Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

itsallinthemind

Kerfuffle wrote: »

O2 X3

lynzpower wrote: »

Iphone 3 (the old one)
I do use the data a lot

I'll check both with him later, he is normally pretty good with these things. Both are BB5 so they would cost up to £35 to unlock legally as ther are no free codes for either.

lynz, I am not sure currently, but it used to be that Tesco were the worst for data charges. They are however the best mainstream network for minutes. May be worth a quick check in regards to your useage?

As for parties...
2 year olds having their birthday at Pizza Express? That's for the parents, not as if you can relax afterwards without the child getting bored. At that age cake, with finger food or an easy meal is all that is needed lol.

How about buying a large plant? Even something like a peace lilly or jasmine are about £5 in Homebase, pop in a pot and it is £10 max. I do not like flowers myself, always think it is silly as they die so fast.

Personally I'd be frank, I would love to do x, y and z, but I can't. End of.

itsallinthemind

I'm still laughing at the prospect of a 2 year old boy sitting nicely throughout a meal and afterwards whilst you have a coffee...

Kerfuffle

itsallinthemind wrote: »

I'll check both with him later, he is normally pretty good with these things. Both are BB5 so they would cost up to £35 to unlock legally as ther are no free codes for either.

Thanks itsallinthemind,

any information is greatly appreciated.

ps what's BB5?

Lily_The_Legend

flying_fresian wrote: »

I always used to have a party at home with a home-made cake when I was wee and loved it - the highlight used to be going to the video rental shop to choose our own film

I have a friend whose daughter is 12 or 13. One birthday my friend hired a limo for her kid and paid for a group of her friends to get a "makeover" in some shop then took them all out to the cinema too. She was complaining this year that "parents have to keep up with each other for parties etc" but it's parents like her who make it hard for other people in my opinion.

I have a 2 year old nephew and wouldn't go out to a restaurant for dinner to celebrate his birthday, he's too young to understand (and is a little terror!!)

Good grief, that is a bit over the top for a 12th or 13th birthday party! I think when I was 13 we went to Clacton and had an ice cream. :rotfl:

Kerfuffle wrote: »

The first time I had a birthday 'party' ( and I use that word lightly!) was when I was 7 years old. I remember some presents, I don't remember us having any food let alone cake or jelly, and we all went looking for frogspawn.

The 'party' drifted away and that was the end of that.:o

The second time I had a birthday party I was 40 and we did have cake and jelly!!:rotfl::rotfl:

Ooo I'm glad you got to have jelly finally! :T:D

That's the thing, he won't remember it when he's older!

Kerfuffle wrote: »

or maybe she's already used them to 'buy' the gift. Do you know what it is yet?

I don't know what she's got her. What we got her was a joint Christmas and birthday present.

Savvy_sewing

I have just gone against my usual grain, and ordered a new phone, on monthly contract, via Quidco, and Carphonewarehouse, where I am tied in for 24months, £30.54 a month, however, that is only £10 a month more then I have adveraged spending on my old Pay as you go phone and I will get much more free minutes/texts unlimited etc. But the piece de resistance that made me sign up, is the Freebie, with it. An xbox with a 250gb memory, and the new konnect? which is what DS wanted for his 18th Birthday, next week. (I would have spent the couple of hundred on it, but the car is in the garage today, and the bill for that has swallowed up my funds.).
Not as MSE as I would like to be, or frugal really, but best I could think up.

Lily_The_Legend

itsallinthemind wrote: »

I'm still laughing at the prospect of a 2 year old boy sitting nicely throughout a meal and afterwards whilst you have a coffee...

The last time we went out for a meal he kept banging his toys on the high chair. :eek:

I reckon they're doing it because SIL and hubby want to use their vouchers but don't want to go out just the three of them so this is an excuse, either because they have nothing to say to each other or so that there are extra people keeping an eye on our nephew!

itsallinthemind

Kerfuffle wrote: »

ps what's BB5?

Dunno EXACTALLY lol. Think it is the platform they run on. It should be just nokia phones that are classed as BB5 as I think it was their software, but others are loosely termed that out of sheer simplicity I guess. I just pick up random stuff from my friend waffling about really INTERESTING stuff :rotfl:I really do not want to know more :D

patentgirl

Lily I would go for truth too can't believe that is a 2 years old choice to go to restaurant whats up with party at home with jelly and ice cream homemade cake etc Cake idea for MIL is spot on too much better than flowers sure she will appreciate it more.

Really cross with myself as finally worked out all my totals for year then left them at home as back to work today will remember them tomorrow

Lily_The_Legend

patentgirl wrote: »

Lily I would go for truth too can't believe that is a 2 years old choice to go to restaurant whats up with party at home with jelly and ice cream homemade cake etc Cake idea for MIL is spot on too much better than flowers sure she will appreciate it more.

Really cross with myself as finally worked out all my totals for year then left them at home as back to work today will remember them tomorrow

I know, it's really odd. I would be happy to make something for a party too.

Maybe it's because she knows she'll get little or no help from her lazy husband in sorting a party out! :cool:

angelaf_3

I'd like to join in please. I'll probably be lurking more than anything but I really do want to cut down on waste and save as much as possible this year. Mainly because deep down I hate waste and really need to get back to basics in many areas of my life and also there is some work I'd like toget done on my house.