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2012 Frugal Living Challenge (Part 1)

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  • Blairweech
    Blairweech Posts: 1,379 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Hi everyone,

    Lola - hugs to you...like Frugaldom, I won't write what I think but I hope things turn out for the best!
    Purple - Where is the voucher for the Sharwoods please? I'm not sure I am using the voucher thread correctly, you seem to be doing much better than me!

    Well, I have done my totals for Jan and its bad news. As predicted, double the budget (actually slightly more than)

    Total spent: £611. 62

    Fuel: £127.09
    Car Insurance: £104.64
    Travel Misc.: £23.68
    Groceries: £91.25
    Eating out: £95.59
    Entertainment: £64.00
    Electric: £15.30
    Gifts: £36.80
    Vet: £37.42
    Fines/Interest: £5.85
    Mobile: £10

    No Spend Days - 8

    Evaluation of the month
    • New car - additional insurance cost and I had to put fuel in it
    • Groceries are quite high because I had to restock after 'Freezer-gate' :mad:
    • Vet was a one off expense
    • Bought tickets to see John Bishop in September so additional 'entertainment'
    • Eating out - hm, there was an incident involving going out for a friends surprise birthday meal and then the other members of the party expected her to pay for her own meal (rather than us share the cost between us - seeing as it was her birthday and it was a surprise for her!). Wasn't having that so I paid for her meal as well as mine.
    Anyway, today I have downloaded the FREE audio books, put them on my mp3 player and started listening to them as I WALKED into town to buy car tax. Was going to get the free milk from Waitrose but would have to drive there and pretty sure I would use 85p's worth of fuel doing that :/
    We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret and disappointment
  • cw18
    cw18 Posts: 8,630 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    RFTA - yes to the splitting out, and yes to the changes of figures
    I continually rejig mine through the year - always gives me a better sense of control of things :)
    Cheryl
  • cw18 wrote: »
    RFTA - yes to the splitting out, and yes to the changes of figures
    I continually rejig mine through the year - always gives me a better sense of control of things :)

    Brilliant! Thanks Cheryl:T it felt "wrong" to be changing the allocated amounts once I'd started - even tho' the overall total will remain the same..... but hopefully it will mean that I've a much better idea of all the "incidentals"!:)

    I do a back up save of the spreadsheet at the end of each month so will have something to compare the figures at the end of the year to what I started with.
    Grocery Challenge £211/£455 (01/01-31/03)
    2016 Sell: £125/£250
    £1,000 Emergency Fund Challenge #78 £3.96 / £1,000
    Vet Fund: £410.93 / £1,000
    Debt free & determined to stay that way!
  • Lola, I think, after reading your posts, we all want to give you cuddles. Hope everything works out for you. :)

    This month I am doing an extra special grocery challenge, as I am reassessing things. I need to make sure that it is still possible to budget on £1 per person per day, but I won't bore you with all the details here.

    Please share them!!! It's a while since we had some tasty frugal recipes, and there were some great ones last year. I'd be fascinated to know how you'll budget, but the will and determination to do so, is to be applauded. :T

    Just had my Ocado order delivered. I had £20 in vouchers from the boo-boo last month, and I saved another £12 on special offers, so a £74 shop was £42. :j This included some things I only buy a few times a year, like Hermesetas, and a [STRIKE]special treat
    [/STRIKE] necessity for me, Lindt Dark Chocolate ;)!

    I sometimes wander over to the other boards for a look, usually the Vouchers, and Grabbit, but found one about the Demo in Oxford Street, so posted, as someone who'd actually been there, and reported about that rude woman.

    Big Mistake!! I didn't realise that it was a political soapbox, and I got flamed by some of the rudest people I've ever encountered on this site, saying that if I wasn't more disabled than anyone who was there, then I had no right to complain if I'd been inconvenienced, and one particularly obnoxious individual asked if I'd have preferred every demonstrator to commit suicide! :eek:

    He then must have looked me up, and seen I'd posted on here, and went on to point out a couple of things I'd said on this thread but not on the other one, about the day. So I replied that as he'd looked me up, he must know I had a disabled husband with Mutiple System Atrophy, a daughter who'd been in a Mental Hospital for 3 months, and that I was recovering from Breast Cancer.

    I also didn't see why I should have cut and pasted, that I'm sorry I intruded on his spiel, and that I'd ensure I never post on any of "his" threads again. :o Now you know why I think this is one of the loveliest and friendliest threads of them all. :beer:

    xx
  • Savvy_sewing
    Savvy_sewing Posts: 11,580 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Rampant Recycler
    Oh dear, I have not kept a proper record past the 14th! OOps. I better get my bank statement and any receipts gathered together and get sorting!. Where did the time go?
    I managed one sale on Folksy, and my daughter has sold 2 of my books. (MOney into the wedding fund.). The sewing machine didnt reach its reserve, and so I didnt let it go. May keep it now, as the new one, is not as good at some of the stitches afterall. So it may be a blessing in disquise. My homepage has some of my makes on,for the month, but I havent got them priced or in a "shop" yet.
    I do know that I have spent a lot less then usual. Stopped buying in any charity shops for fabrics, or on line. Only some thread which I really do need.
    I have been following Mrs MoneyPenny or what ever her name is, and been making sure that I keep up with some of her daily tasks, if its something I havent done already. I cancelled my prescriptions to all my Sewing Magazines, etc. I will decide which ones to order if I get fed up, but I have a lot of them to still inspire me, and I can always get around to joining the library to get some of the books.
    I will continue to save where I can, and do my best. But recording it, seems to be my downfall.
    My car is in for a service tomorrow. I have managed to save up £600 in my ISA which is to cover the car, and anything else, including holiday funds.
    The twins have saved up the Sun Tokens for me, and so I am going to fill those in and see if I can get a cheap holiday for DGD and myself. (Possibly BF too).
    When I die I will know that I have lived, loved, mattered and made a difference, even if in a small way.
  • Well done everyone, seems you all are doing very well considering the long wait til payday and the usual car/boiler problems with the cold.

    I haven't kept a log of our spends this month as hubby uses his money for household bills/food and I use my money for anything else we need like car insurance/petrol, all gifts, clothes etc.

    I have been keeping frugal though. My dd needed a chair to have of her own for the front room, we were looking at a £45 one and using £30 vouchers we had however somone locally had a brand new one for sale for £5 and we needed a mirror for the bedroom dresser which I got second hand in perfect condition for £8 which I believ usually cost around £40 -£60 so I am pleased.

    I also bought the Andrex toilet rolls for £9.50 (student discount) so that should see us through toilet rolls for a while on the cheap. Also as I have been doing alot of money making, hubby has felt a bit guilty not being able to contribute so he paid for a toddler bedding set dd needed(£15 from £25 in Mr T) which was for a pillow, duvet, pillow cover and duvet cover, Peppa pig design so quite chuffed.

    Any ideas regarding vouchers would be very welcome, my local Mr T refuse printed vouchers so it is a nightmare using them. Does anyone know if the self serve tills ask for an assistant to check the vouchers or not? Saves having the debate of whether they accept them or not, I know company policy is yes but my store can be stubborn :(
    Comping wishlist for 2017
    1. Family holiday 2. Christmas presents :rudolf: 3. Fishing stuff
    The more you put into life, the more you get out
  • Just ordered a £2.99 personalised card, plus 50p postage - for nothing - from http://www.cardtown.com because you get £5 credit for registering. Sorry if someone else has mentioned this.

    xx
  • rubytuesday
    rubytuesday Posts: 22,383 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Ooh blimey Sandra don't tell me you entered the flames of Discussion Time!

    I'm going to have a look and see if I guess right about who the poster was!
    Here dead we lie because we did not choose
    To live and shame the land from which we sprung.
    Life, to be sure, is nothing much to lose,
    But young men think it is,
    And we were young.
    A E Housman
  • rubytuesday
    rubytuesday Posts: 22,383 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    edited 2 February 2012 at 1:13AM
    I was wrong!

    I forgot about him.

    He's not a bad old fella most of the time Sandra.

    Eta

    Actually I've just had a proper look and I was right.

    I was referring to another poster who responded to you when I thought I was wrong.
    Here dead we lie because we did not choose
    To live and shame the land from which we sprung.
    Life, to be sure, is nothing much to lose,
    But young men think it is,
    And we were young.
    A E Housman
  • Well done everyone, seems you all are doing very well considering the long wait til payday and the usual car/boiler problems with the cold.

    I haven't kept a log of our spends this month as hubby uses his money for household bills/food and I use my money for anything else we need like car insurance/petrol, all gifts, clothes etc.

    I have been keeping frugal though. My dd needed a chair to have of her own for the front room, we were looking at a £45 one and using £30 vouchers we had however somone locally had a brand new one for sale for £5 and we needed a mirror for the bedroom dresser which I got second hand in perfect condition for £8 which I believ usually cost around £40 -£60 so I am pleased.

    I also bought the Andrex toilet rolls for £9.50 (student discount) so that should see us through toilet rolls for a while on the cheap. Also as I have been doing alot of money making, hubby has felt a bit guilty not being able to contribute so he paid for a toddler bedding set dd needed(£15 from £25 in Mr T) which was for a pillow, duvet, pillow cover and duvet cover, Peppa pig design so quite chuffed.

    Any ideas regarding vouchers would be very welcome, my local Mr T refuse printed vouchers so it is a nightmare using them. Does anyone know if the self serve tills ask for an assistant to check the vouchers or not? Saves having the debate of whether they accept them or not, I know company policy is yes but my store can be stubborn :(

    i used a self serve yesterday in tesco hun and it asked for sa straight away, i didnt have any probems though

    Luv P
    xx
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