2012 Frugal Living Challenge (Part 1)

Savvy_sewing

I am now remembering to make a note of the spends that are going in and out of my bankaccount in the appropriate pages in my diary. I seem to manage to update that better then my spreadsheet. But it is not helping me to see if I am on target. Just what is in the account. So I need to buck up. I am also spending much more on the food shopping then I had estimated, as I have been having my deliveries of organics and then shopping in the local small mrT or Coop, rather then going to the cheaper bigger stores. Its a matter of convenience, or is it lazyness?
At least my rent is uptodate now, and I am remembering to ring up the payment line every week.
I had to pay the windowcleaner £14 this week, as I didnt have cash the last time that he came around. He seems to be rather random in his appearances, so I will have to keep an eye to see how often it actually is. Or that will be going off of budget too.
I havent had to top up the electric this week. (Put £20 on it last week), but I am now coming down to around £5 in the pot, so I think it will run out before monday especially if its a dull day like today, or if I manage to sew as I have been for the last few days. Mind you I have been making things ready to sell so that may recouperate some of the funds in the end.!

seriouslyfrugal

SLOW COOKER RECIPES


http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=1332010#post1332010


I found this on another forum & thought it may be of use to some people

not much to report really walking group tomorrow though :j

paidinchickens

I am practically glued to my notebook. One side for things that need doing and the other side for everything I spend. Scary stuff :eek::eek::rotfl:

Sandra You always brighten my day with your eventful life "you put the great in Gt Britain" is a classic I must remember to use in the future

I must admit I complain more now than I ever did. Companies must expect this as everything is so expensive people can't afford to have shoddy anything.

PIC x

ETA DH has two years left in forces so now on countdown as every penny needs to go to pay off debts as we will have no hope if he comes out to the prospect of no job.

mooomin

cw18 wrote: »

Question for any Scottish friends on here please...

I'm trying to help someone on another forum do her budgets to see if she can afford to move out of parental home (major problems with one of her parents) and rent a flat.
She's exempt from Council Tax as she's a student, and as I understand things from previous years of this challenge water costs are included in with this bill if you live in Scotland.

So does the student exemption also extend to the water part of the bill, or is she likely to still get a bill for that? She's under the impression (from what she's been told by a friend who rents) that she won't have to pay it, but looking at her numbers it's something I think needs double checking as it could be the straw that breaks the camel's back - and she's only got until tomorrow morning before she loses the chance of the flat she wants !!!!

I don't think she needs to pay it - when I was a student I didn't (Edinburgh) Might be worth her calling her local council to confirm though....it was a looonnnnggg time ago when I was last a student

stitching_witch

Feeling a bit low today so found myself in the baker's shop buying an almond croissant. I did manage to eat half for elevenses and the other half at three o'clock so I didn't feel too guilty.

So far I have spent £253.35 and still have £163.32 of this month's budget left, which I am really pleased about. That's eight NSDs too . I have a grocery/toiletries/household/catfood budget of £75 this month and have only spent £10.90 so far.

We have lived a very sparse lifestyle a long time as DH has been off sick for nearly four years but there are times (and today is one of them) that I just get so fed up with having absolutely no money, being overdrawn at the bank and at my CC limit. All I want to do today is buy something for ME but I am steering clear of the lovely fabric websites!

happycrafter_2

strange the things you find out about your house 6 years after you move in to it!!

I started the process to switch to npower and they have sent me a letter telling me I have IGT so the quote they gave me online is wrong and will be an extra £30. We had no idea we had IGT so I have now redone the comparison sites and noted which companies charge extra and hopefully will switch ovo, after I do a bit more research.

low spend day for me milk and bread so proud of us as a family we have done really well this week.

I had a homemade vegetable and tofu curry, that i had frozen a few months a go, just wish i remembered what recipe i used to make it as it was delish 2nd time round.

cw18

happycrafter wrote: »

strange the things you find out about your house 6 years after you move in to it!!

I started the process to switch to npower and they have sent me a letter telling me I have IGT so the quote they gave me online is wrong and will be an extra £30.

I started getting stung for that about 4 years after moving in here !!!

The builders never mentioned it, but after about 4 years Sc0ttish P0wer decided it wasn't fair that customers without were subsididing those with - and added on a daily charge if you fell into this category.

The first I knew about it was a letter from them informing me that effective as of 'date' I'd see a new entry/charge on my bills :mad:

dizzy_lizzie

seriouslyfrugal wrote: »

SLOW COOKER RECIPES
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=1332010#post1332010
I found this on another forum & thought it may be of use to some people
not much to report really walking group tomorrow though :j

Ooh thanks for the link seriously. I have to confess we had a slow cooker that I never used a few years ago. It fell off the shelf and so I bought a new one about two years ago and it's still in the cupboard unused. I've looked at vegan slowcooker recipes and think they'll not take long made on the stove so I don't bother. But I know I should at least have a try. I'll have a look at the link and see if any can be veganised.

Didn't go in work today, had no energy at all and the antibiotics have made the roof of my mouth really tender but aside from that I can definately feel a difference for the better. Just feel a bit down but I'm sure that'll improve.
Hope everyone is doing well
x

letsdothis

on a completely random note - HOW EXPENSIVE ARE DOGS THESE DAYS !!!!!??????? - I was devastated to have to put our 18yr old down last March -(had him from the council pound when he was 6mths old) and cost me £40 ................fast forward 17.5yrs £170 at the RSPCA and most of the other rescue homes - or even £80 at the local council !! -for the type of dog I was looking at its going to cost MIN £250 - and in all honesty I cant justify that for a dog....Ill have to set up a tin for a dog fund lol !..........OK shock over .....continue as you were........

cw18

letsdothis wrote: »

on a completely random note - HOW EXPENSIVE ARE DOGS THESE DAYS !!!!!??????? - I was devastated to have to put our 18yr old down last March -(had him from the council pound when he was 6mths old) and cost me £40 ................fast forward 17.5yrs £170 at the RSPCA and most of the other rescue homes - or even £80 at the local council !! -for the type of dog I was looking at its going to cost MIN £250 - and in all honesty I cant justify that for a dog....Ill have to set up a tin for a dog fund lol !..........OK shock over .....continue as you were........

I got my first dog from the RSPCA in 1987. Think I paid £10 for him, and £5 for a kitten a year or two later.