2012 Frugal Living Challenge (Part 1)

slowlyfading

Frugaldom wrote: »

Slowlyfading - perhaps you could change your username to something a little more up-beat, like slowlywinning? I thought I'd seen comment of your moving house soon, so good luck with everything, I hope the move isn't too far or too traumatic when it's so close to the wedding. You'll get there, you'll win in the end and on your own terms. Everything just takes time and you are still very young compared to many of us 'grannies' on here. Think where you'll be when you get to our age because of all your early days of practice and pre-marital financial planning! :cool:

I am trying to be positive, honest! Thanks for the good luck - I'm sure it'll be fine really, just got to get my head round it all. Thanks for your support too

slowlyfading

Sandra - hope your friend is on the mend soon

happy_but_skint

slowlyfading wrote: »

Are you surrounded by boxes of stuff? I am! I'd love to see a pic of the crystal bouquets is you have one?

Hi

PM'd you a photo its not really very clear, I made little flowers 4 clear crystals 1 seed beed the same colour as the dresses then bunched them together. The place I got the dresses from gave me some material the same colour as the dresses which I used to hide the wire handle.

Boxes are everywhere! :mad::mad::mad:

rubytuesday

SandraScarlett wrote: »

His "signature" is large and in red and he knows everything about everything!;)

Yes I guessed right first time Sandra I'm quite good at this game but actually although he drives everyone round the bend making every thread about ATOS - I've always felt his heart's in the right place.

rubytuesday

Hope things get better for you soon Slowly.

Don't lurk Binking!

Try timesing the cat by four!

All practically my savings ended up going on two of mine last year!

rising_from_the_ashes

Not a frugal day .... car in for it's service (£220) and discovered it needs new tyres:(. They have been incl in this years' budget but I thought they'd last a few more months & don't have enough in the car pot as yet :eek: (also paid out for 12 months tax & breakdown cover in the last week).


Cat 2 is also due her booster - cat 1 was done just before Christmas @ £49.85:eek:. Have been looking to change vets (long story) and a new one has opened nearby who do them for £39.99 but have a 50% off opening offer:) so £30 saved there:T.

Just need to pluck up the courage to take her - she's a nightmare away from home (stress, poor wee lamb) and is "unwell at both ends" in the car and the poor vet needs the thick padded gloves... a thoroughly unpleasant experience for all involved .....

purpleorchid

Blairweech wrote: »

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

hi

i made a complaint to bisto a few wks ago, i bought parsley sauce and there was no parsley in it, so asked for voucher to replace it and they sent me 2 vouchers @ £1.50.

Luv P
xx

purpleorchid

SandraScarlett wrote: »

His "signature" is large and in red and he knows everything about everything!;) One of my lovely mates has phoned to say she fell over, chipped a bone in her arm, and is laid up, so, as things seem to be OK-ish with DD and DH, I'm Florence Nightingale-ing for her for the next couple of weeks.

She lives on her own, and has been brilliant in my times of need, so it's time to spread some love her way. Just thought I'd let peeps know if I'm awol for a couple of weeks, and people might think I've joined the Foreign Legion. Have a lovely weekend one and all.

Oops, nearly forgot. How did the 60th birthday hamper go for your Mum, purple?

xx

hi

she was well impressed at the thought and effort that had gone into it, and couldnt believe that i cost me nearly nothing lol. she also liked the homemade card i did for her. so i was very pleased with my 1st frugal gift.

Luv P
xx

Greying_Pilgrim

Evening All :hello: Hope allswell with you.

Just popping in, nothing really to report, but sticking to budgets and I am definitely glad that I have joined both this thread and the GC. I don't post much, but I do read most posts and I am enjoying the support that the threads give. Seems to make sticking to the budget much easier some how, coz you know others are trying their hardest too.

Well, I think that I have more or less got my budgets as low as they can go (although I am always up for learning something new ). But the one remaining place that I will now have to go in order to shave expenditure even further is to the price comparison sites and buying through cashback for house and car insurance. I know, I know, you're all shouting at the screen "Greying that's moneysaving basics, you should be doing that first, not last!".

And I have to say I would agree with you, but......... I detest the fact that companies think that if you make an enquiry, they suddenly have the divine right to ring you up every five minutes trying to sell you their product! I've finally got cold calls down to about 1 a day (usually the pre-recorded ones) and I don't really want the hassle. But needs must, the house insurance renewal came today and they've increased it by £49 since last year. We've made no claims and nothing has changed, so I think that is an inappropriate hike. I know there is no such thing as loyalty anymore, so I've decided that for once I want to be the one getting cover for £17, with £95 winging it's way over in cashback, plus 1000 nectar/clubcard points!!! OK, that is over egging it a bit, but you get my drift.

I've signed up to topcashba*k. Not sure about Qu*dco - seems to get mixed reviews? So come the weekend I'll be hitting the comparison sites and seeing if I can crunch some bills. Incidentally, has anyone got any sure fire ways of stopping the sales calls? I'm assuming that you are still made to give a landline no in order to get a quote?

Frugaldom I aim to do meals in the house for £1 per head, per day. I did used to be able to achieve it, but then food prices began to rise and then I let my budgetting slip and I was definitely spending more. I got back to something like it during January - but I think I was lucky with whoopsies. I don't get to go to the SM's when the '10p' reductions are about, but had been getting some at 50/75% reductions. However, I have noticed a significant tightening up at the SM's now, and they are all doing the silly 10p reduction off the full price stunt (ahem, hardly worth the price of the yellow label people!!). I'm not sure that I'll be able to do it in February, but I'll be trying, so at least costs will be low-ish. It helps that the household is 2 adults, and possibly that we are veggies - however, when folk report getting a leg of beef or 3 chickens for 19p in the whoopsie cabinet - I begin to think vegetarianism is the expensive option:rotfl:

Anyway, onwards and upwards fellow frugallers!

Greying

cw18

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

Incidentally, has anyone got any sure fire ways of stopping the sales calls? I'm assuming that you are still made to give a landline no in order to get a quote?

I have both my landline and my mobile signed up with TPS (Telephone Preference Service) and hardly ever get any.

Actually had one yesterday (the first in over a year!) from a lady who started with "I'm not selling anything, just conducting a survey" - at which I butted in to inform her she shouldn't even been calling me as I'm registered with TPS.... and that got a very hasty 'sorry' and hang up