Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

alec_eiffel

tumptyteapot wrote: »

those are all good ideas, but I know from past experience that if I take a packed lunch I just sit in the car and eat it, and it's a long drive for me so I really need to get out and look at something that isn't a steering wheel.
I think I might be able to put off a big shop next week - apart from cat food, cat litter and soya milk we should be ok, I bought loads of 2 for 1's in the last 2 shops. Maybe that is the way to think of it, big shops every other week?

Glad I'm not the only one who eats all the packed lunch straight away - reminds me of the Billy Bragg lyric "you're the kind of girl who wants to open up the bottle of pop too early in the journey..." or similar.

Anyway, we've taken to doing a bigger shop at the supermarket every other week then a teeny shop at the co-op on the other weeks. It's worked well for us, we spend about £8 on the small shop and about £25-£30 on the other week. And we don't seem to have any less food!

tumptyteapot

alec_eiffel wrote: »

Anyway, we've taken to doing a bigger shop at the supermarket every other week then a teeny shop at the co-op on the other weeks. It's worked well for us, we spend about £8 on the small shop and about £25-£30 on the other week. And we don't seem to have any less food!

That is really helpful, thank you. I'll re-think my shopping lists now!

SandraScarlett

tumptyteapot wrote: »

those are all good ideas, but I know from past experience that if I take a packed lunch I just sit in the car and eat it, and it's a long drive for me so I really need to get out and look at something that isn't a steering wheel.
QUOTE]

Tumpty, I'd do exactly the same! Whenever I take a sandwich with me, it's gone after about 10 minutes! But you must allow yourself some treats now and then, and I don't think that £8 is grounds for admission to Spendaholics Anonymous!

Also, you're saying that you think £60 a week may be a lot to spend when "others manage on far less". That may be true, but there are others who can't manage on far more. I think that if you've made a saving in the last week/month/quarter, any sort of saving, then you're well on the path of your frugalistic journey.

Some people may live/work very near several supermarkets, and that may be why they manage to get so many Whoopsies. Others may prefer to eat nettle pasta, or tulip coulis every day! Different areas have different prices for food too. You're doing really well, and don't knock yourself, sweetie. We're not in competition with each other, only with ourselves.

Regarding last night's programme, DH said the woman who used the ribbing of socks to repair a sweat shirt, and then, when her husband said he was down a pair of socks, answered smugly "trainer socks!", made his sh*t itch! He said he imagined her poor husband, ashamed to admit he'd used 3 sheets of loo paper instead of 2!

I really think the couple on over £100K a year, knew very well where their money was going, and it wasn't a great example to show to the public, who like to empathise with characters. And I dread to think of the number of people who will be happily skipping along their country lanes this weekend, picking nettles, without gloves!! :eek::eek:

Treating a mate to a birthday lunch today, out for dinner with 5 other mates tomorrow, so a Very Heavy Spend couple of days for me, but hey, the forecast is great, my bulbs look a treat, DD has invited us for lunch on Sunday, and no hospital appointments till Monday. :T :T :T Have a great weekend everyone.

xx

tumptyteapot

SandraScarlett wrote: »

Also, you're saying that you think £60 a week may be a lot to spend when "others manage on far less". That may be true, but there are others who can't manage on far more. I think that if you've made a saving in the last week/month/quarter, any sort of saving, then you're well on the path of your frugalistic journey.

Thanks Sandra, it was really good to see a positive balance in the bank at the end of the month for the first time in ages. I've been dipping into my savings to top it up. If I ebay more I can use the paypal money for treats and you are right, it's not going to be an expensive weekend I'll stop being hard on myself.

patentgirl

Hello everyone
Havent been on for a while but do try and read through most days
have taped last nights programme so got that to watch later after work.
Sandra what good advice you give out

Update on frugal living challenge so far nothing appeared yet that havent accounted for, Gas has just gone up by £15 a month but first time meter has been read for a year officially:mad: Pleased that council tax remained same but water rates up by £10 monthly:mad:
Started an ISA so need to incorporate that into my totals trying to save £250 a month while I am still working not sure how much longer that will be, one minute end of year next hear it could be september so will try and save as much as I can. Just been on Holiday for a week but again that was paid for out of my yearly bonus only thing coming up is DD3 car for MOT Tax and Insurance she is hoping to manage most of it herself but think bank of mum and dad might be needed again!!

Looking forward to tomorrow as having GS. DD1 and her DH are moving house so have taken day off work to look after him hoping it will be nice as he loves the garden he can help me plant seeds for greenhouse
have a good frugal dayeveryone NSD for me today x

mooomin

Afternoon all,

I managed to get a gammon shank today from Morrisons in the whoopsie aisle, but can't be @rsed making soup tonight. Does anyone know if I can freeze it?

rubytuesday

Another NSD for me yesterday but I now have a gas leak so the gas has been disconnected, so I won't be able to cook tonight. I was planning on making soup with what I had in. So I may go to the turkish shop and stock up on pide, cheeses, olives etc. Or it could be cheese toasties. No longer have a slow cooker as I didn't like it.

Good luck in your new home 23rdspiral may you be very happy there.

Lesley_Gaye

have just spent £17 in the CoOp, but it was all stocking up on buy 1 get 2 free offers. So now have 6 bottles of shampoo, 6 tubes of toothpaste, 2 deodorants £1 each etc etc

should last us ages, still using some mega cheap concentrated washo and loo rolls that we got last year when they were on offer

the loft has loads of pks of loo rolls up there

minnie2

ceridwen wrote: »

....and me.....shocked that is....

Good on ya' for working hard to get rid of those debts - but I must admit to thinking "hours a month....errr....how many hours a month is one full-time job = 165 - 180 approx". So - 270 is 90 hours approx more than even a 40 hour workweek....:eek:

How many hours one can comfortably manage to work does depend variables - like ones state of health, how long it takes to get to work at the job/s, whether any O.H. is doing his fair share of the housework, etc.

Errr...how do you fit in those 270 hours you do now? What is a breakdown of a typical week at work for you?

Dinnae want to think about someone "overdoing it"...:(

ceridwen wrote: »

Another way round the problem of getting more money for work would be to ensure you get the NMW for the hours you already do.

At a very quick glance £90.59 divided by NMW doesnt work out...as NMW is £5 summat per hour (think its currently £5.85 per hour???). So £5.85 x 24 = £140.40 - NOT £90.59.

I assume some of that 24 hour stint is "time on call" - rather than hours you are at work and working? I dont know what the rules are for rate of pay if "on call" - but have you checked them and seen that the employer is complying with them?

I presume you have been working for the employer in question for over a year (ie acquired a degree of employment protection)?

One factor that strikes me too is that working so many hours (and I assume the type of work you do involves having disturbed nights' sleep as well?) is very physically arduous. I also assume these are the type of jobs that don't pay you your salary as normal if you are off work ill - but give you SSP instead. Just concerned that you need to ensure that you don't "drive yourself so hard" that you become ill....

well my state of health is questionable!! OH does nothing!! whats NMW? I dont get paid if I dont work.I have a broken foot at the minute and I am still working.

i have always thought it is a bit iffy how they work out the money. the £90.59 is for 24hours and its caring for special needs children.my usual hourly rate is £6.84 hour - so should be £164.16 but for 24hours they give you a fix amount of £90.59.
oh it gets even better as i care for someone with special needs who just now over 18 and i get fixed amount before tax of £45.71 for 24hours (£36 after tax). I get more money for having him one evening than i do for having him for 24hours.

minnie2

Frugaldom wrote: »

Just popping in for end of month catch up.

Minnie2 - Well done for putting in the hours to earn whatever is needed to make ends meet and clear any debt. Not sure how your hours are made up or what it is you do, but it's an average 9 hour day, every day.

I don't think it's excessive. As any fulltime mothers, carers, farmers, self-employed (as a broad term) will tell you, averaging 270 hours over a period of 720 each month isn't too bad. I know I was doing a 52-hour basic week while training in a previous job and others have involved round the clock 24/7 with only 4 hour breaks in between - bit like having a baby! :rotfl:

I admire determination and am sure everyone knows their own limitations - the body soon reminds us.

Hope everyone with ailments, illnesses and/or injuries is feeling better.


Take care of yourselves and your pennies.

23rdspiral wrote: »

wow Minnie! i'm stunned! and i thought my OH worked too much! gosh, you take care hun. i'm sure you're managing ok, just dont go catching any of illnesses we have on here!

tax - eek, i now have a worse headache after trying to understand those posts!

redglass wrote: »

Minnie, I am half way between Frugaldom and other people who've responded to your work hours. I agree that determination is admirable (I think we all agree on that one) and also that the body sends us signals, but it's precisely when we are stressed that we sometimes stop listening to them. I'm definitely talking from experience here - I once took a big wodge of paperwork on holiday with me - completely barking since I could have done it at home if I hadn't been so overtired, and guess what? I didn't do it on holiday either, but having it in my suitcase sure spoilt the trip and I fretted every day that I should have done my paperwork by now. I did that insane thing because being overstressed had eroded my judgment. It happens while you're not aware of it...so do look after yourself. x

well got several long term/life long ailments!!! hasnt been an issue as yet, but i am aware. Also struggling with a broken foot at the minute (hubbys negligence) that has not helped.

We are actually just finding that this money was being swallowed up in bills - thats why I realised how bad we were at christmas - i get paid monthly and due to christmas i didnt get paid for 2months without that money we were stuck!!!! Think I now have a handle on things and I managed to pay off my husband next account that I didnt know about this month and £250 off one of my loans.

Lets hope that continue!!! We have cut down to one car but it doesnt seem to have had an impact on how much we are spending on petrol which is £300 a month.

So I am just plodding on.Hoping to pay off another loan by August.