Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - Part 3.

redglass_2

I'm going abroad later this year (at last! at last! first foreign hols for years) and am wondering whether I can avoid paying interest on foreign currency by pre-loading my credit card. Somebody told me this was illegal, but in the past I was allowed to preload the old Abbey Zero (before Abbey became Santander) with the full approval of my local Abbey branch. Does anybody know/has anyone done this with a Santander Zero card recently? (The point of using the Zero card is that you pay nothing on foreign cash transactions, hence the 'zero' bit.)

23rdspiral

hello to any newbies or lurkers!

redglass - i dont know about that card, sorry, but Martin has a full guide to how to do it.. i know when i last went abroad Martins advice was invaluable - it was cheepst to use a Nationwide direct debit card, but only in Eurpoe.

Lola - i LOVE your tortoise! i saw that crochet mag advertised in my cross stitch mag and think your dinosaur is just as cute as the one shown.. well done!

~~~

I cant believe the wknd i've had for bargains... on top of yesterdays tupperware, waterbutt and cupboard, today at a carboot i nabbed a few bits and bobs i'd been needing (such as bucket with a lid 50p and a small cutting mat 50p).

I called in the local tipshop on my way to a*da and found a lovely Next cardigan in the clothing bin:o for 1.00, and garden recliner chair for 3.00!!:j:j ok, so it's white plastic that has seen better days and the cushion is grotty and almost falling apart on the back but i'm ok with throwing a throw over it:o. i've wanted one since we moved but the cost brand new was just too much. so i've had a very plesant hour reading in the garden in extreeme comfort (thats something i've really missed as we havnt been able to replace our broken sofa and the futon isnt exactly comfy). rain has now shooed me inside.

(can i admit i also got a small pair of very pretty william morris curtains and a kids duvet cover at the car boot... out of the dustbin!:eek::o 2 other ladies were looking so i poked my nose in too. they'll be fab for patchworking and it's better than them going to landfill... but it's also a new level of 'thrifty' for me.)

has anyone else ever gone 'bin diving'?:rotfl:

seriouslyfrugal

Hi

I'm a bit of a lurker at the moment I have been trying to catch up on the posts although I now only have about 5 weeks at Mottisfont and I don't know what i'll do after that I don't really fancy going back into an office enviroment my manager says that I would be a good mentor as I work well with people at work I work along side the volunteers as a room guide somtimes and i'm quite a people person so i've got a lot of thinking to do !!


welcome to everyone new :wave:

Lola : I'm really impressed with the turtle - well done :j

In regards to december I generally get things in the sales so for example last january I got 10 rolls of xmas paper for £1.00 so that should last a while I only buy for close family members

have a good week everyone

Aril

Hello fellow frugallers:j
Hugs to those who need one and welcome to the newbies- jump right in.

I love your knitted toy Lola- it's really awwww!

Having had a dreadful tragedy within the family this week it's now back to blessing counting and frugal tactics here at Gnat Bottomed Towers. I took the plunge and sold a few bits of gold jewellery that I never wear which netted me a tidy £146:j
The small person is growing like a weed once again and finding him clothes that both fit and that he will wear can be on the trickier side [he has Aspergers] Someone was definitely looking out for me yesterday though:D I found a pair of combat trousers in the Millets sale reduced to £4 which he very much likes so I've taken them up to get maximum wear and in the CS there was the next size of scout trousers which he'll need for the autumn. Usually they set me back £15 a pair. Result:D

We've had a lowkey frugal weekend- OH has started off a batch of elderflower wine and I've used up all my old carrots for soup which has done us for two days worth of lunches. I've also put the gooseberries that I was given [free food:D] in a crumble.

Tomorrow I'm going to have a go at making either a folk art style owl doorstop or a cushion. Having looked through my fabric stash it would appear that I have enough without having to buy anything. Woo hoo!

Aril

LolaLemon

Just a quick one.
Thank u for all your lovely comments on both the dinosaur and turtle. I'm still in live with them.

I'm lying in bed in pain from being at The Tall Ships.(possible broken bone in my foot, but I really wanted to see the Magic Numbers, who where fab! So bandaged up after an hour, and told to get to a&e tomorrow)
All I can say for the 'team' that organised this is; can't organise a p!ss up in a brewery with a group of alcoholics!

millionaire_in_training

I went too Lola but no broken bones. I only went in afternoon but really enjoyed it. My brother took my mum in her wheel chair which was not fun but hey it wasn't my problem

SandraScarlett

Lola, your tortoise is gorgeous and I hope your poorly foot heals quickly.

xx

MrsB31

Hi everyone
My first couple of weeks into the frugal life have been pretty tough actually. My DH cant seem to grasp the concept (or is not taking it as seriously as me) but he has seen the figures and we are getting further and further into debt every month so we have to wise up!! The main problem with him is impulse buying. He bought that boxing match on sky last week and on Friday night came home from his walk with a DVD and bag of sweets and crisps. Yesterday we were in TK Maxx looking for jeans for our DD that she badly needs and he went into a huff because I wouldnt let him but a £50 jacket that he doesnt need!! How did you all manage to get your other halves on board with frugal living??

Personally I have been trying - cutting down on groceries and unnecessary spending. Spending on the kids was the worst. I had them at soft play twice a week, then at the weekends we would always do something - cinema, aquarium, toy shop, science museum, zoo, out for dinner/lunch! We were probably spending around £100 a week on entertaining them but that has all stopped and its free activities only now. Last 2 weeks we have been to parks, free museum, market and playing at home. We planted pumpkin seeds last week and the first shoots are through already. My DD was so excited so more gardening on the cards this week!

Still have a long way to go tho!!

Savvy_sewing

Well I have been at the BF's for the weekend, so little spends, except the fact that I had to fill up the car with petrol. £43. odd. Although I did have my Mr T 5p a litre off . 37 litres of fuel.
My Fostering Allowance has not arrived in the bank today, so I am really glad that I didnt bow down to helping out the twins with more money. (Its a big effort to say NO< but they really have bled me dry, and still do not learn.).
Perhaps I will take a bit of a peak at the accounts more today.
I bought some odds and ends at Lidl when BF was doing his shopping. One thing is a bag of compost for £1.99. Its now sitting in my car, waiting for me to get someone to help me to unload it form the boot.
I have started to sell my bags and so I hope that they will start to cover the costs of the other accessories I buy for the sewing, and stop using my money to fund it all. Its time to make money and not play around. I have a room full of fabrics and clothes for sewing into other things.

I have had a bad start to the day, with running out of the tablets for my neck yesterday, I am sore, then the money not arriving in the bank has added to my anxt.
I am having a cuppa, have the back door open to get some fresh air, and I will see how I feel if the tablets now start to take effect.
Working on the laptop doesnt help my neck, and of course neither does my sewing. So I am not sure whats the best way forward for me today.

redglass_2

23rdspiral wrote: »

has anyone else ever gone 'bin diving'?:rotfl:

Yes, I will forage whatever and wherever! Completely shameless. My favourite forage is wood for the stove, either lying around in woodland or dumped in skips (I never cut from trees, that's damage and I get mad when other people do it, but if the stuff is lying round rejected...why not?). Recently I got offered free wood by two people chucking out planks, etc. I have also discovered a lovely lane round here which has lots of free food growing in it. This is my latest discovery on the foraging front and I have already harvested elder flowers, some small cherries and a bag of apples.

Sorry to hear about your foot, Lola - hope it soon gets better - and your family's troubles, Aril.