A stay at home mummy who wants to be a mfw - Yes I can and Yes I will!

I_want_a_baby

Todays update:

3 x surveys done on TCB £2.20 (including New Vista - thanks to linz for the tip!)
Referred hubby to TCB (again thanks to linz for tip!)
1 x survey done on Quidco £1.40
196SB earned! Daily target met. Balance 624SB
86SP earned! Balance 318SP
Meal out in advance of my birthday next sat with my best friend - despite my protests she paid
Cash purse is at £7.66 less £1.30 paid for parking today as friend drove. Balance £6.36 - Shopping is now going to be purchased next week.
Some competitions entered.
Finished costing out/checking prices on items needed for the medical box - will purchase these next week when I have more pennies!

To do (including items from previous lists)-
Check amount for valued opinion survey completed yesterday.
Check £3 goes into paypal from pinecone.
Get fuel from cheaper station
Update energy figures
Drop charity clothes bag off (on Monday)
Look for some vouchers to print off for next big food shop.
Enter some more competitions.
Enter no more spends on toiletries thread (and cleaning products if there is one ).
Look forward to sunday evening when I can do our banks & budgets and put a figure in our savings account as 'my contribution' to our house savings

Hope everyone has had a lovely saturday and an even better sunday xx

Stacey x

I_want_a_baby

Also just signed up to netflix with quidco to get £20 cash back - you get £5 to sign up (even if you cancel in your first free month) and then a further £15 if you become a paying member. We have put a note in our diaries to cancel the subscription within the first paying month as this costs £5.99. We will therefore receive £5 + £15 - £5.99 = £14.01 free cash back and get to watch something better on TV as well!! :j

I_want_a_baby

So glad I decided to knuckle down with this challenge!

I think now is the first time since the recession started that I can safely say we are feeling the pinch! In the last month alone we have been contacted by our gas & electric provider to say that our DD is going to increase by £39pm, I have just checked our online banking to find out our CTC has been reduced by £49pm! I really wasn't expecting it to change at all despite sending the renewal form back as our income hasn't changed a great deal.

This has resulted in me having to find an extra £88pm which in a one income household has not been easy .

However I have (just about) managed to balance the numbers and lets say frugal fun will now be a necessity not a choice but I'm still thanking god that I have already committed to saving and therefore these changes will not thankfully risk the roof over our head or food in our bellies so in that respect we are lucky.

Unfortunately due to this change we cannot afford to routinely save anything for either the house or emergency savings pot - does this mean I am going to give up? HELL NO!!

All this means is that I am more focused, more determined and more certain that I WILL NOT SPEND ON WANTS only needs, I WILL SPEND THE TIME searching for the best prices on EVERYTHING, I WILL DO ALL I CAN to earn a few extra pennies and then I will SAVE ALL I CAN from everything budgeted into house savings - progress may not be as big or fancy as most people on here but any progress is good in my eyes :T!

Stacey x

P.s

Just transfered the following to our house savings ISA:
9.31 Interest Received
0.64 Budgeted Water DD Less Actual DD
20.00 Underspent on this weeks food Shop
29.95 TRF to ISA - Really happy with this!!

I will also be putting some cash into our sealed house savings tin - will update later when amount confirmed x

Beckyy

I think you're doing amazingly - a million times better than I could ever be with budgets and numbers!

Any chance of changing providers for gas/electricity?

I_want_a_baby

Hi Beckyy! Thanks for stopping by! Weirdly I am the most focused I have been in a very long time - weird because I am not sure what triggered it!

With regards to energy usage we have done the usual comparison sites/cashback sites check etc, weighed it all up and we can save in the region of £100 per year if we switch so we have processed the switch a couple of weeks ago - yet to hear anything but when I did it before it did take a while and seen on the utilities forum that it can take 4-8 weeks.

Todays update -
124SB earned - Balance 802SB (been doing it for 6 days! )[849SB needed for £5 Amazon voucher]
87SP earned - Balance 411SP (as above)[1200SP needed for £5 Amazon Voucher]
Valued Opinion Survey 50p
New Vista Survey via TCB 70p - Balance £2.90
Opinion Research Survey 50p - Balance £6.25

Through the post -
Received free sample of heinz baby rice and baby porridge, a coupon for a free sachet of heinz baby sauce and 3 x MOC's from them also.

Competitions -
Entered lots - won a 40p coupon from walkers FB site & a 50p coupon from Ellas kitchen FB site. Others I'll just have to wait & see!

Other -
Decided to get the reusable nappies out now my daughter is almost 6 months old - Will use them during the day when at home (will use disposables when on days out and possibly at night). Will start using tomorrow.

Kept to my meal plan for 6 days now :T

NSD so far but might send hubby to get the food bits we need & fuel on strict instructions to stick to the list!

Valued Opinion Survey 07/07/12 tracked but no amount showing yet.

Pinecone money not yet received.

Figured out & printed off vouchers from Before I Shop & TCB.

Read Meters & compared usage - When I have been really trying in the past I have got my electric down to 9 units/day which I am happy with as I'm SAHM and home all day. This crept up before I started being focused and was averaging 11.5 as of last week. This week the average was 10 units/day:). GOAL - next week get the average back to max 9 units/day.
Gas has been as high as 68 units/day :eek:during the winter (this house is uninsulated, damp, draughty...I could go on!). Last week was 4 units/day. This week 1 unit/day . GOAL - Keep it that way! Our Utility company may charge us £124pm! But I am sure as hell not going to use that much!!

Went through the magazine rack and had a fair few supermarket/baby magazines to throw out but went through them all first and tore out any valid coupons/competitions.

To do -
Get Fuel from not so close town - much much cheaper at Mr S so worth the Miles (petrol prices site price was incorrect as per my previous post on fuel station in my town - there is actually only a 1p/litre difference).
Drop charity clothes off.
Get food/medicine bits if can afford in this weeks budget.
Make a list of toiletries I have & enter no spend thread.
List birthday presents I have already purchased (in sales) so I do not double buy for anyone.
Pay closer attention to gas/elec usage this week.
Plan frugal birthday gathering for me on Sat.
Organise coupons from magazines & enter competitions from them.

That's all for now!

Stacey x

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

Hello Stacey,

Well done on being so focused. I wish I had thought like you when my children were small. You are right, being frugal actually benefits young children as all they want is your time. Very good luck to you,

Squirrel

I_want_a_baby

Quick update from here:

0.53 found in an old savings account in hubbys name
10.00 balance in a savings account that isn't used anymore
4.35 budgeted BT DD less actual DD
14.88 TRF'd to ISA. :j
Oh & forgot to add that on Sunday I put £5 from that weeks cash purse into the sealed house savings tin.

Balance TRF'd since started this 'challenge' - £49.83

Will update further this evening.

savingmummy

Well done putting a plan into action.

I am too hoping to start a saving for a deposit for the future and am a sahm - not as confident as you though, so i will keep an eye on your progress for tips and maybe it will spur me on

I_want_a_baby

Thanks secret saving squirrel & saving mummy!

I really think the key is thinking small not thinking big!

Todays update!

Done -
Happy at my transfer to the house savings today!

Bought fuel at Mr 'S' actually saved approx £1 (only 2p/litre cheaper).

Found the method 'try me free' laundry liquid complete with necktag on offer at £4.

Also found the dairylea triangles 'try me free' pack (but paid for them in one go and now only have one receipt so can only claim one back ).

Found some good reduced to clear bargains 15p taste the difference pain au chocolate, 15p lemon & raisin pancakes & 50p cinnamon & raisin bagels.

Used a 30p MOC on some farleys rusks, used a 50 bonus nectar points TS coupon & had activated a double nectar points offer on the nectar app.

DS really really needs some socks that are not about 4 sizes too small - found him pack of 7 in the 1/2 price sale.

Hubby bought a t-shirt & a polo shirt in the half price sale £18 down to £9 for both, after recently throwing lots of faded/old ones out.

Stuck to the list rigidly & bought only needs not wants. Therefore still within budget for this weeks food spends!

We came back and hubby popped to Mr T's just down the road as the formula milk we will be needing from next week is on offer reduced from £8.99 to £6! He came back with a huge smile on his face and 10 tins for £60 (saving £30!!), he even found an 11th tin which was massively dented (yet perfect to use) and persuaded the manager to reduce it by 50% so we paid £3 for that tub instead of £8.99! Oh and earned 63 clubcard points.

Stuck to meal plan again

Split two packs of Lidl special offer £1.49 turkey breast into three portions for the freezer.

Despite the dairylea issue very happy with todays progress.

Oh and only managed 39SB & 12SP today - just wasn't going in my favour in respect of surveys! Entered a few competitions this morning. However SB balance stands at 839SB which is only 10 away from redemption of a £5 amazon voucher.

All in all a good MSE day :money:!

Night all - happy savings!!

Stacey x

QB_Wolf

Hi Stacey, you've got kids a similar age to mine - so good luck with the saving.