2013 Frugal Living Challenge

miss_empty_piggy

LolaLemon wrote: »

Ive only done it once in the 6 years i have lived here! well twice now. :T

I think that puts me at the laziest position, if i could get up and move myself to it :rotfl:

Your trip to London sounds amazing!


I've just spent a fortune on school uniform. Seriously, why cant we go back to having badge only on the blazer, instead of all this having to have it on the p.e. t-shirt and shorts, polo shirt, sports jumper, v-neck jumper, bag, hat & scarf.
What i have spent on the essentials only for school, i could have paid for a trip away abroad for a week for the two of us!

Hope everyone is doing good. Enjoy your summer holidays to those south of the border

oh my goodness, I totally agree. The world's gone mad. I thought the whole idea was not to single out those who couldn't afford 'decent' clothes, but it seems that now we're just paying for more branded stuff than we would have if they didn't have school uniforms. It is pathetic.

At the end of the last school year my DDs school polo shirts were looking quite faded (dark blue) so I dyed them all dark blue again but the logo's went dark blue too unfortunately. It was about Feb time so wanted to see them through to this year (where we have to get new WHITE logo'd ones as they're now in a different year!). DD1 was fine with this and thought it was quite cool/rebellious but stepDD would wear the one that escaped the dyeing bonanza until it nearly fell off her back in fear of being singled out. The school even sent a letter home to say that DD1 was not wearing the correct school uniform and if she continued to flout the rules would be suspended! I wrote a very strongly worded letter about the ridiculousness of their rules, my reasonings and my intention to continue to send her in it because I couldn't afford new ones, and that if they wished to buy her some new uniform it would be gratefully received. My daughter (who is probably as rebellious as myself) then proceeded to remove the 3 navy buttons and sew on a flourescent pink, green and yellow one on. She was very supportive.

School uniform is a particular bug bear of mine - can you tell?
Don't get me wrong I am all in favour of supporting the ethos of school uniform but there has to be a line of reasonableness, particularly in this current economic climate.

Buffythedebtslayer

http://voices.yahoo.com/got-brick-patio-full-weeds-heres-make-452078.html

I am going to try this for the weeds in the cracks EVERYWHERE in our garden
xx

miss_empty_piggy

Buffythedebtslayer wrote: »

http://voices.yahoo.com/got-brick-patio-full-weeds-heres-make-452078.html

I am going to try this for the weeds in the cracks EVERYWHERE in our garden
xx

I will definitely be giving that a go Buffythedebtslayer- looks brilliant.

Well today I have opened 3 bank accounts for significant others birthdays and have figured out how much to put into each every month so I don't have to pay out all from one month's wages.

I am also thinking of doing the dreaded car boot sale on Sunday to get rid of all of that decluttering that moved from the kitchen table to the garage. I love it when I'm there doing it but just hate getting it all ready.

I also want to get into the loft to sort out stuff for "that time of year we won't mention just yet" as I don't want to buy anything I don't need this year. I've kept all of the cards out in a box, but every year I write a load and then just never get them delivered so end up finding them the next year. This year I will only write cards that I actually want to send. I would like to make some presents this year but as I haven't even finished making my blind yet I think that this is a little bit optimistic. I think I'll go and get on with it now instead of rambling around on here (I should change my name to the procrastination queen). :rotfl:

mummy2threeboys

hi mummy to 2 boys..one behind me lol welcome!
re weeds i just put neat salt down and leave them..i discovered by accident its a weed killer ..when i tried to kill off slugs that where eating my veg..and instead it killed my veg too..how that for snail death karma?

came on to say woot my debt is now 50% 12 more months and im debt free!!

Becky_2

Hi all

Things are going fairly well over here. Starting my new job in 4 week's time. In my current job we have had a pay rise which goes back to 1st April and an extra £70 is due to be paid out next month.

MIL & FIL have given us a pepper plant with over 10 peppers growing on it, 3 have already been harvested. Our home grown potatoes are now ready to be eaten as well so that saves a bit of money.

Hope you are all doing well.

LolaLemon

Congratulations on the pregnancy - don't know how I missed that !


Congrats and good luck on the new job.


We will have a new addition to our family tonight. A little 12 week old kitten. Son was wanting to call him Snarf after the cat in ThunderCats but this wee boy is not ginger. I suggested Thunder, and when the lady asked him what he is going to call him he said Lightning, and bu all accounts, it is the most appropriate name, as he is as fast as lightning, I'm sure if my son had watched Flash Gordon with me a few weeks ago, he would possibly have been named Flash.

Frugal things I've done recently - used an offer code from fb and ordered some canvas pictures, that arrived today and are way better than the Tesco one I have, and are a fraction of the price. I will be ordering a few of these for crimbo presents.
Ordered my meat from an organic farm through groupon, paying £40 for a months supply, for same it was over £80 on the website. As its only the 2 of us again, this will last us ages.

Looking at prices for bikes, both for son and i as crimbo presents from Santa (son thinks Santa brings the parents one present, as he reduces the presents for older kids each year, he is 6 so don't know how much longer Santa will be here). I am needing/wanting a bike as I dont have one, son now needs a bigger big that fits and we are determined to learn how to go without stabilisers this year.

Me n the bf finished. This is the one that gave up living in Florida for me. Sad to end it, but we were no longer even trying to make each other happy.

Hope everyone else is having a good weekend

miss_empty_piggy

Lolalemon, I hope that your breakup wasn't painful in any way and that you are happy. Big hug. x x

LolaLemon

miss_empty_piggy wrote: »

Lolalemon, I hope that your breakup wasn't painful in any way and that you are happy. Big hug. x x

Thank you x love of my life n all that, very surprised that it wasn't as painful as I expected, partly due to we both knew it was coming and partly because I haven't really stopped to think about it.

Lightning is fitting right in, we are now his third and final family, he was hiven to an elderly couple at 6 weeks (far too young in my opinion) they couldnt cope with an inquisitive kitten with Sharp claws n teeth, so they gave him back to the family they hot him from, they were going to keep him but their older cats kept hissing at him, even the mother. He has only once jumped out at us, and only been just after son was playing with him.

Gretchen2012

Hi Everyone

I have spent the last five or so nights reading this whole thread and was just wondering if I could join for the last part of the year to try and get me ready for next year.

I'm just going to work out a budget for the rest of the year and will update shortly if that's ok.

Bit about me, I've been on and off here for a while now. A while ago a relative lent me the money to pay off all my debts (see sig) so I only have one person to pay back. Still owe my mum a bit too which I should add to my sig. I'm in my early 40,s with a DD who is nearly 13 and I work part time.

We are doing a car boot tomorrow to get rid of all the stuff we have accumulated lol. I've decided though that I don't want to bring any of it home and I know there is going to be a charity stall there tomorrow so I'm going to donate everything we have left to them. Well what they want anyway and the rest will go to a charity shop.

Lola - Big hugs to you. I've been single for two years now. And congratulations to everyone on the baby train.

Hope you let me join lol. Please lol.

pixiehouse

Morning!!Not been on for ages. OH is now back to work after the bad back injury. But we are still struggling money wise as we only have his wage coming in at the moment. Ive checked and double checked everything and cancelled a few DD in the bank. No money for extra's just enough to pay the bills buy food and diesel. CC on minimum payments for now apart from one. We are in the middle of changing fostering agencys an we wont go through panel till Nov/Dec!! and no placement at the moment. Onwards and Upwards xx