2012 Frugal Living Challenge (Part 1)

enjoyfinancialchallenges

mumwithamission wrote: »

efc that's made me cry.

Sorry mwam that wasn't my intention to make you feel sad. We all have our storys to tell , good or bad, sad or happy. Sometimes I want to share and sometimes I just want to wallow in my sadness. I do eventually perk up and I do know how lucky I have been in life, even the fact I gave birth to her. It is said that we all have a book inside of us, I have been threatening to write one for years but too much to record and not enough life left to do it plus I would need to touch my own sadness if I did.

dizzy_lizzie

paidinchickens wrote: »

Had quite a few hours kip last night so I no longer feel like killing everyone :A:A :rotfl::rotfl:
PIC x

Glad to see that you sound much chirpier in your post paidinchix x

natnat13 wrote: »

Meal planned for the week and don't need much really, will pop to Mr L's whilst passing.
Nat x

:T Well done Natnat. How organised are you! I bet that feels good x

enjoyfinancialchallenges wrote: »

XXX to you all. I just love this forum and feel that you are my friends virtual or otherwise. I hope that all those who are not 100% fit at the moment get better and stronger soon.

Sounds like you had an amazing career efc And I've no doubt whatsoever that you did make a difference in the lives of those families you helped deliver x

Very cold today so warm hugs to everyone
x

Kerfuffle

enjoyfinancialchallenges wrote: »

*Snip Not that its important but I would like to know at this stage of my life that I made a difference.

XXX to you all. I just love this forum and feel that you are my friends virtual or otherwise. I hope that all those who are not 100% fit at the moment get better and stronger soon.

enjoyfinancialchallenges and SandraScarlett are partners in crime on this thread with their wonderful tales of yesteryear, I for one love reading about times past and I take a lot of inspiration from these tales. I think it's safe to say EFC that you did make a difference to somebody's life back then, and you continue to do so today.

beanrua

Hello everyone,
I'd like to join in the frugal challenge. I've been reading the posts on here for a while and have been really inspired. I have been keeping a spending diary since the beginning of February - it's been a real eye-opener, altho I have to say it's been a difficult month with huge car repar bills and other unexpected bills. I'm hoping it will even itself out soon!

So far I have

1. unplugged the fridge - the garage is permanently freezing so I keep food in an enamel bucket with a tight fitting lid - this seems to be 'working' ok
2. I boil a full kettle each morning and pour the water into a flask to use later
3. Meal plan - making lots of lentil loafs/ chick pea/ kidney bean burgers etc
4. trying to have non-spend days
5. I've stocked up on cupboard items and lots of reduced offers.
6. I turn TV etc off at plugs at night
7. I buy most of my clothes in charity shops - have got some great designer stuff bargains!!
8. I walk instead of taking the car whenever I can.

Any other things I could be doing?

Winchelsea

EFC - I cried too. You are amazing, such a wonderful outlook on life.

I too was a midwife, but not until my own 5 children were grown. I used to do a lot of home births too, and am still in touch with a lot of the mums (even more just recently, due to Faceb**k!) I did keep a register, but only delivered about 250 babies. Spent most of the time doing all the other bits of the job, i.e. ante- and post-natal care, running classes, and being on call. This often meant driving anywhere in our area on dark nights, sorting out anything from a crying baby to a haemorrhaging mother. No fun when it's miles out in the country and you don't even know the way in daylight!

So many memories.... like a woman giving birth on all fours on the hearthrug in front of a log fire. Baby about to come, I open the sterile pack, spread out the pads and sterile sheet - and the cat walks straight on to it - a nice place to enjoy the fire!

I used to pass on lots of tips to new parents who were not rolling in money, and thought when I retired that I'd write a book called "Baby on a Budget" - but I never did get round to it!

When I retired I was invited an extra party that I hadn't known about, got up by a group of mums who I'd looked after. There they all were with their babies, and a lovely meal laid on. I felt so lucky!

Welcome Beanrua - it sounds as if you're doing well! You'll pick up more ideas on here for sure!

beanrua

efc - love reading your posts - my children are all in their 30's now - but I remember the midwives who were there for me - they - like you- def made a difference!!!

dizzy_lizzie

[QUOTE=beanrua;51182081Any_other_things_I_could_be_doing?[/QUOTE]

Hello beanrua and welcome to the thread. Sounds like you're doing loads already Just in case you haven't, have a look at page 1 of this thread. Lots of links to all the extra inspiration that's available on mse.
x

rubytuesday

mumwithamission wrote: »

efc that's made me cry.

Me too! xxx

SandraScarlett

mumwithamission wrote: »

efc that's made me cry.

And me!

xx

SandraScarlett

Absolutely loved Call The Midwife tonight! When we lived in Mile End (Burdett Road), there was a boy in my class, about 9, and he had an older sister, and then his Mother announced she was pregnant!

She also had triplets and her story was in the East London Avertiser. Why can I remember that so well? I loved Miranda Hart's response to her mother, when offered a white wedding dress - "no it won't be white Ma, I'm no longer worthy"!!

xx