."

I was seeing a councillor (i had to demand a referal as i was sick of being given worthless prescriptions - im forgetful so taking drugs doesnt work for me) last year and it was good just to talk about the random stuff that can trigger me off, but had to stop when i started uni, as i travel an hour each way (on the fast train), 5 days a week. didnt feel i was ready to give it up, but was looking at the long term picture, - 4 years uni should get me a good job, and can get help at uni- the help at uni isnt like a councilling service, more a drop in and im not liking that idea, so im thinking its time to go back to the meds, altho i refuse to be given anything higher than 10mg, so get a bit of resistance from the dr for the low dosage.

inspirespirit - call them up, speak to the first person, then if tehy dont promise something, ask to speak to a manager, and even ask to speak to the Op's Manager, and higher.... complain, cry, give situation both personal and financial, threaten with ofgen(is that who it is???).
i think power companies are horrible. we really are stuck with a few expensive companies that they really dont care about us as individual customers. i had a terrible time when i moved into my home, it had white meter heaters (?) that didnt work, my 3 month old was waking during the night nearly blue from cold, this was in summer (we had a bit of a heat wave then), he was going tobed in his vest, baby grow hat and gloves! anyways, tried to get changed from a pre pay meter to a dd meter and they demanded £250 just to change meters, so i looked around and changed, this was July, in January i was still trying to change over, they kept telling the new providers i wasnt authorising the move! in the nov my boiler got taken out, got central heating installed as i had no hot water as the white meter boiler wasnt working,,, i got charged loads! eventually got changed and yet they where still charging me, sent me bills even though it was a pre pay meter!!! mentioned ofgen and got charges wiped, and half the amount i had put in the meter back too.... but i did have to speak up the comand chain. i would not go back to that company ever again, even if they had the best prices, id take the next best.
Raising from the ashes, dont kow how u do it! if i had to pay my fees, i dont think i would be at uni -- soo glad the Scottish Gov agreed not to raise prices or charge us. Just worried how this is going to effect the quality of our degrees tho


Jackie O i have a diesel car.. its fab... drives better, totally different from a petrol... although £20 isnt lasting very long for us anymore, and i havnt been able to fill it up since way last year sometime it doesnt even go far anymore as im 'saving' the diesel. only to nursery in the mornings, i leave it their and walk to the train station, walk back when home and pick up son and it takes up back home, and on a sunday i use it to get to swimming lessons and as its across from Mr T, i go get shopping and go back home, abt 4 miles each way 5 or 6 days a week. its a Y reg, so a bit old now.

had a semi productive day today, made lamb mince with carrots and mushrooms, decided to make cottage pies, couldnt find where i put the potatoes (?!) so chopped a sweet potato and a parsnip and used that for mash, put them all in remekins and son scoffed his! soo not like him! made cookies too, and got batter ready for pancakes tomorrow. we had also went a walk and fed the ducks (swans and seagulls more like) and seen a black swan!! it was beautiful!

sorry for the super long post.:eek:

apple_mint

:wave:Good morning everyone - goodness it's taken me ages to read through your posts this morning. Some great ideas and support on here.

I've not been too frugal this week as I've been spaving in Mr T's and L!dl - spent £70 on storecupboard items and fresh fruit and veg. OH is clearing some shelves this weekend for me and the storecupboard under the bed is being moved to where I can see all my stock OH is working again on Sunday so I'll be batch cooking again. We've managed pretty well this week with all the packed lunches and evening meals pre-made and ready to go. So I'll be doing the same for next week.

Several Williams have arrived this week - phone bill (in credit with the direct debits), electricity bill (money saved but bill overestimated so we'll ring the correct metre reading in), house insurance (money saved in household account); car tax (saved in car account) and the council tax (will be paid monthly). If we didn't put money away each month into our household and car savings accounts we'd really struggle at this time of the year. I'm keeping a close eye on these in my spreadsheets to see if I need to up the amount I need to put away. Heating oil, insurance and electricity are definitely looking like there needs to be an increase. It's a bit like one of those slidey puzzle games - moving one block to another to make it all work.