2012 Frugal Living Challenge (Part 1)

[Deleted User]

LolaLemon wrote: »

Well done Erme on being dept free! As you say, find something that works for you.


Been a little occupied lately. Fell out with my mum, not so much as in us not talking or anything, she doesn't like me controlling my own life so we have quiet a lot of arguments (I'm going to be 30 soon, I have my own mortgaged house, a 5 year old son, my own car) so the only thing I rely on her for is to watch my son when I go to work. 2 nights a week. To teach me a lesson she has stopped taking him. One of my friends has been helping me out but I can't ask her to do it long term. His dad hasn't been too bad, but I know that won't last for long either. More than likely going to need to quit my job, just when no place near here is taking anyone on, with big companies letting people go, timing is rubbish to say the least.

I'm now on level 3 of my skiing lessons, which I'm really excited about.
Got most of sons school uniform in, he starts in two weeks. I'm soo going to have a tear or two lol. Just got to get the blazer, at £70 :-(

We are having a charity day in the pub, I'm off to make banana cupcakes and apple n cinnamon ones too.

Have a great day, hope everyone is well and big hugs available here :-)

Hugs to you Lola. I hope it doesn't come to you having to give up your job and that you can get something sorted out with childcare soon. Loving the sound of those cupcakes!

dizzy_lizzie

Lola hope you manage to work things out with your mum and everything sorts itself out.
And well done on the ski-ing. Sounds good and great exercise too.

Silvasava the soup was quite tasty at first but then after sooo many bowls......urghh
Started doing Rosemary Conley again yesterday. Phase 1 for 2 weeks. Much healthier and at the moment I seem to be eating better when I am on a diet. Crazy?! Only trouble is I really do not like exercise but I need to do some gentle toning up.

I've started a pin wheel design play quilt for GS. Taking it slowly and enjoying doing it.
Hope everyone is well and haven't been caught up in these dreadful rainfalls.
x

Erme

I tell you...if I was still smoking I'd shift my weight in no time. LOL

But I'm happier on my e-cig. Weight isn't everything. GP weighed me the other week. She didn't seem concerned. E-cig is cheaper anyways (till I save up and buy my £200 P...ultimate e-cig LOL)

So yeah...giro just gone in and I think OD finally paid off :j...£30 housekeeping this week. Got to check when DD for insurance goes out. Concert tonight (all £5.50 of the ticket for the balcony)...wonder if I'll sleep tonight.

Family stress was so bad yesterday . But was having a NSD due to the pizza so went down the beach....:j....Sorted. Must check out my W.R.A.P (wellness recovery action plan) on Thursday

E

[Deleted User]

Erme well done on staying off the cigs and for paying off the OD :T.

Not much to report here frugal wise. Still trying to work out birthday gifts as I have quite a few family birthdays coming up over the next few months. It is my dad's 65th and am quite stumped what to get him - I will probably just give up and get him something from the Bob Parratt website for his clay pigeon shooting.

My wee niece will be 4 later this year and I thought about making a craft box for her in a big plastic box with paper, fabric, card, ribbons, colouring in stuff and maybe even a couple of cake mixes to make with her mum. Most of the paper and fabric I have just now so it would not cost too much to put together. Would need to source a plastic carry case type thing somewhere.

I already have something for my Sister as I bought it in the sales after christmas but still need something for her OH who has a birthday in October. Not got a clue what to get him, especially if aiming to be frugal.

Erme

At this rate I'll be missing out family birthdays and xmas if these shenanigans continue. M has texted me this am but considering how much prompting she even needs to notice me she's pushing it. I just deleted it and didn't reply...

And am overtired....lovely - not

E

silvasava

Well Mojo has started to wake up! Got some pears out the freezer to mix with some whoopsied mincemeat (currant type - not meat) to make a couple of puds. Exfoliated face & put on expensive Aldi serum - haha. Still makes me feel as if I'm doing something to hold back the evidence of a misspent youth! Going to visit Lidl to get some lardons & mushrooms to make a couple of quiches & some chicken & mushroom pies from leftover sunday roast. Phew - think I'll go & have a lie down

Longships

Today starts a period of 8-9 days without the normal houseful of our grown-up offspring and their offspring so time to put on my frugal hat to try to counteract the excesses of the past few months.

The electric and water meters have been spinning like something out of the Time Machine and I have calculated that we are spending over twice as much as we are paying for with monthly Direct Debits.:eek:

So for the next 8 days it is just me and DH (who is at work much of the time) plus weird cat and I am going to:-

• Make all meals from fridge, freezer and storecupboard contents – which may result in some unusual food combinations.
• Have the water heater on only ever other night (off-peak) instead of every night.
• Take showers instead of baths.
• Use washing machine only once every other day instead of 3 times a day.
• Bring a couple of solar lanterns in from the garden each night to put in bathroom so that DHs night visits to the loo don’t involve turning on the banks of spotlights in the bathroom.
• Switch the TV off when using computer and vice-versa.
• Do without hot drinks and hot food during the day when DH is at work.
• Research the many ways we can reduce our spending for when the hungry hordes return.

Started by getting up really early this morning when it was not quite daylight and pleased to see that the solar lamps were still lighting up the bathroom enough so I didn’t need to turn on any lights. Have to remind myself to put slippers somewhere I can find them on dark mornings as spent the first half-hour today wandering around in bare feet.

[Deleted User]

Well, almost over the dreaded chest infection. It seems to have taken ages. Have done a huge load of washing today and got it all line dried. If the sun is still shining tomorrow going to get the beds changed and the sheets out on the line too - have had to use the tumble dryer too much this year due to the poor summer weather so I am delighted to see the sun. Feels like summer now finally.

Have been organising some paperwork today and still have alot to do - its for my business as I am self-employed and the paperwork really needs done as I have left it and let the pile get bigger and bigger.

Longships

Yesterday went well and I didn't miss my usual cups of tea and coffee during the day - just drank water instead. Last night I forgot that I am supposed to be using any left over boiling water in the kettle to kill weeds in the back yard and left it too long after boiling, so just watered the weeds :mad:

Getting addicted to reading the electric meter and working out how much we are using. Last night had the immersion heater turned on overnight and set the washing machine to run at 4am - together they used 9 units which costs 50.4p +VAT - how sad am I getting?:rotfl:

allie23 - glad you are feeling better!

twiglet98

Longships wrote: »

Today starts a period of 8-9 days without the normal houseful of our grown-up offspring and their offspring so time to put on my frugal hat to try to counteract the excesses of the past few months.

The electric and water meters have been spinning like something out of the Time Machine and I have calculated that we are spending over twice as much as we are paying for with monthly Direct Debits.:eek:

So for the next 8 days it is just me and DH (who is at work much of the time) plus weird cat and I am going to:-

• Make all meals from fridge, freezer and storecupboard contents – which may result in some unusual food combinations.
• Have the water heater on only ever other night (off-peak) instead of every night.
• Take showers instead of baths.
• Use washing machine only once every other day instead of 3 times a day.
• Bring a couple of solar lanterns in from the garden each night to put in bathroom so that DHs night visits to the loo don’t involve turning on the banks of spotlights in the bathroom.
• Switch the TV off when using computer and vice-versa.
• Do without hot drinks and hot food during the day when DH is at work.
• Research the many ways we can reduce our spending for when the hungry hordes return.

Started by getting up really early this morning when it was not quite daylight and pleased to see that the solar lamps were still lighting up the bathroom enough so I didn’t need to turn on any lights. Have to remind myself to put slippers somewhere I can find them on dark mornings as spent the first half-hour today wandering around in bare feet.

I can really identify with this, my DD and her partner are away for 10 days, he is a teacher so home all day for the holidays, and I'm determined to keep my consumption of food and electricity to a minimum. Enough food in for me, plenty of cheese and yogurt in the fridge, the cupboard is full of tins, just cat and dog food needed today (though it's Tesc0's last weekend of the 10p off petrol coupons, so I will get cereal and tea bags as well to take advantage of that). I have some dried milk powder so didn't worry about running out of milk for my cereal.. I have electric cooking and an oil boiler for heating (off now, of course) and hot water. The cylinder is well insulated and half an hour every other day gives plenty of hot water to shower and wash up at night. My cheap rate kicks in at 10pm so I've been using the hob after then, I don't mind eating late. I found some very out of date pancake batter mix, the value ones from Tesc0, that DS returned when he went to work abroad, so the first night I finished the leftovers from last Sunday's roast, then have had omelettes or pancakes ever since, or beans or tinnned tomatoes on toast with cheese. More eggs than I can eat from my hens, lots of lettuce, squash and courgettes in the garden, plus raspberries and blueberries. Hard boiled some eggs last night and steamed some new potatoes that were lurking in the kitchen, they'll do for my packed lunches next week with lettuce and there are still tomatoes and mushrooms in the fridge, and lots of veg, HM quiche and soup in the freezer.

However, younger DD20 was here when I finished work early yesterday, she normally stays at her partner's house - she was in her bed reading, with an electric fan on beside her, the TV on, her laptop and printer on, the washing machine on... she stopped paying rent when she started sleeping and eating at the bf's house, and I threw a bit of a wobbly about the amount of electricity she was wasting at my expense! She complained the broadband was off - I had the Eon Energy display thing on the other day to see just how low I could get it, and found switching off the wireless router at the wall socket made a difference, as well as switching off the oven and hob at the wall, but she hadn't thought of that, and had to pack a load of things she had sold on eBay. If she'd texted to say the broadband was off I could have had her up and running, and gone again, long before I finished work. The girls mock and despise my efforts to be frugal and are getting better about switching lights off, but there's a long way to go. They'll learn, when they start paying their own bills.