2012 Frugal Living Challenge (Part 1)

SandraScarlett

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Maypole welcome:D, pop in for a chat / moan / support as often as you can - we're always happy to see new (and familiar of course!) faces and as Sandra said, the kettle's always on.

Pants to the car ......:mad: a chocolate muffin was most definately called for!:)

Minnie2 hi:wave:not seen you for ages - hope everything's going well.

Sandra wow what a mixed day..... the jewelery set was a fantastic find:) but what a frightening experience at the demo. I just can't believe some people these days - even if you're demonstrating about something you feel very passionately about, other people have the right to go about their business without being hindered or accosted (((hugs))).

I think what made me really cross, apart from being accosted, was that all the traffic in Regents Street (not the Piccadilly section, but the heading-from-Euston bit) ground to a halt, because the demo stretched right across the road at Oxford Circus, and people were having to get off the buses, and were so confused as to where to go next.

I just can't see how making them late for shows, or spoiling what was perhaps a special day out, helps the cause and evokes sympathy. But what do I know?

Had an add-up, and I've definitely come out ahead of The Budget this month. Not a massive amount, but a saving, and that's all that matters for all of us. If some of the new Frugalistas have managed to stay in budget, or even a wee bit over, well done!

xx

JayneC

Hi all just popping on before bed.

Sorry to hear news of possible redundancies RFTA - good idea to get stocked up as much as possible. Was browsing on amazon last night and came across a book called When all Hell Breaks Loose or something similar about preparing for a disaster - survival stuff and what essentials you should have as well as copping with the aftermath - it looked quite interesting (if a little scary!!) was wondering if anybody here has read/heard about it?? Thought it might be worth a look, may have a look at the library to see if they've got a copy there - but don't know what section that would come under?

Eventually got to Aldi and Sainsbugs today, haven't been shopping on a Saturday for ages, wasn't as bad as I thought it would be actually. managed to split the shop quite well and got 10 items in Sainsbugs for £21 and 37 items in Aldi for £32!! Was all expensive stuff from Sainbugs tho, but did get some good offers - Cathedral City was BOGOF (DS2 won't eat any other cheese - fussy little doodah!!) Fairy dishwasher pouches half price at £5 (never buy them full price!) and Whiskas tins x 12 for £6. So quite pleased.

DS1 rang yesterday to say he wants to come back home to live when he finishes uni this year (along with GF) which will be good (i think) as DD2 and DGS are moving out (probably to house 2 doors down from me, so that'll work out well if it goes ahead) and will miss her board money - which currently pays for the grocery shopping, so if DS moves back it'll help with the bills. I was thinking of taking a lodger so this will be better. I know it may sound a bit hippy but I do believe that things do have a habit of sorting themselves out, something always seem to come along to save the day (even if you thought the day was already lost!!) eventually.

Probably go up to my landshare plot tomorrow and try to get some more clearing done ready for those spuds!

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend. x

purpleorchid

Maypole wrote: »

Hi all


So although not offically joining, I hope it is alright I pop in from time to time, whilst I learn how to manage my money better. I am going to start by doing a spending diary for Febuary just to see what I am spending and where. So hopefully in March I can start setting myself some personal finacial goals, then join for the rest of the year.

hi hun

this was my 1st month of having a spends diary. i did not set myself a budget as i really didnt know what it was. but at the end of this month i can see that i am still over spending on things that i can cut back on. hope a diary will help you as much as me.

Luv P
xx

Thrifty85

Well, almost completed my first month of frugal living!! I think I've done really well in some areas but very badly in others!

My grocery shopping is well under budget thanks to meal planning and batch cooking. I allocated £30 a week and have only spent between £15-£20 each week so I was really pleased with that. My entertainment budget, however, is a different story! I've gone well over budget. But at least I'm now aware of what I'm spending and can plan how to lower it for next month.

Keep going everyone!

stitching_witch

Frugaldom wrote: »

Stitching Witch - If you can afford to, you should maybe just put fuel in the car now, paid from February budget. It might be cheaper in the long run, rather than running the risk of pulling any muck through the system from the bottom of the tank?

I think I may need to do that as I had to do a mercy trip over to DD's house last night (25 mile round trip) to sew a backless bra into her backless dress! It was meant to stay up with sticky gel panels but was definately not staying put

We quite often have to run the car on fumes and even though DH is an engineer and DS3 is a vehicle technician they haven't mentioned the fact that the bits in the bottom of the tank will get pulled through.

Listing loads of books on Zapper today so may get a few pennies there.

stitchy x

mooomin

I've not done too badly this month, although there have been a couple of naughty craft spends

I came in £4.15 under budget for my food shopping, which is amazing as my month lasted 35 days thanks to being paid early in December and I managed to build up my stocks too. Tonight I'm making a massive batch of bolognaise to try and build up my freezer stocks and I'll be making chilli next week too.

Today I traded in a game on Amazon that I bought but didn't really like, so I will get £13 Amazon credit for that, which I'm really pleased with. I'm keeping some of my survey sites ticking over so that I can buy as many things for Christmas/birthdays as I can with Amazon vouchers or vouchers redeemed from elsewhere!

mooomin

I meant to say this but forgot:

Rising I found out this week that my department (which I returned to on the 4th) is probably going to be restructured in the first half of the year and we're likely going to be seeing redundancies. As the least experienced staff member I'm fully expecting to end up on that list, so I'm now thinking about stocking up too - I don't have any insurances at all to cover outgoings :eek:

natnat13

Hi All

Winchelsea, my most sincere condolences to you and your family x x

Sandra, that experience must have been quite horrible, I am not against people protesting and making thier point as long as they do it peacefully without inflicting on people who are not involved, glad u told her where to go!

Well, our first frugal month has been very up and down, DH needed new glasses and we have bought a caravan!!! So 2 big spends, the caravan is coming out of our house renovation budget so was a planned spend and will be lovely for holidays as well as sleeping in while we pull our bedroom ceiling down!!!

With food and fuel we have def cut back and will continue to do so, DH is away on a course all week which means I can cook lighter meals for me and the kids.

Not sure about bits in the bottom of the petrol tank being pulled through, surely it gets sucked from the bottom even when the tank is full? And I don't know much about cars but they have fuel filters, I'm guessing to filter out the bits, I wouldn't worry!

septemberblues

I've had a very unfrugal month, there has been two important birthdays and I have just been spending like money is going out of fashion!

I'm really going to try and be really frugal in February, I have some soup cooking in the slow cooker, and I am going to try and use this as often as possible to do cheap but nutritious meals. I bought a small slo cooker with some of my xmas money and find this is better to use and not waste food as I am on my own.

I'm going to have a look a weezels site and try and menu plan. I've not been good with menu planning, but I need to get some meals planned or cooked in advance, my mother is going into hospital on Monday for an op for bowel cancer, so that will be a difficult week for food. The hospital cafe food is not nice and it's also very expensive, I can't eat wheat so can't take sandwiches, but I will do what I can to not buy food/chocolate/magazines whilst visiting my mum.

Any ideas on little frugal pressies I can take for my mum? She's 79 and terrified!

SandraScarlett

septemberblues wrote: »

I'm going to have a look a weezels site and try and menu plan. I've not been good with menu planning, but I need to get some meals planned or cooked in advance, my mother is going into hospital on Monday for an op for bowel cancer, so that will be a difficult week for food. The hospital cafe food is not nice and it's also very expensive, I can't eat wheat so can't take sandwiches, but I will do what I can to not buy food/chocolate/magazines whilst visiting my mum.

Any ideas on little frugal pressies I can take for my mum? She's 79 and terrified!

Oh poor love, she must be soooo worried, and so must you. I expect just seeing you there, loving her and supporting her, will be wonderful for your Mum, but how about getting some hand cream, and massaging her hands, and perhaps her arms whilst you're there?

I do hope everything goes smoothly for her, and you.

xx