2012 Frugal Living Challenge (Part 1)

rising_from_the_ashes

Fuddle congrats on the car ... I have a shopping trolley & it's fab! Really easy to pull along behind you (except steep hills!) and it holds a load of stuff

mama67

:T

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

It is ..... I thought I'd have loads of pages to catch up on!

I'm being really boring atm - trying to spend as little as poss (although Maisie's going in to be spayed tomorrow ..... wait for it .... £200:eek:) so am living very quietly and just plodding along IYKWIM.

Have managed to get the pea plants planted out today (14 plants so far and have some more seeds:D) - fingers crossed they do as well as last year - trying for a few more plants as not very many made it into the house .... let alone the kitchen!:rotfl:

Nearly time for the month end update - overspent atm as have just renewed house insurance for the year ..... but, that is the last of my big annual bills until December!:D

That serves me right for skim reading saw Maisie and thought what am I doing.
Thats my real name. lol!!

Erme

fuddle wrote: »

Good resolve there thrifty. I bet it looks gorgeous and much more pleasing than shop bought costing you money.

All this talk of autumn warming has had me thinking. (plus just talking to my elderly neighbour about the dreadful weather who was wearing an arran cardi to keep warm in the house) that I would like a 'house jacket'. That's what my Grandma called her thicker than normal cardi. It was worn and ruined but so warm and in the winter I saw her with it on time after time.

Now I can't knit (determined to learn!) but I can crochet so I'm going to use up all my odds of wool to crochet a technicolour house jacket that I can throw on when I'm chilly in the house. It's going to look dreadful but I'm actually really excited about it

Actually if you can't get wool cheap from the charitty shop I think bedford sewing and knitting is worth a google ...just get the 2ply on clearance and mix it and wind it round a loo roll inner to make a ball. Have any variety of wool you want that way for little money. 4ply/DK anything :money:

fuddle wrote: »

The forecast is set for a good improvement where I am next week so fingers crossed for some money saving a few feelings of feeing good and content.

I'm in a quandary with a challenge I've had in mind, if I need to replace a piece of clothing then I would buy it second hand. The only thing is I find second hand is on the whole more expensive than buying cheap. I'd like to support charity shops but they are too pricey for me really. It might have to be ebay but then again the postage costs outweigh the savings, generally.

Speaking of slippers, I will have a look at the mammoths. I'd like something with a rubber sole because a lot of essentials are stored in the freezer in the garage and I'm forever in and out. I had in mind my grandma's sippers with fleecey/wooly linings but I'm still in my early thirties and can't see myself giving up the pink sparkly fleecey ballet-esk slippers just yet.

I have a pair of winter crocs I love I got last winter. Might be worth checking ebay? Before then I had fleecy Lands End orange mule thingies that lasted a few years. Worth paying £15 or so pounds for something warm and like plasticky that will last a while. Or try gardening clogs? they will do and just wear socks in them.

Anyhow sorry to hear of your sad news Sandra...Hugs....

I'm ?Okay?...not being as frugal as I inspire to but then when do I ever? Exactly

E

fuddle

I've found a fair few rubber based slippers http://www.wynsors.com/womens-shoes-womens-slippers-c-2_19.html?sort=20a&max_display=999 for around £4-£7. I'll keep that in mind and wait till we're near the store in town before I pick some up.

We've been talking on the OS thread about store cupboards and it's really spurred me on to start a store under the stairs. I need to do a major clean out first but I think it's a sensible idea. As well as feeling prepared I think it will actually save me money because I won't need to take half as many trips to the local coop etc.

Has anyone bought a shopping trolley from argos? They're £16 ish and quite cheap in comparison to what I have seen online (and DH can take me, I won't need to spend delivery money) My concern is it would be going 6 miles a couple times a week and I have quite a steep hill to climb on the way back. I don't want to spend money on something cheap and chatty only to find it will need replacing but I don't want to spend more money on something that a cheaper one would do just fine anyway.

Dilemma's! Still got a few months to make the decision though.

School uniform jumpers. My MIL has bought my kids their t-shirts which I am so chuffed about but I need to buy both my children new school jumpers as they're changing schools. I have £30 to pull out this month and another £30 for the youngest next month. It's a bind to be honest but I knew it was coming.

Erme

I got a rola one for about £30 about 12 years ago and it's still going strong...

Okay so I don't take it every week and I don't take it far but still...

It's about the wheels and the axles.....More than anything else...

I'd personally lash out a bit more for it to last longer. Have you not got a market nearby? They might have one. Or may be worth a trip to the bigger cities to get one

E

rising_from_the_ashes

fuddle wrote: »

Has anyone bought a shopping trolley from argos? They're £16 ish and quite cheap in comparison to what I have seen online (and DH can take me, I won't need to spend delivery money) My concern is it would be going 6 miles a couple times a week and I have quite a steep hill to climb on the way back. I don't want to spend money on something cheap and chatty only to find it will need replacing but I don't want to spend more money on something that a cheaper one would do just fine anyway.

Do you have a local hardware type store where you live (I'm relatively luck here as although very rural, I have 3 towns all around 8 miles away each, and they all have one) - they're often much better for things like that than some of the bit national stores IYKWIM.

I got mine from one of the local shops for around £14 and it's fab - not sure how it compares with the Ar*gos ones but may be worth a look if you're somewhere and there's a hardware store.

Savvy_sewing

Sorry folks havent got the energy to read and catch up. Hope everyone is doing well on all thier MSE ventures.
Did I tell you that the DWP have reassessed me and re-instated my ESA. So finally I will know what money I shall have coming in and I will be able to revisit the budget. Again when I have the energy.
Bought a bedroom furniture set this week which is due to be delivered anytime now. Its secondhand but a substancial solid set. The problem will be getting it up the stairs. I may have to dismantle the wardrobe and rebuild upstairs. I say, I, I mean my son, I doubt I could do it. But it will have to lurk in the front room until he comes home on Wednesday!!! Least I am not expecting any visitors.
BF broke off with me again on Thursday. So I am rather fed up. Its supposed to be our anniversary this weekend. I had spent a considerable amount on his gifts too!. sods law.
Its the carnival here but I didnt go. DGD had forgotten so I didnt mention it. Its damp and cold here, so I didnt want to go out. And now the furniture is due so it would have been difficult to get her to come home if we had gone down there.

slowlyfading

Mooloo wrote: »

Did I tell you that the DWP have reassessed me and re-instated my ESA. So finally I will know what money I shall have coming in and I will be able to revisit the budget. Again when I have the energy.

What great news! :j

BF broke off with me again on Thursday. So I am rather fed up. Its supposed to be our anniversary this weekend. I had spent a considerable amount on his gifts too!. sods law.

Oh no! :grouphug: are you okay? did you see it coming or have no idea? Can you return his gifts and ask for a refund?

Savvy_sewing

slowlyfading wrote: »

What great news! :j

Oh no! :grouphug: are you okay? did you see it coming or have no idea? Can you return his gifts and ask for a refund?

I am okay. Just trying to get through the jobs to do at home etc. Today will be the hard day. We were due to celebrate together today.
I wont return the gifts, but I may re-assign them to others. Donate to charity or something. We will see.

I had absolutely no idea that there was any problem at all. We had had a really good weekend together last weekend. We were not long back off of holiday either.
I really thought that we were back on track from the last hiccup, and that this time we had got it right. But of course, he still has no trust afterall. So its never going to work.
I should have not kept trying so hard to please him, as its a futile exercise. It appears that he will rather believe whats in his head,/mind, rather then whats in front of him. Damaged goods from his ex wife days I suppose. But after 8 years he doesnt believe in me, then he never ever will. So I am saddened. However I havent shed a tear yet. I hope that I wont. But if I have a wobble, I will get over it.
I am much stronger this time around. I get to go on a break with my elderst daughter and her baby in a few weeks, as her BF also did a runner this week! Same Day would you believe. So the wedding is off. Save me trying to sell of my jewellry etc to help pay for it!.
See every cloud has a silver lining, you just have to look for it! Cant believe I can actually think like that. 6 months ago I would have been rock bottom and distraught!

silvasava

Mooloo - Hugs & well done you for such a positive attitude. If you have a wobble come on here and you'll get plenty of help & support. Glad to hear you are able to have some time with DD & her baby too.

Sandra - only just caught up on posts - sending hugs to you & as Mculloch says maybe now you will be able to get some additional practical support.

Hope everyone has a lovely Jubilee weekend whatever the weather!