2014 Frugal Living Challenge

mummy2threeboys

Oh totally not frugal but birthday related, my sons share a birthday very close by about 2 weeks, so as we are all interested in astronemy at the moment, i thought about buying them a telecope, but have no knowledge about what i whould need..does anyone know anything or know anyone who does? i have about £60 -£70 earmarked (thnkfully most of this comes from fil for their birthday lol) ive seen one on amazon that has ok reviews

cydney65

Thinking of you TM6.

Might be another NSD today which makes 6 in a row. OH gone back to bed as she is feeling poorly, so I'm here with the dogs thinking I should get some of my uni reading done...it's successful so far as you can see

Finished the nursery just in time as DD2 could be induced tomorrow. Poor girl has hypermobility and this has affected her pelvis and hips really badly during pregnancy meaning she can barely walk. She still has a week to go to her due date but the midwife is unhappy letting her go on any further because of the pain she is in. Although we can't wait to meet the baby, DD2 is my baby still and I'm worried sick for her

Worked out my money 'til the end of the month and I may be able to put a little more into savings. It's going to be tight though. Thank god for spreadsheets, I don't know what I would do without them!

Must go and put the breadmaker on so we have bread for tea. I love our breadmaker, it's one of the best 'frugal' things we have bought. May have to try a slow cooker one day.

afoolwithmoney

Thinking of you TM6

Had two extra diaries given to me this year my list making habit is taking over!!!
Emotional spending yes its like my emotional eating happy, sad, down, up, angry, mellow, upset.....you get the picture & I don't just treat myself its everyone else to....hence a fool with money & the realisation of this that's brought me here

skintygerlinky

Afternoon Frugalites xx

Couple of frugal recipes:

Tomato pasta: boil your pasta (whatever you've got in). Dain when done and in the warm pan heat up an oil of your choice and fry some garlic. Add a good dollop of tomato puree which will sizzle immediately! Stir quickly for about 10 secs then add drained pasta, stir until it's all coated and eat!!
This may sound quite dry and boring but honestly its not - the tom puree seems to take on a deeper character when sizzling away in garlicky oil. You can also add whatever you've got in eg olives, sundried tomatoes, tuna, cheese etc. Mega cheap and cheerful, really savoury and more-ish!

Bottom of the jar special - if you're at the end of a jar of mustard, chuck in some oil (I like the oil that sundried tomatoes and artichokes come in as this ensures I'm using up those flavourful oil too!) plus a good squeeze of lemon juice and some salt and pepper - keep tasting as you go. Shake the jar til you think it's all mixed and then shake again!
'Bottom of the jar' recipes make great dressings - I use this one for salads, but think I'm going to make a potato salad for tomorrow and Friday's lunch so this will do nicely!

his_missus

TM6 wrote: »

In need of TLC today - 4th anniversary of my darling Dad's death and I am feeling a bit weepy.

Hope you don't mind me sharing :A

Big hugs to you TM6, today. Nothing wrong with feeling weepy, if you need to let it out, go ahead, you'll feel better for it xxx

[Deleted User]

TM6 wrote: »

In need of TLC today - 4th anniversary of my darling Dad's death and I am feeling a bit weepy.

Hope you don't mind me sharing :A

Hugs being sent. This is the ideal place to share, you will get lots of support on here.

Shortie

Sorry everyone, feeling a tad full of self-pity at the moment... I have 'treated' myself to a lunch again today (only £2 but very much not the point, and I know where dropped-self control can get me)

I got paid only yesterday and already I seem to have more than my salary allocated to things we need to sort this month. I honestly thought that when I was debt free (I almost have I owe a bit now to my Mum and Dad) I would feel so liberated but I'm just fed up of feeling like a very limited cash machine at the moment... As soon I got paid, I had to pay my SA tax bill. I've paid off the service charge, entertainment passes and fee to take the dogs with us today so that's money due to come out of my account. I've taken out the cash today for the fence repairs on Friday and Monday - we really can't keep putting it off as I'm worried sick when we move our chooks to the end of the garden that next doors dog will come through again and there will be carnage so that has to be done asap. I've paid off the rest of the school trip for DS1, as well as the remainder fo school dinners for this half term for both boys. We still need some materials for the chook run... and there we have it already - I have £8 left in my account after all that plus all my usual bills/travel/food.

Plus, I realised last night that we will have a 'medical' bill of sorts to fund (our own choice but one I won't budge on) when my youngest's tooth falls out (suddenly wobbly as of last night) which will come to over £1k which I had completely forgotten about as it's 4 years since we last put any thought into any of it..


Aaaaarrrrrrrgggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh

Sorry. I know there is no real answer to this other than I just have to suck it up and get on with it, cutting costs wherever possible - but I already do that. I have a growing number of unavoidable costs coming up, when in my head this year was about saving for the building work. Pah

I know I should be so greatful - we have a roof over our heads and food in the fridge. And I am. I honestly am greatful for this. I'd would just like a break from the financial tightrope I seem to always walk And, I have no-one to blame but myself. We didn't need a new car. I should have twigged the missing bits of my tax calculations when I was getting all organised and planned last year. We didn't have to buy this house knowing it would need work (but I can still see the outstanding potential it has, just fed up of the bad layout, the heat draining single skinned building attatched to the kicthen, and dire boiler and rads)

Sorry for the whinge, it felt a bit cathartic to get it written down, but equally it hasn't actually changed anything

his_missus

Shortie, I know the feeling. When I became debt free I thought it would be an awesome feeling but actually when the big day came it was just meh! We've been struggling to build up a decent savings pot (though we're in a finacially secure position to do so) as we're now enjoying life and spending - mostly within our means but each month we end up puting a bit on the CC, paying it all off but then "having to" spend a bit on the CC the next month, paying in full but then...

If we just tightened the purse strings for one month and didn't use the CC, the next month we'd have money left to save. Hence, my attempts to be more frugal now I'm debt free rather than living it up.

We're saving to do up the house - new doors and windows, new bathroom, extend the kitchen/shorten the lounge by moving a wall, new fitted kitchen, fitted bedroom... so far we've saved up enough for a new back door!:rotfl:

[Deleted User]

I must confess I have fallen off the frugal wagon over the past few days too. I have had a few takeaways and last night we had a trip to the cinema with all the usual trimmings!

My reason/excuse is that I am just soooo tired. I haven't been sleeping properly - this started before my Christmas hols and it has cropped up again in the past week and a half. I generally wake up in the wee small hours of the morning and can't get back to sleep. I am going into work like a zombie and when I get home I just can't be bothered doing much other than watching TV. I am not sure what is causing it so not sure what to do other than make sure I get an early enough night. Going to have a night off the TV tonight and then limit it for the next week or so to see if that makes any difference. There are many other productive things I could do like my crafting.

Pay day tomorrow and I plan to save a hefty part of my wage as I want to get my emergency fund up to £10k. I am going to treat myself to some wool to work on a couple of craft projects which will be gifts for family for birthdays/Christmas.

Shortie, good for you for getting it out. It does make us feel better to do that. Looking on the bright side you have paid the tax bill so no more payments there for a while and you have paid in advance for the school dinners and paid off the school trip. These are things you won't have to pay next month. Same with the fence, once its up and sorted you won't have to pay for a new one for years. It will get easier. I was the same when I became debt and mortgage free. I had this idea that life would be easy as if the clouds would part and all would be sunshine. Instead we haemorrhaged money with both cars dying within months of each other and various other little crises that popped up. But it does stop and the saving can start.

mummy2threeboys

Just remembered we have 2 months of non paying council tax, we pay ours on the 28th does this mean it will be this month on the 28th or next month as its feb and march we do not pay it, thanks xx