2012 Frugal Living Challenge (Part 1)

Ches

I haven't used mine since last winter either. Its out in the shed and to use it I have to run the extension lead through the window so that palarver puts me off as much as the cost. I have the advantage that there is only the two of us and I figured it was cheaper to do smaller loads in the WM so they are easier to get dry. A small load goes onto the line if its dry outside and then onto airer in the conservatory to finish drying overnight.

Erme

FrankieM wrote: »

Morning,
I'm doing a Uni assignment today which could be frugal ( I won't be leaving the house) or could not ( I may need junk food and alcohol!)
I've bought all my Christmas presents. Unfortunately I had to buy them out of this month's personal money so I'm a bit skint now, but it's made me realise that from January I need to put money away.
I read on a money blog from the USA about splitting your money in to percentages.
So 50% needs; 30% wants and 20% saving. I'm going to give that a go with my personal money. Now just to work out what are needs and what are wants!

Have a good day all...

You know what...Uni is more important in the long term then worrying about a whoopsie...Just set yourself a budget for the junk food and alcohol and get that assignment done :A....

So yeah...

Coffee is sick (poorly)....I went to Mr. S for my cat stuff (coffee - apologies to cat lovers) to find out it has gone up from 47 -67p per 100g..so then I ran short of my £5 (£1 out of my change pot as was) so not a happy bunny cos the till assistant was such a grump (unusual for Mr. S) So not happy :mad:

Re coffee at home...you have the following options.....

• Cafetiere/french press from charity shop or cheap in the sales
• Moka/stove top pot from ebay (min about 6 cup size for a mug full though unless you like espresso)
  
• Delonghi's cheapest espresso machine (cos it's a which best buy) which is fab that I got last winter (paid about £50 for mine - think they've gone upto £60 though)
• Any Argos Signature espresso machine (again likely to be a which best buy)
  

The first two you need a milk frother for like the latte's etc ...the last two you don't....

I used to (when I used to be hardcore) get a posh coffee tin (like Ily or something) - drink the coffee - keep the tin then fill with cheap stuff..

Often you can get filtered coffee in the pound shops

Hope that helps a few folk...

Alas I had a coffee OD a few times the other month and it made my psychosis worse so now I'm pretty much a tea girl :eek:

E

rictus123

Absolute cannot wait for 2012, going to be such a frugalicious year!! So love having a weekend aswel as the working week where i take in alot more than i spend. SO much plans for 2012, cannot go wrong now after going through the budget 7 or 8 times..........a day haha. Got a 1 page per day 2012 diary, will be logging all my thoughts,earnings and spending in it. Will help a great deal. Then once i make my fortune and im rich and famous(before im 30 ) I will sell off the diary to be made into a book....called the same as Duncan Bannatynes book..anyone can do it!!

Cherryjack

Help!!! i managed to get mum some extra pressies in As&a last night.. i realised i hadnt got her much. Now tommorow i had plans to go shopping with my friend.. and i dont need anything extra now, will end up having lunch and coffees in starbucks and leave with lots of pennies missing :eek::eek:. Ive done so well up til now, should i cancel? SOS!!!! lol:rotfl::rotfl:

rising_from_the_ashes

Cherry a wee treat does us all good now & then:D - it's learning to keep them in check that's the key (and I find I enjoy and appreciate them much more when they don't come along as often!).

A question about your "small" loads of washing if I may - how small are they? Sorry but it's not efficient to do say 2 smaller loads when 1 big one would've gone into the machine due to the elec / washing powder costs etc so try to use full ones if you can (easier in the summer!).

My TD is sitting in the garage - it's been used probably a max of 6 times in the last year when the weather's been really terrible and I've had loads of stuff to get dry .... it may be getting a work out shortly as I've towels in the machine & another 2 loads to get done today/tomorrow!:eek:

Cherryjack

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Cherry a wee treat does us all good now & then:D - it's learning to keep them in check that's the key (and I find I enjoy and appreciate them much more when they don't come along as often!).

A question about your "small" loads of washing if I may - how small are they? Sorry but it's not efficient to do say 2 smaller loads when 1 big one would've gone into the machine due to the elec / washing powder costs etc so try to use full ones if you can (easier in the summer!).

My TD is sitting in the garage - it's been used probably a max of 6 times in the last year when the weather's been really terrible and I've had loads of stuff to get dry .... it may be getting a work out shortly as I've towels in the machine & another 2 loads to get done today/tomorrow!:eek:

Thanks rising, i guess i cant stay in forever :rotfl:maybe need to work on ''do i need it''?? and really think about it before purchasing... lifes too short eh.. xx

Ches

Yes I know Rising but I figured that the extra electric/water (metered) for 1/2 - 3/4 loads is offset by the electric saved by not using the TD. A full load in the WM is too much to get dry in this little house without having it draped everywhere which I can't put up with. If I do small loads I can generally get it all on the line at once (small garden and small linen line as well) and if it doesn't completely dry outside it all goes on one airer. The conservatory is usually warm enough to finish it off overnight and I can cope much better this way.

Ches

I have amended my post 312 as budget has already changed.

Kerfuffle

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

A question about your "small" loads of washing if I may - how small are they? Sorry but it's not efficient to do say 2 smaller loads when 1 big one would've gone into the machine due to the elec / washing powder costs etc so try to use full ones if you can (easier in the summer!).

Hi rising from the ashes,

I'm not sure who this post is directed to but I was talking about the weight of the laundry/garments (heavy and light) ,ie denims and towels versus cottons and synthetics, not the size of the load.

If I had a small load of denims, and small load of light-coloured towels, I would wash these separately and then tumble dry them together.

Ideally, I would save the small loads until they were big loads and then wash then separately, and then tumble dry them separately.

Erme

You see I haven't used a tumble dryer for about 18 months since I got my washing machine. Lost my laundrette card and that was that. Didn't get round to getting a new one from the council. Stuff dries perfectly well on the airer in the bedroom in a few days....

I don't miss it to be honest. No one stealing my stuff; worrying someone's taken it out straight after and put it who knows where etc.etc.

A lot less stress for me - bar the ironing that rarely gets done LOL

E