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

hypno06

What would you be doing at college and would your earnings power increase after the course?

lauren_1

I am doing my massage every monday night and will have my exam in july for that but the full time course will be covering aromatherapy, indian head, reflexology, lymphatic drainage and sports massage (thats an seperate one in the evening but i really want to do that one too) also i will be redoing the massage but with a different exam body (vtct) that is more accepted in the u.k, i have itec which is more common in australia and new zealand if i ever want to emmigrate.

They can increase my earning power esspecially at festivals (love living next to glastonbury) but its the initial shelling out for my own transport and training that kinda makes me a bit nervous but i do have all my kit already!

lauren_1

Ooh forgot to add i spent £1.90 of my pocket money last week, dp spent all his and went over by £2.66 but has signed up to save the change from tsb and has saved a few quid he would normally not, he prefered to go to the cashpoint and fritter away the change, our pocket money is in cash form but other things like the food and petrol goes by debit card.

We got a big binbag of boys clothes to fit ds over the summer (he is a chunky monkey and is in 12-18 mts but i have to take the legs up for him) and i think i said before we got a few things for dd at the car boot.

I am waiting to hear about a few things from freecycle too.

lauren_1

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=453319&in_page_id=1879

Has anyone read this?

lauren_1

My baby just WALKED :j :j
He just did 5 perfect steps towards his toybox:T

Ok back to the other update

My dd went back to school today and just popped in to town to put my wages in the bank, also weighed my self in boots yes yes i know its 50p and will probable be worth £3.78 if i put it in a high apr account for 56 years BUT i have lost 11lbs since i began the challenge and have gone from a size 14/16 to 12!!!

I feel so proud of myself for sticking to the new menu's and using my bike rather than the bus or taxi. I almost fell of the scales when it told me i was under 9st i knew i had lost some but seeing it there in print just confirmed it for me and i must admit my eyes got slightly misty.

I think this is the point of no return for me knowing that i lost the weight i dont htink i could go back to my old life sure this one is hard and i purposly made it hard to prove a point to myself and dp but we are healthier, slightly happier now we know what we want and it feels as if our eyes have been unglued and we can get on with our lifes without having to pay (too much) for it.

shelby161

Hi Lauren-just a quick reply to say well done to you and yours on this challenge.I read this thread every day and really enjoy your posts.Great to hear that your little one has walked today and well done on the weight loss. I too am going to use my car less and walk/cycle more and you have really inspired me.Sophiex

Janeryan

Well done Lauren-lighter not only in debt but in weight-now thats a result!

slowlyfading

well done on the weight loss!
sf x

chevalier

Hi there
I have just read your thread from the begining. Well done on the debt loss and the weight loss. It got me thinking. I eat pretty healthily and don't like the idea of dieting, so I guess walking it the way to go!!

And you are quite entitled to shout it from the roof tops when your ds walks. My first ds, picked the perfect moment to do it, ie on a Saturday when both of us were in the sitting room. He was so pleased with himself. Bless.

I guess I already live pretty frugally. Indeed I sometimes don't understand the Boots thing. Because I don't really use make up, moisturiser etc, so the getting x,y and z so you get a b or c voucher, to then do it all again, doesn't make any sense to me Indeed my last trip there, I got a £5 off make up voucher thingy, and I just gave it to the first person I saw after the checkout! No use to me!

Anyway keep up the good work.

As regards your 4 options. I am tempted to say do option 4. Then you can choose the best option for you, rather than the option your finances choose for you.

Best of luck
chev

lauren_1

Thank you for all the encouraging replies :T

I am going in to town to treat myself to some new trousers....BHF of course, they seem to get some really good stuff in and i have given myself permission to empty the 20p jar (counted out £6.82 not sure how 2p got in there and 1 euro) so should be able to get 1 or 2 pairs.

As well as the weight loss we have noticed our daughter is a bit more chilled out and has taking to eating proper food really well and has quite a liking for carrots and potato's (thats all we had last week in various different forms) and she quite likes chicken after its been george forman'd, we did treat her to a happy meal because we though she deserved a good treat but she just pushed it around the wrapper and asked " call that a burger? it's tiny" :T :rotfl: thats my girl total carnivore at heart a few months of homemade burgers and she's seen the light:rotfl: