Meet the frugal's, 365 day challenge of buying nothing.

westy7

phil7445 wrote:

"My second tip is to join quidco and topcashback and do the free clicks every day, you can make on average £20 or so a month for 15 mins of work a day, it is very easy and will give you more money to spend on essentials."

Does Quidco do this? Where on the website is this please? I thought you had to buy stuff to get money back.

Quidco have Kelkoo, High Street Web, Carsource clickthroughs...

Hope it's going well, Lauren! :T

moanymoany

I think you will do it, you have started which is always a good move!

Remember what Chairman Mao said 'Every thousand mile march starts with a first step'. Of course there will be hiccoughs and maybe a slip or two off the wagon, but you can get back on, at least you were on there to be able to slip off!

There is a fantastic website called About.com It is American and it has everything you could possibly want to know about everything from how to learn languages, arts and crafts, and there is a frugal part. Looking at that is very interesting and quite an eyeopener.

I hope you keep a diary, never know, it might make a best seller from the Brit angle.

moanymoany

I think you will do it, you have started which is always a good move!

Remember what Chairman Mao said 'Every thousand mile march starts with a first step'. Of course there will be hiccoughs and maybe a slip or two off the wagon, but you can get back on, at least you were on there to be able to slip off!

There is a fantastic website called About.com It is American and it has pages about everything you could possibly want to know from how to learn languages, arts and crafts, and there is a frugal part. Looking at that is very interesting and quite an eyeopener.

I hope you keep a diary, never know, it might make a best seller from the Brit angle.:D

donna73

good luck with the year ahead!
i wish i could be so determined, its inspired me to be more careful though, its so easy to waste money.

Leonie

mjdh1957 wrote:

Good luck!

Sounds a very worthwhile thing to do. Just remember to allow yourself the occasional treat. And keep reminding yourself of the reasons you're doing it, so you don't get tempted to drop off your plan....

I entirely agree about the occasional treat - when my children were young, and the budget was really tight, my monthly treat was to cycle the 3 miles into town, go in to Boots and buy a bar of their Pineapple soap for 90p, then cycle home!

It smelled wonderful - one of those glycerin type soaps, and they don't do it any more now - but I still remember what a difference it made to me to have something a bit special.

Good luck in your frugality - I hope you'll look back on it with fond memories one day too!

Janeryan

Wow Lauren-what an awesome idea.Wishing you lots of luck & will follow this with interest.Money just seems to get swallowed up in this house- I had £10.00 emergency money saved which promptly went this week on a colleague's leaving present(someone kindly said that I would donate when I wasn't there)& some revision books for my son's GCSE's!

Will watch your progress with interest!

Headintheclouds_3

Good luck!

House_Elf_2

I know I shall become addicted to this thread!:j

I couldn't even do the grocery challenge for longer than a week!:mad:

Thoughts so far...... when I worked as a careers adviser, I went on a visit to Albright and Wilson who made 'own Brand' washing powder for big supermarkets. We were told that this was as good as the main brands, just cheaper. They also told us that the recommended dose was hugely overestimated. I have been halving this ever since with no visible difference in effectiveness. (Could probably get away with about a 10th of the amount if I was brave enough!) Though I do boost the white wash with Vanish.

Another good read is 'A Life Stripped Bare' Leo Hickman. Leo and his (reluctant) wife spend a year trying to live ethically.........should he buy his wife the Prada shoes or a goat for Christmas?, fretting about the wormery, car or public transport?, the deodorant debate etc.

phil7445

"Quidco have Kelkoo, High Street Web, Carsource clickthroughs..."

Thanks for that. Do you have to actually have to buy something with Kelkoo or just do a search?

Skint_Catt

moanymoany wrote:

I hope you keep a diary, never know, it might make a best seller from the Brit angle.:D

Just what I was thinking! If nothing else, even a spending diary would be an interesting read to look back on - see how things got easier/more difficult.

Sounds like a good idea!:T

Catt xx