2014 Frugal Living Challenge

skintygerlinky

Afternoon Frugalites xx

Well after having a minor freak-out earlier today ("am so skint!! How can I afford to eat? How can I afford to BREATHE??") I've got a grip and decided to do some batch cooking. The scary part of the month approaches, that horrid no-man's land til payday so we must be creative!

Made a couple of batches of soup - the last of the fresh veggies needed some attention so spring onions, garlic and 2 big portobello mushrooms became a nice mushroom soup which will do for today and tomorrow.

Ancient frozen broad beans, frozen peas, a little gem lettuce, spring onions, garlic and chilli have made another lovely soup, cooling now, waiting to be frozen into portions.

Also fancy making some biscuits from a recipe by Jack Monroe - really good article about her today in The Observer plus recipes: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/feb/16/jack-monroe-cook-girl-called-jack-interview

So, deep breath...we're doing OK! Hang in there, keep on keeping on with Frugal '14 and we'll all be alright!!

Thought this was a reflective song today - this is the version I remember from being young, but I do like Florence's rendition too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N87qW9_r_aA

Thanks for all support on here! How nice to feel understood during wobbles xxx

[Deleted User]

pm2326 wrote: »

With the money I've saved so far this month I've.......

just paid off my catalogue in full (£165) and closed the account :j:j:j:T:T:T:T

That's fantastic news. Well done.

TM6

DawnW wrote: »

Well done pm2326, I am not surprised you are excited - I remember that feeling Keep going, you can and will be debt free :T

I have to travel for work today, for a distant meeting at silly o'clock on Monday morning :mad: and because I live near very damp parts of the country the trains are very disrupted, which means I need to set out before 9am - so happy Sunday....

Still, it looks as though the flights are ok at least, and I am counting down the days now till I finish ...... I will miss the buzz, and some of the people, but not the relentlessness of it all, the long hours, the way it takes over my entire life, the boring commute, the stupid deadlines, having to catch trains and planes at all hours of the day and night, I could go on.......

Quite big spends over the next couple of days :eek: but at least I will be able to claim most of it back in expenses.

Back late Monday night :mad:

I'm intrigued - are we allowed to ask what line of work you are in?

Sorry, I'm so nosy :rotfl:

abby1234519

I need help urgently!

I have a "mild" gambling addiction. Sometimes I might deposit £20 and play blackjack, win an extra tenner and withdraw. Or I might just lose. I never take it further though.

Anyhoo....we had £1500 in our savings account for the wedding.

Its now £0. Yup...

Out of desperation I pillaged my current account and have won it all back apart from £35.50. I'm not putting anymore in to risk that. So anyway it will be back in the account shortly, once William Hill have processed the withdrawal.

I genuinely need to be able to block all gambling sites. I am absolutely terrified that I will do this again. I felt absolutely sick at the though of having just spent our hard earned savings. I don't need telling off, I really have already done that. However I need to be able to block gambling sites, I feel I can trust myself, I mean it takes a massive scare sometimes to shock you but I clearly can't really be trusted as a habit is a habit. My other half had no idea that I have a habit, as its never been something you could see, ie such low amounts. But I've told him what I've done and he could clearly see how distraught I was as I don't cry often.

£35.50 down is very lucky, I currently have a laptop on sale on ebay so should be okay. I am so so lucky. I literally ransacked my wardrobe last night ready to sell all of my possessions.

pm2326

abby1234519 wrote: »

I need help urgently!

I have a "mild" gambling addiction. Sometimes I might deposit £20 and play blackjack, win an extra tenner and withdraw. Or I might just lose. I never take it further though.

Anyhoo....we had £1500 in our savings account for the wedding.

Its now £0. Yup...

Out of desperation I pillaged my current account and have won it all back apart from £35.50. I'm not putting anymore in to risk that. So anyway it will be back in the account shortly, once William Hill have processed the withdrawal.

I genuinely need to be able to block all gambling sites. I am absolutely terrified that I will do this again. I felt absolutely sick at the though of having just spent our hard earned savings. I don't need telling off, I really have already done that. However I need to be able to block gambling sites, I feel I can trust myself, I mean it takes a massive scare sometimes to shock you but I clearly can't really be trusted as a habit is a habit. My other half had no idea that I have a habit, as its never been something you could see, ie such low amounts. But I've told him what I've done and he could clearly see how distraught I was as I don't cry often.

£35.50 down is very lucky, I currently have a laptop on sale on ebay so should be okay. I am so so lucky. I literally ransacked my wardrobe last night ready to sell all of my possessions.

Hi, you need to install gamblock on your pc and get your other half to set the password so you cant remove it.

To be honest, if you're prepared to gamble your wedding fund I would say you have a bigger problem than you think, maybe you could consider getting professional help to stop the habit.

Good luck x

TM6

Firstly may I say how much I admire you for admitting your addiction very openly here on the forum.

Secondly telling your OH was a very hard step to do.

I have no personal experience of a gambling addiction but here is some advice from the NHS -

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/addiction/Pages/gamblingaddiction.aspx

The fact that you scared yourself silly is probably just what you needed.

I am full of admiration for you :A

Shortie

skintygerlinky wrote: »

Thought this was a reflective song today - this is the version I remember from being young, but I do like Florence's rendition too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N87qW9_r_aA

Thanks for all support on here! How nice to feel understood during wobbles xxx

The support this tread is amaze-balls isn't it? :j:A

And, OMG.... I luuurve this song. Always have, always will. You hear it so infrequently that it's cranked to the max and sung and full volume




So, today has been a cook up day for the diet we've just started. Can't believe it's Monday again tomorrow :eek:

Roll on Wednesday (pay day), and tomorrow the mortgage advisor I saw last week will kick off my mortgage advance too, so I should be hearing if I can have it - I shouldn't have any issues with my credit score but if they check out my bank account (I work for the company so my banking is done with them as well as my mortgage) they'll see I've had a couple of months of going into my overdraft recently - not much into it, but into it all the same... (read here that I'm a total money-risk-adverse worry wart :rotfl:)

Here's to hoping that I can get the mortgage advance, pay the rest of the car off to my Dad, get the heating sorted, and get the plans drawn up and submitted to the council for the building work (2nd quote due in the end of this week coming)

Fingers crossed

Buffythedebtslayer

It's brilliant really but then I do think the DFW section is unique on the internet and this thread is amongst the best of it in terms of advice, ideas and support.


however today is not the day for me - I keep getting interrupted by the dogs each time I post.


got work out what to have for dinner.........have lots of bits I need to use up.


could be interesting and by that I mean it could give me a really bad tummy ache!

Frugalsod

pm2326 wrote: »

To be honest, if you're prepared to gamble your wedding fund I would say you have a bigger problem than you think, maybe you could consider getting professional help to stop the habit.

Good luck x

I agree. Plus the fact that you won most of it back might tempt you to not worry about doing it again. It is quite a problem but you really should tell your other half to be as it will definitely be something that she has to come to terms with. It will also help her keep you from temptation.

lovefullshelves

pm2326 wrote: »

With the money I've saved so far this month I've.......

just paid off my catalogue in full (£165) and closed the account :j:j:j:T:T:T:T

Just wanted to add my congratulations :T I had four and it took me about 5 years to pay them alll off! Now I throw them in the recycling bin if I get any! I daren't even look at them online!
Happy the sun was out today which meant two loads of dry washing for free! (and another in the greenhouse:)) Still not used the tumble dryer this year
Made celery soup (aldi super 6!) for lunch and herman apple cake from our stored apples for supper!!
Not been out so haven't spent anything, just been catching up on chores yay!
Hope everyone is well and warm x