2014 Frugal Living Challenge

skintygerlinky

Hi All,

Doing uni work at home today so no need to spend!! Got part-time job work later, so shouldn't be spending any more there either! Plenty of food in to make for meals too.

Just called student loans to ask for a deferment. I've gone on as long as I can making repayments but needs must and time to be realistic!! Also cancelled a DD that I no longer need, that I thought I'd already cancelled. Just been stupid and taking my eye off the ball! But better late than never and it's done now.

Frugal '14 going well!! I'm looking at going out/socialising and realise how easy it is to convince yourself (myself) that this should be expensive as it inevitably involves spending out on meals out, coffee shops, cinema tickets (plus sweets!), browsing round the shops and buying a little something, or having a full blown night out.

I'd like to put all of that on hold until March at least and instead do the 'staying in is the new going out' route!! Recently this has been lovely, with lots of raiding the cupboards for lovely meals and sipping bottles of Xmas wine that nobody ever got round to drinking!! Much more relaxing too plus we are spending real quality time together.

I've got a mega essay to be in for Monday and fancy having a more relaxing week after that. Will be reading some of the books I bought last year and never looked at, then!!

happybird71

Hi everyone. I'm struggling to keep up! Frugal living backfired on Saturday when I spontaneously invited a friend for lunch and had nothing in the fridge!! Ended up making pancakes. Well, she did because baby decided he was hungry and I had to feed him. Hostess with the mostest I am currently not!

Can anyone recommend holiday locations in the north of England/Scotland in May which would suit a then 2 year old, 7 month old and their exhausted parents?! We're thinking maybe a cottage. Thank you.

Shortie

Afternoon all

Am having a reflective moment regarding this month's finances. I get paid on Monday and yesterday started to really think ahead - eg booking a Mr T delivery for next Tuesday, re-planning my financial goals in light of the tax mis-calc (my fault) etc, etc, etc...

Which then actually made me think about how I have done this month. I've managed to reach this point with very little money left in my account (but I've not gone into the red, I am above my buffer still). I was initially annoyed at myself until I looked over my budgetting spread sheet and paid attention to what I had achieved above and beyond my usual payments:

- First payment to Dad for the car loan
- Purchased a work-licenced version of MS Office - reminder - I need to install it, whoops!
- Lunch in Dec with a colleague who was leaving
- Full price cinema with kids (saw Frozen instead of a Panto this year) as well as £1 cinema at a later date too
- McDs (:o)
- Softplay session with our kids and friend's kids
- Sale shopping to get some pressies sorted - Boots, Body Shop, Claire's, Debenhams, Lego store
- Second installment of DS1's school trip paid (1 more to go)
- Paid for a Sun holiday

So, I actually feel that I have achieved (financially) quite a bit this month.

happybird71

Hmm. Feeling a bit miffed about my lack of Frugality. I think it's just this season of life with two little ones and a new house last May. It feels like I am constantly buying things for the littlies.

DH and DS1 have birthdays next week. Am going to attempt to bake a Thomas the tank engine cake. Not sure how I'll do this when I barely have time to make toast these days! I love baking though.

Frugalsod

I am sitting here eating the cabbage and potato soup with vegetables that I need to finish off before my veg box delivery on Friday. I will have to include that as a spending day as they will be deducting payment the same day. Though with hopefully plenty of veg in stock I will be able to get through the rest of the month with buying any more food. I see how well I do and get a bigger box next month so I only have one delivery next month. That will mean meal planning but I can handle that.

miss_empty_piggy

Hi All

I am feeling cautious but happy with my frugality at the moment. Have been eating out of the cupboards/freezer. Shopping came to £17 this week (but couldn't get bread flour as they'd run out so must go and get that). It's my friends birthday and she has recently moved house also. I'm going round for tea and a few cheeky wines. She's getting the HM bottles that I finished off today. Just need to buy some chalk. They've come out really well and I'm pleased with them. I think she'll love them. Total cost about 50 pence overall. Just going to find some fancy bag that I can recycle and tissue paper (not hard here) DD2 recently went to a party and made the birthday girl fold up the paper from all of her presents and put it in a bag for her to bring home for me to recycle, god love her.

Took a lamp to the local 2nd hand shop and got £10.00. It's been in the garage for ages. However, I'm now starting to panic as I'm not sure that it is working. I did tell the lady to ring me if it doesn't but will feel really guilty if it doesn't work.

Fleabaying is going really really well - I can hardly keep up and it's becoming a bit of an obsession continually checking to see how many watchers there are. Plus I'm constantly spoaching around the house looking for things to list, when I really should be getting on with other things.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

ginnyknit

Did a big shop before Christmas delivered from Mr S and it has paid off. Only did it as I had a biggish discount so stocked up on DGS juice, basics etc. This meant I could save this weeks carers allowance and add it to my housekeeping which I get in bits due to the system. Spent £25 in Mr t
and nipped on the market for salad, fruit and meat today. I still have money left :j Planning ahead works for me, saves on the number of times I go into a sm thus saving money. The pot for my debt is filling up slowly but surely. Am waiting till later in the month to put more things on fleabay when everyone gets paid - Ds's advice.

Still digging things out of the freezer and veg box to make meals and for some reason they are tasting better than usual

Florenceem

I am doing well this month. Spent almost all of our Dec GC money so have lots of stock in. I keep saying to Mr F when he goes out - don't spend any money!

nat21luv

Its my sons 10th bday on sunday and Ive bought him a few books in the Tesco sale that were £1.50 for 4 and a dvd for 75p, a toy from argos paid for with vouchers and im making him a cake, making a treasure chest piñata, the decorations, buying the party food with£25 morrisons vouchers and making most of it myself, and finally, taking him and 2 friends to a climbing centre. All this for £50 maximum hopefully! The Climbing centre looks to be £6-7 each so that's maximum £21 leaving me £29 to play with for decorations and gifts.

looking at superscrimpers website now

hollieinbloom

miss_empty_piggy wrote: »

Hi All I am feeling cautious but happy with my frugality at the moment. Have been eating out of the cupboards/freezer. Shopping came to £17 this week (but couldn't get bread flour as they'd run out so must go and get that)

Bargain shop at £17! I've been eating out of the cupboards too. I'm having to cook before OH gets home from work before he says "oh i don't fancy that" then he has no choice :rotfl:

Popped to the boots sale and managed to pay with my points. I got a box of 4 ales for my dad's birthday for £2.40 and some Christmas cards for DD for £1.35. Very pleased as I needed something for dad and he loves his beer! lol. I didn't need anything else in there so I didn't want to just buy stuff for the sake of it. I usually go out with my grandparents on a wednesday and go for dinner after with DD but my gramps has a swollen foot so he couldn't drive. Inviting my dad for dinner instead and cooking spagbol. OH came home with a pack of spaghetti that was at work from an opened gift item which couldn't be sold on (he works in b00ts) and we have it with quorn mince as i'm a vegetarian and everyone loves quorn mince in this house so I'm glad I don't have to do two different meals!

Popped into iceland and got a jam rolypoly for pudding tonight and I already have a tin of custard! Feeling like I'm making huge changes in spending less and we are definitely even eating better as i'm making even more things from scratch. The bread maker has been a godsend to us as when we worked out how much it costs in ingredients, it works out at 30p a loaf when we make it ourselves. Will only buy bread in the shops now if it's reduced and will freeze it for emergencies.

I managed to keep the heating off all day til about 20 mins ago. Picked DD up from school and it was raining so took her wellies and umbrella with me. Well she's like Peppa Pig and jumps in all the puddles so she's a bit chilly so I've wrapped her up on the sofa.

Right! enough waffling, off to wash up and prepare for dinner. hope everyone is well xxx