2013 Frugal Living Challenge

natnat13

Mooloo don't put too much pressure on yourself as you say every penny counts, just concentrate on getting yourself back up and running and everything else will follow x

miss_empty_piggy

Mooloo wrote: »

Not alot compared to some of you great frugalers but every penny counts.

Mooloo, this your journey and you don't need to even contemplate comparing yourself to anyone else. Ever. I think you sound like an amazing person. x

LJFreeman

Good evening fellow frugallers, I've finally read every post in this thread and am completely up to date. I've taken down some tips and ideas and plan on using them.

I'm a single mum with 2 children and am currently out of work at the moment, I'm normally very good at budgeting, only because if I haven't got the money, I can't spend it, but what I'm terrible at is spending for the sake of it or because I do have to money, so my goal for this year and next is to save up enough money to take my 2 monkeys on holiday. My son is 10 and my daughter is 5 and we have never been on a family holiday together, thankfully my mum takes them camping a few times a year so they do get to go away, but I've never been able to afford to take them.

Anyhoo, I started my 2013 frugal challenge this week and was doing sooo well, I meal planned using what I've already got and managed to get my weeks shopping for 29.87 which included my washing powder and fabric softener, but today has been a major fail, I spent a fiver on 2 glossy magazines then I took the kids to visit my sister and I ended up treating us all to a KFC which set me back approx 17.50, in the grand scheme of things it's not that bad as I used to spend between 50-60 pound on my weekly shopping, but now that I'm not working and wanting to save more money, I need to get out of the habit of spending.

Thank you to everyone for all your tips and advice and hopefully I'll be able to help in my own way too

LolaLemon

LJFreeman wrote: »

I'm a single mum with 2 children and am currently out of work at the moment, I'm normally very good at budgeting, only because if I haven't got the money, I can't spend it, but what I'm terrible at is spending for the sake of it or because I do have to money, so my goal for this year and next is to save up enough money to take my 2 monkeys on holiday. My son is 10 and my daughter is 5 and we have never been on a family holiday together, thankfully my mum takes them camping a few times a year so they do get to go away, but I've never been able to afford to take them.

Anyhoo, I started my 2013 frugal challenge this week and was doing sooo well, I meal planned using what I've already got and managed to get my weeks shopping for 29.87 which included my washing powder and fabric softener, but today has been a major fail, I spent a fiver on 2 glossy magazines then I took the kids to visit my sister and I ended up treating us all to a KFC which set me back approx 17.50, in the grand scheme of things it's not that bad as I used to spend between 50-60 pound on my weekly shopping, but now that I'm not working and wanting to save more money, I need to get out of the habit of spending.

Thank you to everyone for all your tips and advice and hopefully I'll be able to help in my own way too

Dont feel soo bad about the little blow out, its something you can use for future, when u go t buy those magazines just think - can i get the articles on line, is it worth £5, and do i want to feel the way i did last time?
we all have those moments/days/weeks, but what they are good for is learning from them

I also havent taken my son on holiday, and thankfully my mum takes him to a caravan park once a year, this year she has said she i hoping to take him abroad for a week, im really jealous haha.

miss_empty_piggy

LJFreeman wrote: »

but today has been a major fail, I spent a fiver on 2 glossy magazines

I too have a major fail with this sometimes - some ways I have tried to combat it is to use the freebie magazines you get from B**ts/Mr T etc, or I heard today a women from the Library talking on radio 2 about them loaning out the latest copies of magazines which I didn't realise and I thought was a fab idea.

As it is apparently National Library Day tomorrow maybe we could head down there and fall in love with libraries all over again. They apparently do so much more than they used to do, DVDs and music loans as well as the magazines etc. I know that it will definitely help me when I need a mag fix, because I don't know about you but I rarely read it cover to cover and then wished I hadn't spent £5 or whatever on it when there were only a few items in that were of any real interests.

I have to confess that I went to give blood the other night and the magazine had loads of stuff I wanted to read in it but I was in and out before you knew it. The nurse said it was ok to take it but still felt weird. I will take a load with me next time to pay back.

miss_empty_piggy

Good Morning Frugallers

DOH is up early to play golf, so I'm up too as I don't want to waste the day. I want to get lots done today including keeping budget up to date, stock take of food and meal plan for the week (don't intend on food shopping unless absolutely necessary), usual household stuff and then hopefully out in the garden for a bit to plan my "allotment" before taking youngest and her friend to the pictures (or maybe movie at home and popcorn to save on petrol) haven't decided yet.

Also a shop in my town is selling top branded cards for 39p each. I nearly paid £4.19 the other night and then thought I could get them cheaper there and was really pleased. I've got a list for the year of all the cards I need which includes 10 sister cards!!! (not all mine lol) over the year it should save me quite a bit. :j

Also, DD2 and I are going to the library which will be fun as she absolutely loves the library and now wants to go and look at 1940s fashion (she's 8!):rotfl:

hope everyone has a really lovely frugal day,weekend :beer:

lbnblbnb

Miss empty piggy, love that your daughter is into 1940's fashion!

I went to the library today, I found a book I know my son will love so I have tucked it away for our holiday next week.
I have measured up our vegetable plot, it is roughly 9 metres by 7 metres. Although it needs quite a lot of digging to get it back into production, some of it is covered by old carpet so won't be too difficult to sort out and some of it is taken up by asparagus, raspberry canes, gooseberry bushes and black currant bushes so will need mulching rather than digging.
I have also found my old seed tin so I am about to go through it and make a list. Has anyone any advice for cheap seeds for the gaps I will find?

Tomorrow I am going to have a go at making this curry in a hurry paste from Mortgage free in three. We love curry, it would be great to have the beginnings done and ready in the freezer. I love her blog.
http://mortgagefreeinthree.com/2012/05/curry-in-a-hurry/

dizzy_lizzie

Good to read everyone's still going great with their frugal plans.
Not much interesting to report I'm afraid. Off for a week half term and I've got some craft projects lined up. Feel sooooo tired today but going to do some shopping just in case it snows tomorrow.
Have a great weekend everyone
x

gallygirl

lbnblbnb wrote: »

Tomorrow I am going to have a go at making this curry in a hurry paste from Mortgage free in three. We love curry, it would be great to have the beginnings done and ready in the freezer. I love her blog.
http://mortgagefreeinthree.com/2012/05/curry-in-a-hurry/

I made that, it was lovely but not spicy enough for me so added chillies when I used it.

lbnblbnb

gallygirl wrote: »

I made that, it was lovely but not spicy enough for me so added chillies when I used it.

Thanks, we like chillies so I will add more as I make it.