2013 Frugal Living Challenge

[Deleted User]

I think there will be a 2014 thread but its not opened yet.

The weekend has arrived and I am feeling 100% again, thank goodness. I am hoping to use this weekend to finalise my Christmas bits. Just need to crochet or knit a small blanket to go in a dolls pram and then find something for my dad - I am thinking chutneys, oatcakes etc from our local farm shop. I would make them but really don't have the time/canny be bothered.

I also need to get on with my self-assessment for my tax return. Last year I left it so late I was doing it during my Christmas hols and I do not want to do that again.

Other jobs this weekend:
1. Buy birthday pressies for 2 of the kids in my Nurture Groups (I can claim this back from the school)
2. Price up birthday cakes for the kids in Nurture Group - will buy next week as their birthdays are both on Dec 16th.
All of these need to be bought frugally since we have very little cash in the budget for these groups.

Kerry_Woman

allie - Glad to hear that you are feeling better.

slowlyfading

I don't mind running the 2014 if no one else wants to!

Sorry I've not been as active on the thread this year - it's been very busy and I've not been particularly frugal

I am determined to be very much back on the wagon for 2014, if you'll have me!

*Jellie*

I haven't posted much this year either. Busy trying to get things in place as a possible second income.
On the frugal front I am currently doing everything I can to improve insulation at home without spending anything. Plans include altering curtains, adding window quilts/ fleece linings on worst offending windows and attempting a ceiling quilt!

Savvy_sewing

Been missing in action, sorry folks. On the good side I have managed to turn our fortunes around this year. As my health improved I got off of ESA and started working for myself with my sewing. Within two weeks of starting up I found a company that I work for which was 12 hours a week, and is now 18 hours a week, and neighbours and mums at school ae starting to seek me out for alterations and repairs.
This has doubled my income. So we have been able to relax the purse strings a bit. Although I will be loosing a third of my income in march when my guardianship funding runs out. So I am on a mission to up my work load accordingly. Looking into teaching sewing and craft lessons.
We had a holiday in August, replaced the car, and bought DS a motor bike. And today I finally rebuilt the emergency fund back to £1,000
So chuffed.

debbiedeejay

LolaLemon wrote: »

Try increasing your vit c intake, boosts your 'wee fighters' which means recovery is quicker/attacks the 'baddies' before they can really take hold - btw Kiwi has more vit c than oranges!

Get better soon

Thanks for this tip LolaLemon - I had my flu jab Wednesday evening and unfortuanately it looks like I am one of one in ten people that react against it - so of course my body is in full fight thinking it needs to fight against the vaccine! doh! I have been in pretty good health for a while but I felt I was hit by train Thursday lunchtime!
Weird thing is I have all the symptoms of a cold but I know I am not actually ill if you get my drift!:o

So since I am feeling a little under the weather I am hopefully planning to sort out my energy bills and look for a new deal - I also let my renewal of my dogs insurance go over last month even though I know it was way over the top but he had become ill and I was worried that I would need to take him to the vets -but he's fine now so I might have to re-look at that again - not sure if I would have to pay a penalty though to cancel the one I have a t moment though.

I need to wrap presents that I have bought though - might need a glass of wine for that to help me through the trauma of paper and sticky tape everywhere!

Oh and I need to get my Christmas decs out too and have a good sort through them - need to try to find a solution to "kitty-proofing" the tree this year too!
DD2 asked if we could change the theme/colour this year to blues/teals and greens - nah! its not going to happen , I cant afford it, don't need to,and anyway whats the point if the cat is going to throw the baubles all around the room again this year!

Becky_2

Mooloo, great news that you have started to work for yourself and that things are going so well.

*Jellie*

Mooloo- that is marvellous news. Great to hear about the increase in work.

Savvy_sewing

Thanks people!
Onwards and upwards!

LolaLemon

debbiedeejay wrote: »

Thanks for this tip LolaLemon -
Weird thing is I have all the symptoms of a cold but I know I am not actually ill if you get my drift!:o

Oh and I need to get my Christmas decs out too and have a good sort through them - need to try to find a solution to "kitty-proofing" the tree this year too!

Your welcome
(youu 'do' have the flu, let your body repair itself, if u can, take time out to 'be ill' and you will repair quicker.

How do you 'kitty-proof' a tree, i am very interested in that? mines thinks its a new scratching post :rotfl:



Weekend was a very spendy one, school fete, i was early and grabbed a few toys for £10, a church fete that had Krispy Kreme donughts, i bought a box £9.95:eek: but ALL the money went to charity!! never heard that from a big company before. I didnt get out to go shopping for messages, so we got a chinese, that then done me for breakfast and lunch the next day.

We went and seen 'the real santa' according to my son yesterday to kick start Advent. He gave us our new Elf on the Shelf to look after as he is such a mischievious wee thing that he gets in the way in the very busy run up to christmas (i dont do the bad = no presents, it doesnt sit right that 'bullies' get presents too.. he is going to go back to Santa and tell him of ALL the good stuff we do, when we go out our way to be kind and thoughtfull etc, concentraite on the positives and not the negitives). As part of the groupon deal we were to get a picture too, waited in que and ordered 1 print for us, and the printer broke! waited over half an hour and they still didnt have it fixed, so they got out pen drives and put our picture one those for us to take home. Woop Woop free pen drive :beer: