Fighting to be Frugal

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Mail_Online wrote:

Breeder Bonnie Martin, 35, said: "There are only eight serious breeders in the country and we can't keep up with demand.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-559883/The-new-pygmy-hedgehogs-like-pet-hamster.html

I'm not surprised there's a waiting list, given how hedgehogs make love.

Silly_Spender

@wegle: Nawww what breed of dog is he? Eventually we would like Northern Inuits I think they're called, but they'd take very strict handling so may not be the first dogs we get! I'm such a pushover with animals and they're huge wolf-like dogs.

@Bob: I hadn't actually realised there was that big of a waiting list to own one but to be honest, I'd happily wait a year or so! They're just adorable

Well today WOULD have been a NSD if it hadn't been for that bloody breakfast.

Let's put it down as my farewell Gregg's breakfast. Although I seem to have farewells to all my favourite takeaways and chocolates haha. Really must stop doing that...

I know a lot of people have said also that I should put money to the Argos card as opposed to the Lloyds Overdraft at the moment but I'm really keen to have some money aside for that so I'll explain a little bit why and how I'm doing it.

On my online banking, I have around 4 online accounts within my whole account, as well as my main current account which payments and DDs come out of.

These are:
Bills - I work out all of the bills and payments until the next payday, and put this in here. As it comes out of my current account, I transfer it back.
Groceries - I put £240 a month into this and as I buy food or we have a takeaway now and then, I'll take money from this into my current account.
Argos - I put an amount in here each month to be taken off the balance.
Overdraft - I put the savings in this so I can clear my overdraft on my current account.

I've been living in my overdraft for the past 5 years, so haven't seen a positive balance for a long time.

With the Argos card, the balance on it was only accrued a month or so ago, and it's all on a Buy Now Pay Later plan, so if it's all paid off within 6 months, there will be no interest whatsoever.

In 12 months though, if my overdraft isn't cleared, it will all be liable for interest and stuff and my main worry is probably that Lloyds will decide I don't get an overdraft anymore, hit me with loads of fees and stuff and I'll be up crap creek without a paddle.

So to put money aside each month to knock off this is really important to keep me feeling like I am knocking it down, but of course I do intend to have gotten rid of the Argos balance completely by the time all payments need to be made, which is sometime in February.

I must say it does spur me on to save more for each of them when I see the little % in my signature rising :P I think when I round down to the nearest £5 each day online, I'll alternate between the Argos and Overdraft accounts as to which one I'll transfer to

Silly_Spender

Mmmmm lie in today

I don't start work until 12 on a Tuesday usually so being able to lounge for a bit instead of setting my alarms for half 4 in the morning just feels deliciously decadent.

Going to have a huge bowl if bran flakes with flax and nuts sprinkled on top and that should keep me going until I get home at around half 5!

Must buzz my head as well before work!

Determined to get that NSD today

wegle

Silly_Spender wrote: »

@wegle: Nawww what breed of dog is he? Eventually we would like Northern Inuits I think they're called, but they'd take very strict handling so may not be the first dogs we get! I'm such a pushover with animals and they're huge wolf-like dogs.

He's a heinz 57. We got him from rescue 3 years ago, best we can work out he's probably part Jack russell, part westie, and part god knows what else!! He's a real sweetie though, hard work at times but we wouldn't be without him.

Best advice I was given about choosing a dog is not to be drawn in by the cute factor or how a dog looks, you need a breed that will be suitable to your lifestyle. E.g if you don't like walking 20 miles a day don't get a collie!! :rotfl:

Have you put your debts through the snowball calculator? http://www.whatsthecost.com/snowball.aspx You can take into account introductory interest rates etc. It'll show you the quickest and cheapest way to pay your debt off and also give you that magical Debt Free Day that you can start counting down to!

Greggs is a weakness of mine as well. There's one just outside the college I attend on day release. I always take a packed lunch but everyone else tempts me and I'm like a little greggs sheep!! I start back in a couple of weeks and am determined to avoid it all year, so we can be giving up greggs buddies!!

Good luck on the NSD today. Just remember is it a NEED or a WANT!!

Silly_Spender

@Wegle: I've not tried the snowball thing yet no I will do though! Didn't have a Gregg's at all today! Was talking with the OH about dogs again last night and I told him I think I'd like a labrador or a staffy. Your dog sounds adorable

I was really good today! I was also really bad today... I'd like to be able to say I finally had my first NSD! But I'd be lying.

I had an afternoon shift today, 12 til 5, so rather than have a salad from Subway, I thought I might as well wait until I finish work, then eat something at home. (I only had breakfast at like, half 10 before work so wasn't too hungry at work either).

This was all good and dandy, and then I started talking to one of the girls at work about peanut butter. They had a craving for it, and I'm not the biggest fan. I do have a jar of almond butter, and a jar of cashew butter from Holland and Barretts though. I think it tastes much nicer and very healthy too!

So thinking about it, I then started to want it. Which was fine. But I had no bread in the flat, or crispbreads, or rice cakes, or even apples. Oh dear, NSD is out of the window. I intended to spend less than £1 (including staff discount) on a pack of bagels, to enjoy one of these when I got home.

It would be an investment too, as that'd be lunch sorted for the next few days as well!

Only it didn't quite work out that way.

Claire and Angie, the markdown girls, were on the bakery when I'd finished work. And they were marking down doughnuts.:eek: And cakes.:eek: And fresh bread.:eek:

Oh dear...

£2.71 spent later, and I'm on my walk home with a couple of carrier bags containing a big crusty bloomer, a tear-and-share cheese and onion garlic bread, 4 triple chocolate muffins, 2 millionaire toffee filled doughnuts, 4 glazed doughnuts, and 2 maple and pecan swirls.

All in all, very good bargains, and even though they weren't needed, I'm still quite happy with the purchase.

Notice what I didn't get? The sodding bagels that I went back in the shop for in the first place.

Still, it put into perspective how much stuff I can walk home with though, all for less than the cost of one prepared salad from Subway.

As it came out of the grocery budget and not my current account though, I haven't actually spent any of my available cash, so I've put another £5 into the overdraft fund I'll be rounding down and putting into Argos tomorrow I think.

Piquant_2

Hmmm, possibly the answer is not to carry cash with you?

I admit a big crusty bloomer, a tear-and-share cheese and onion garlic bread, 4 triple chocolate muffins, 2 millionaire toffee filled doughnuts, 4 glazed doughnuts, and 2 maple and pecan swirls are a bargain if they're going in the freezer. If they're going on your waistline tonight you may not think them that bargainous...:rotfl::rotfl:

wegle

That is a pretty amazing bargain! However next time you only intend to spend a pound only take a pound with you! You can't spend it if you haven't got it.

My hubby takes his "allowance" out in cash each week and once it's gone it's gone. He never uses his debit card unless it's a big planned for spend. It works really well for him.

I love staffs! Such beautiful dogs and 100s in rescue needing a good home. Labs are meant to be good pets too but I haven't actually ever met anyone with one! There's a lady at my agility club with old English sheepdogs. They are beautiful dogs but she says she spends hours grooming them, and I just couldn't be doing with that!

Silly_Spender

@Piquant: Unfortunately a lot of it will probably be going on the waistline tonight!

@wegle: Funny you say that about labs, I rarely see people out and about with them as well! I only generally notice them in public as guide dogs.

You both have good points actually, I shouldn't carry cash on me, or my cards.

I don't NEED my cards if I don't intend on buying anything. And I rarely draw cash out because I think if it's in my pocket, I'll probably end up spending it, but then my card gets used more than is needed because of this.

Supposed to be going bowling with a few workmates after we finish tomorrow but Thursday and Friday I'm not going to take ANY cash OR cards with me at all. Then I can't possible spend anything even if I want to at the time

trixie888

Never stop dreaming.. it's motivating. Good luck with the house.

Silly_Spender

@trixie: Very good advice thanks and thanks for checking out the diary!

I was supposed to go bowling today with a few people from work but we didn't end up going...and soooo

NSD #1

At least 7 to go now until the end of the month but I have a day off tomorrow and no intention of going out for anything!

As a treat, I've put £5 from my current account into the Argos account, as bowling would have cost this much anyway

So at work, I'm in the "Colleague Voice" where we meet up once a month, and talk about health and safety issues, events in store, colleagues of the month, things like that.

Next weekend (21st / 22nd) we're having a bake sale in store to support our Think Pink campaign, so lots of people will be baking cakes and stuff, and I've put my name down to make fudge.

I've made fudge quite a lot before, and everyone is always very impressed with it. My little secret though....it takes 5 minutes in a microwave!

I'll type out the recipe for anyone who's interested

1. 300g Dark Chocolate (I use 3 of the 30p smart price bars from Asda)
2. 50g Butter + extra for greasing. (normal butter tends to work better than baking butter)
3. 3/4 can of condensed milk (£1 from Asda, or the light version is also on offer for £1 at the moment too)
4. Half a tub of glace cherries (not the huge tubs, the standard ones )

• Line a 20cm x 20cm tin with clingfilm or greaseproof paper, and grease with butter.
• Cut the glace cherries into halves, unless they're already in halves.
• Break the dark chocolate into pieces, doesn't have to be neat, just break them into the square formations they come in. Put in a large mixing bowl.
• Dice the butter fairly small, and put these on top of the chocolate, without mixing.
• Again, without mixing, pour the 3/4 of a can of condensed milk on top of the butter.
• Put in a microwave on highest setting for 2 minutes.
• The mixture at this point may look wrong. Stir with a spoon and you'll notice the mixture goes very silky and chocolatey.
• Pour in the glace cherry halves, stir into the mixture, then pour the whole mixture into the baking tin and even out.
• Store in the fridge for a few hours until set, then you can chop the fudge into squares.

The fudge is best stored in the fridge as it can start to get a little soft when left out, due to the nature of the ingredients.

My wondering is, how can I prevent it from going soft and melty after being left out for a few hours. I've tried adding a little icing sugar to the mix after microwaving, but this didn't tend to work. Any ideas?

Maybe I should try and find another recipe, but I haven't found many that don't require the use of a sugar thermometer.

Let me know how the recipe works for you