Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - Part 3.

rising_from_the_ashes

slowlyfading wrote: »

ashes - gosh, that wind was strong! glad you got home safely. I agree about the weather, it's really depressing do you know when you're getting your procedure done?

The 14th - just over 2 weeks:eek:.

I'm OK one minute and in a complete panic the next:o, however, I am feeling a lot better now I've got a stack of supplies in.

Mr A do deliver here now (fairly recent development - & couldn't get for about 3 weeks last winter) so I will be able to get some stuff .... It's the cost that's been worrying me of buying things locally (I can get 30 Litres of wood cat litter for under £8 but it's £15 from the pet shop).

Hope you're feeling better tomorrow.

SandraScarlett wrote: »

Saving September! - for those who fancy some hilarity, they can also call it "Save In September"!

Optimistic October - hopefully some King Williams will only be small bills or (hilarity again) Little Willies! :rotfl:

No Spend November - Christmas Pressies must be Blue Peter Jobbies, or super bargains. If you fancy a laugh, call it Nose Pend November!

and lastly ................... (choose whichever you wish)

Dutiful/Dreadful/Deadly/Delicious/Daring/Darling/Disappointing December! The month when it doesn't matter how hard you try, you always exceed your budget.

I was :rotfl:when I read about your evening out .... old ladies are "the worst"!

I'll join you ... just realised my mortgage's going up by £50 in November:(... will have to have a hunt around but not sure if I'll be able to get anything better (credit rating OK but not fantastic).

SandraScarlett

Winchelsea wrote: »

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3385674

Sandra - if I've got the link above right, it's rictus's Buy Nothing for a Month Challenge, which I've been following quite successfully - a few more spends than I'd hoped, but mostly those were unavoidable.

But it's got me in the right frame of mind, so will try to stay in line with you until Christmas!

Hmmmmmmm , I believe rictus was a 20 year old, who lived at home, didn't pay any housekeeping, was earning something like £3k a month :eek::eek::eek:, and I found it difficult to find common ground with him!

But, whatever works, hey ho, float your boat, run a flag up the pole and salute it, and any other sayings you can think of! I always withdraw the same amount of cash each Friday or Saturday, and (hides behind the sofa now) then stick things on my credit card. I've always been able to pay it off in full every month, but there have been an awful lot of unnecessaries in the last 8 months.

I did soooooooooo well in January, then nearly as well in Feb, lost a bit of ground in March etc etc, and then a downward slope since. I haven't bought anything major, except for my roof :eek:, but I've slipped back into having Costa Coffee when I'm out, frequently, and loads of other non-essentials, mostly costing under £10 - but there have been sooooooooooooo maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaany of them - and 100 items at £10 each, means £1,000 wasted! :eek::eek::eek:

xx

Must try harder, must try harder, must try harder, must try harder, must try harder, must try harder, must try harder, must try harder, must try harder, must try harder, must try harder, must try harder, must try harder, must try harder, must try harder, must try harder, must try harder, must try harder, must try harder, must try harder
.

gien

It is easier to cut back for sure when you're single, no obligations. My mainspend over the next few months will be kids stuff - clothes, birthday presents, activities. Also, if it were just me I could live on lentils for a month which wouldn't mightily please the rest of my family.

My frugality today will be lunch out of the garden (courgettes, salad, toms), and then a good trawl of the internet to find bargain presents for my kids rather than wait till the last moment and then run to the nearest expensive shop.

tumptyteapot

I've bought the cheaper futon that won't fit my bed, which is actually a rubbish and uncomfortable bed anyway so buying a standard size futon will free me up to buy a standard size bed if I see a nice secondhand one anywhere. It's just slats in a base and it is about 1cm too low to put anything underneath it. The futon will be 5cm too narrow and 10cm too short which isn't that bad, pillows will fill the top anyway. I've saved about £120 doing it like this.

My son goes to his dads for 5 days today which always makes me a bit low, I need an app for my phone that wakes me up at half 6 and asks me random and tricky physics based questions through the day to replace him. :-)

Goals for the day are to go shopping without the help of an 8 year old and do my filing so I have no excuses not to start work afresh on monday when school starts hooray!

SandraScarlett

That must be rough, tumpty, but glad to hear you are making positive plans. You'll also feel very happy when you know all your filing is in order, and shopping completed.

I, meanwhile, have a envy-provoking afternoon ahead, taking DH to one hospital for 2 scans, and then on Thursday, we are going to another hospital for another 2 scans.:)

But tomorrow I am taking DGD out, for our last weekly summer-holidays session, so I'm looking forward to that. I'm also going to Mr S after the hospital visit, and hoping that Thursday, 1st Sep, will be a great start to my 4 month concentrated frugality, and losing half a stone!

xx

tumptyteapot

SandraScarlett wrote: »

I, meanwhile, have a envy-provoking afternoon ahead, taking DH to one hospital for 2 scans, and then on Thursday, we are going to another hospital for another 2 scans.:)

I hope it all goes well and you don't have too much waiting to do.

When shall we start our lose half a stone challenge?

rubytuesday

Found a fiver in my jeans on Saturday so that was good.

Have just booked for my daughter and I to go to the evening spa at The Sanctuary on Thursday as a reward for her doing so well in her exams.

They had 25 per cent off so at least I have made a saving of £22 but I will have to tighten my belt as my savings are being rapidly depleted.

weesmiler

Hi everyone!

I've not been online in a while, I hope everyone is well.

I've been working lots, but also eating too much and spending too much. So I'm up for the challenge from 1st September...more saving, less eating. Half a stone would do nicely

I have been selling some stuff on ebay, which is good, but I've managed to spend just as much!

Happy frugalling everyone xx

paidinchickens

Tumpty I am glad Pontins was ok as I know you were really worried about it after you had booked. I still have visions of you turning up to the chalet with bleach and rubber gloves :rotfl: I am glad you did not need them though.

I am up for the half a stone challenge as I must admit I have eaten quite a lot of rubbish lately. The problem is that baking is money saving and calming but I luvvvvvvvvvvvv the cake mixture out of the bowl a tad too much

We had a Mr Ts express open near us last week so DH and I have a new pass time of walking over (takes 10 mins) and getting all the whoopsies :T There have been quite a few but I expect these will be less when it has been open a while as they will get use to how much to order............ but until that day we will be whoopsie gathering every night :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
I can't plan meals any more as I never know what we will be having

I cut DS hair today so that is a saving of £10 (but I hate cutting hair) so well done me for doing it :A

I think everyone I know is on the hang on until the kids are back to school mode. Everything is " I will clean the house properly when" " I will get back to ebaying when" "I will do this that and the other when" I think we will be busy little bees next week

These few cold days have definitely caused some discussions near us with some people slamming their heating on and a few like me (camp frugal) are betting who will be the last one to put theirs on. I will not be putting mine on until at least October

I have bought a second hand calor gas heater off ebay for £20 as the house is all electric apart from the gas hob. We already have two gas bottles full as we use it for the patio heater (occasionally) so at least we can have some heat besides blankets in a power cut.

Hope everyone is well

PIC xxx

tumptyteapot

do we need a separate thread for the lose half a stone challenge?