Cleggie's frugaltastic journey to financial freedom!!

Herbyme

Cleggie, re trains, there's a ton of stuff on the mse about it but one thing that might work is looking to see if you can break the journey up - eg if you were buying Liverpool to London and it stops at Crewe, bizarrely it can be cheaper to buy a ticket from Liverpool to Crewe and a separate ticket from Crewe to Liverpool. Also if you look on The Trainline there's a button you can click that says 'include slower but cheaper fares' or something like that, worth looking at. EG where I live there's a slow train to London that can be £8 each way, it's a London Midland train and it's not listed on the trainline, so if you didn't happen to know about it, you'd be paying 'proper' Virgin rates which are a fair bit more (I think from about £18 each way). But do look at the info on this site:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-train-tickets

I always say you need a degree in train ticket buyinkg to get the best deals, it's so complex, but the page above really helps! Good luck!

rising_from_the_ashes

Hi Cleggie - just popped in but need to catch up already!

I've just dug my poor diary out from the depths of oblivion:o (after remembering how it did help) and I am embarrassed to say that you've more posts in yours in a couple of days, than I have in mine after several months! :eek:

Suffolk_lass

cleggie wrote: »

Things i will do today:
Get bread & Juice
Use food from the cupboards/freezer for all meals
Check OLB
Price up a new tumble dryer (mine is on its way out)

Hi Cleggie,

I had to replace mine two months ago and was still subscribing to Which at the time (actually I waited until the last of the whitegoods died and then cancelled it). I went for the cheapest condensing dryer in the best buy list and it's really good - much quieter than my old one and massively quicker (a medium load is pack-away dry in about 45 minutes) - bed linen is about 15 mins for the sheets and pillow slips and 20 for the duvet cover (if I don't separate them it comes out as a damp football!). I really would recommend it and it has got to be cheaper to run than the old one. I still hot the clothes up and then hang everything on hangers in the airing cupboard to save ironing anything but I sometimes dry things a bit more if I just want it out of the way. It was just under £350 with free delivery from gromit's - it's a bish bash bosh Classixx 7 - Let me know if you want the exact model details. Much better value than the old vented style.

All the best
SL
PS this thread flies faster than GC and has all the contributors I like reading!!

Herbyme

Cleggie, re the tumble dryer, I fixed mine last week - it wasn't heating up - I did it with a pin! Try the white goods boards for advice, there are people on there who clearly mend these things for a living and believe me I know NOTHING about the internal workings of white goods!

Hope the dissertation's going ok!

cleggie

Hello again, only meeee!!:wave:

Still havent been to the SM! Was severy tempted to go to Mr T's when the kids got home from school and were moaning that they had nothing to eat. But 'nothing to eat' means no chocolate or crisps in the house according to my kids, so i fobbed them off with a carrot, some yogurt and museli! :shocked:

It was lovely to log in and see so many replies to my diary, so thanks everyone i am really enjoying the feedback/advice/suggestions etc.

Caroline- I got so confused with the train ticket thread thingy, so i just checked a couple of diffeent websites, and it was cheaper on national rail, at £79 :eek: But i know it'll be worth every penny to go, so i dont mind too much!
Re the tumble dryer, i wasnt sure where the white goods board is, could you possibly point me in the right direction please?

Rising- Hello! I posted on your DFD last night and am just about to pop over and give it a good read through. The only reason i have more replies than you is because i am shamelessly plugging my DFD on the GC! :rotfl:Try it!!


SL- thanks for the tip about the tumble dryer. I will try carolines suggestion and if i cant fix it, i'll look into yours. Not too sure what my budget wil be for it at the moment though.

Today i have/will:
Avoided SMs
Paid for train tickets
Checked OLB
Tansfered money for tickets, from ISA to CA
Not bought coffee or lunch at uni
Not paid for parking at uni (i parked a 20min walk away)

Its been a pretty successful day, and i am enjoying managing to avoid the SMs!

Hope you are all doing OK and having a nice Tuesday?!

rising_from_the_ashes

cleggie wrote: »

Still havent been to the SM! Was severy tempted to go to Mr T's when the kids got home from school and were moaning that they had nothing to eat. But 'nothing to eat' means no chocolate or crisps in the house according to my kids, so i fobbed them off with a carrot, some yogurt and museli! :shocked:

:T Fantastic! Well done :j

cleggie wrote: »

Rising- Hello! I posted on your DFD last night and am just about to pop over and give it a good read through. The only reason i have more replies than you is because i am shamelessly plugging my DFD on the GC! :rotfl:Try it!!

Ahhhhh mine's the most boring diary ever I go through fits & starts and was doing reasonably well with writing in it until I lost the dog (and most things went a bit off track at that point) and I'm struggling to get back into it.

Recently, it's got even more wound up in my obsession with the spending spreadsheet & budgets :eek:. I know I need to keep track but I think I could do with lightening up a bit ... it's just scary!

cleggie

Made pancakes with the kids, they were fruity ones from the GC:

http://www.cheap-family-recipes.org.uk/recipe-breakfastfruitypancakes.html?opt=rbreakfast

Very nice!
Normally i would buy one of those things you just add water to, for about £1, but i made the ones in the ink and they were lovely!!
I already had all the toppings (sugar, choc sauce, syrup, lemon juice etc).

Florenceem

cleggie wrote: »

Hi Coxy, thanks for coming on over! I'll have to put the kettle on soon!


Well, i havent been in any supermarkets at all today..YAY!!:j

I am going on the train to London on Saturday and am trying to have a look around for the cheapest tickets.
I have worked out that if i buy 2 singles, its cheaper than a return ticket, but its still quite expensive at £79!:eek:
If anyone has any ideas how to get it cheaper, please et me know!

I am not sure what to do in regards to dinner on Saturday as i will be eaving home at 7.50am and not getting home until 10.20pm. I will take a packed breakfast to eat on the train on the way up there, and a packed lunch to eat whilst there, but not sure what to do about dinner as i cant wait until about 10.30pm to eat dinner! And dont want to spend too much money on eating something out!

Any suggestions welcome!


Today i have:
Avoided all the SM's
Checked my OLB
Avoided all the SM's
Paid for school trips & cookery
Avoided all the SM's


oh, and did i mention i have avoided all the SM's

Don't know how far you are from London. I am from the farest edge of Kent and have booked a train return ticket to Nottingham for £29! Pays to book ahead.

cleggie

Hi Florenceem.
i am in Cornwall, so quite a way!
How far ahead did you book to get it that cheap?

MunniMuncha

Hi Cleggie, thought I had subscribed to your thread, but have just realised I haven't :mad:and when I come back on another 2 1/2 pages to read!!! :eek: Haven't done so yet, as it is now time I went to bed, but will catch up with what you have been doing tomorrow.

Just wanted to say hi:hello: and look forward to reading more