Thrifty is now my middle name!

nannygladys

I love your idea about filling your Heinz ketchup with Tesco cheapy, I will certainly do this as it will make me feel better - you see I'm easily pleased. I have read you diary and think you are being very positive about it all, I wish I could be as positive, I have admitted my CC debts to myself but my mortgage is another issue (endowment you see). Anyway I'm really enjoying your diary and will be following it to see how you get on, and looking for future tips!!!!!!
Jxx

kerri_dfw

Keep an eye out in the supermarket for a brand called Happy Eggs. I often find them on offer 6 for £1, free range and taste amazing
You're doing great £8.70 is a tiny amount to spend on all those things so you deserved the hotdogs and buns x

Miss_Information

Hmmm. Big dilemma! My teaching union, along with most others are striking on Nov 30th because of the proposed changes to our pension schemes. I did strike last time we took action, and I would really like to again. My reasoning is that I would happily benefit from any changes that happen as a result of strike action, and I would feel uneasy going in to work when others are taking action on my behalf.

The big problem is that I would lose a day's pay, which is probably just short of £100 - huge when I look at my overall budgeting.

This is something to ponder. Tricky one.

Almost had a NSD, just £1 spent on some crisps, but not too bad as I'm not buying chocolate or sweets!

Also someone has bid on one of my items on ebay! Still 5 days to go so hoping for a couple more

kerri_dfw

Oooh that is a tricky one, stand up for what you believe in or lose a days pay hmmm. Are you able to juggle your finances to accommodate the missing £100 either by skipping out on some treats or eating out of the cupboards instead? Or even batch cooking/freezing so you can make some savings elsewhere?

I'm a true believer in standing up for what I believe in.

Congrats on the ebay bid hopefully you'll get a bidding war

Miss_Information

Yeah, I think I'll strike this time, but if they plan any future action I'll have to opt out. I can probably budget for it as a one-off, but I feel like there's just one thing after another at the moment stopping me from being totally thrifty!

hollieinbloom

Hey! just been reading your diary and then read your monthly spendings etc.
I would definitely think about spending less on going out to eat. Maybe instead of going out with friends, organise a night each fortnight for someone to cook at their house. That way you can cook something in a very good budget and tell people to bring booze and be somewhere where your cards and money stay in your purse. I was bad for going out and spending £20-30 on a night out with friends and now i have a daughter and a home to run with my partner, I am a completely different person and saving money where I can!. Use the coupon/voucher threads and save on your food shopping too!.

just try to think of ways you can save with help. You have £25 for a haircut? ask around if someone knows a mobile hairdresser or if you know someone who does it who can do it for you and you will save possibly £15. My friends mum cuts my hair for £5!. You also have £30 a month for clothing, so maybe you could try to not spend anything on clothing for a few months? and organise a clothes swap night with friends? They are excellent as you always have clothes in your wardrobe you never wear or don't mind parting with and someone else is in the same situation too! Same with handbags and shoes! the pair of heels you just don't have any clothes that will go with them but you just had to buy!.

I actually don't have any debts at all and never have as I know how out of control i would get if i even got an overdraft. I run a small business and my partner works full time, but after we pay out bills, rent and the car (my partner has a car loan and high insurance) in total we are left with around £380 for the month for shopping and paying for my daughters nursery once a week so i save when and where I can!
I hope my ideas help you out a little! your doing very well so far! Just give yourself a target and you just need to push yourself to achieve it x

Miss_Information

Much excitement as my first batch of items ended last night and I have made about £49 with a few left to end tonight. That will all go straight on the CC, unless I find any genuine bargains on ebay for xmas presents - I've only bought 1 present so far, so need to pull my finger out.

Been away this weekend- got the train instead of driving £80 return, paid for before LBM so techincally ok, and would have cost similar in petrol anyway. It was a family ruby wedding party with 3 course dinner and a free bar - so all good there! Only spends were a taxi back from the station (good intentions to walk, but armed with a suitcase and a 45 minute walk ahead of me, £5 on a taxi seemed justified), a packet of crisps and a bottle of diet coke at Chester.

I think ebay could become a bit addictive - I'm now looking at everything I own in a new light! Will fill another box tonight and list some more items. Not looking forward to wrapping and sending 10 items I did sell, as I now have to find time to get to the Post Office before I get rubbish feedback for being slow

Hope everyone has had a good weekend. I will make payments and work out my percentages and everything tomorrow.

MissInfo x

Miss_Information

Feel very low today. Rubbish day in general and having a bit of a pity party so have allowed myself a 2 minute cry and am now getting on. I did spend £16 in Tesco on groceries this week, so not too bad.

Will try to cheer up now. May have to try again tomorrow.....

Lemon_Tree

hi, just found your diary and thought i'd remind you that there's plenty of folk on here who know what you're going through and have/are walking this road along with you.
the biggest comment i would make about your spending diary is that you seem to have loads of spare money each month, is this real or do you really need to start a spending diary to track where it's actually going?
well done for selling on ebay

kerri_dfw

Please don't feel low you're doing really well. I wish I could spend £16 on groceries, I seem to spend a small fortune on food and yet there's only little old me eep! Remember it's one day at a time and we all have our low days.
How did the rest of your fleabay items do?

Kerri x